Today is Janamashtami or Gokulashtami, and throughout the country devotees of Lord Krishna are celebrating his birth from midnight onwards. Lord Krishna is the most beloved and unconventional of all Gods—whether as an endearing and playful cowherd, or the astute charioteer in the Mahabharata. Undoubtedly, it was his knowledge, wisdom and support that helped the Pandavs become the winning side in the Mahabharata. And that brings me to today’s topic.
You must have heard the phrase “the wind beneath my wings”. It refers to a person(s) who is / are a support system and without them you could not succeed**.** Phew! You are lucky if you have had that kind of help and guidance.
In your life, has there been a boss, colleague, mentor, good friend or family member whose support changed the course of your life for good? At work bosses and colleagues don’t stay with you indefinitely. Every 2 to 3 years they change but sometimes just that duration of time is enough to change the course of your life for good.
When I moved from Manufacturing into Banking in my early days of work life, my first boss who was head of Investment Banking gave me a success mantra - he said that if I would like to be accepted ( and respected) by this brash bunch of guys in the Treasury Dealing Room I must forget I was a HR professional and understand the Treasury function. I went for an abridged Bourse course ( Treasury Module) taught by the Chief Dealer himself and voila came out with flying colours. Very soon I got used to handling the “colourful” language used by these guys and became a sought after advocate for discussing complexity of the treasury jobs and talking competitive telephone number salaries and bonuses in the early 90s era. I thank my boss for pushing me to acquire knowledge of investment banking skills after which retail and other functions became easier. Soon I got recognised for being an HR Leader from BFSI space. This changed the course of my career and I was always at ease and never intimidated even if I was the only woman for the longest time in the top management of a Bank. I thanked that boss who helped me soar/ fly to newer heights…and helped me pay this gesture forward to a whole lot of people in my life!
In the last few years my lovely daughter has become the wind beneath my wings! My husband and she have helped me embrace my life post both my illnesses. I try and not let my circumstances consume me and like to be reminded of what I am capable of which my daughter does whenever I conceive a new idea to launch. **WiP (Women in Power) was one such baby launched by me earlier this year completely with my daughter’s support. **She has been my sole tech support to record, edit and post in the early days! This is an example of “reverse mentoring” - I am so grateful to have had this new experience.
I would like to point out if you have ideas and if you’re looking for a support system, you don’t necessarily need a ‘mentor’ or a ‘guide’ because course changing support can come from the most unlikeliest of places - just be open to the possibilities! Do reflect when someone has been the wind beneath your wings or in case you have done so for someone else!
(This article first appeared on the WiP page on August 30th, 2021. I am the founder of WiP which is a cohort of like minded talented women who help each other grow in a fun filled, judgement free manner!)