Read Part 1 HERE
I waited outside for my turn (I was 6th in the sequence of candidates). With 7 contestants, including a close friend, in the fray ; a badly split voting was inevitable. I kept thinking about who would vote for me and I had only 3 sure votes to count on. It was hard to stay motivated and sit through that period, waiting for my turn. It eventually came after 1 and ½ hours.
I walked in to a tired and rather disinterested audience. I had to involve them somehow. So, I started to put my agenda via interaction. I slowly started gaining steam and became completely involved in the pitch, so much so that I had to be reminded that I was exceeding time. The measured approach which I usually take ensures that I do things in a very calculated way and adhering to time is one of those, but not that day. I had become so involved in questions from the audience that I did not realize I had walked off from the podium amidst the audience. I had to be called back. There were vague questions, there were demanding questions and I enjoyed answering them all with full enthusiasm. It was as if I had chosen it to be my moment. I had a vision, I had ways to implement that vision and I wanted people to understand it. That evening, a sleepy and mundane I had come to life. At times, I have repented for not expressing myself properly. That evening, for a change, I wanted to express myself.
Was there a fairytale ending for me in store? No. I lost. Life is not a fairytale. It gives you your share of happiness and it also gives you reality checks. The surprise was that I managed 13 votes and ended up 3rd in the race, 8 votes behind the top ranked candidate. The reality check was the realization of the importance of staying connected to people. As an MBA student, one ought to be social to a certain degree atleast. It’s all right to have a vision and show passion, but people matter in the end. My passion had probably raised my tally from a prospective 3 votes to 13 that evening but that’s the maximum it could have stretched.
So what did I get eventually? Was there a need for all this when I knew I would lose? I would say, YES. That evening eventually helped me break out of my shell. I came across as a person willing to lead. I caught the attention of many people who had not known me properly yet. Moreover, there was a satisfaction of having competed. There was a satisfaction of having lost, gracefully.
After all was done and dusted, a batch-mate walked up to me and said –”You might have lost today, but you definitely have one more fan from today”. It seemed, after all, that I had done something right that day.