Dipak C Jain breaks down the success formula for Shubhra Krishan

As Dean of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Illinois, USA, Dipak Jain is a man who knows the moves to managing his way to the top. Born into a family of teachers in Tezpur in India, the little boy who studied sitting on the floor in the village school, now teaches courses in marketing research, new products and services, and probabilistic and statistical models in market-ing, and has served as a consultant to IBM, Sears, US Robotics, AT&T, Motorola and Hyatt International. Now with over 20 years in the field, he offers Indian managers of the future tips to get there.

What is your advice to an Asian-Indian who aspires to make it big in America?
It’s a simple equation: Talent, attitude and perseverance, or TAP. Young people must realise their talent, they must have the right attitude and they must have perseverance to fulfil their aspirations. The best formula for success is working hard. People remember the quality of your work, not the task you have completed. Your performance is what is remembered. It’s critical for young Asian-Indians to look at any situation and ask themselves: “Is this the right thing to do for the organisation?” If the answer is ‘yes’, they must have a positive attitude to do the task well and then move forward. I caution young Asian-Indians against having an optimising mentality, one that asks, “What’s in it for me?”

Was there a life-changing moment for you?
In 1980, I was living in India and had just accepted a post as a lecturer at Guwahati University (Assam), while also working on my doctorate degree in operations research. The town I lived in was very small and resources were very limited. I would write to researchers at universities in the United States, asking them to send me their working papers, so that I would have access to this knowledge. Professors S Prakash Sethi and R Chandrasekaran gave me an opportunity that changed my life — they gave me the opportunity to come to the United States to complete my doctorate degree. I wrote to Professor Sethi, who had recently left University of California-Berkeley for a post with the University of Texas-Dallas. As it turned out, Professor Sethi was no longer involved in the area of research that interested me, but his colleague, Professor R Chandrase-karan, at the University of Texas-Dallas, was pursuing operations research. Professor Chandrasekaran was given my letter, and he wrote to me asking if I would be interested in pursuing my doctorate degree in operations research. If so, he suggested I send my trans-cripts and GMAT and TOEFL scores. I was elated to receive such a letter. While I did not have these scores to send — and taking such exams would be near impossible because of where I was living in India — I sent him my transcripts and certificates that empha-sised my academic honours and achieve-ments. I was admitted to the programme with a full scholarship. In 1983, I moved to Dallas, Texas, and the rest is history. I’m grateful that I was given such a tremendous opportunity, which was made possible because of my aspirations and perseverance, as well as talent in the field I was interested in pursuing.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life?
My mother and my grandfather. Although my mother did not study beyond middle school, she always instilled the right values — ‘sanskars’ — in us. We grew up with a deep appreciation for education and a strong work ethic. My grandfather, who was a school- teacher and taught for almost 50 years, shared with me his passion for teaching. “Never take teaching as a profession; it is something you should worship,” he would say. For me, teaching is a mission and a passion — one that my grandfather passed down to me.

Is there a resource/book/film you would recommend to young managers?
The people with whom you work are the greatest resource — the greatest asset — for learning, growing and developing new skills.

What do you think is the single most important step to success in life?
Hard work completed with sincerity and honesty, respect and trust. Respect and trust for yourself, your colleagues, your company, your customers; these are the keys to success. Help people that you work with to grow to their full potential and be true to yourself — be yourself in all that you do. We tend to spend more time trying to find the right person in life than becoming the right person. I urge young Asian-Indians to focus on beco-ming the right person, and success will follow.

Where should a young Indian manager focus — at home or abroad — when looking for a career?
The focus should be on the best opportunity — the best fit — whether at home or abroad. Given the global nature of business today, it is highly likely that managers in India will have wonderful opportunities abroad.

Where and how do you see India, in terms of managerial progress, 10 years from now?
I anticipate very positive developments in India in the next 20 years.The talent pool that is coming out of India and Indian universities and institutes is remarkable.The combination of the country’s values and its people will place India in a very commanding position.

‘‘My grandfather, who was a schoolteacher and taught for almost 50 years, shared with me his passion for teaching. ‘Never take teaching as a profession; it is something you should worship,’ he would say’’ — Dean Jain