'Mission Possible Conqueror' (MPC), an army officer with 10 years of service, stood at the gates of prestigious Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. Having landed in the Vibrant Gujarat with an air of anxiety, MPC was feeling adrift. Unlike others, who had with visions of Finance or Marketing dominance, MPC was still unsure. For him, world of #management held an array of paths – #project, #operations #supplychain, #marketing, each one a portal to success.
MPC had the grit, discipline, leadership which he attained in the face of hardships. But battlefield here wasn't the boardroom. His #business acumen was built with resourcefulness, not spreadsheets. #Hiringandpromotion meant navigating promotions based on merit, not rank. #Advertisingandmarketing felt alien after the raw honesty of military communication.
Weeks fled with MPC attending lectures, trying to absorb knowledge. Yet the fog persisted. He saw other solving case studies with ease, easily navigating through the tactical subjects.
One day a senior course participant patted on his shoulder and said, "You served your country, now serve your ambition."
Here #ambition too had become a foreign language for MPC, another tough nut to crack.
One evening, MPC found himself wandering near the #LKP. Feeling like a soldier unsure of his next battle, MPC was sitting near Vikram Sarabhai Library when suddenly a voice broke the silence. An elderly faculty member, who had been associated with the IIM Ahmedabad - Armed Forces Programme (AFP 2024) since beginning, sat beside him.
MPC spoke his heart out, the fear of choosing wrong, of failing expectations. Professor smiled and said, "The battlefield taught you resilience, adaptability and leadership. These skills are not confined to one domain. They are bedrock of success in any field."
MPC was aware of all of it but the interaction with the Prof ignited a spark in him. He thought his years in Army weren't just a gap in resume. Leadership wasn't just giving orders; it was about inspiring, clearing ambiguity, making tough decisions under pressure. The Prof's words were like a compass which guided him not to a specific path, but deeper understanding of his own value.
MPC's journey continued, the fog gradually cleared. He discovered the #management field was an ocean, vast enough to accommodate his unique experiences.
MPC may not have entered IIM Ahmedabad with a clear vision, but now had a profound realization: his journey as a soldier wasn't a detour, but a preparation. The battlefield hadn't just tested him; it had equipped him for the battles yet to come – the battles of the boardroom, of the market, of his own making. And with newfound clarity, MPC, a soldier lost in the maze, found his purpose and marched towards his future, ready to conquer a different kind of terrain.
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