Many years ago, when I first put pen to paper, my intention was beautifully simple: to express myself. I wanted to take raw emotions and shape them into words worthy of sharing with the world. And then, something magical happened.
Day after day, as I opened myself up, my inner world emerged not as abstract thoughts but as stories. These narratives—however strange or unexpected—didn’t just help me express myself; they entertained others too. For a while, this was perfect. But gradually, almost imperceptibly, I became more captivated by the entertainment value than by the emotional truth beneath. The writing shifted from expressing to impressing, and with that shift, I lost something essential: the joy.
When writing becomes performance rather than revelation, the magic fades.
A Presidential Wake-Up Call
Today, I found myself reflecting on the sought-after opportunity of becoming President of the IIMB Orators Club, one of India’s elite Toastmasters clubs reserved exclusively for IIM Bangalore alumni. The journey began with a promise: Connect and Conquer.
I opened my presidential term with a speech about Alexander the Great and a Jain Muni. Alexander encountered the monk gazing peacefully at the sky and scoffed at such a “waste of time.” The Muni, in turn, was bemused by Alexander’s relentless mission to conquer the world—a futile pursuit, he believed, given how many before him had tried and been forgotten by history.
The lesson? True conquest begins with connection—to ourselves. Real victory lies in experiencing and expressing our authentic selves. That became my guiding light for these past six months.
The Presidential Address: Setting the Tone
Every week, the president has a unique opportunity: delivering an address that sets the theme for the meeting. I wanted to make this more than routine. My hope was to internalize each theme deeply, connect with the emotions it stirred within me, and find stories—particularly from Indian tradition and wisdom—that might resonate with our members.
My goal wasn’t just to speak to the audience, but to create a genuine connection. I found the process deeply rewarding. Exploring literature from Odia, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil, Marathi, Hindi, and Sanskrit became a journey of rediscovering my beloved country, and the warmth of the audience’s response made it even more meaningful.
Another presidential responsibility is introducing the Toastmaster of the Day, the person who orchestrates the meeting. I tried to introduce each individual not with generic praise, but with genuine appreciation—reflecting what I’d learned about them through our interactions and shared experiences.
Leading the Executive Committee: The Heart of the Club
Perhaps the most important responsibility is leading the Executive Committee—the engine that keeps the club running smoothly. As president, you become the point of contact for members who reach out with suggestions, concerns, and ideas.
The challenge? Keeping your door open and remaining genuinely receptive while working closely with the committee to thoughtfully evaluate and implement (or sometimes respectfully decline) these suggestions. This balancing act proved to be one of the most interesting aspects of the role.
Most ideas and concerns aren’t simple to address. That’s where the collective wisdom of the Executive Committee becomes invaluable. Success depends on bringing together the right people—individuals who offer not just expertise, but the heart to serve.
This work actually began before my term officially started: connecting with potential committee members, inviting them to join, supporting their selection, and then nurturing those relationships to accomplish our shared goals. Connect and conquer, indeed.
When Life Has Other Plans
I entered this role with ambitious plans for building deep, personal connections—reaching out to each member individually, forging partnerships with student clubs, organizing educational sessions to help members navigate the notoriously unfriendly Toastmasters Pathways website. But then, life happened.
It’s almost comical how the universe works. The moment you feel you finally have breathing room, the world conspires to fill your calendar from ten different directions simultaneously. Both my professional and personal life began demanding far more than usual, and those personal connections I’d envisioned creating often took a backseat.
Here’s where I discovered my greatest fortune: an exceptional Executive Committee. While I sometimes felt I was simply along for the ride, they were the ones truly making things happen. Looking back, I realize how blessed I was to have a team that didn’t just support the vision—they brought it to life.
Celebrating the Milestones
Together, we created moments that will stay with us: the long-awaited family picnic that brought everyone closer, an enlightening education session by our VP Education on the Art of Listening, Dr. Ushy Mohan Das’s inspiring workshop on the Art of Creating Content, our historic 750th meeting run entirely by past presidents with that magical cake-cutting ceremony, the Independence Day meeting where we sang “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara” together, an electrifying contest with 13 contestants, the intrigue of our mystery meeting, creative table topics sessions that sparked imagination, two outstanding linker meetings, and countless small, delightful touches that made every gathering special.
If I’m honest about my biggest takeaway from this journey: Make it a routine to call people. Reach out. Connect beyond physical spaces if you truly want to conquer.
The connections I missed making weren’t for lack of wanting—they were for lack of discipline. The phone calls I didn’t make, the coffee chats I didn’t schedule, the personal check-ins I postponed—these are the opportunities that slipped away. True leadership, I’ve learned, isn’t just about being present in the room; it’s about being present in people’s lives.
Building Community Connections
We stand on the shoulders of the visionary leaders who founded this club and those who have served faithfully to ensure it remains strong and in capable hands. While I hoped to connect with everyone—veterans and newcomers alike—and strengthen our bonds with IIMB student groups and communities, I recognize now that intention without consistent action remains incomplete.
Yet the foundation has been laid. The door remains open for those connections to deepen, and I trust my successor will build where I’ve left room for growth.
Three Key Learnings
As I reflect on these six months, three lessons emerge:
1. Authentic Expression Over Impression
Whether in writing or leadership, the magic happens when we stop performing and start being genuine. My most meaningful presidential addresses weren’t the most polished—they were the ones where I connected deeply with the theme and spoke from the heart. The same holds true in life: people connect with honesty, not perfection.
2. The Right Team Multiplies Your Impact
I may have held the title, but the Executive Committee provided the heart and hands that made everything happen. Leadership isn’t about doing everything yourself—it’s about bringing together people with diverse strengths and creating space for them to shine. My greatest joy wasn’t in what I accomplished alone, but in what we achieved together.
3. Consistent Connection Requires Intentional Discipline
Good intentions don’t build relationships—consistent actions do. It’s not enough to want to connect; you must schedule it, prioritize it, and protect it from the inevitable demands that will try to crowd it out. The connections I made happened because I made time. The ones I missed happened because I didn’t. If you truly want to conquer, you must build routines that keep you connected, especially when life gets busy.
This presidential journey brought me full circle—back to that original intention of authentic expression. The stories I shared, the connections I built (and those I missed), the community I had the privilege to serve—all reminded me that the real magic happens when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, to ask for help, to acknowledge our limitations, and still show up with heart.
Perhaps that’s the conquest worth pursuing: finding our way back to our truest selves, learning from what we couldn’t accomplish as much as from what we could, and from that place of honest connection, touching others genuinely.
The presidency may be ending, but the journey of connecting and conquering—starting with myself—continues.
Life as Sakti 