The Little Things pt 3: It’s a Small World After all

Life comes full circle in the most unexpected ways. I did my MBA more than a decade back. Prof LSG was my HOD and a huge inspiration. I somehow connected with him more than any other faculty member despite the difference in age (and intelligence / wisdom). V was a PhD student during the same time. I avoided PhD students, afraid I’d catch something contagious. I went on to work and did not look back.

Fast forward 10 years, circumstances had conspired to give me a desire to pursue my PhD (guess I did end up catching something). When I called Prof LSG, he was insistent that I do it in my alma mater, despite my reservations about the strenuous entry criteria. He asked me to connect with V who was now a professor in the same department and in the field I wanted to research in! She was excited about the research area and agreed to be my guide!

Almost a year in, Prof V needed a panelist to address her B school students and I suggested SS (my CEO). He gladly agreed and has now been invited back for a second address (photos attached).

Coincidence would be a simplistic explanation. Life in some important areas is not unidirectional, unlike the passing of time. The people we rub shoulders with at school, work, etc do not tend to disappear from our lives even if we have moved on from that particular context. We circle back. This doesn’t happen every time, but in when it does, we better hope that we had dealt honourably and had left the relationship respectfully. Burning our bridges leaves us with no route back. But invest genuinely when building the bridge, you can always enjoy a return journey (should you want to).