The human mind is curious. It cannot survive in an empty room. It needs stories, people, and activities to thrive. And this curiosity to surround us with something interesting has become the driving force behind everything we know. It is also the same thing that helps us to find a way in uncertain times. Making things easier to learn, our curiosity also decides what is most useful for us and pushes us forward to achieve it.
For Shobhan K. Mishra, the curiosity of numbers and the desire to analyze the why and how of everything came to be the reason behind his successful professional journey. His willingness to understand numbers and forming connections led him to become a financial analyst by profession with a double major in economics and electronics. Moreover, he has a deep interest in international relations, diplomacy, and sustainability.
Exeleon looks into how Shobhan’s curiosity made him the admired leader he is today.
Following the Trail
Shobhan hails from a small town in India known as Bokaro Steel City. During Shobhan’s childhood, his parents fostered an educated environment for him. They rendered out the perfect meaning of having good education in front of him. What they did was important, however, it was not enough. Just like any other student in the country, Shobhan also struggled to get adequate exposure and a glimpse of the global education setup
Despite the limitations, whenever and wherever possible, Shobhan would spend the time to fulfill his curiosity of learning. The perfect mixture of his curiosity and determination led him to find the path he was destined for. He asserts, “I would enquire and get to know a lot about things that used to be uncommon among kids in the early 2000s. This curiosity coupled with my determination to do things right and communicate well with those around me has paved the path for the person I am today.”
The latter part of being inquisitive to network with people led him to become the co-founder of International Model United Nations in 2017. The organization aims to harness the potential of young students worldwide in the domains of international relations and diplomacy. It is built on the United Nations framework, with each of the modeled committees helping students discuss issues pertaining to several countries on a global platform.
Besides the above, Shobhan has also been a crucial part of the Galen Group of Healthcare. The organization aims to provide sufficient care to COVID-19 patients in a vastly populated country like India, where treatments at times could become hard to attain. Furthermore, it seeks to bridge the said gap and introduce technologically advanced procedures for treating orthopedic/cardiovascular patients without the extensive use of surgical procedures post the pandemic.
Alongside all of this, Shobhan also became a Young Business Leader at the Global Chamber of Business Leaders (GCBL). GCBL is a consortium of business leaders/investors/entrepreneurs/ government officials across domains. It is a one-of-its-kind platform that aims to channelize a young leader’s energy into their areas of interest across geographies.
At GCBL, Shobhan handles strategy and policy-making for the group with a vision to incorporate sustainable development practices into several corporate business models.
Right Exposure was the Key
Keeping curiosity at one side, Shobhan also emphasizes having the correct exposure for a successful professional life. According to him, one should know the difference between being trained and being educated. “Once we all complete education, we are well-educated, but not well-trained. My degree in economics will be considered as worthwhile only if I start applying what I have learned into several industry setups,” he explains.
This limitation is something that Shobhan describes as the biggest roadblock in his journey. He says, “Not being aware of opportunities at the correct time was the major roadblock during my journey. I wish I could have started earlier, and I wish I had people to guide me on worldwide opportunities. Such limitations hinder growth, something I had to break away from once I forced myself into varied domains across geographies.”
Giving the exposure of multinational global setup full credit, Shobhan describes that the adequate exposure became the backbone of his financial management that applies to both startups and conglomerates today. He asserts, “Hours of number-crunching, together with analysis of business models have shaped up my vision of perfecting the workflows in systems today, and I believe that’s a great asset to have with oneself.”
And in honing the right skills, Shobhan depended heavily on reflexivity as the biggest learning. Reflecting on emotions, situations and challenges also contributed to his learning curve over the past decade.
The Art of Managing Multi-Faceted Life
Citing work-life balance as a daily task, Shobhan says that ‘work’ and ‘life’ are closely interlinked. Hence daily, during his office hours, he tries to find humor in the minutest of things and laugh in situations that an 8-year-old might find funny. It is something that keeps him relaxed. He explains, “It helps me draw myself to the grassroots level of seeing things despite my age or experience. This keeps me lighter in several activities during the day.”
And after office, Shobhan becomes a common man and starts engaging and discussing various subjects with everyone. “You might find me asking about cultivation to my gardener and about healthcare to a close friend in a pharmacy. I believe I don’t know a lot. Daily interactions in my personal life boost up my professional life and add value to it.”
These three things, namely humor, gratitude, and networking skills, help Shobhan to create a perfect work-life balance.
It’s All About Perspective
Shobhan wants emerging business leaders to welcome the ideology of change via circumvention. He says that while moral and cultural boundaries are important, it is the perspective that makes a difference in the end. He also points to the fact that every individual, problem, and solution is unique. And it’s the respect of these three entities that pave the way for outstanding leadership.
“Each individual’s perspective and thought-process demand respect and it’s only by acceptance can we reach the stage of improvement. However, during this entire process, not once we can ignore the core ideals of compassion and empathy. A leader is not just the one who leads, but one who makes others believe they can lead anywhere, anytime,” states Shobhan.
Sustainability is the Future
For the future, Shobhan has a very clear picture in his mind. He believes we as humans need to take care of our resources, otherwise dire consequences are waiting for us ahead. As such, Shobhan has kept his keen eyes on sustainability and the rightful roles we humans have to play if we want to change things around.
“It is obvious that the next challenge for us is climate change. Thus, harmonious development of existing resources across nations is the key for any businesses I aim to get involved in the future and this is where sustainability will come into play,” he concludes.
