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FROM Insead Admissions Blog: Black Hawk Down: a soldier’s journey from the frontline to INSEAD |
INSEAD Blog Series on Diversity At INSEAD, we put diversity at the heart. As most of us already have come to know, the 14J class is an extraordinary mix of vibrant, inspirational and exceptional people. This is the sixth article in a blog series, that aims to capture some of the diversity that exists in abundance at INSEAD. It will profile some of our most distinctive class members, asking them to share their unique stories about life, moments of joy, but most importantly about their hopes and dreams. So, sixth out in our profile series is….. Rohan Pasricha Nationality: Indian / American 3 quickies If you had a superpower, which one would it be? I would stop military conflicts all around the world. If you were a sportsman… I would be Sachin Tendulkar, cricketer in India, because he has been carrying the expectations of 1.2bn people for 20 years. That is some pressure to handle! When not in class, we can find you? On a beach or mountaintop in a random country Holiday in the Alps 1. From Black Hawk in the US Army to INSEAD, your background is quite different from most students in business school. Tell us how your professional career to date has led you to business school. I was born and spent my childhood growing up in India. My father was employed by a government agency that worked with the army, and so, my family moved to Jammu & Kashmir. From a young age, I was exposed to the army, but my parents never encouraged me to join the forces. At the age of 18, I moved to the United States to undertake a degree in engineering. The plan was all along to get a corporate job after graduation, but so, something happened that changed my life forever. On 26 November, Mumbai was struck by twelve coordinated shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days, leaving 164 people dead and wounding more than 300 people. I was in the United States when it happened, but my grandparents and lots of family friends experienced the terror on the ground in Mumbai. My mother and maternal grandparents are from Mumbai. I felt so angry, so frustrated that innocent people would fall victim for such cruelty and evil. Many of my Pakistani friends, even though they had nothing to do with the terrorist organisation and lived peaceful lives in harmony with other religions, felt so embarrassed. This caused a lot of strain on the civilian communities, and I felt so hopeless about the situation I had to speak up. I wrote an open letter to a terrorist, and posted it on my Facebook page. My main message was that religion should not be used as an excuse for terrorists to propagate and force their views on innocent people. I wrote: “You attacked a nation where a lady of catholic origin sacrifices the post of prime minister for a Sikh man who takes his oath under a Muslim President to govern a nation of 80% Hindus”. The blog went viral; a journalist from FOX News picked up that article and contacted me for an interview. The interview was aired on television and seen by a recruiter from the US Army. Soon thereafter, I found myself with a job offer to join the American troops. Ceremony at US Army In the beginning I was a bit skeptical, but also very excited. I knew it was the right thing to do. I could have an impact on justice and evil in the world, and the safety of my fellow country men. So I finished my degree, and upon graduation joined the forces. I did my Basic Combat Training in Fort Knox in Kentucky, and was then trained as an aircraft electrician on Black Hawk and Chinook Helicopters. After the training, I was deployed to Germany followed by other countries. This time was the best of my life so far. I met people from all over the world and when not on duty, I could discover the world. My contract with the army was for four years. Nine months away from finishing, I decided it was the time to make the transition to a future in business. There is a danger with staying in the army for too long. In an environment controlled by so many rules, you can lose touch with the civilian aspects of life, even simple things like how to dress in anything apart from the uniform. The army helps you integrate back into society and as such, they supported me in my application to INSEAD. 2. Straight from the army to business school, how did you experience the transition? I literally had 10 days between handing in my uniform and welcome week at INSEAD. Calling the transition a shock is an understatement. How I used to dress and drive… I came from an environment where the rules for how you interact, behave and even speak with people are clearly defined. I was used to saluting people as a greeting, and call everybody by their surname. At INSEAD, there were very few rules of engagement, and in the beginning it was difficult to navigate the social landscape. There was nobody there to give or receive orders. I had to adjust the tone of my voice and even practice shaking hands. I remember people calling “Rohan!” and I didn’t realize they were calling for me, as I am so used to respond to my surname only. Also, the first time I got cold-called in class, I said “Yes, sir!” in response to the professor. As with anything, if you stay open, you adapt to a new environment. Once a soldier, always a soldier, but I feel much more relaxed now and have integrated well. At INSEAD, people don’t judge you because of your background, rather the opposite. Travels with INSEAD 3. What was your most significant learning experience from your time with the US Army? In the army, you really learn what it means to take responsibility. I grew up in India in a home with helpers, and I never even cooked my own food or did my own laundry. In the army, all responsibility is on you. You wake up at 0500 hrs every day for 2.5 hours of exercise, regardless of whether you feel tired or sick. There is no room for slack. In addition, you learn what it means to be responsible and accountable for other people. If my juniors, and I had 30 of them, ever did something wrong, I would have to take the blame. A soldier’s action can have an impact on many people far beyond their immediate platoon and the army. Their families and friends and local civilians are all affected by the hardships of war. These are the true heroes and sometimes also victims of war. With every decision, you need to make sure you can live with the consequences. Once a soldier, always a soldier As a result, the army sets high standards for its soldiers, which go beyond time on duty. Your lifestyle becomes one of a soldier. Even when you are off duty, you represent the US army. This is the biggest difference between the army and other civilian jobs; you are always accountable to your boss, even when you are on holiday. 4. We are often told that corporates can learn from the effective leadership style developed in the army. What makes somebody a good leader? A good leader in the army is somebody who leads by example. A leader that risks his own life for his soldiers and puts himself in the frontline gets the most respect. My commander always used to say: “I will always be the first person to enter the field, and I will always be the last person to leave.” As a combat leader, your soldiers rely on you. In addition, you carry the trust of their families. You don’t want to live with the guilt of having made the wrong decisions, as they can have dire consequences. As a result, decision-making in the army is a very effective, rational process and I will definitely incorporate some of that thinking when I move into my post-INSEAD career. Last day with the US Army 5. Having seen Band of Brothers, it is incredible how strong the relationships between the soldiers are; they would literally die for each other. What was your experience of building relationships with people? When you first join the army, you are absolutely oblivious to what you signed up for. During the first training, you realise how incredibly important it is to work together for survival. For example, one of the ways that solidarity is fostered is during training, where if somebody makes a mistake, everybody in the platoon pays for it. One morning during Basic Combat Training, I arrived a few seconds late for our morning session. As a result, the punishment was that nobody in the platoon of 35 people got to eat breakfast that day. When you do 20 hours of combat training every day, you only sleep 4 hours per night and you get exactly two minutes for breakfast, missing one meal is a high price to pay. When I made that mistake, I felt disgusted. I had let all my friends down. Nevertheless, seven of the guys came up to me and said “Don’t worry, we will be fine”. This forces you to think about others and put other people first. I became very close to my men during my four years of service. Still today, I could pick up the phone and tell my soldiers I need them. Without even questioning, they would be on the next flight en route Singapore in the matter of hours. This bond is critical for a platoon to function effectively in combat. An action taken by one soldier can have such an impact on other people, decisions you make can determine who gets to live or not. You need that level of solidarity to keep you going when times get tough. 6. The army can send you to combat with three days notice. How has this prepared you to deal with change and uncertainty? In the army, you can be woken up in the middle of the night to get sent out on a mission. “We need to move, we have to walk 20 km, get ready in 30 minutes”. Eventually you lose the fear of pretty much anything. This lifestyle has enabled me to deal with sudden changes in a remarkable way. For example, last weekend I had planned a trip to Indonesia, but had to cancel last minute because my visa did not come through. My classmates were very upset, but I didn’t feel affected by the negative news or the monetary loss from having booked flights. I can deal with loss very well; I have very little attachment to material things and am not scared of losing them. As long as I have myself, I know I will be okay. |
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