St. Aloysius University Hosts Inspirational Session on Professional Success | “Navigating the Professional Landscapes: Skills Needed for Success.” | Global TV
December 12, 2024 Mangalore
In his insightful address at St. Aloysius University, Mr. Sridhar Aranala, Vice President of Sales and Distribution at The Hindu Group, emphasized a crucial distinction between mere attendance and true attentiveness. With over three decades of experience across diverse industries such as FMCG, telecom, and media, Mr. Aranala is a well-respected figure in business and leadership. His career includes leadership roles at Hindustan Unilever, Bharti Airtel, and Tata Communications, and his expertise has been further sharpened with an Executive General Management Program from IIM Bangalore.
Speaking to the students during the session on “Navigating the Professional Landscapes: Skills Needed for Success,” Mr. Aranala stressed that while attending a class or session is important, it is attentiveness that truly matters. Physical presence without engagement, he explained, serves no purpose. He urged the students to be actively involved, listening intently, processing the information, and implementing the knowledge shared. His message emphasised that success in the professional world requires more than just showing up; it demands a commitment to learning and growth.
Mr. Aranala, a pioneer of growth and innovation at The Hindu Group since 2012, took the students through a lightweight guided tour towards dreaming and achieving excellence. His session focused on the skills needed to navigate the evolving professional landscape. The audience, composed of students from various disciplines, including BA, BSc, BCom, BCA, BBM, and BBA, as well as postgraduate students, were given the opportunity to engage with him on his thougths on leadership, business acumen, and professional growth.
Embracing Purpose and Ownership for Success
A key theme of Mr. Sridhar Aranala’s address was the powerful concept of purpose and ownership. He encouraged the students to deeply reflect on why they are pursuing their current educational path, whether in their courses or future careers. According to Mr. Aranala, true success is not just about achieving external goals, but about taking full ownership of one’s journey. He emphasized that students should understand the importance of every decision they make and approach their studies with a sense of responsibility and commitment.
Rather than making excuses or procrastinating, students should take proactive steps to shape their future. By owning their path, they empower themselves to overcome challenges, learn from failures, and take decisive actions that align with their long-term goals. This mind-set is essential for achieving lasting success in any professional landscape.
The Broken Glass Metaphor: Confronting Life’s Challenges
Mr. Sridhar Aranala introduced a thought-provoking metaphor to illustrate how individuals typically respond to challenges in life. He compared life’s problems to broken glass scattered across a walkway. When faced with obstacles, he explained, there are three common responses: removing the glass (solving the problem directly), avoiding the glass (sidestepping the issue), or ignoring the glass (pretending it isn’t there).
While avoiding or ignoring challenges might offer temporary relief, the proactive approach of removing the glass; taking responsibility for addressing problems head-on; is the most effective and fulfilling way to make it worth. By confronting issues directly, individuals not only resolve immediate concerns but also build resilience and develop problem-solving skills. This approach fosters a deeper sense of ownership and empowerment, ultimately leading to a more impactful and meaningful life.
His message encouraged students to face difficulties with determination, embrace responsibility, and never shy away from challenges.
Key Principles for Personal and Professional Success:
Mr. Sridhar Aranala highlighted several key principles essential for personal and professional success. He stressed the importance of lifelong learning. The journey of learning doesn’t end after exams or graduation. In today’s rapidly evolving professional landscape, embracing a mind-set of continuous learning fosters personal growth, adaptability, and the ability to stay ahead of the curve. This philosophy of never stopping the learning process is crucial in staying relevant in any field.
He noted that when students recognize the long-term impact of each assignment, decision, or action, they become more responsible and take ownership of their time and efforts. The key to overcoming procrastination, he explained, is realizing that every action contributes to shaping the future.
Another important lesson was the balance between sensitivity and sensibility. Aranala pointed out that while sensitivity involves reacting emotionally to situations, sensibility is about responding wisely and with focus. Those who can find this balance will navigate life’s challenges more effectively.
In a society that often encourages complaining, Aranala urged students to break away from this culture and take responsibility for their lives. Instead of blaming external factors, he advocated for adopting a mind-set of accountability, where challenges are viewed as opportunities for personal growth.
Similarly, he emphasized that success is a deeply personal concept and should not be based on societal standards like exam ranks. True success, he argued, comes from knowing one’s purpose, taking ownership of outcomes, and using individual strengths to define one’s own path.
He highlighted the importance of gratitude. Recognizing the efforts of others, from parents to workers behind the scenes, nurtures humility, which is essential for both personal and professional development.
His message was clear: theoretical knowledge alone is not enough. Applying the insights gained in real-world situations is what truly leads to success. By moving beyond theory and taking steps to implement what’s learned, students can turn their knowledge into tangible achievements and progress.
The session was an interactive one, allowing students to ask questions and gain practical knowledge from someone with vast experience in the corporate world. The theme of the session, “Navigating the Professional Landscapes: Skills Needed for Success,” could attract large number of students, and had helped in equipping them with valuable tools for their future careers.
St. Aloysius has a Legacy of Visionary Education and Intellectual Discourse | Fr. Praveen Martis SJ | Vice Chancellor | Presidential Address
Fr. Praveen Martis SJ, Vice Chancellor of St. Aloysius University, delivered an inspiring presidential address, shedding light on the rich history of both St. Aloysius College and The Hindu Group.
St. Aloysius began its journey in 1880, following a request from the local community to the Pope to establish an educational institution in Mangalore. The Jesuit missionaries, recognizing the region’s need for quality education, started the college, with Fr. Joseph Belli becoming the first principal of the college. Fr. Martis reflected on how the institution has evolved over the years, impacting generations of students.
The Vice Chancellor also spoke warmly of his personal connection with The Hindu Group, recalling how, as a child, he was introduced to the newspaper by his father, a testimony to the group’s influence on shaping intellectual discourse in India. He lauded the contributions of The Hindu Group to Indian democracy and journalism.
St. Aloysius University continues to innovate different methods and programs to inspire students to involve in the learning process.
About Mr. Sridhar Aranala:
Mr. Sridhar Aranala is an industry veteran with over 30 years of experience in sales, distribution, and business development across FMCG, telecom, and media sectors. An alumnus of IIM Bangalore, Mr. Aranala has worked with leading organizations such as Hindustan Unilever and Bharti Airtel. He currently serves as Vice President of Sales and Distribution at The Hindu Group and is the Business Head for The Hindu in School. Since 2012, he has been instrumental in driving the growth and innovation at The Hindu Group.
