6 Lessons from the Man Who Drives Harley Davidson

Here are six lessons from today's guest session with Anoop Prakash, MD of Harley Davidson India. While we've had many corporate leaders as guest speakers at Young India Fellowship, Anoop stands out as he has worked in the US Marine Corps and been a part of the Bush Administration. Anoop was born in the US, studied at Stanford and Harvard Business School and has had a diverse career before moving to India in 2009. He put together his life-lessons for us as six bullet points. 

Purpose of your job matters

As most of YIF fellows are at the cusp of choosing their careers, Anoop outlined what is it that he looks for, every time he changes jobs. The name of the company and the job title doesn't matter but what matters is what is your purpose in the job and who is your boss.
Bosses and mentors can change the shape of your careers. Do your homework before you take up the job. In McKinsey, Anoop said he got driven by his ego and the title. Consequently, he felt a lack of purpose though he had a great boss. While he thinks it was a failure, he learnt a lot from that experience.  

To work in a big/small organisation

Anoop has worked mostly in large organisations like McKinsey & Co. and Harley Davidson, and yet he thinks that big organisations do not have values. The people who work in these organisations do but the organisation itself becomes too focused on surviving and fitting people in. In a big organisation, there are a lot more people to learn from and a lot more stakeholders to satisfy than in small organisations. But large organisations also give more resources to work with. The answer as to which one will work for you will depend on which of these things can you live with. 

Respect everyone you meet

This isn't a judgement call, it's a rule. Anoop believes in trusting everyone he meets. Give everyone an A instead of starting with a D. Networking matters, though it sounds shallow and icky. But if you treat everyone well, you will enjoy them. When you meet someone who might not be able to help you today, remember that they might teach you something that'll come in use later. 

Follow your family

Because after all is said and done, it's your family and friends who stay with you. Anoop has changed jobs as the locations of his wife's jobs changed. It was his wife's career as a physician that took him to Washington and brought him to India, but he's enjoyed the pressure of finding something that gives him fulfillment each time. Now, it is his job at Harley that anchors the couple in India.

Be smart and lazy

In the Marine Corps, you don't want people who are dumb or even smart and hard-working. The smart and lazy will take the shortest path and use less resources without adding bureaucratic layers.

Scratch that itch

As the fellows explore the world during YIF, there will be new passions and opportunities. Anoop urged us to go for them, not all of them would become lifetime careers, but to pick them up nevertheless.

As parting comments, Anoop talked about how his jobs all look different, but in the end, he was connecting the dots of his purpose and managing the tradeoffs.