Winning Allies & Inspiring Action: A Six-Point Guide

Having worked in the tech ecosystem both in India as well as in Germany, I've come to understand that success is rarely attained in isolation, but rather through the collaborative efforts and support of others. I truly believe that building strong relationships and nurturing meaningful partnerships can be a game-changer in anyone’s career. Let me give you an insight into the secret sauce to leveraging the power of network, winning allies and inspiring action. Let's do this with a 6-point formula.

Number 1: Winning Allies through self-awareness. 

At the beginning of every year, I sit down with my team to do a SWOT analysis; not just from a business perspective, but also from a larger ecosystem perspective. We can assess our partnerships – what worked for us, what did not work for us, what are the untapped opportunities, who are the new players in the market, how can we scale our global partnerships, so on and so forth. This is a tradition that we follow every single year. Now, if we translate this to an individual level, I will say self-awareness of our goals, values and areas where we need support is the guide to finding the right allies. This self-awareness can be our guide in the search for allies who align with our aspirations and help us reach our goals. Once we are aware of our potential, strengths and areas of improvements, it becomes easier to form the right connects and reach out for the right partnerships.

Number 2: Getting More than One Mentor.

Let’s ask ourselves a question: Do I have a mentor for my career?

Let’s make a slight addition, do I have more than one mentor?

Finding the right mentorship and sponsorship is half the battle won. I was fortunate to have found some amazing mentors early in my career, both at SAP and outside. Even today, I continue to consult my mentors in the industry for any major decisions. It is very important to find more than one mentor because at the end of the day, mentors are also human beings who come with their biases and perspectives. The key is to have more than one perspective when it comes to making decisions that have a long-term impact on your career.

Number 3: Aligning on Shared Values.

When two individuals or organizations have similar principles and ethical standards, there is a higher level of confidence in each other's intentions and actions. One must identify those allies or supporters who share common values. It not only establishes a strong foundation of trust, alignment, and collaboration, but also ensures consistency in decision-making, contributing to a positive reputation, and eventually promoting long-term sustainability for your partnership. The same applies to our workplace, you would realize you have deeper connects with individuals who share the same values as yours and together you can leverage each other’s strengths and expertise. And here I would like to talk about my partnership with the Indo German Chamber of Commerce. Having been raised in Bangalore and lived a good 2 decades of my lifetime in Germany, it is safe to say that I have enjoyed the best of both worlds. While I have seen German engineering up, close and personal, I have been equally, if not more, inspired by India’s entrepreneurship and can-do attitude. Together, these two countries are a force to reckon with and I am happy to have found my shared values in both the countries along with the huge potential that lies ahead for businesses on both sides. Fortunately, I have found that platform in IGCC where we forge a stronger Indo-German business partnership as well as facilitate technology-driven collaborations and innovation exchanges between the two countries.

Number 4: Finding a greater purpose.

Friendships born during crisis are the ones that really last. When we find allies who share a greater purpose, we can achieve more together and create a powerful force for positive change. I have always believed in the power of technology and the positive impact it can create for humanity. If we go back to the dire times that we navigated during the pandemic, especially the second wave in India, I’m sure you’d remember how the entire ecosystem joined forces to not just help each other but also offer support to millions of citizens in the remotest of geographies. It was the sheer power of partnerships which enabled all of us to navigate the biggest crisis of our times. Each one of us have different strengths, as individuals as well as organizations, it is important to find those partnerships that are equally invested in a greater purpose. For us at SAP it is helping the world run better and improving people’s lives. We found similar synergies with the leadership at NASSCOM, IGCC as well as the Govt of India during the pandemic. Just to give you an example: we worked with the Govt of India to build the Oxygen Digital Tracking System through which the government officials could track the movement of medical oxygen in the country. On similar grounds with the Indo German Chamber of Commerce, we created a portal for exchange of medical goods and supplies for the hundreds of German organizations which saved thousands of lives every minute. It is essential to look for that greater purpose when you are looking at partnerships.

Number 5: Being Your Own Sponsor.

While it is important to find sponsors who would advocate for you when you are not in the room, it is equally crucial to advocate for yourself. Over the years, social media has transformed careers of so many people. The best thing I like about social media is that it is the easiest way to scale your ideas, spread the word around the world, create a global brand for yourself as well as extend your network in new industries and regions. And why just social media – look around you, you have a mini ecosystem present everywhere you go. Why don’t we do one thing: By the end of this week, let’s create at least 5 new meaningful connections that we’d genuinely invest our time and energies in the coming weeks and months.

Number 6: Pay it Forward

Networking is not just about building connections; it is about fostering a sense of community, supporting one another, and collectively driving personal and professional growth. There are again two aspects to it – as organizations and as individuals. Let me give you an example, from an organization perspective. SAP was among the few multinational companies that was set up in India back in the 90s. We are grateful for the leadership back then to have that long-term vision for India and bring in the required infrastructure to set up a futuristic campus already back in the 90s. This has enabled us to expand from a small family of about 100 people to 15,000 people today. Now, as the world looks towards India as a prime GCC destination, we have COOs walking in our campus almost every other day to learn from our experience. We are more than happy to share with them what worked out for us and what didn’t, which is again the collective power of building a network. So, it is important to pay it forward through whatever way possible. And now if I look at an individual level, this becomes even more important for women (no, we don’t hate men!) to raise the next generation of women technologists. When I grew up to join technology in the 90s, I didn’t have many role models to look up to, I am so glad that is not the case anymore. I applaud each one of those brilliant women who chose to share their knowledge and learnings with young women who looked up to them. There’s always a young woman somewhere around you, watching every single move you make, every single decision you take, waiting to be inspired by your actions – so we better do a good job at that! Today, I have that opportunity to pay it forward and so do each of you reading this.

Let’s continue to build stronger networks, let’s continue to lean on each other to make this a bigger and better world for everyone. While we do that, let’s not forget to celebrate each other and embrace everything that makes each one of us unique – for the true power of the network lies not in the celebration of same voices, but in the symphony of different perspectives.