Remain Patient, Let Your Work Speak for Yourself and Opportunities will Follow

The young leaders at Cadila have been doing great things. From leading projects in Ethiopia to creating marketing strategies for flagship products, the young leadership program has come a long way. The Cadila Young Leader Program has helped many fresh graduates and post graduated to find the wind beneath their wings. Shashank Srinet, one of the first ever young leader, shares his journey and experience.

“I was recruited as a part of the CYLP program through campus placement while I was doing my M.Tech from IIT Guwahati in 2016. I remember being awed when Cadila Pharmaceuticals came on campus. The kind of projects they were doing were really exciting and I wanted to be a part of their growth journey. After 2 rounds of interview I was finally selected to be a part of the process engineering team. When I joined as a management trainee, I was given the opportunity to work directly with the chairman in the chairman’s office. The initial 6 months were quite intense as it was my first job and I was learning new things every day. However my whole team was quite patient and supportive. They helped me complete my trainee project with excellent results.

After 6 months of training I was given a permanent position as a process engineer. Since then I have worked on some very interesting projects such as enhancing recovery rate of Toluene in the commercial plant which generated savings worth $8,600 per annum. My team and I have also been responsible for scaling-up of many APIs such as Silodosin, Deferasirox, etc. with desired yield and quality at pilot and commercial level for DMF filling in US Market generating high revenues. Delivering on such critical projects, I instilled faith amongst the management that I was a performance driven employee. This has enabled me to get more challenging projects ultimately contributing to my growth.

I am actually grateful to the Cadila Young Leadership Program for giving me the opportunity to be a part of critical projects which helped me gain skills, techniques and self-confidence in order to grow in the career. It also allowed me the networking opportunity with senior leaders. However I still have a long way to go as I aspire to enhance my ability to communicate, analyse situations using quantitative and qualitative factors, and develop a holistic view of the different functional areas of the business administration.

The most valuable lesson I’ve taken away from this program is that in order to lead others, you must learn to lead yourself effectively. While this seems like a simple concept, it can be challenging for many managers. Learning how to deal with criticism, being patient and letting your work speak for itself is crucial for continuous learning, growth and development of important leadership skills.

When it comes to future batches of CYLP program, As much as an organisation would give them opportunities, I feel that the young leaders should also keep in mind the importance of taking initiatives to ensure that their learning remains holistic. Frequent industrial immersions in addition to classroom trainings can do wonders in enhancing their knowledge. Assigning of individual projects is an important way to develop their ownership skills and the leaders should take it up with open arms. Regular training can help them stay updated with the industrial standards contributing to their productivity.

In the end I would just like to say to all the new Young Leaders to stay determined. No mentor or manager will tell you how to shape your future, they can only enable you, support you and push you to go beyond your comfort. It is you who has to take ownership and work towards it. Things will change, market will fluctuate, or perhaps your idea simply won’t pan out. You still have to find a way to pick yourself up and keep moving forward. Keep learning. Find out opportunities which will contribute to your growth and keep working on your skills. Finally, keep calm. Situations will always change. Since it will be the first job for many of you, start making mature decisions. If you show honesty towards your work, it will pay you back.”