BIO: Dr. Harish Pant brings thirty-eight years of global and Indian experience spanning aerospace and defense, aviation, automotive, steel, engineering plastics, lightweighting and composites, industrial design, engineering services, and infra-trade.
STORY: Harish was a rising star, excelling in his profession and the youngest department head. Out of nowhere, a senior person was transferred to his department and became the new head. Harish was made the assistant department head. He didn’t understand why this happened and wasted a whole year trying to prove himself.
LEARNING: You’ve got to know when something is not worth your time, energy, and attention and, therefore, walk away.
“Attention investment is the most fundamental thing a person can do to bring their awareness alive.”
Dr. Harish Pant
Guest profile
Dr. Harish Pant brings thirty-eight years of global and Indian experience spanning aerospace and defense, aviation, automotive, steel, engineering plastics, lightweighting and composites, industrial design, engineering services, and infra-trade.
He is a contemporary thought leader with the dexterity of technologies (Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, and IoT) and has worked with numerous global companies.
Harish has also created a platform: Utkarsh - Uttarakhand Youth Development, and he’s working towards the development of youth in the state.
Worst investment ever
About 25 years ago, Harish was department head for a while when he learned that a senior-level person who had joined the company a month back had been transferred to his department. He was now the department head, and Harish was pushed to position number two. This happened when he was a rising star and the youngest of the department heads. So this demotion came as a shocker to him.
Harish tried to find out from management why he’d been demoted, and they told him that it was just temporary and he’d be well taken care of. But he was not convinced. He tried everything he could to convince management that he was the right candidate for the job. This went on for months. Harish placed his entire focus on trying to prove himself. He stayed at the company even when he knew he should leave.
Eventually, Harish quit when he got another opportunity, but he feels the time he put his attention to proving his worth was his worst investment ever.
Lessons learned
- Things will be beyond your control during your career, and that’s ok.
Andrew’s takeaways
- You’ve got to know when something is not worth your time, energy, and attention and, therefore, walk away.
Actionable advice
Analyze the whole situation and ask yourself if it’s workable. You must also know who you are, so reflect on the person you are.
No. 1 goal for the next 12 months
Harish’s goal for the next 12 months is to help people transform their lives through a complete process that he has created.
[spp-transcript]
Connect with Dr. Harish Pant
Andrew’s books
Andrew’s online programs
Connect with Andrew Stotz:
