In July 2024, I graduated from the Oxford Executive Diploma in Organisational Leadership. It was a landmark day on several fronts.
First, it marked the end of one of the most challenging experiences I have faced, despite having completed a few prestigious postgraduate programmes previously. This programme was unique, as it brought together a dynamic cohort of leaders from around the world - not just students. Second, I realised that the journey was not solely about learning; it was about deep soul-searching that had long been overdue after years at the helm of a conglomerate. Each participant in the programme underwent profound reflection on their leadership style, with many of us making critical changes to our careers or professional approaches. The most rewarding part was finding a shared sense of celebration and discovery in each other’s reflective journeys.
This day was particularly significant for me because I am the first in my community, a family from Bengal with eight generations of service to society and three generations of leadership, to complete such a programme. Gosh! I am the first Oxonian in our entire lineage and one of a handful in India’s Private Fortune 500 leadership community. Overnight, I became an inspiration to hundreds of thousands in my community who had never imagined reaching such a platform was possible. A year at Oxford proved their assumptions wrong: regardless of age or background, any journey is possible with determination, as I and the 55 other remarkable individuals in my cohort demonstrated. As a cherished cohort member said in our farewell speech, ‘We came as seekers of light and left as bearers of light.’ This is what it means to be a leader: to reflect, to persevere, and to accomplish what hasn’t been done before. In doing so, I will forever cherish the motto of Oxford, Dominus Illuminatio Mea (indeed, ‘The Lord is my Light’).
Achieving a postgraduate distinction at Oxford Saïd is prestigious, but the Diploma in Organisational Leadership is far more than an academic milestone - it is a transformational rediscovery of oneself. Balancing my personal, work, family, and student life simultaneously, I entered the programme hoping to grow as a business leader. I left not only with newfound skills but also with lasting friendships among leaders who I will always call friends, and who can always call upon me. My perspective of the world has broadened; now, I measure myself not only by my achievements but by the impact I make on those around me. And, in keeping with the motto of Saïd Business School, I truly believe that the measure of a person lies in their ‘impact from within.’
