Boldness is a quality that can greatly impact both life and business, propelling individuals and organizations forward to achieve remarkable success.

“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” – John D. Rockefeller

“The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that is changing quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” – Mark Zuckerberg

In Life:

Paulomi Patel: She met with a terrible accident at the tender age of 12 years that changed her life totally. She had 75%-80% burn injury that led her arm to get amputated. 20 years and 45 surgeries later, Paulami is perhaps one of the most resilient and strongest persons we can imagine. She now runs her family business, which deals with heavy machinery and is happily married to her childhood sweetheart.

 “I never thought that I’d meet with an accident and little did I know that it was going to change my life forever. But it happened anyway, and there was nothing anyone could do to undo it. But what I could do was fight back. There were two choices—either give up and drown me in self-pity or make peace with the situation and face it with a smile. I started seeing everything as an opportunity rather than a hindrance. And that’s what made the difference! They say when life presents you with an opportunity; grab it with both hands. I did the same, just with 1 and a half!”- Paulomi Patel

Sonam Wangchuk: This is the man whose extraordinary life inspired the filmmakers of ‘3 Idiots’ to craft his unforgettable character, Phunsukh Wangdu. The 52-year-old engineer from Leh had garnered national attention when he established a revolutionary school in 1988, which admitted kids written off as failures by society. His sole intent was to make learning fun and practical rather than subjecting kids to boring traditional learning. Later, his ground-breaking innovations like ‘Ice Stupas’ and solar-heated mud huts put him on the global radar for finding sustainable solutions in difficult terrains.

“More than inspiration, it was empathy that led me to find solutions in areas that had been plaguing the lives of common people. Be it the water issue or education for children, these were people in need, and I was driven by this irresistible empathy to resolve their issues. A virtue that was instilled in me by my mother as well as my ancestors, empathy is what makes us all human, and that must come naturally. If we wish to see India as a great nation, what we must strive towards is to become great citizens first. Let’s start that by doing good for society.”-Sonam Wangchuk

Let’s delve into some attributes, embracing those can make an individual bold & dauntless in her Life.

1. Challenges: Being bold in life means stepping out her comfort zone and facing challenges head-on. It’s about taking risks and pursuing opportunities that may seem daunting initially.
2. Personal Growth: Boldness fosters personal growth by pushing her to explore new experiences, learn from failures, and continuously evolve. It enables her to discover her innate potential.
3. Confidence: Boldness exude confidence. Her belief in her abilities and convictions can positively impact her interactions, relationships, and overall self-esteem.
4. Standing Up for Values: Boldness involves standing up for her values and principles, even in the face of adversity. It’s about advocating for what she believes is right and justified.
5. Creativity and Innovation: Her boldness encourages her to think innovatively. She then challenges the status quo and explores unconventional ideas that drive transformative changes.
6. Effective Decision-Making: Boldness enables her to make decisive decisions. It reduces indecision and the empowered woman now takes charge of situations, which can lead to better outcomes.
7. Resilience: Bold women are better equipped to bounce back from setbacks. They view all their projects as experiments & failures as opportunities to learn and grow & not to fail.

In Business:

“The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all.” – Richard Branson

“In business, what’s dangerous is not to evolve.” – Jeff Bezos

Sachin Bansal & Binny Bansal- Flipkart: In a garage, both Sachin & Binny Bansal founded Flipkart, a modest eCommerce company. One of the most successful young entrepreneurs sold their business to Walmart at a whopping $16 billion in 2018. They both graduated from IIT-D & worked for Amazon. Their bold decision in providing the Indian market the convenience of eCommerce made them quit their jobs & start their business with only Rs.4L.

“No is a very difficult word and more in our culture where people quickly tend to take offense. But a ‘no’ which makes your business and customer say ‘yes’ makes the worth a while”– Sachin Bansal

Ritesh Aggarwal-OYO Rooms: With a bold dream in his heart to provide clean & comfortable Rooms yet at an affordable price to middle-class Indians, Ritesh founded OYO Rooms when he was only 19 years old & a college dropout. Ritesh’s lack of a college degree has no impact on his success. His deep passion for the purpose of the society to provide budget hotels made him build an enterprise that now values more than the cumulative valuation of the Taj group of hotels & Oberoi.  

“Hire people not for today but for the next 2-3 years & let them grow with the company”– Ritesh Aggrawal

When it comes to talking about bold female entrepreneurs in India, it’s hard to miss Falguni Nayar. Born and raised seeing her father running a small business, Ms. Nayar bid adieu to her position as the Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Capital at the age of 50 to start her own business from scratch. That’s how a future unicorn was born.  

Falguni Nayaar-Nykaa: Ms. Nayaar was an IIM Ahmedabad alumnus for approx 20 years. She worked as a venture investor and merchant at Kotak Mahindra Group. After running the group’s global operations in the US and UK, she started as the head of the institutional equity division. In 2005 she was appointed as the MD of Kotak Mahindra Capital. She left her ‘ideal’ and ‘secure’ job behind to follow her passion at the age when most people start planning retirement. She observed the market and found a gap.

Today, Nykaa is the home of 1000+ beauty and luxury brands. In 2020, Nykaa became the first Indian unicorn that was led by a woman. Now it’s a public enterprise with a net worth of $377 billion.

“I wanted to stand for those women who want to be beautiful for themselves, not men or other women”- Falguni Nayaar

I think in business the following attributes are most important to embrace in a journey to build a purpose-driven franchise.

1. Entrepreneurship: Starting a business requires boldness. Entrepreneurs must take calculated risks, invest resources, and pursue their visions despite uncertainties. But once they find the way that is working, she should double-click on it till it doesn’t work. Then she has to find another route keeping her goal/purpose constant.
2. Innovation: Her bold enterprising thoughts make her innovate by introducing groundbreaking products, services, or business models. She with her aligned team can disrupt markets and set new industry standards.
3. Market Leadership: To become the leader in her industry, she first sees a small addressable segment that fits with her PMF (product market fit) rather than addressing the entire TAM (Total Addressable Market). Once becoming the leader will slowly address new markets, maybe in the process building an uncharted space absolutely a new market altogether. She should not compete with the competitors, then she has to manipulate prices to remain in the game. Rather she has to innovate & differentiate from others so that customers come to her & willing to pay a higher price also.
4. Marketing and Branding: Bold branding and marketing strategies grab the attention and leave a lasting impression in the customers’ minds. These lead to unconscious decision-making for the customers to buy her brand. Taking creative risks can make a brand memorable and relatable.
5. Embracing Change: In the fast-paced business world, being bold means embracing change and adapting to evolving trends and exponential newer technologies. That which was impossible in earlier years is now possible.
6. Negotiation and Partnerships: Boldness is essential in negotiation and forging partnerships. It helps her confidently assert her own terms and build mutually beneficial relationships with all the stakeholders in her business.
7. Crisis Management: During crises, bold leaders like her can make tough decisions swiftly. Their decisiveness at the right time can guide her company through turbulent times and position it for recovery.
8. Employee Empowerment: Bold leaders empower employees to voice their ideas and take ownership of their work. This fosters a culture of innovation and engagement.

Both in life and business, boldness should be tempered with wisdom and strategic thinking. While bold actions can lead to incredible achievements, they should be informed by careful consideration and a clear understanding of potential risks. Whether she is pursuing personal goals or driving business success, embracing boldness can help her to reach new heights and leave a lasting impact.

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