What do you consider your most powerful strength or asset? Describe a situation where you demonstrated this strength or asset?
I consider my determination to see things through as the most powerful strength. It is this perseverance and self-belief that enabled me to succeed in a long-term “university alliance” project at ABC.
The project involved setting up alliances with premier universities on a global scale and creating win-win relationships among all stakeholders – the Universities, ABC and other strategic partners. My strategy identified definite winning propositions with great potential. After a series of presentations, some key decision makers at ABC became increasingly clear on the positives. However, few others perceived it as an uncharted territory without any concrete return on investment and were unwilling to divert resources. The project seemed to be headed towards cancellation – we could miss the bus!
I realized that I had to be patient and persistent to achieve this goal. I shortlisted a few of the leading universities and engaged with them. We were definitely adding value – our “low power applications” products were unmatched in the market due to a recent boom in handheld devices. Students trained on these skill areas could look up to a great career.
Over the next 12 months, we entered into agreements with more than 50 prestigious universities (previously the strongholds of our competitors). A highly publicized inter-collegiate competition in China enhanced our brand image and opened doors to a large talent pool from Asia. Many reputed University researchers were keenly interested in working with ABC on the cutting-edge, energy-efficient semiconductors of the future. Talented student interns joined in choosing ABC over competition. The next wave of growth arrived when larger, non-competing corporations such as Linear Technologies became a part of the alliance.
The outstanding success won over unanimous support from senior management and created a win-win for everyone involved. It was sheer persistence that led me towards this patiently achieved goal.