42. Bharat Wakhlu: Built on Steel and Mettle

Send us Fan MailOur guest in this episode is one of the most inspiring corporate leaders from India, who has built a career in industries spanning cars, steel, helicopters, and consulting. Bharat Wakhlu’s 35-year career brings you many insights and lessons on how to be successful in your own career, while never compromising on your values or humanity.  Set up as a trading firm in 1868, the Tata group today is a $106 billion behemoth that includes companies such as Tata Motors (owner of Jaguar and Land Rover), Taj Group of Hotels, TCS, Tata Steel etc. Chances are, if you asked anyone in India which company they would like to work in, Tata would be one of the first names on their minds.  What does it take to get hired in the Tata Group? Bharat didn’t just get a top job at Tata Motors, but was also selected for the elite and highly selective leadership program called Tata Administrative Service (TAS); going on to build an illustrious career in Tata’s steel business.  In this insightful conversation, Bharat shares: - What made him stand out during university applications to the hyper-competitive engineering and management schools in India - How does one get selected for TAS, one of the world’s most unique leadership development programmes inside a business organization - The detailed steps he took navigating internal networks to gain visibility and practice ‘Positive Politics’ - How he got recruited to head the Indian operations of a leading helicopter company, that makes the Marine-One helicopter flown by President Joe Biden - What made him leave the corporate world behind in 2016 and venture out on his own after a 35-year stint - How he got hired by his very first paying client - And some of the best leadership and networking advice you will ever hear. I took copious amount of notes during this conversation, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Follow Bharat on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bharatwakhlu/Bharat’s website: https://bharatwakhlu.com/ Liked this episode? Two things:You will love my once a month, no fluff no spam newsletter called Charge-Up, where I share my favourite career insights from movies, TV shows, news and my own personal experiences, that I don't share anywhere else. Make sure you subscribe! https://www.superchargeyourself.com/newsletter2. Tell three of your closest friends!And please leave a great review on Apple Podcasts here, as it would mean a lot to me and hopefully help others discover this resource for Job Seekers !