Prof Rishikesha T Krishnan : D.A.Vian Award – IDA 2019
25th Oct 2019: Professor Rishikesha T Krishnan was presented with the prestigious Illustrious D.A.Vian Award – IDA 2019 by the D.A.V Group of Schools, Chennai for his outstanding contribution as a thought leader in the field of Strategy and Innovation in Management Sciences.
DAV Boys Senior Secondary School Gopalapuram, was established in the year 1970 and is run by The Tamilnadu Arya Samaj Educational Society. The school adheres to strong values and principles. DAV prepares its students to take on the global challenges and without comprising on their character and culture.
Prof Krishnan is an alumnus of D.A.V School, Chennai batch of 1981. He has been a continuous source of inspiration to many students of DAV Chennai, IIM Bangalore, IIM Indore, and IIM Sambalpur, etc. He has also served on the boards of many corporate companies and has worked extensively with the government.
He was the Director of IIM Indore and Founder/ Mentor Director at IIM Sambalpur. He has held many chairs in IIM Bangalore and is a board member of many institutions.
He has written over 180 publications and is an author of an award-winning book – “8 Steps to Innovation: Going from Jugaad to Excellence”.
This award is yet another feather in the cap for Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan. We are happy for him and look forward to his contributions to management thinking and leadership. Priyanka, our content writer, met up with Prof. Rishikesha and he shared some of his thoughts on various subjects. Find below the excerpt of the interview –
Can you share your thoughts on your experiences at D.A.V?
I remember doing a variety of things and activities at school. Our school encouraged us to take part in extracurricular activities while giving equal importance to studies. It made me realize the importance of striking a balance between academics and play. Also, teachers played an important role in setting good examples. I have the fondest memories of our English Teacher, Mr. Gangadharan who encouraged us to widen our scope of interests.
Who have been the early influencers in your life?
My Grandfather, a lawyer, introduced me to the subject of law very early in life. It was very interesting to watch and learn from him. My mother, also a lawyer, was inspiring too. My father was an inventor and an entrepreneur. My interest in physics was introduced by him, which was also my chosen stream of study in IIT.
What specific skills can help a person succeed in the workplace?
I think what works for one is different from another. Different people have different skills. Some develop expertise in a specific area and exhibit interest in many other seemingly unrelated areas. This is akin to the T-model that can help in connecting the dots and recognizing patterns across diverse sets of interests. The ability to build these cognitive skills of association is important for implementing creative ideas in the workplace.
Do you have any advice for students?
Flexibility and Adaptability. These are strengths that play a very important role in shaping one’s thoughts and behavior. It’s a constantly changing world and time. It helps build resilience and can be very helpful in the journey of one’s personal and professional life.
Your message to Alums?
It is nice to see alums of IIMB taking on more socially responsible roles instead of mainstream managerial roles. One such example is Vikas Arya, a PGP 2003 alumni, who is currently serving as the Director at the D.A.V Group of schools. Building strong institutions is very important for the growth of the nation and society. I expect more alums to take up such roles which will contribute to nation-building.
