“The world looks up to me and says ‘Srikanth, you can do nothing… but I look at the world and say, ‘I can do anything.” These words of Srikanth Damodar Rao Bolla are reverberating in my ears. I was watching a video of @INKTalks where this 32-year young Indian Industrialist was addressing a small gathering. As he narrated his journey, I couldn’t help but gape in awe at his grit, simplicity and brilliance.
Who knew that a blind boy, born to a modest couple in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, would grow up to be a fiery student who would force the entire State educational system to rethink their ways and would go on to pave a way for a more inclusive ‘India’. From being a high school graduate who was refused admission in the fields of mathematics and science, to being the first international blind student at the ‘Massachusetts Institute of Technology’ (MIT), Srikanth’s story is one that has ‘fighter’ written all over it.
Every time they told him that he couldn’t, he showed them that he could… and how! Founder of Bollant Industries Private Limited, which is now a million-dollar company, Srikanth is not just a successful industrialist but also a compassionate leader.
Just goes to show the limiting mindsets we all live with. Makes me wonder… Are these limiting beliefs one of the many reasons that we do not have too many leaders? Can we be better leaders if we trust in the higher truths instead of the limiting beliefs that our lizard brains keep warning us about? Sure, we can! Let’s reflect on some awe-inspiring personality traits of Srikanth Bolla and see if we can decode a mantra for crafting the leader in us –
A Man of Resilience
How many of us give in at the slightest hint of rejection? give in to other people’s opinions about us? give in to the limiting beliefs of the society? But Srikanth, a boy who was born with a serious disability, refused to listen to this ‘noise’. In spite of facing rejection and ridicule every step of the way, he scoffed at what people and systems said wasn’t possible for him. Cold rejections by IIT and BITS only made him more determined than ever. He went on to study in MIT, USA, and was the first International blind student to graduate from there. Now, where does this kind of strength and mettle come from? I guess it stems from a ‘sense of purpose’ that is so overpowering that nothing else matters. And for Srikanth, it was his love for knowledge, his love for science. When leaders are devoted to their purpose, ‘impossible’ doesn’t exist and ‘no’ is not an option!
The ‘Growth Mindset’
Srikanth’s continuous pursuit of seeking knowledge is inspiring. Not once, not twice, but several times in his pursuit, he came across hurdles, obstacles, opinions and rejections, but never did he give up. He fought… he stayed strong… he let go of people, institutions and systems that did not serve his purpose. He embraced people who supported him and helped him grow. He found ways to overcome obstacles. Be it converting the text in his study books to audio books, to using specially designed boards to touch and feel diagrams and charts, he proved that nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it. Now that’s a hallmark trait of a great leader!
A Leader with a Purpose
Go on… give it a read… The internet is vibrant with the stories of this young man who has been a youth leader ever since he was all of just 14. He went on to become the member of ‘Lead India’ in 2020 which was the second National Youth Movement that was started by former President of India, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam to help India reach the goal of becoming a developed nation by 2020. Having gone through a lot of pain himself, in the year 2011, Srikanth co-founded ‘Samanvai Centre’ to support and care for children with multiple disabilities. One can only imagine the kind of inclusive environment and the support system that he managed to create for so many children who were not or could not have been as resilient and persistent as he had been. To make the lives of people who, like him, were differently abled, a lot easier, who, like him, were experiencing the pain of rejection, has been the purpose towards which Srikanth has been intensely driving his actions… What a leader!
A Compassionate Entrepreneur
After completing his studies, when Srikanth chose not to pursue his career in the United States but return to his roots… to India, to work for a greater cause, he displayed the exceptional of his character. In 2012, Srikanth went on to start Bollant Industries Private Limited, his entrepreneurial venture, which manufactures areca-based eco-friendly products and provides employment to several hundred people with disabilities. It takes character and substance to be able to build an organisation that focuses on supporting and nurturing its people above everything else. Businesses that are run by empathetic leaders are those enabling and uplifting systems that prove to be a blessing… and are a joy to work for! We can definitely do with more Srikanth Bollas around us! And wouldn’t that be a life that just inspires… every single day? It absolutely would!
Well, coming back to the video I mentioned about at the beginning of this write up, when Srikanth concluded his talk by saying, “I want to leave you today with three lessons – Show compassion and make people rich (with compassion), remove loneliness and thereby remove poverty (loneliness is poverty), do good and you will be the first one to be benefitted…”, it hit me hard! And then coming to think of it, Srikanth (ne) bola, but are we listening?
CA Jyoti Vishvakumar Harsh
