Ankit Oberoi’s Leadership Mantra — Be Humble, Be Grounded and Work on Meaningful Outreach #JeenaIsiKaNaamHain

A couple of months back, Ankit Oberoi got married. He hosted a luxury wedding in Jaipur, and the sheer number of people who travelled from different parts of the world was astounding. It speaks volumes of the kind of goodwill he has earned, and at an early age.

He is generous to a fault, has time always and the willingness to assist startups find solutions to complex business problems.

I met him in 2014.

I was with iSPIRT and used to work out of T-Labs in Noida. It was at one of the events hosted by us where I met him and he was very impressive. He had an uncanny ability to communicate impactfully and draw the right audience. The archetypal pull factor drew people towards him and what he had to say.

Some months later, I dropped by at his Kohat Enclave office in New Delhi and over a long conversation, he shared his playbook — how he could add value to the startup community. We also did an event with him in Chennai, and he spoke with great passion and impact that held the audience in thrall.

Over time and many hours of conversation, we started to bond very well. At one point, I was facing a challenge, and he helped me think in the right direction. He is much younger than me and yet, the wisdom he has is incredible. Well, a lot of people are wise, but Ankit is also empathetic to people and is a great listener.

He understands hyper-personalization like no other. A few years ago, there was a small group of top-notch founders who were invited to an exclusive session with Satya Nadella. I was also there. The Microsoft boss is a cricket aficionado, so Ankit reached out to an ex-Hyderabadi cricketer and got hold of an old T-shirt Satya Nadella wore in one of the matches. He presented it to Nadella as memorabilia, and I could see Nadella was touched by the gesture. First, Ankit had creativity and second, he executed with perfection. And the presence of mind to pull it off.

As a marketeer he is extraordinary and stays clear of expansive, random outreach. He believes in investing in meaningful outreach where it’s about connecting with a human being and not just look at them as “prospects.” He is also famously known to have written a personalized handwritten letter in Mandarin to one of his prospective customers, which speaks a lot about the kind of effort he puts in. All he had to start with was an address from the internet. He worked on the messaging and had the letter hand delivered which eventually secured a 1.2 million dollar deal.

As a leader he is humble and grounded. Someone in his team once asked how he solved a complex problem. His answer was simple — knowledge acquired from the Internet and applied in a real-world scenario. His simplicity is inspiring and makes the other person feel he can do it too. Like all great leaders he celebrates colleagues’ successes in public, but the feedback is always private.

Goodness lies in his overall approach to life. At his Jaipur wedding reception, it was heart-warming to see how he graciously took care of his employees, and not leaving out the blue-collared staff members. His personalization cuts across socio-economic strata. He really goes the extra mile for all his employees.

A few of us were privileged to be invited to his home and the way he made us feel was extraordinary. The Punjabi host in him was in display and really went the distance to make us feel loved.

Goodness has a way of repaying. A few years ago, Ankit was in a troubled situation regarding an exit. A lot of people he had helped earlier rallied around to see him through in those stressful times.

He has created value in businesses and supports causes that appeal to him. He strides the two worlds with grace. He also volunteers at SaasBoomi where his mentoring is widely followed and appeals to a lot of people. His motto has always been about making meaningful connections.

I was there for his wedding reception in Jaipur. He and his wife Lilli make a beautiful couple, and the large-heartedness is well reflected when they interact. Culturally they may be a little different but in spirit they are similar. It’s always a pleasure to meet a dear friend and his family who you can easily warm up to.

Off-late he has inculcated a love for art and architecture. He researches their history and loves to share interesting nuggets of information which brings out the storyteller.

Ankit, I hold you very dear my friend and may you always have the wisdom, empathy and generosity to share with so many people who need you.