Sid Sarkar

Senior Director, Group Operations at Royal Philips

My experience and deep interests:

• Leadership

I am based in: Amsterdam

"There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune... On such a full sea are we now (about to) afloat" – William Shakespeare

Let the journey begin. A journey of self-discovery, of introspection, of finding a purpose that leads to happiness.

When I look back at my life so far - Life 1.0, as I like to call it - it has been about experimenting and experiencing. I have been on the move for most of the last two decades, from India to the UK, to China and to the Netherlands, with numerous pit stops in between. I had set goals, of which I hit some and missed many, but still found happiness and fulfilment to be elusive. While, through this journey, I have learnt and grown to be the person I am now, I am also convinced that the key to happiness lies elsewhere.

As I look ahead to Life2.0, the journey has to be about fulfilment, which I have realized lies in giving rather than seeking; where the goal will be to give back to the world and motivate others on the way, to do the same. This will need a mindset change, and like any change, I believe it has to start from within. When you truly believe in yourself, you don’t need to lead – people follow because they like what they see in you. I will leave you with one of my favorite leadership thoughts (Tagore, 1905): যদি তোর ডাকশুনে কেউ না আসে তবে একলা চলো রে (If no one heeds your call, then walk alone). As for those moments of weakness during the journey, of which there will be many, I will remind myself that, deep within, I want my son to be proud of me, to see me do the small selfless things that make others happy.