‘If you ever have any questions or need some advice, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn!’ Even as I say this, I know it’s an unnecessary plug. Clearly though, I’m really working on growing my presence via networking.

My seat is one among the six seats in the front row that have been reserved for the panellists. I find my name written on a small reserve tag placed on one of the chairs in the middle of the row. As I sink into the old and weathered red seat, I exchange a smile with the only other panellist who’s arrived before time. The man looks like a top management executive from a reputed multinational. He has that big-man aura around him. He doesn’t exchange any words with me, and is engrossed, instead, in making notes for his panel speech. I’m also supposed to speak, but I’m not the kind who prepares beforehand; I almost always just go with the flow. In fact, that’s my approach to life.

The rest of the panellists arrive quite late, with the last one reaching almost thirty minutes after the scheduled time. Needless to say, the session gets delayed as well. Honestly, I don’t know why Indians take pride in arriving late, especially when they are in an enviable position of power. I believe in punctuality so much that now I have the opening sentence for my speech, and I instinctively make a mental note of it.

I listen only selectively to the participants who come and present their ideas one after the other. For me, it’s impossible to keep my attention focused on a pitch after the first three minutes. If a pitch has something that strikes my interest within the first three minutes, I listen to it intently. But if it doesn’t, then I’m completely tuned out. I don’t even ask any questions then. Some people find it rude, but I find it best to not say anything at all if you don’t have something nice to say. Let’s put this in another way: I invest my energy very wisely.