At BrilliantRead Media, our aim is to bring to our community some of the unique and compelling stories from the start-up ecosystem. As part of this endeavour, we invited Seasoned Corporate Leader & Author – Ashish Kaul, for an exclusive interview with us. Ashish is a Business Leader, Entrepreneur, Mentor, Chief Creative Officer and Author of bestselling books ‘Refugee Camp’ and ‘Didda; The Warrior Queen of Kashmir’. Let’s learn more about his exciting journey as a Leader, his background and his advice for our growing community:
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with him:
Tell us a little bit about yourself, your journey and your book, please;
It has been a journey spread over 25 years in executive leadership roles across global brands like Zee Network, Hinduja Group and Bajaj.
My first two books Refugee Camp and Didda The Warrior Queen of Kashmir have been bestsellers. Refugee Camp is hailed as the most incisive story of Kashmir and deals with the incredibly excruciating issue of how state-sponsored Islamic terror devastated Kashmir in general and Hindus in particular. Refugee Camp has been the highest sold book on Kashmir in recent times.
It also is the first book by an Indian author that was supported by a prominent Pakistani rockstar Hassan Jahangir. Refugee Camp has a foreword by Gen.J.J.Singh (Retd) Chief of Army Staff Indian Army. Didda The Warrior Queen of Kashmir debuted at a steller no.10 on Amazon global rankings. Didda is an extraordinary story of a girl child abandoned by her parents and her journey to become the longest-serving Queen in world history. Didda was abandoned by her parents because she was born disabled. She went on to unify 3 great kingdoms of Afghanistan, Lohar (West Pakistan, Punjab, Haryana etc) and Kashmir. She was the woman who created an empire that defeated the dreaded warlord Mahmood Gazni twice and the King of Iran in under 44 mts. DIDDA was the person who created worlds first commando force, counter intelligence mechanism, guerilla warfare. While India is used to celebrating horrific tragedies related women like Sati, Didda was the first person to revolt against Sati. Didda was also the first documented Para Athlete in the world. Powerful historians who could not accept the greatness of a woman slowly erased her from our History. Didda without a doubt is the greatest and the bravest daughter of India and an exemplary icon of women empowerment the world has ever seen.
I have been a business leader across Media & Entertainment and FMCG industries, Content Creator and now the Chief Content creator for Folklore entertainment. I have been Group Executive Vice President of Zee Network & Essel Group, Group COO of News 24 & BAG Films, Business Head of Hinduja Group’s content business, country Manager ( Key MENAP markets) Bajaj Herbals, CEO Prakash Jha Productions.
I was also the CEO of the Association of motion pictures and TV programme producers Association and Star Blockbuster.
What gets you out of bed in the morning i.e. what’s your source of motivation?
So much to do and so little time! It is the fear of not being able to do enough for the future generations to build on. I have a very long journey ahead of me, especially, in the area of reviving the glorious past of our country and delivering/reviving the forgotten women icons for a stronger and progressive society.
What challenges/obstacles did you face in your journey so far?
I strongly believe no journey is worth it if it hasn’t tested your mettle under extreme circumstances.
Having been a Refugee in my own country was a tremendous challenge as we had to begin and rebuild our lives from scratch.
I guess being a small-town boy makes you tough enough to take on challenges and yet create a trailblazing journey.
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
Pressure and stress are what makes your journey worth remembering. They are two key catalysts that bring out the best in you. Everyone has talent and capability but the true test of being worthy is to deliver under extreme challenges.
I am what I am because of the grave challenges I faced in my journey.
While it takes talent to succeed, I strongly believe it also takes tremendous courage to face failure. I have had my share and they helped me reinvent myself.
What is one strategy that you believe has helped you grow as a person?
You must have the foresight and the ability to reinvent yourself and keep yourself relevant to what you wish to do.
It is easy for experienced professionals to fall victims to wishful thinking. The ability to reinvent has kept me ahead of the league of some extraordinary professionals.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
The ability to do things that scare you. Also the ability to face failure and convert that into futuristic opportunity.
What advice would you give to aspiring leaders?
It is a double-edged sword !!!
Leadership is about being able to demonstrate that you can do things in a better way and then to help everyone do better in their areas. It calls for tremendous personal sacrifices for the greater good of the team. Modern Leadership is not just a privilege but a great debt that you owe to future generations. You cant be a great leader if you cant inspire so stay relevant and above all stay fit !!!
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
