It's not everyday that you get 'relationship' advice from a leading banker on a podium.
Hence, when Shikha Sharma, who leads one of India's biggest private banks, addressed students at IIM-A — the country's premier grad school — and drew analogies between life partners and workplaces, everyone listened intently.
Sharma, who's an alumni of the illustrious IIM-A, considers choosing a spouse "the single most important choice in life".
She said: "When you're looking for a partner, look beyond their looks, their success, their style. The strength and durability of your relationship is not going to come from you partner's personality. It is going to come from their character."
She went on to say that a workplace was no different. It requires "lasting relationships" with teams. And one must go beyond the surface while choosing an organization.
"The money, the fancy title, the foosball table in the break room... they're all very exciting. But in most cases, that's not what makes for a fulfilling career. You would want to join an organization whose values match yours," she said
She brought back memories of Sheryl Sandberg's stirring commencement speech at Stanford University last year where the Facebook COO credited success in personal life and career to '3 Ps' — Personalization, Pervasiveness, Permanence.
Sharma's entire speech can be viewed here.