Written by – Mr. Vikas Dua – Author of the book
‘HR in my Heart’, my first book, launched earlier this month, came about as one of the successful projects undertaken during the pandemic-induced lockdown. So, while the book took not more than 7-8 months to put together, I would say that it’s been in the making for almost two decades. After an extended period of time sharing my thoughts about ‘all things HR’ in the online world, I realized that the community of students and professionals was very interested in learning more. The restrictions imposed by the lockdown provided the much-needed impetus and time on hand, to document some more structured guidance for these supporters.
I say this because, it is, after all, a compendium of my learnings in the field of HR, as a practitioner working in varied industries – hospitality, education, and ITeS, over the years. I have been fortunate to have wet my ears in this space during a period of hyper-growth for India, having graduated close to the start of the new millennium. It allowed me to work in different organizations, businesses, and verticals, giving me diverse exposure and insights.
It is these that I have tried to put together into a ‘leadership guide’ of sorts that should be able to add value to anyone in the leadership journey. So, while the title includes the ‘HR’ acronym, I would submit that the content goes far beyond and should be of value to individuals across domains. I also know, for a fact, that across people the spectrum, from students all the way to senior professionals, would benefit from the thoughts and guidance I have shared in the book.
The reason I am confident about the same is that characteristic of my nature which appreciates fact more than fiction, I have used real-life experiences from my own journey to form the base of these lessons. Those that have been in the corporate or business world, will be able to relate to these, in some form, I am quite sure. For students of management, these ‘episodes’ will give them a view into what to expect once they enter the professional sphere.
My role in the corporate world involved extensive travel across the country’s length and breadth and interaction with students from across academic institutions of all kinds. It also involved working in global corporations with clients, colleagues, and stakeholders spread out across the world. These professional interactions had much to teach me as I climbed up the corporate ladder. Sometimes, the climb was rapid and smooth; at other times, not so. In all cases, however, there was a lot to learn and it is these learnings that I am presenting as the main focus of the book. If these lessons can help someone shrink their learning curve, it would mean the world to me.
As a bonus, if you will, I have also shared some rhyme on leadership traits that I hold dear. Dotted throughout the book, I hope that this added dimension will help bring in those that shy away from reading books to also consider picking this up. Touching upon high valued traits like ‘discipline’, ‘collaboration’, and ‘gratitude’, I have tried to broad base these behaviours to cover the widest range. I have also deliberately touched upon the need to ‘Be Ethical’ or to ‘Embrace Failure’, to ensure that young minds absorb the importance of these aspects of our corporate lives, that don’t get discussed as much as they should be. In line with my belief, the more we discuss these, the more will we become more accepting of them in our work and personal lives.
As far as the language of the book is concerned, I would feel that anyone with a decent command over the English language would not find it a challenging book to read. I have consciously avoided ‘Gyaan’ and kept it as realistic as possible. Also, in cases, where there are industry terms or Indian references, I have taken care to ensure that there are appropriate footnotes to aid clarity.
Available online on Amazon’s India store and on Notion Press (the publisher), I do hope that you will order this book! I would really love to have your feedback.
Author Profile:
Vikas Dua – Profile
Vikas Dua is an accomplished HR and recruitment professional, an Author, a TEDx speaker, and a Vlogger and Blogger on HR practices. With over 15 years of high-quality experience in the field of IT and ITES, he has worked with both start-ups and large corporations like Wipro and Concentrix. Currently, he is Chief HR Mentor at Attayn, an HR-tech platform focused on democratizing knowledge in the academic space. He is also an Advisor to the BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Young Leaders Program.
Links
Vikas Dua website
Vikas Dua LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikasdua/
Amazon Purchase Link
Notion Press Purchase Link