Deploying one’s conversational skills to convince and guide human beings was high on my agenda while I was looking for directions to choose a career stream. In this milieu, Human Resources (earlier known as the Personnel function) became a natural career choice for me.

I gasped courage, and was seen questioning and convincing middle-aged union members, to only eventually see myself sailing through with the first long term settlement ever in my life.

Overnight, I found myself assuming the “head of the family” role. Moreover, we did not have much income flowing into the house. Therefore, I had to structure whatever family assets we had in order to support both my mother as well as my education. This experience accelerated my maturity by about ten years. It was also my first lesson in leadership.