Ladyspeak: Lessons in business environment

Mala Manyan is the Chief Executive in one of the leading production houses in Chennai.

I was yet another student but probably with just one additional quality, I could take on leadership responsibilities and shoulder them successfully. This I believe is an attribute of my Zodiac sign - Leo. I took pride in whatever I did and thanks to my parents, was brought up to behave in a more mature manner than most girls of my age. My father was a strict disciplinarian and my mother was a strong lady who had enormous faith in me.

The satisfaction of completing my graduation was marred by the loss of my mother the same year. However, her upbringing helped me to go on and make a fulfilling life. Though at that time I had no idea how I was going to accomplish this.

I took up a job with a consultancy service in the Gulf and stayed with my sister's family. After working for a year the monotony of the job and the lack of any kind of artistic fulfillment hastened my return to Chennai.

Upon my return one of my best friends helped me to join Seventh Channel, which had just opened an office for photography and videography. I had complete freedom to take on responsibilities without being hindered by designation and bureaucratic barriers. I received excellent training in photography, video editing and in the techniques of recording live shows. My boss also gave me an opportunity to learn a wide range of technical skills and I was sent to the US, Britain, and Japan where I got a platform to showcase my talents. I strongly believe that I am still constantly learning and experimenting in this field, the only difference being that now I now carry a tag of ``Chief Executive.''

One of the main reasons for bringing out successful television shows was that we did not let ourselves be ruled by economic benefits and each assignment was treated with the enthusiasm of a beginner.

I have grown with the company from its humble beginnings to what it is today, one of the largest production houses with many awards to its credit. Fifteen years with the company and I have learnt lessons for a lifetime. In doing business with different kinds of people I soon realised that there are more convincing actors in real life just waiting to dupe you than the ones on the silver screen!

One of the most valuable lessons I learnt was never to get lured by short-term benefits, which only leads to uneasy compromises in the long run. There are no substitutes for sincerity, hard work and discipline and it pays to be courteous and keep your dignity when confronted with the seamier side of life.

You have to adapt to every situation quickly otherwise you could get bogged down easily. It helps too, to be patient for better working relationships.

It is ironic that while communication technology is advancing at such rapid speed, lack of it in the most basic form can cause major problems in life.

MALINI SURYANARAYANAN