Keerthi Padavala - Leadership

Speaking and leading a group of people doesn’t come easily to everyone, but it is a skill that everyone needs to have in order to be successful nowadays. Similarly, as a little kid, I used to be terrified to stand in front of an audience and speak, but after being encouraged by my dad to attend multiple speaking and leadership camps, speaking has become something that I am passionate about. The first time that I attended a speaking class was in 6th grade. I was very reluctant to attend the class, but I finally attended it with much hesitation. As the years went by, I continued attending various leadership camps and I even started competing in debate. Recently, I attended a leadership camp where groups of students come together to form a business and present it to a group of investors. All the students in the group played the role of a C-level officer. My role was the Chief Marketing Officer, and even though I wasn’t the CEO of the group, I took leadership and managed my group as a CEO would. Participating in that camp made me realize that I have the confidence to lead a group and present as well as express my  ideas. 

Currently, I am enrolled in the Youth Entrepreneurship Academy where I coordinate with a group of students to professionally create and expand a business. Everyone looks at successful women such as Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey and they think it is impossible to get to that position, but the reality is anyone can get there just by taking a small step and making the change today. I am very thankful to have come this far from a girl that wouldn’t walk on to the stage to a girl that takes initiative to lead a group, and I would never have been in this position without the blessings of Baba and Guruji Tata.