Dear Alumni,

Greetings!

Success is what drives us. None of us would have been able to join IIMA if we had not succeeded in
negotiating the multiple rounds of the selection process. Prospective students need to succeed in
CAT/GMAT and then ace the interviews. Prospective faculty need to have successfully defended
their thesis and convince peers in a research seminar. Once the student or faculty joins IIMA, the
need to prove oneself does not go away. On the contrary, it becomes even more difficult to stand
out when you are in a crowd of super achievers. Your CV looks bare compared to the innumerable
achievements and accolades of your peers. The result of this constant benchmarking with super
achievers is the feeling of self-doubt. Do I belong here or am I an imposter? Have you ever faced
such emotions? If you have, you might like the section in this issue that talks about CV of failures.

We need to remove the stigma associated with failure. The surest way not to fail is not to try. Being
open to innovation requires acceptance of the failure which might come from trying out new things.
We need to understand the subjectivity inherent in metrics used to evaluate success and hence
rethink what constitutes failure and for whom. By writing down our CV of failures we do not become
weaker, we become more self-aware and accepting of our limitations and at the same time resolute
in our attempts. After all, we only have the right to action, not the fruits of that action.

Writing down your CV of failure could be cathartic. Let the act of writing down your CV of failures
unburden you and help you in developing equanimity between success and failure.

Regards,

Saral