Name: Aditya Trivedi

Title: Founder and Head-Competition Law

Organisation: In Conversation with IPR and Competition Law Podcast

Aditya Trivedi is an Advocate and competition lawyer based in New Delhi. He is the Founder of India's first competition law podcast. He works with Competition Advisory Services (India) LLP, New Delhi with Mr. Dhanendra Kumar, First Chair, Competition Commission of India.

He is the Founder of Weekly Podcast "In Conversation with IPR and Competition Law" which is India's first Competition law podcast having its presence in at least 47 countries and included in the academic curriculum of National Law University, Raipur and featured by global law firms like Baker McKenzie. He regularly writes and speaks on competition law and allied topics in national dailies and youth platforms.

He participated in UN Conference on Competition law and MSMEs and Young Experts Conference by DG Comp, European Commission and UNCTAD Inter Governmental Group of Experts Conference on Competition law and policy.

He is a part of Research & Policy team of Y-20 India Secretariat, a youth engagement of G-20 and worked on climate change and White Paper prepared for the Secretariat.

Understanding the need to contribute to social causes, he is the Founding Director of Arth Vidhi. He is also the Founder and CEO of Atlas - Young Founders' Club. He is the Non-Executive Director of Samacharline Media Group, oldest digital media conglomerate of Madhya Pradesh since 2004. He is a Core Committee Member of Confederation of Alumni for National Law Universities (CAN Foundation), Ambassador to Kaavyavarsha, among other leadership roles.

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

I hope Aditya's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

Without a doubt, a leader faces more challenges than the team. He is cheerleader of the team as well as a member of the team himself.

The most challenging aspect in my leadership role has been management of diverse views. As a leader, you have to be democratic and I always enjoy now, listening to all views, and then making up my mind, to what is best for the organization.

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

Being a leader is not always a natural gift. A couple of times it is genetic, and in a lot many circumstances, it is an acquired trait.

For me, it was both. I've learn from my father who has found Central India's one of the first digital media firms, and leading it since 1998, at a time when internet revolution was not much in India.

I've always been keen towards volunteering and leading innovative projects. Eventually, I learnt from my experiences and started taking leadership roles. The first role I remember was when I was appointed as Editor-in-Chief of my school magazine. Thereafter, I founded my own student magazine 'Step to Next' with my friends. After I joined law school, I volunteered to start NSS unit in my university in coordination with Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, along with college committee roles that I led. With my best friend, Isheta Boruah who is now London-based, I started the Podcast, which is India's first exclusive podcast on competition law and also among the few niche ones in intellectual property rights. We host competition lawyers and IP attorneys round the globe. Recently, I founded Arth Vidhi for social and economic causes. With my friend, Parneet Kaur who is a climate leader, I founded Atlas, which is a group of Top 20 youth leaders of India. I also was a part of Y-20 India Secretariat, which is G-20's official engagement group and contributed to White Paper on Climate Change. This is my brief journey.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

My work days last from Monday to Friday noon. I am a morning person, I do morning walks and evening walks daily. I finish my office early to do evening walks and relax after work. It keeps me motivated, innovative and creative in my work and entrepreneurial ventures.

I believe in a good work-life balance. On Friday evenings, I study competition law to update myself. On weekends, I engage in literature, creative writing, networking and spending time with friends and family. I am now learning French also in free time.

4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?

A recent lesson has been on social capitalism. How to involve social benefit in our organisational work, and serve the best interests of the society. Corporate social responsibility and sustainability are talks of the town, which we all need to focus upon as corporates.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

The book is Ayn Rand's 'Fountainhead' and my life philosophy is based on it as well. The main character Howard Roark is my inspiration. He's a modernist architect who embodies reason, rationale and reason in his thoughts. With integrity and morality, he designs modern designs. He is non-conventional leader. This teaches me to follow the same in my leadership roles. He is not a collectivist and does not work to please people. I believe that if you work to please everyone, you are a politician and not a leader. A leader is actually understood well after his times, when he has actually done the work. We need to as authentic and work with integrity as Howard Roark.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

Understand what the society needs, and how you can fill the gap. For eg, my competition law podcast or NSS role, or my father's media venture. We need to understand how can we contribute to the society in the most unique way possible. I follow John Locke's social contract theory in that respect.

I am also blessed with good teams in my organisations, which make me a better leader everyday.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?

In a session of Young Leaders Council by All India Management Association (AIMA), Shiva Shivakumar, an accomplished corporate leader addressed the audience, mostly young, on aspects of leadership. He explained how the theories of leadership have changed from royalty to military generals to intellectuals to democratic leaders today.

He rightfully explained that money and power do not necessarily equates to leadership. If you've money, it's not necessary that you're good. But if you're good, money will follow you!