Name: ASWINI KUMAR PATRA

Title: Founder & CEO of XYZ ARROW | Provide Fundraising Support |Equity /Debt Investment |M&A| AERONAUTICAL ENGINEER | Founder and CEO | Entrepreneur | Business Consultant | Speaker | Business Mentor | Angel Investor

Organisation: PANOPTIC XYZ ARROW PRIVATE LIMITED

Aswini as a mediator in consulting and Investment Advisor: He is the founder of XYZ ARROW ,which helps to grow startups and, businesses by providing various kind of business consulting processes and interlink vivid business houses to business houses or client to yield price competitive, qualitative and rare services/products.

Aswini as an investment banker: Presently working with start-ups and investors for their immediate demand/supply & business growth factors with a clear focus to drive a better start-up and entrepreneurship ecosystem in India.

He is also associated with various organization such as BETUGA CONSULTING, Incenticus Partners, GA Capital, BIZZKROSS, PRE-IPO VENTURES, MICRO MENTOR etc., which helps to bring together founders and experts from the global start-up ecosystem to educate on start-up and fundraising processes to help start-ups become investable, build their business with focus and receive funding.

Aswini as a technical consultant/mentor: Also working with an Aerospace start-up, BonV technology as a Technology mentor. He is an Aeronautical Engineer Alumni of Politecnico di Milano, MILAN (ITALY).

ASWINI KUMAR PATRA is one of the most promising entrepreneurs for his excellence in the field of business consulting and fundraising services. Aswini established XYZ ARROW in the year 2020 with the mission to provide Business Consulting, fundraising,incubatpion support fund restructuring, etc. Over the years aswini with his team has created a track record of providing fundraising-related services as the front face and one of the lead players.

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

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

Cheers,

Jonno White

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

So operating across the globe and consulting and fundraising for projects in different countries where I am always dealing with different nationalities.this means different culture and different mindsets also different approaches.for a leader ,coming also with my own culture , strategy and mindset,this has always been a challenge.its not that easy to convince people to understand your decissions.

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

Leadership to me is to lead self towards greater purpose. If the purpose leads others to greater success, they want and accept you as their leader.

From my childhood I just belive in leading the game .

I just followed my dreams, one after another. Never worried about risks involved, as I always felt self-assured of eventual success. As a result, all the setbacks that happened at times, seemed to me as learning and moving on. Eventually, things work out through combination of own-efforts and divine-interventions. Personally for me, most vital concern has been never losing relationships, no matter what as the single important motto. Trusted friends always become the source of strengths in more than one ways in life. Taking risk is ok, but finding and following real purpose is the only true way.

Because of my clear moto towards any purpose and strong calculative mentality I always lead the team where ever I am working .

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

As a leader, especially in my role as a CEO and founder , structuring my workdays is crucial for maintaining productivity, effectiveness, and overall well-being.

In general, I structure my workdays as follows:

Morning Routine:

My morning routine begins at 5.00am , starting with reading emails, whatsapp messages ,prioritizing my most important tasks for the day, and checking the news and social media mostly regarding fundraising and business growth . Afterward, I take a shower before either traveling to the office or beginning work at the office. I use to have my breakfast, but I do enjoy my morning tea .

Early Task Completion:

Once I arrive at the office , I immediately focus on the most important task for the day. I check my callender and time schedule for whole day online meeting(followed by investors and founder meetings ) and try to fix up everything without disturbing online meeting schedule . I find satisfaction in getting things done early, and having one significant task completed before meetings start sets a positive tone for the day.

Balancing Meetings and Strategic Work:

Much of my day is spent in meetings, both virtual and physical, and I also travel frequently. Therefore, I have to carefully prioritize time for strategic work. This includes long-term planning, business innovations, and ensuring customer satisfaction.

Lunchtime Engagement:

I utilize lunchtime to meet with my team, customers, or partners. I avoid eating alone and value this time for socializing, networking, and engaging with people. The same applies to evening hours and dinner time, especially when I am on the road.

Afternoon and Evening Engagements:

Afternoons and evenings are often filled with meetings as well. Whenever possible, I try to spend some quality time in the evening with my family specially with my mom and grand mom or meet friends, particularly when I am not traveling.

Weekend Recharge:

I make a conscious effort to keep weekends free from meetings and events to recharge. I prioritize spending time with my family and use some leisure time for reading, taking walks , or meeting friends.

By adhering to this structure, I can manage my responsibilities effectively, balance my work commitments with my personal life, and ensure that I am continuously striving towards my professional and personal goals .

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

One thing I learned very recently is that there are many ways of doing the same thing. My way is NOT the only right way. So sometimes we need to accept .also typical CEO might learn or be reminded of is the importance of transparency and open communication during challenging times. This lesson could have been triggered by a significant crisis or a difficult decision that I as CEO had to navigate.

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?

"Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill is nothing short of a timeless masterpiece that has left an indelible mark on my life.

This classic book presents influential in shaping the way people think about success and wealth.

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

Just focus on the process instead of the outcome.

Have the courage to fail, Have crazy Dreams, Survive, Sustain, and Succeed.

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

When I decided to leave my previous position in germany and informed my team of my decision. They have requested that I stay in touch and that I can be their mentor.

Also for whichever client and company I am working for fundraising they are in touch with me and always request to be their mentor .

I strongly believe that if you do the right thing and you lead your team to develop their skills with genuinty, they appreciate what you do and want more.