The Day My Daughter Became My Mentor

It was a Sunday afternoon in Surat. The city was quieter than usual. I was relaxing in my favorite chair, sipping black coffee which usually become cold. My 5-year-old daughter, Greesha, was building a block tower on the living room floor, lost in her own world.

"Papa, look!" she exclaimed, holding up a shaky tower.

I tried to sound enthusiastic, but my mind was on the upcoming client meeting and the report we needed to submit. "Wow, that's amazing!" I replied.

"Can you build one too?" she asked.

I hesitated, but something in her eyes made me say, "Sure."

We sat on the floor, building together. As we placed each block, I realized something profound.

"Papa, it's okay if it falls. We can build it again," she said.

Her words hit me hard. They reminded me of how scared we are of failure in business. We often build plans and strategies, and do everything to avoid risks, but my little girl reminded me that failure is a natural part of the process.

I remembered how fearless I was when I started. After finishing my Master's in IT, I began my journey as a part-time programmer in Surat. I worked hard, built my own IT company, helped more than 300 clients over 12 years, and co-founded a few ventures.

Somewhere along the way, the excitement I had for building things started fading. The thrill of the journey got lost in the hustle for success.

"Papa, it's your turn," Greesha reminded me.

I placed the block, less carefully this time. It wobbled but stayed standing. We both laughed, and I realized something: Mentorship can come from the most unexpected places.

We usually look for mentors from experienced people like industry experts, successful operators, or CXOs. But sometimes, it's a child's pure and simple view of life that teaches us the most important lessons.

Greesha didn't care about business strategies or profits. She was focused on the joy of building, on the process. Her curiosity and openness are valuable qualities that are often forgotten in the business world.

That night, after putting her to bed, I sat down with my notebook. Instead of planning my next version release project, I wrote down personal thoughts:

What if I approached my work with the same excitement and openness that Greesha had?

What if I wasn't so afraid to fail, and instead focused on the joy of creating?

The next day, I went to the office and asked my team to share ideas they were excited about, without worrying if they were practical. The energy in the room was different. We had fun, we shared crazy ideas, and we reconnected with why we started in this field.

Looking back, I realize that Greesha didn't just play with me that day. She reminded me of something I had forgotten: It's okay if the tower falls. What matters is the excitement of building again. In her own way, she became my mentor.

Mentorship doesn't always come from experts or experienced people. Sometimes, it comes from the most unexpected places. As leaders, we need to stay open to these moments because they can teach us things we never expected.

Have you ever found mentorship in unexpected places? Share here, because after all, we're all building our own towers, one block at a time.

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