Shinjini Das: Leadership Feature

We had the fortune to meet Shinjini Das several months ago and are excited to see her work blossom as a result of her hard work. One of our favorite qualities about Shinjini is her passion and energy for impacting lives. Also known as the "Go-Getter Girl", Shinjini simply sees opportunities where none seem to exist and has proven that she possesses the qualities of a true MillenniaLeader.

Shinjini Das is a Multi-Media Personality, Keynote Speaker, Global Millennial Influencer, Huffington Post Contributor, Brand Spokesperson, and Engineer.

Here is our full interview with Shinjini with commentary by Randall Garcia of MillenniaLeadership.

Q: Define leadership in your own terms.

Shinjini: Leadership is the embodiment of an expansive vision into reality which ultimately positively empowers members of humanity to live up to their greatest potential.

Randall: Leadership is all about developing potential in others. You can't lead if you aren't helping others achieve their goals. This is a huge responsibility as a leader!

Q: What are your 5 core values as a leader?

Shinjini: I deeply value the presence of authenticity, positive empowerment, unwavering integrity, global inclusiveness, and radiant joy intrinsic to both my personal and professional lives.

Randall: Authenticity is one of my core values. I feel that leaders who are authentic tend to attract a following because of the trust factor. Integrity is also another core value of mine, without it you cannot lead with purpose. I love that millennial leaders like us are so aligned with the right values.

Q: How can a leader fail? Tell me about a time when you failed as a leader (and what you learned as a result).

Shinjini: A leader fails when she is not in tune with her core audience. We must realize that the duty of a leader is to empower others, meaning that if she does not recognize the inherent needs or wants of her people, she will act haphazardly, and thus walk on the road to failure. One specific incident comes to mind during a time in which I was completely out of touch with my organization’s membership, and failed to act in accordance with their key needs in mind. What I learned from this experience was the vast importance of constantly being in full touch with your audience and acting with solely their best interests in mind, while putting yourself after their needs.

Randall: Yes! A leader stays actively involved in identifying the needs of their followers and fulfilling those needs. It is a definitely key element of being a successful leader!

Q: What is the most difficult part of being a leader?

Shinjini: Leadership is not meant for the faint-hearted! The most difficult part of being a leader is serving as the chief executive decision maker in charge. There are times when a leader may wonder whether the decisions she is taking are on the right path to maximize strategic as well as organizational value, and in these situations, she must trust her intuition as well as the guidance of those on her team.

Randall: I totally agree! Leaders sometimes have to make tough decisions. It is important to recognize that we all will make mistakes and are responsible for our decisions. I have learned that sometimes I have been wrong, but I have learned to harness the power of failure and use them as a learning experience.

Q: How do you measure success for you as a leader?

Shinjini: My success as a leader is directly proportional to the positive empowerment of my team, organization, or audience. I am keen to watch for indications from my audience or group on whether they feel excited, empowered, and invigorated to face new challenges and solve new problems with gusto. As a leader, it is my responsibility to empower my people to take actual action to achieve their highest potential, and if I have succeeded in doing so, I have succeeded as a leader.

Randall: A true leader does not take all credibility for the big wins. A true leader recognizes that wins are a team effort. Great point!

Q: Have you ever taken on a job that you were unqualified for?

Shinjini: Yes, I think so. This is a natural occurrence of ambition, chutzpah, and a tendency towards risk-taking. I am happy to have learned from the opportunity and in retrospect, am excited I chose to take on the opportunity. There is a great deal to learn and grow from each new opportunity.

Randall: I also am a risk-taker. A calculated risk-taker. Leader's of change must have that quality. Change isn't easy and it does require doing things differently. New opportunities may sometimes be scary, but leaders always pull through!

Q: How do you view the millennial generation?

Shinjini: I view the millennial generation as being one which is extraordinarily entrepreneurial, ambitious, philanthropic, inherently good, and resilient. We are driven by a desire to create societal, global, and financial impact.

Randall: I love those words. Yes, the millennial generation is full of genius. Sometimes we get negatively stereotyped but I think many of us are starting to break that mold!

Q: How do you think the millennial generation is perceived?

Shinjini: The millennial generation is not always perceived through such positive lens. Some descriptions I have heard involve millennials’ descriptions as self-centered, self-absorbed, and individualistic, but if we first focus on ourselves to serve others more fully, self-centered is a brilliant quality to possess.

Randall: I have always been one to turn negativity into positivity. Many opportunities can arise from that. Finding a problem and introducing a solution such as this might be a word-changer!

Q: Why are you so passionate about leading millennials?

Shinjini: I truly believe in the inherent beauty, capabilities, and ultimately, potential of our generation to write some of the greatest stories ever written. Millennials are entirely poised to positively transform the world, and I consider myself supremely fortunate to be in a position to lead such incredible people towards their incredible destiny to changing the world for good.

Randall: Love, love, love! Thank you Shinjini for taking the time for this interview. We are very excited about the work you are doing and consider you one of our core MilliLeaders here. You are doing great things and I know this is only the beginning.

Along with her undeniable talents, Shinjini seems to be a very down-to-earth individual with a unique drive for success, and her success is measured in how big of an impact she can make in this world.

If you would like more information on Shinjini Das, please visit her at her website, or follow her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.