In this episode of The Goats of Growth, I had the privilege of chatting with Nirav Sheth, who currently serves as the VP of Presales and Specialists for the Americas at Okta. Nirav’s career journey is quite a fascinating one, with stints at big-name companies like Google and Cisco. During our conversation, he shared some of his key leadership principles, notably the significance of building capacity within an organization.
Nirav stressed the importance of investing in the growth and development of individuals within a company and highlighted the role of mentorship in helping people build confidence. He also gave us a glimpse into his personal journey, which took him from aspiring to be a doctor to becoming a successful business leader.
This episode is packed with insights that can benefit anyone, so don’t miss it!
Building a Legacy by Creating Capacity [00:04:07] Nirav explains the importance of building capacity throughout all levels of the organization to create a legacy and drive growth.
Meaningful Career Conversations [00:05:48] Nirav discusses the significance of having meaningful career conversations with individuals to understand their aspirations and align them with business needs.
Enabling Empowerment and Entrepreneurship [00:07:37] Nirav shares an example of empowering a high-potential individual to lead a cross-functional team and drive a campaign, creating an entrepreneurial environment within the organization.
Building confidence and support for growth [00:10:19] Discusses the importance of providing support and mentorship to individuals aspiring for leadership roles to build their confidence and help them transition to the next level.
Striking the balance between autonomy and support [00:11:21] Explores the need to strike a balance between empowering individuals with autonomy while also providing the necessary support and removing obstacles when they face roadblocks.
Investing in personal and professional growth [00:12:48] Focuses on the journey of continuous development, including cross-functional experiences, mentorship, executive coaching, and continuous learning through reading and consuming various forms of content.
The surprise of not becoming a doctor [00:19:30] Nirav talks about how his 18-year-old self would be surprised that he did not become a doctor, despite initially planning to pursue a medical career.
Choosing an MBA over medical school [00:19:50] Nirav explains how he made the decision to pursue an MBA instead of going to medical school, and how his family’s involvement in business influenced his choice.