Note to readers: Fit to Lead is a series of interviews with business leaders on their approach to fitness, leadership and navigating the new normal.
“All batches of grapes are wine, but some batches are champagne,” says Kush Mehra. “And that champagne was the 2011 batch of people who were working at Visa India,” he adds. Mehra is among a handful of people from that batch who are now running successful start-ups in the payments space.
Mehra grew up in a middle-class family in South Delhi’s CR Park neighbourhood, with a civil engineer father and schoolteacher mother. He got his first summer job soon after finishing his Class 10 board exams. “Starting work early gave me a head start over my peers and others who had a purely academic background. I had a point of view and experience which others lacked,” says the 41-year-old.
Mehra also started working out around the same time that he started working. He knew he wasn’t good at team sports like cricket, so he joined a gym. “I learned quite early in life that a healthy mind and body are the most important wealth that one can acquire,” he explains. Today, he rarely misses a workout and has set up a gym at his home, which is his happy place where he works out five days a week.
Mehra, who has a B. Comm from Shahid Bhagat Singh College, Delhi University, and an MBA in marketing from FORE School of Management, is passionate about the payments technologies. Right from his Visa days, he was sure of the potential of the payments business in India. “This is our country, this is our time, we and our start-ups should have a share of this pie. Why would Western companies come and take our pie,” Mehra says. It is this passion and goal-oriented attitude that allows him to lead a team effectively despite not being very good at team sports. Also, Mehra, who has two children, always wanted people to follow his lead and ideas in payments technology and he is living his dream at the moment. Edited excerpts from the interview:
Your fitness routine…
My typical workout starts with some breathing exercises, followed by cardio. I do strength-training every day, with each day dedicated to building core and strength across body parts. I cool off at the end of a workout on a yoga mat doing some basic ground exercises without any equipment.
Favourite fitness activity…
Push-ups and planks. Both these exercises are like an ECG to a heart, revealing the core inner strength and how I am feeling on a given day.
The toughest?
Lateral raises look so simple but are a great example of an exercise that requires some skill to do it properly.
The new normal for you…
I am glad the worst is behind us, and we are now getting to meet people and resume our normal lives. The new normal is pleasant and includes travelling to various Pine Labs offices across India and overseas and meeting clients.
Has your fitness routine helped you navigate the uncertainties of recent times?
When one commits to a fitness routine, they not only devote time to building the physical body but also end up sharpening their mind in the process. Fitness has made me calm and focused. It has strengthened my resolve towards my goals. Fitness does help one navigate any uncertainty of life.
Get fit. Feel better.
The one change you would encourage your teammates to make to deal with the challenges of current times.
The one challenge I would give them is to stay away from processed food. Basically, eat healthy.
Leadership lessons in your fitness journey…
At the intersection of fitness and leadership, one of the biggest lessons for me has been going the extra mile. Be it exercising where you are constantly pushing yourself to better the old personal record or your business goals where you quickly want to forget your past wins and aim higher the next time.
What impact does the image of a “fit leader” have on a team?
A fit leader exudes confidence, self-belief, and inspires everyone around.
Has being fit helped you become a better leader and a better version of yourself?
Absolutely. A disciplined life dedicated to health transcends in your day-to-day leadership style as well. Fitness gives purpose and leadership needs that purpose to be effective, so yes, my focus on fitness has helped me become a better leader.
Your leadership style…
I wish someone could answer that for me. What I can tell you is that I don’t believe in micro-managing people. I like to work with champions… people who are determined and dogged in their pursuits. Self-motivation is the key attribute required for people to succeed and a little nudge to such people, that timely guidance, goes a long way in bringing out the best in them.
Goals and challenges for the next year…
At Pine Labs, we are doing some fantastic work to advance the Digital India narrative. We are also expanding big time in overseas markets, most noticeably Southeast Asia and the Middle East. We will continue to innovate and lead in the fintech space we are in.
On the personal front, I would like to tick off a few places to visit from my wishlist and keep working towards my fitness goals.
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