The Power of Imagination: Male Ally Navjot Singh Reflects on His Inspiring Journey at McKinsey, Entrepreneurship, and Supporting Women in the Workplace
We are honored to launch our Male Allies series on Women Who Win with Navjot Singh, Senior Partner Emeritus at McKinsey and entrepreneur. In this inspiring interview with Women Who Win for the launch of our special Male Allies series, Navjot reflects on his career journey at Mckinsey and General Electric, what male allyship means to him, and his current experiences with “Resetting to Zero”. With a deep passion for imagination and creativity, Navjot writes, “There is so much to be done, and I believe we are only limited by our imagination.” Enjoy!
1. Tell us your story. You have had extensive experience in both consulting, serving as a Senior Partner Emeritus at McKinsey, and in entrepreneurship as the founder of In Build Mode. What were some of the highlights in your personal and professional life, and a key lesson you learned along the way in your career?
I am a big fan of Nassim Taleb’s book “Fooled By Randomness”. While I can reflect back and glorify all the great things that have happened, the fact is that I was lucky. Like so many, I arrived in the US almost 35 years ago with two suitcases, a great education, enthusiasm, and honestly, a lot of naivety (which is still the case and keeps me young).
In my career, I have had the pleasure of working with two iconic companies, General Electric and McKinsey. After 30 years in the corporate world, I have recently embarked on a journey of entrepreneurship, which was my childhood dream. Some highlights of my personal life are, of course, my parents (who have passed away), my wife, and my two kids.
In addition to professional success, which has been measured through promotions and progressions, what excites me most in my career is the impact. One of the things I am proud to be particularly adept at is fighting fires. In fact, my favorite song is Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire”.
I also thrive when I help others thrive. Helping people be successful energizes me, but what energizes me the most is imagining what is possible. We are living in such an exciting world and moment in life. There is so much to be done, and I believe we are only limited by our imagination. Some of this imagination has manifested in the
patents I have filed, some in the Imagine Get-Togethers we have hosted, but most importantly in making a difference in people's lives through creativity.
2. At Women Who Win, we aim to highlight the important role male allies play in creating inclusive teams. How do you approach being a male ally and supporting gender equity in your life?
I am a big male ally. However, I have to be honest. I am an ally to anyone who wants an ally. I do not differentiate. We have come a long way on gender equity in several of the organizations I have been a part of, such as the McKinsey Partnership in Boston or in my role on the Board of the Chamber of Commerce.
I believe in two simple words: “Take Care”. As we “Take Care" of ourselves and others, everything takes care of each other. On the topic of gender equity, I honestly think it is not only needed, but it also makes strategic sense. Having gender equity is often a
force multiplier since you now have a fully balanced and competent team with sometimes complementary points of view.
While many have recognized me for male allyship, in my heart, I know that it was selfish since it made my life so much easier in delivering a distinctive impact.
3. With your leadership experience both through McKinsey in leading the Global Talent Attraction function and in renowned organizations such as the Museum of Science, what are some initiatives you would like to see organizations drive forward regarding gender equity and male allyship?
The world is hungry for allyship irrespective of gender, race, age, etc. My philosophy is to help as many people as I can. I am inspired by the concept of “Karma” and giving as much as you can to as many as possible.
I must admit I have an equal number of allies across genders. Over time, I have learned, and that comes with maturity and wisdom, that the more you give, the more you get. I wish I had understood the concept of Karma earlier; however, better late than never. So for me, as we embark on “Taking Care” of each other and being an ally to everyone, good things will happen.
Furthermore, I am not a big fan of initiatives. I think it should be natural, genuine, and driven both Top Down and Bottoms Up. I personally think initiatives have a short life to them, but when leadership lives it and everyone accepts it in a genuine manner, good things happen. I think when we try to force it, it never works in the long run. It may make one's numbers look great in the short term, but it will never be enduring if it is not natural, obvious, and genuine.
4. You are in the process of “Resetting at Zero”. What does resetting at zero mean to you, and what have you learned in this journey?
Life is a long journey. I have been blessed in so many ways. I believe one should reset once in a while. I am Resetting at Zero intentionally for three reasons. First, it helps me focus on imagining what is possible. Second, it keeps me young and it makes me feel like a kid. Third, reinventions are tough but if they work, they are beautiful.
I have nothing to lose so I am taking a swing. Together with my wife we have co-founded 2123iX. It is a platform for entrepreneurship where we want to build companies from scratch. It is founded on the spirit of Imagine-Experiment-Build. We will share more as some of our experiments work, but in the meanwhile, we are having a great time imagining and experimenting!
5. With the business landscape and work culture constantly evolving with AI innovation and the rise in remote work, what is your key advice to young professionals in setting themselves up for success?
My advice to young professionals would be to stay on top. Technology will likely evolve at a rapid clip over the next week to the next century. It is critical to stay on top.
I look back at my life from not having a telephone or a car to living in a world of self-driving cars now. The single biggest thing the Young Professionals should focus on is “Impact”. How are you making a genuine difference and did your presence make a difference?
Another piece of advice I would like to give is to think about how you spend your time. Time is precious and it is critical to look at how you spend your time starting with your health, both physical and mental.
Further, you should always keep learning. One should be curious and hungry for learning. What we have likely learned in classrooms is probably 1 percent of life’s learning. So you may do well in that 1 percent, but then you may fail in the other 99 percent if you are not always learning.
Regarding remote vs. in person, I must admit most of my learning has been through apprenticeship and water cooler talks. The idea of not being physically present enough does not sit well for me. There is a place for this now in the new world we are living in but I would urge everyone to try to be in person as much as possible.
6. How do you find work-life balance? Outside of work, how do you relax and unwind?
Work Life is a tough one. I wish I could say that I mastered it, but I do not think so. Most people will not. At times, your life will be out of balance, but then you can bring it back to balance at others times. The most important learning for me was to have my “On Times” and my “Off Times”. I was most at peace, when I said I will work from X to Y. And then I was off. The “Off time” is critical for the “On Time”!