‘Challenging yourself and trying to overcome what scares you make you more courageous’

Varun Kamra

Multi-Property Director Sales and Marketing, Kathmandu Marriott Hotel

Varun Kamra is Multi-Property Director of Sales and Marketing of the Kathmandu Marriott Hotel with 19 years of industry experience. He also oversees the Fairfield by Marriott. Kamra’s career trajectory includes Intercontinental, Hilton and the Bloom Hotel Group. After having successfully launched and developed Bloom which was a startup he handed over the baton and took up the challenge of opening Holiday Inn Express in Bengaluru. Kamra states that he enjoys the uniqueness and differences of each brand which have each challenged and sharpened his outlook and acumen. Over the years, Kamra has been felicitated with several awards in his career. As the Sales & Marketing lead, he says, “A leader is as good as his team. Being in sales, you have to understand your staff; one cannot lead a team individually and being present for them is one the most significant aspects of leadership.” In this edition of Business 360, Varun Kamra lists the five things that have enriched and impacted his work and life.

Travelling for inspiration to being my own inspiration

There are two things that inspire me the most, travelling and myself. When you travel, you expand your horizons, become open-minded, see different and unusual things, feel in a way you’ve never felt before, see amazing places and world’s phenomena, meet interesting people and learn about their cultures. The joy of learning that you gain while travelling is always worthwhile because it’s practical and it always gives you new ideas. If we look at business tycoons, we see them travelling a lot which is because new people and surroundings give them new ideas. In terms of work, I am my own inspiration. I may not be the best but I try to be better than my previous self. Challenging yourself and trying to overcome what scares you by simply doing it can build character; make you more courageous and ready to explore what the world has to offer. Every person has their own uniqueness, their own skills and talents, so I never thought to be like any great personality because I know I won’t be able to. Children are another source of inspiration. They are innocent and have a pure mind. They are curious and have the capacity to simplify tasks. It is a learning for many to be as simple, creative and adventurous as children. I also like the teachings of Vivekananda. His insights and knowledge fascinate me.

Women are natural multi-taskers

Gender shouldn’t determine an individual’s leadership abilities. In my opinion, the quality of leadership is not limited to gender but the situation and time given. Women are natural multi-taskers. They have multiple roles and they can carry each with perfection. Women tend to complete every task that is thrown their way in a commendable way. If we take a look at the statistics, recently an article was published by Fortune 500, there are about 26 women as leaders present in the top Fortune 500 companies which three years back was only eight. We can see that the numbers are immensely multiplied in a span of just three years. Given the opportunity, women have huge calibre.

Hospital to hospitality

I chose hospitality over science, and it is one of the best decisions I have made. I was a science student and had a confirmed seat in dental science but I opted for hospitality management. I would describe this decision as hospital to hospitality. I believe that we should give our 100% to every task and the results will come out in your favour if you are sincere and put your best foot forward. There is a saying in the Geeta, “Karam kar, phal ki ichchha mat kar” this is also a philosophy that I follow religiously.

Give your 100%

Be patient and realistic with a task. While working as a leader, one must plan. In any kind of business, you must have a business model. The model is important because it gives structure and backbone to your organisation. Planning and a proper execution are keys to a successful business. Remain friendly with staff and colleagues. You are there because your staff are there; this is something people tend to forget over time. The third step is to be optimistic and give your 100% to what you do. And do not forget to review your action at every step.

Success is being able to do your best every day

Success is being able to do your best every day in all spheres of life, whether it is the role of a son, father, or employee. Success is being part of something bigger, helping an organisation to meet worthy goals, to bring some value to the world. There are many different tactics for how to be successful in life, but the strategy that works best for you may depend on your view of success itself. Success for me is in the small things that bring happiness to loved ones. Small things are an achievement too and it allows you to be content. Huge leaps to gain success has its drawback, I believe in the quality of patience to achieve success and happiness in life. READ ALSO:

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