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“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman

A few years back, I served as Secretary Treasurer for our BNI chapter. That six-month stint was a strenuous effort, truly an odyssey through rough waters. Given that past experience on the leadership table, I initially felt a bit reluctant to take on the “President” role for the April to September 2022 term.

Stepping into Big Shoes: Following a Stellar Leadership Team

The previous leadership team, Mihir Asher, Deepak Jumani, and Nirmal Kumar, had done a stellar job. They skillfully steered Odyssey through murky online waters, consistently keeping everyone in check and in line with BNI framework protocols and guidelines. Clearly, their term would be a tough act to follow.

Yet, many of Odyssey’s wise, long-standing members encouraged, cajoled, and even “brainwashed” me into accepting the President role. I ultimately joined the team with Satheesh Gundappa as Vice President and Harinath Gopalaswamy as Secretary.

The Power of Three: United in Vision

While BNI framework clearly defines “designations,” the beauty of the setup lies in shared responsibility. All three of us bore equal onus for running the chapter. Therefore, it was imperative that we truly acted as a single, cohesive unit.

Harinath, a gentle soul, and Satheesh, a seasoned entrepreneur, comprised my leadership partners. I, on the other hand, had always been the “backbencher,” often caught disrupting serious meetings! Becoming “serious” proved quite a learning experience for me. I suppose it also tested Satheesh and Harinath, being on the same panel as me!

Initially, I felt skeptical about Satheesh since we had no major interactions in Odyssey; we only knew each other as representatives of specific business categories. Harinath and I, conversely, had interacted as Feature Presentation Coordinator and in other roles.

A Tumultuous Term and a Shared Vision

Our term proved tumultuous. Satheesh and I, surprisingly, got on like a house on fire. Harinath, meanwhile, is probably still processing “what is happening”!

We soon realized all three of us shared the same idea for how we wanted Odyssey to evolve as a chapter. We fundamentally believed in first building relationships; business, we knew, would naturally follow.

Our vision wasn’t lofty. We aimed for easily achievable targets, but the central theme would always be “F-U-N.” We had grown tired of the online system and wanted to “break the monotony.”

The “Three Monkeys” and Disrupting the Norm

We formed a WhatsApp group, and just for fun, I named it “The Three Monkeys,” intending to change it to something more serious later. But the name stuck!

As a backbencher in Odyssey, I knew all the ways members could “cheat” or “not pay attention” during online or in-person meetings. So, we disrupted every other meeting, ensuring members never knew who we would call on!

We recognized people instantly. Furthermore, we delegated a lot of work and roles to newer members. This approach injected fresh ideas and positive energy into the room. We ensured we had something to celebrate at every meeting, and at the end of most meetings, there was CAKE!

Bending the Rules for Fun and Engagement

We consciously bent rules and took liberties with chapter meetings, all in the hope of making them fun and something members eagerly anticipated. We introduced innovative open networking sessions that truly made people think. Also, we opened and closed each meeting with a quote depicting one or another member, pulling from my collection of photos gathered over the last 10 years.

Beyond the meetings, we took Odyssey on a hike, an overnighter at a camp, and involved members in a CSR activity with Rotary. We accomplished all of this because we genuinely had a lot of fun. Without major expectations, our numbers improved, more members connected with each other, and, sure enough, business between members received a significant boost.

Reaching New Heights: “Best Performing Chapter”

The last leadership round-table of our term took place in September 2022. We were pleasantly surprised to receive the award for “Best Performing Chapter” for the region, having risen 21 places, from 30th to 9th, in a period of just five months!

We were ecstatic! We felt incredibly proud of our achievement and the unexpected award and recognition!

All three of us realized that the only way we could continue to grow the chapter was to bring it back to “in-person” meetings. Throughout September, we concentrated all our energies on in-person meetings, culminating in a poll for Odyssey members to decide if they were ready to move to “in-person” meetings.

Almost all of Odyssey preferred the shift to in-person meetings. That, truly, was the best “Gift” this leadership team could give back to the chapter!

A Memorable Farewell and Lasting Legacy

At our final meeting, we celebrated Odyssey’s 11th Birthday by inviting a bunch of Odyssey alumni and both Executive Directors and the Senior Director Consultant. We broke the “monotony” yet again by:

• Announcing the Handover at Bala’s farm instead of a regular hotel.
• Gifting members a personalized diary and a custom-made bottle etched with terms reflecting the last six months of fun.
• Awarding the Role Coordinators “Medals” instead of Trophies.
• Hosting a beer and breezer event, inviting members to bring their families and kids.

Six months of fun, chaos, work, business, family, and giving back. We gained a lot of learning on building teams, maintaining relationships, the power of recognition, and trusting the system.