The one thing that kept Shikha Sharma going when the going got tough

Axis Bank MD and CEO Shikha Sharma recently delivered the convocation address at her alma mater, IIM-Ahmedabad. Sharing life lessons with the graduating class, she spoke about how the choices we make shape our successes, and one of the most crucial is choosing to do the right thing.

"When faced with moral dilemmas, do you make the practical choice or take a shortcut? Or do you do the right thing? Every time you take the harder, more principled path, you add one more brick to the foundation of your character. Every time you compromise with your beliefs, you give yourself the licence to do it again," she said to the enraptured audience.

She explained how each of us can be larger than ourselves, and each of us has the potential to reshape society and country: “Your choices define you and society, so choose wisely”

Here’s an excerpt from her address to the graduating class of 2017.