by Sanjiv Goyal featuring DC Agarwal

In this article you will learn about:

• Staying flexible
• Accountability
• Skills for long-term success
• How to adapt to a changing job market
• Experiential learning
• The importance of giving back
• The Gandhi Award
• Following your instincts

Happenstance

DC Agarwal is a somewhat mysterious figure. Only his college buddies from IIT Bombay know what the DC stands for. Now in “retirement” after a long and successful career in the transit industry, he is not in the role of President of the IIT Bombay Heritage Foundation.

There is much more to DC Agarwal than meets the eye. As a child he met Queen Elizabeth; in college he found himself running the mess hall and growing a side-hustle, and after college he became an activist marching on the streets of Washington D.C. How did he get to New Jersey? His story will surprise you.

Agarwal positioned himself to work in India as an engineer, but life had other plans for him. Though he isn’t an entrepreneur, he was able to use an entrepreneurial mindset and the engineering skills he picked up at IIT to become a success in the transportation industry.

In 1971 in the U.S. there was a recession in the engineering industry after the Vietnam War. Though he had a degree in aeronautics engineering, Agarwal found no job waiting for him.

“Life throws curveballs at you, and you react to what is in front of you.” Many pivotal decisions were made for him by circumstance, but Agarwal stayed flexible and adapted.

Professional Success

He landed a job in Philly at SEPTA (South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority). His supervisors also came from an engineering background and this motivated them to extend mutual respect to Agarwal though his experience in the field was limited.

“It was a great career move for me because once I knew what I was doing, they trusted my judgment.” Though the money was great, nothing could compare to the sense of satisfaction that he was working with people who respected him and treated him as an adult.

Agarwal brought his computer and analytical skills to labor negotiations and found that was his strength. This was where he was truly able to shine.

After 6 years in his position, something in him yearned for a sabbatical. At the age of 27, and the height of his career success to date, he took a risk. He stepped away from it all to gain perspective, telling his employers that he could live with himself whether or not they had a job waiting for him when he got back.

And so Agarwal embarked on a journey of self-exploration through experiential learning. In 1975 he found himself marching on the streets of Washington in front of the Indian Embassy. That’s when he realized politics wasn’t for him. Next, he traveled around Europe and India, stopping briefly to get married.

We stand a lot to learn from DC’s bold example. Follow your instincts. Don’t feel trapped in your circumstances even if they are positive. Try new things and see for yourself what works and what doesn’t work for you. Don’t be afraid to walk away from others, but never abandon yourself.

On this journey, Agarwal realized he liked working in the public transportation industry. He was looking for a job in India but was told he didn’t have enough experience. So, as happenstance would have it, he wound up in New Jersey.

He got a job at the New Jersey Transit Corporation. His approach to business was to treat the public sector as one would a private company. This strategy worked well for him.

He taught himself the basics of finance and relied on the negotiating skills that came naturally to him, which were built on the bedrock of accountability and integrity.

His skills with numbers, finance, and negotiation and his commitment to accountability and honesty allowed him to land a unique position for an engineer out of IIT Bombay. This winning combination paired with an unshakeable belief in himself enabled him to negotiate a public sector multimillion-dollar acquisition at the age of 29.

Pearls of Wisdom

Agarawal said yes to the surprises life threw his way. He looked for opportunities and worked in his position as if it was his own company. You might call him a covert intrapreneur. Now he is “retired” but continues to actively serve his community and seeks to inspire others by giving back.

His is a story of what happens when you believe in yourself and say yes to life, even when it doesn’t match your expectations. You never know which skills might come in handy. Work is more fulfilling if you use the gifts that come naturally to you, but the first step to using them is knowing what they are. His advice: Know what you are good at and believe in yourself.

The hallmarks of his approach are flexibility, adaptability, integrity, accountability, confidence, persistence in problem-solving, and treating others with respect. In a word, DC Agarwal has lived his life boldly following his own compass for better or worse.

He continues to contribute to his community by participating on the board of several non-profit organizations, including the Association of Indians in America which created the Gandhi Award which provides cash prizes for high school students across New Jersey.

He is a wonderful example of what an engineering mind can accomplish in a corporate setting and beyond. The quiet leaders, the ones behind the scenes, can make waves just as big if not bigger than the people who are the face of a company or initiative.

An Attitude of Gratitude

How many of the luxuries afforded to us that we take as givens were the result of the efforts of people we will never meet?

It is as Einstein said:

“Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: That we are here for the sake of other men — above all for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day, I realize how much my outer and inner life is built upon the labors of people, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received and am still receiving.”

Each one of us has a unique impact to make on others in our lifetime. We could all take a page from DC Agarwal and live boldly, honestly, and with an understanding of how we can affect the lives of others.

Mindfully, we must move forward with the understanding that everything around us was built by others and forged by previous generations. It is vital that we become aware that we are part of this evolutionary cycle, and that with the actions we take each day, we are now laying the foundation for future generations. Let’s make it a good one.

Who can you think of whose mere existence has improved your life? Gandhi? Your kids? Whose lives do you touch and improve?