Nibu Thomas
When Arun was first told that an apprentice from a disadvantaged background would be joining the team, his reaction was honest. And human. There were apprehensions. Not about intent, but about fit and skills. About whether someone without prior exposure could truly scale in a large multinational environment. It’s never been done before. Will it work?
Arun took pride in hiring the right people. Not just for their technical abilities, but for their attitude, resilience, and problem-solving approach. Yet this situation was unfamiliar. Rather than letting judgment take over, the manager chose curiosity.
That choice changed everything.
From the very first meeting, the apprentice dismantled assumptions without saying a word. She was confident, dynamic, and carried a quiet fire that was impossible to miss. From day one, her eagerness to learn and prove herself was evident. The doubts that existed before she walked into the room disappeared. Almost instantly.
But confidence does not mean the journey was smooth.
In the early days, the apprentice stayed within the safety of tasks assigned by other team members. She delivered what was given, steadily building technical capability. However, something was missing. During a catch-up conversation, Arun uncovered the real struggle. She feared failure. She feared being judged. As she was assigned work and started to interact with others, an imposter syndrome crept in. She didn’t believe she was as technically strong as others around her. Yet.
What she needed was simple. Trust.
So Arun did something deliberate. He gave her full ownership of a component. He didn’t throw her in the deep end of the pool. It was ownership with support. A mentor was available when she got stuck, but the responsibility was hers. With that trust came transformation. Slowly, her dependency reduced. Confidence replaced hesitation. She began delivering independently, not because she was told to, but because she now believed she could.
What stood out most was something no classroom could teach.
A never-say-die attitude. And a hunger to grow. Along with the willingness to take on challenges and absorb feedback without sounding defensive.
She was raring to go from day one, constantly pushing herself beyond what was comfortable. Her background had not dulled her ambition. it had actually sharpened it.
For Arun, this journey became a mirror.
It reshaped assumptions about talent and potential. It reinforced a powerful truth: passion and fire, when met with the right environment, can outperform privilege and polish. Empathy, he realised, is not optional leadership behaviour. it is essential, and critical. When leaders choose to see possibility instead of limitation, talent emerges in the most unexpected places.
This is why programmes like those at Xcelevate matter.
Not because they place apprentices into companies. But because they invite leaders to take a few steps back and look again. And understand that some talent will need to be nurtured. These experiences were also lessons in trust. They learned to accept that brilliance is everywhere, even while opportunity is not.
Together, when curiosity replaces assumption, workplaces don’t just grow stronger. They grow more human.
At Xcelevate, we don’t give handouts; we build long-term, life-changing careers. Through community partnerships, bootcamps, and a powerful underprivilege assessment model, we uplift India's most overlooked youth into high-potential professionals.
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