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Are you searching for that Secret Ingredient of Success? (3)

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Let me begin with an apology.

Spoiler alert: If you haven’t watched Kung Fu Panda; firstly, where have you been? Secondly, this post will absolutely ruin the surprise ending for you. So either go watch it now and come back (we’ll wait) or accept that today is the day you learn a life lesson with or without animated animals.

Now, let’s talk about success.

It’s the golden goose. The treasure chest. The scroll guarded at the top of the mountain (or in this case, the Jade Palace). Whether you’re a leader chasing the next growth target, a professional climbing the corporate ladder, or someone just trying to figure it out; it’s likely you’ve wondered:

“What’s the secret ingredient?”

The formula. The edge. The “X” factor

“What do top performers really have that others don’t?”
“What makes certain change projects succeed when others fail?”
“What’s the silver bullet, Ankur?”

And that’s when I point to the legendary showdown in Kung Fu Panda

🐼 The Scroll, the Showdown… and the Shocker

Tai Lung, the formidable villain, spends the entire film battling (quite literally) for the Dragon Scroll. Said to hold the secret to limitless power and ultimate Kung Fu mastery, this scroll has been mythologized for years

He finally gets his paws on it; after a fight that breaks walls, bridges, and possibly all safety regulations, and what does he find?

Nothing.

Just a shimmering reflective surface. A mirror

It’s empty. Or rather, it reflects back the one truth that no one dared say out loud:

The secret ingredient is… YOU.

Yep. That’s it. No glowing orb. No magic spell. Just belief.

🧠 Sounds Simple, Feels Ridiculous, Works Like Magic

I know. It sounds like one of those motivational posters with eagles soaring above mountain tops.

But the truth is; It’s YOU.

The leader who chooses to lead with clarity instead of chaos.
The team that stops outsourcing accountability and starts owning their evolution.
The individual who dares to act on their Intent; even before they’re 100% ready.

That’s the secret. You are the ingredient.

💡 Wait, So What Does That Mean Practically?

Let’s get real. We’re not saying, “Just believe in yourself and unicorns will fund your next business.”

We’re saying:

  • Before you chase another tool, technique, or training… pause and ask: What belief am I operating from?
  • When launching a change project, don’t just cascade goals; build conviction.
  • When applying Intentonomics®, especially the “I”: Integrity of Thought; ask yourself if you’re coming from fear, doubt… or authentic purpose.

🥢 Final Bite of Wisdom (Panda Style)

The film ends with Po finally understanding what his father meant when he said the secret ingredient in his Secret Ingredient Soup… was that there is no secret ingredient.

It was always just… him.

And similarly, you my friend, are the secret ingredient in your own scroll.

Now go unleash it.

Love, ASB

Why I started Asbiverse Group – A Salesman’s desire

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It was April 1993, I was 15 years old and on the first day of my first ever summer job selling soft toys door to door in Lajpat Nagar, Delhi during school vacations.

Amongst my fair share of snubs, partial interest, bargaining etc. I managed to make my first ever Sale. The biggest toy in my bag, a 4 foot Teddy Bear for a cute little girl who was playing in her courtyard. As soon as her father bought the teddy, it was the biggest and sweetest burst of happiness I had ever seen. That is where my love for sales was born.

I felt I had played some role in bringing joy to the girl and the family.

That feeling stayed with me which led to more part-time sales roles at Uni and even resulted in me leaving a coveted gazetted officer position with the Government of India, all for the love of sales.

I was fortunate that my Sales and then subsequently Strategy, Marketing and Consulting journey took me to roles with ICI Paints (Akzo Nobel)India, Procter & Gamble Europe,
and Accenture Consulting Global.

It was when I started my Consulting journey and my exposure to multiple clients increased that I realised that there were “ Ways of Working” or “Sales Transformations” being undertaken by Consulting/Client teams with an extremely limited participation of Sales people with actual selling experience. What really bothered me was that the Sales professionals were then expected to fully adopt these new processes without proper incorporation of their role perspective. It led to some very emotional discussions in the project teams I was part of (I was still learning the art of diplomacy 😊) but I felt there was a huge gap. That was the moment I decided to set up our business to give a proper voice to the Sales profession which has now taken the shape of Asbiverse Group.

We were very lucky that in our initial years until 2014 we found like minded partners @Consulting by Kantar and we did some great work together.

In more than a decade of our operations,the best feeling in the world is when fellow Sales professionals share their happiness on feeling more equipped having attended one of our training programmes or as a result of a project outcome. Personally when I see dots on the global map increasing where we had the opportunity to work with Sales and Commercial teams (more than 50 countries on last count across 6 continents) I feel extremely humbled that I have had the opportunity to work in the field I absolutely love across the world and hopefully have been able to make a small contribution to the happiness quotient of my fellow Sales professionals.

A Sales professional takes on a lot of responsibility and pressure in the process of helping clients fulfill their needs and deserves to get the best support possible.

I hope to play a small part in that and continue pursuing my purpose of “Empowering Sales Professionals and Profession”