Digital Trailblazer

Chapter 6Transforming Experiences with a Global Perspective

“Here's how we survive the fourteen‐hour flight to Mumbai. We arrive at the airport early, check‐in, and go straight to the international lounge. We enjoy a light dinner with two adult beverages. For me, that's two glasses of wine, either Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, depending on what's for dinner. Our flight is at 7 p.m., and we should be in the air enjoying our first in‐air drinks 30 minutes later. Enjoy two more beverages and some water to hydrate yourself. Then, prepare to knock out for as long as possible.”

I'm getting ready for my third trip to India in as many years, and I am slowly becoming one of my company's expert guides. I share this advice with Eleanor, my business colleague who is joining me. It's her first time traveling there, and she is understandably nervous. In fact, her partner paid me a visit several weeks earlier to check me out and ensure I would be a strong guard and a trusted guide for this trip. We plan to visit the cities of Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata, where our teams and business colleagues work and live. We want to thank them for their work, see their progress firsthand, share upcoming priorities, and listen to their ideas. They are members of our extended team, and we hope they feel our genuine interest in getting to know them personally.

After Mumbai, we will bounce through Delhi and drive the long five hours on the “old road” to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. Of course, we won't be doing ...