Mindy Kaling Shares Keys To Success

India-West News Desk

LOS ANGELES, CA – Mindy Kaling, celebrated creator of The Sex Lives of College Girls, credits her rise in Hollywood to three simple principles: hard work, confidence, and preparation. In her new MasterClass, Kaling reflects on her unconventional journey, overcoming obstacles, and building her career without industry connections.

“My success didn’t happen exactly how I planned it,” Kaling said. “But the failures and obstacles along the way actually created different opportunities. Doing the hard work, having confidence, and being ultra-prepared will set you up for your success.”

Starting Out: Hustle and Dedication

Kaling’s career began with grit and determination. As a staff writer on NBC’s The Office, she stood out by arriving early, leaving late, and mastering every detail about the characters and scenes. Her meticulous approach extended to pitching her own shows, where she would rehearse material three times before any presentation.

“I never had a moment of being like, ‘I shouldn’t be here,’” Kaling recalled. “If you can approximate that or fake that [feeling], I think it is very useful.” She attributes her success to “sheer will” and resisting impostor syndrome, a mindset she encourages others to adopt.

Confidence: The Career Differentiator

Kaling emphasizes that confidence, even if cultivated or faked, is critical to career success. Leadership experts agree. Bonnie Low-Kramen, author of Staff Matters: People-Focus Solutions for the Ultimate New Workplace, describes confidence as “serious business” and “the single most important differentiator in the workplace.”

“It will be the person with high confidence and lower abilities who will get the job over the person with low confidence and higher abilities,” Low-Kramen writes.

For Kaling, confidence is built on preparation. Despite many of her scripts being shelved, she approaches her work with the resilience to handle rejection and the readiness to rebound with new ideas.

“I’ve never had any [innate] confidence,” Kaling admitted at the 2018 Glamour Women of the Year Summit. “I’ve just done the legwork. I think that’s sort of been the key to everything in my life.”