Q. Leadership styles vary across the Indian sub-continent and are subject to constant change. How would you define your style of leadership?
A. Leadership is not a position but a mindset, a philosophy and a set of attitudes. Clarity of vision serves as most important leadership trait.
I have a mind that likes new things, likes trying new things and nurture that. We get new ideas from fresh talent, younger agents who come and work with us. There are very few ideas that are unique; most of them are taken from somewhere and just adapted really well. We have a culture that is willing to accept failures and mistakes. This is the best way one can learn.
Q. Indian and western leadership styles vary on many fronts. What are the basic and most important differences?
A. There is a lot of overlap between leadership and management. Because India is such a diverse region, the Indian brand of leadership is quite different from the western one, with characteristics and challenges that are unique to the Asian leader. The ability of Indian leaders to manage the vast cultural diversity in this region, generating a strong sense of loyalty and conformance, and the need for consensus building and operating in a more hierarchical set-up are some of the key differentiators between leadership challenges faced in Asia against those in the west.
Personal style is an important part of both. Deep knowledge of the local markets is essential, as is exposure to international markets and experience working across borders to ensure that best practices are adopted.
In the west, leadership is from the front. They never ask others to do what, if they challenged, would not be willing to do themselves. Thus, the leader protects his people. Despite some troubles, The United States of America will remain the most powerful country in the foreseeable future.
Q. In the case of India, different and unique leadership styles have helped stimulate amazing business growth despite odds. Do you agree?
A. Indian and western business leaders preside over demanding worlds. Both bring a vision of where they want to take their enterprises, both are called on to make timely decisions, and both use the same management skill set. Yet, at the same time, Indian and western executives have evolved distinct leadership styles that in India’s case have helped stimulate extraordinary business growth despite challenging business conditions. The Indian way of doing business in India, by contrast, has proven a success, with many companies pushing annual growth rates.
Professional Indian leaders are quite different from what I see anywhere else, and they are distinct primarily because they have been trained or groomed in an extremely fluid, dynamic, and uncertain environment.
Q. Employees are now viewed as assets to organisation. As a leader, how do you build the skills and capabilities in the workforce?
A. Leaders spend a great deal of time considering how to improve organisational output by leveraging the assets they manage. Organisations with employees who understand and believe in the company’s mission, customer proposition, values and standards enjoy greater success on a range of business outcomes.
The clear message is that the employee base can provide a substantial and renewable resource for corporate success and a competitive advantage when managed well. This has been achieved through encouraging innovation and creativity in all aspects of work and ensuring that the organisation is an excellent workplace that attracts and retains topnotch, diverse workforce, positioned to meet and address the challenges of the new age.
Also, we believe in working on three codes: PRT (Professionalism, Reliability and Transparency).
Q. How critical is it for business leaders to be pragmatic in approach and emphasise on improvisation and adaptability?
A. The world of work is changing at an ever-increasing pace so employers actively seek out graduates who can adapt to changing circumstances and environments and embrace new ideas.
Therefore, I would suggest people learn to become more adaptable and develop their ability to cope effectively with change. One can learn how to become adaptable through experience. Such employees might even have the advantage over others as they would have used planning and organising skills to change their behaviour.
Being pragmatic supports ongoing culture change leadership. Such leaders focus on the “how do we get this done” side of any task, initiative or goal. They can erroneously be viewed as negative in their approach when in fact they simply view the entire picture (roadblocks included) to get to the end result. It is a linear, practical way of thinking and doing. However, it is important for the leader to understand those differences in thinking, and work to make the team members blend cohesively. No one way is the right way, but together they can make a powerful team.
