Q & A What Rising Managers Asked CEOs
CEO & MD, Hindustan Unilever
Nitin Paranjpe
What drives you as a CEO, and what do you aspire to do in your position?
: At all points of time, I have wanted to do things that help make a difference... One of the reasons we have issues in this space is because some people are over-consumed by greed. So do not confuse the position that a person has reached to determine what state of mind he will be in. If you do it now, you will do then. If you don’t do it now, you won’t do it then.
Once you have become CEO, what can you look forward to?
You don’t do a job every day thinking, ‘I will get my promotion if I do this job’. There may be nothing next. How you perform and what you bring to your job is not about being promoted if you do a good job, but about a work ethic we’ve grown up with: do the best you can. That’s your driver. Not what your next job might be. If you do this job well, your next job will follow. And if it doesn’t, it wasn’t meant to be.
What drives you as a CEO, and what do you aspire to do in your position?
: At all points of time, I have wanted to do things that help make a difference... One of the reasons we have issues in this space is because some people are over-consumed by greed. So do not confuse the position that a person has reached to determine what state of mind he will be in. If you do it now, you will do then. If you don’t do it now, you won’t do it then.
Once you have become CEO, what can you look forward to?
You don’t do a job every day thinking, ‘I will get my promotion if I do this job’. There may be nothing next. How you perform and what you bring to your job is not about being promoted if you do a good job, but about a work ethic we’ve grown up with: do the best you can. That’s your driver. Not what your next job might be. If you do this job well, your next job will follow. And if it doesn’t, it wasn’t meant to be.
How can people develop themselves to
handle extreme situations in leadership roles?
Firstly, the draw and beauty of India is that you will always be confronted with extremes. To marry these and bring them together is what will define an organisation that succeeds in a country like ours. Organisations, however, do have a choice about who they want to serve. Your strategy is all about making the choice, and then sharpening focus in that area.
Firstly, the draw and beauty of India is that you will always be confronted with extremes. To marry these and bring them together is what will define an organisation that succeeds in a country like ours. Organisations, however, do have a choice about who they want to serve. Your strategy is all about making the choice, and then sharpening focus in that area.
They say that if you have leadership
potential, you should also have vision. How and when did you acquire it?
It’s an ongoing exercise. It’s not like one day you’ll wake up with all of this. You have to ask yourself how you have been shaped by your experiences. How does it strengthen certain beliefs and convictions in you? After that, it is up to you to remain true to them. The pursuit of those beliefs will lead to a point of view. Some call it vision. But all I’m doing is evaluating what my beliefs are, and deciding that I will pursue them. If others find it compelling, they will follow you. If they don’t, they won’t, and that’s okay too.
It’s an ongoing exercise. It’s not like one day you’ll wake up with all of this. You have to ask yourself how you have been shaped by your experiences. How does it strengthen certain beliefs and convictions in you? After that, it is up to you to remain true to them. The pursuit of those beliefs will lead to a point of view. Some call it vision. But all I’m doing is evaluating what my beliefs are, and deciding that I will pursue them. If others find it compelling, they will follow you. If they don’t, they won’t, and that’s okay too.
Chairman, India, McKinsey & Co Adil
Zainulbhai:
For somone moving up the corporate
ladder, what is the right balance between functional expertise and
cross-functional exposure?
At some level you can’t become good at running a company unless you have grounding in the different parts of the company’s [operations]. And then you become an expert in one area. In banking, you can be a risk manager or portfolio manager and stay that way in your career. In many other companies, having a good knowledge of other areas, helps a lot. It depends on the industry a bit, but my advice to people is get to know as much of the business as you can.
At some level you can’t become good at running a company unless you have grounding in the different parts of the company’s [operations]. And then you become an expert in one area. In banking, you can be a risk manager or portfolio manager and stay that way in your career. In many other companies, having a good knowledge of other areas, helps a lot. It depends on the industry a bit, but my advice to people is get to know as much of the business as you can.
How can we tackle inequality?
When a country is developing the way ours is, for a period of time the inequality increases because it becomes impossible to raise the wages of the lowest strata of society as fast as those on the top. In many countries after the great explosion of wealth in the 1980s and 1990s, the top end has taken a greater share of the economy. India’s distribution isn’t as bad as in these countries. If you take the right set of steps, it could get better.
When a country is developing the way ours is, for a period of time the inequality increases because it becomes impossible to raise the wages of the lowest strata of society as fast as those on the top. In many countries after the great explosion of wealth in the 1980s and 1990s, the top end has taken a greater share of the economy. India’s distribution isn’t as bad as in these countries. If you take the right set of steps, it could get better.
Vice Chairman, Genpact Pramod Bhasin:
Why is risk taking important to be a
business leader?
A business leader puts himself at risk rather than the whole organisation as that’s the way forward. At an individual level, to fulfill your aspirations you need to take that first step, which no one else will -- it’s a risk. A business leader also learns from making mistakes. Without risks there are no rewards.
A business leader puts himself at risk rather than the whole organisation as that’s the way forward. At an individual level, to fulfill your aspirations you need to take that first step, which no one else will -- it’s a risk. A business leader also learns from making mistakes. Without risks there are no rewards.
VC & Joint Managing Director, HCL Technologies Vineet Nayar:
If I have to be as successful as you
are, what do I have to do?
To achieve any goal, you have to realise your potential. A donkey can’t compete with a horse and a horse can’t, with a lion. Focus on your strengths, be realistic and work towards your goals.
I plan to start my own business at the age of 35. Would that be the right step to take?
If you want to start something on your own, do it now (candidate is 28 years old). At 35 years, it’s difficult as there are many other things in life to take care of.
To achieve any goal, you have to realise your potential. A donkey can’t compete with a horse and a horse can’t, with a lion. Focus on your strengths, be realistic and work towards your goals.
I plan to start my own business at the age of 35. Would that be the right step to take?
If you want to start something on your own, do it now (candidate is 28 years old). At 35 years, it’s difficult as there are many other things in life to take care of.
Kalpana Morparia: CEO, JP Morgan
India
How will I know what is the next thing for me to do?
Your heart will tell you. Sometimes we are too cerebral and intellectual. You can be fortunate in finding a mentor who can show you a path and say these are signs, but you’re not focusing on it
How will I know what is the next thing for me to do?
Your heart will tell you. Sometimes we are too cerebral and intellectual. You can be fortunate in finding a mentor who can show you a path and say these are signs, but you’re not focusing on it
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Labonita Ghosh & Shelley Singh ET130201
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