As part of Leader-Speak, Team Samvid 2.0 caught up with President( Ratings) of CRISIL Limited
Mr. Ramraj Pai on life, leadership and the way forward …
LEADERS SPEAK
Mr. Ramraj Pai, President, Ratings CRISIL Limited
Q) What are the three most important leadership lessons that you have learnt in your career?
A) Firstly I think it is important to be a part of the solution, not the problem. You will have to understand and accept that the problem may not be out there but in here; be it in personal or professional life and you have to then resolve to be a part of the solution. The second lesson takes off from the first – it is all up to you and nobody else. Thirdly I believe enthusiasm is the only choice you have. Therefore instead of wasting your energy over worry, regret and other negative emotions, you need to make a positive contribution to the organization, society or family. In my experience, beyond a point all leaders have similar techno-functional skills. I think it ' s an action-oriented approach to problem solving with energy, drive, motivation and emotional quotient that makes a difference.
Q) Has there been any one person who inspired you as a mentor? A) Crisil ' s late CEO Mr. R. Ravi Mohan was to me and to most people in CRISIL a great inspiration, someone who could think both at a height of 10,000 feet and at the ground level at the same time. Very few people have that skill. He followed a great leadership model of“ Right thinking, Right action and Right Communication.” Such a model is becoming increasingly important because people ' s attention span is so short that it is of paramount importance to get people to understand faster.
Apart from him, a host of other people have also inspired
me in different phases of my life. Movie stars, athletes etc. I think that although the film industry is better known for its excesses it also has some outstandingly disciplined highly creative people. Similarly there are role models in every industry but if I had to name one it would have to be Mr. Ravi Mohan.
Q) What is the biggest challenge that leaders face today?
A) Responding and managing volatility is the biggest challenge faced by the leaders today. Be it external, internal, market or employee related, volatility in every avenue has increased. Side by side complexity has also increased. Every problem now has multiple dimensions. Managing volatility and complexity together in a constrained time frame is one of the biggest and most important challenges faced by leaders today.
Q) How should leaders deal with an ethical dilemma?
A) I have a simple mantra. Assume every action you take is done in public. Assume that everything you are doing is known to the world. This is very relevant to CRISIL because we are in a regulated industry. At every point we potentially face an ethical dilemma. The simple philosophy is that if you can ' t hold your actions up to public scrutiny then don ' t do it. The reality is that information flows so fast and through so many platforms that no action can be kept secret for long. And if you can ' t sleep at night wondering whether a decision is right or
95