car brand. He has showcased the capability of India in front of the world and has proved that Indians can take up leadership positions where ever they go.
Q) What is the biggest challenge that leaders face today?
A) A volatile market situation where today ' s mantra of success can become tomorrow ' s pitfall is the biggest challenge that leaders face today. Leaders should have an ability to constantly learn / develop and evolve. That ' s how a person can keep himself and his organization ahead of the race.
Q) How should a leader deal with an ethical dilemma
A) Multi- million dollar deals and decisions involving hundreds and thousands of employees and various stakeholders put leaders under tremendous pressure to make the correct decisions. Their judgment should not only be right and result in profits but should also be good for the society. Leaders have always faced an ethical dilemma. I have always followed the following“ ethics checks” to help me decide what is right:
Is it legal? In case my thoughts and actions were to be laid bare in a court of law in the country I am functioning, would it hold good?
How will it make me feel about myself? Will it make me proud? Would I feel good if my decision was published in the newspaper and my family read about it?
If the answer to the above questions is an emphatic“ YES” I can safely assume that I can go ahead with my thoughts and actions with a clear conscience.
Q) How do you constantly adapt to change in today ' s fast moving business environment?
A) In my opinion, constant re-invention of self and ones leadership style is the only way of keeping ahead of the business. To survive and prosper in the modern economy, businesses must be able to adapt quickly to changes in the market place. They must identify and address problems and leverage technology and other opportunities faster than their competitors. Intense competition and rapid technological change requires that companies be lean and dynamic.
To survive in this environment, organizations must have an intimate understanding of their own business processes, data and organization. Although executives can formulate new strategies, many organizations are unable to implement needed changes, without inflicting pain and disruption on its employees, suppliers and customers. To implement organizational change with surgical precision, the business must know itself.
Q) How important do you think corporate governance is in today ' s business context?
A) In today ' s networked world where the world has become a global village“ Corporate governance” is very important to maintain a clean and ethical image of the organization. It has succeeded in attracting a good deal of public interest because of its apparent importance for the economic health of corporations and society in general.
Although better governance does not guarantee improved performance at the individual firm level, it makes companies respond more actively to changes in business environment in a positive manner. It is a check on the power of the relatively few individuals within the corporation who control large amount of other people ' s money, thus reducing the likelihood of corrupt behavior.
Q) What do you think are some new and never seen before trends in business which India is going to encounter in the next 5 years?
A) That ' s a difficult question. As I have stated before it ' s very difficult to predict the future in today ' s world. But I will try my best. One of the key responsibilities of a leader is to foresee what lies ahead and give direction to the business in a responsible manner. The next 5-10 years will bring new trends that will change the way in which we do business. I foresee three major trends that will affect every business:
! There is a new generation of young entrepreneurs coming into the economy. As the Indian economy grows and accelerates this will create a host of opportunities for the new breed of entrepreneurs. They are energetic and enthusiastic new members who are in their 20 ' s. They are well connected and are tech savvy. They already have networks through Facebook and Linkedin and when they come into business they expand the breadth and depth of their network. They bring fresh ideas. This is our new generation – Gen Y and Gen Z.
! The number of women entrepreneurs will grow. Of late there are more and more women entrepreneurs joining and this trend will continue to grow.
! There will be an integration of online and face to face networking: This will help create new opportunities locally, nationally and internationally at a click of a button. This is a revolution that can help small businesses scale up.
Q) How do you ensure to continue to grow and develop as a leader? When do you decide that ' now it is time to pass the baton '?
A) I think that a deliberate effort to broaden my experiences has been very helpful. By exposing myself to a variety of different experiences, I am able to look at things from different perspectives.
I always reiterate the fact that we live in a period where our world is so rapidly evolving that we must maintain and drive the leading edge of progress. I try never to
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