Business Leadership, The Indian Perspective: Then And Now- 75 Years

Mr. Viswanath PS, Managing Director and CEO of Randstad India, defined the shift in business trends as a shift in power from organisations to people, from profit to mutual prosperity, and from ‘me’ to ‘we’. He further explained that in order to build sustainable institutions, leaders should make sure that people are at the heart of progress. He added that imposition will not give you a result, but inspiration will. 

Conveying the key leadership attributes, the CEO defined that leadership should be driven by consensus and democratic values. Along with this, clarity of vision and values, empathy, social skills, inclusive mindset and situation awareness are different facets that prove to be handy for leaders. 

Viswanath said, personally, he sees immense scope for collective leadership or title-less leadership. The unprecedented pace of change also demands a new form of leadership that is transformational leadership, in which agility and courage are key to driving change as a moment. 

Underlining the Prime Minister's blueprint for India at 100, he added that the following five principles: only big ambition, no form of slavery, pride in our heritage, unity and citizen's duty will prove to be foundational for leaders of tomorrow. 

Moreover, organisations need to reimagine and re-think in terms of regeneration by cultivating inclusion, equity, and diversity in the workplace. Inclusion needs to be respected regardless of gender, race, etc. Along with this, economic, demographic, and societal factors should also be addressed with equal importance as a part of the leadership agenda. The organisations that address this will emerge as leaders in industry 4.0. 

The leaders must also inculcate resilience to deliver certainty in uncertain times and should be robust enough to handle any type of disruption in the future. He should also be flexible enough to evolve with the situation. The leader should believe in a digital first world as digital technology is crucial in maintaining the balance of efficiency, collaboration and safety. 

In the end, he wished every leader the happiness of aspiring audaciously, achieving inclusive success and being a part of the bright future ahead.