It's Lonely at the Top

Listen your way to success

2010-01-25T01:56:00.000-08:00

Every CEO knows that listening is a powerful weapon in his leadership armoury. Only by honing his listening skills can he decipher the thoughts, ideas, emotions, feelings and concerns of people around him. Decoding what is innermost in the minds and hearts of people is crucial to his ability to address the real issues in the workplace. Preventing, pre-empting and resolving the real issues is the key to the leader's effectiveness and this, in turn, is the single most important factor in the complex equation that delivers results consistently.more

Curious case of a top performer

2010-01-18T00:29:00.000-08:00

Managers sometimes present terrible dilemmas to leaders. Take the curious case of Suresh Joshi. As the factory manager of a large unit manufacturing engineering components Suresh is responsible for an annual production of nearly Rs 1,000 crore; 800 people work in his factory. Considering the size of the operation and the weightage it commands in the company's scheme of things, Joshi is king!more

Reflection on IPL & Leadership

2009-04-06T03:02:00.000-07:00

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is replete with interesting management and leadership angles. Though on paper it is made out to be sport, in practice it’s actually a no-holds barred corporate battleground. The pitch is simply the front line of this fierce competition for market share, eyeballs, ad revenue, cash, publicity, reputations and profitMore

Adapting to survive

2009-03-16T02:39:00.000-07:00

Dominic is teetering on the edge of panic. The company he founded and nursed over 25 years is now on the verge of bankruptcy. In a space of months the sales and profits have evaporated. He’s down to the last couple of lakhs in cash. Salaries and overheads are bearing down on him like a fully laden truck. Creditors are pressing like vultures poking a mortally wounded animal More

Promise of IT and Web access

2009-02-23T04:12:00.000-08:00

Those who are obsessed with the gathering gloom are condemned to be overwhelmed by it. So it’s far better to be guided by the beacon of hope. That way we stand a much better chance of escaping from the quicksand of present problems. Irrespective of the seriousness of the problem, all of us have options and choicesmore

Framework for innovation

2009-01-26T22:13:00.000-08:00

The unfolding global scenario has many interesting facets.
Though panic has captured markets, the environment is pregnant with possibilities for innovation more

Culture of corporate omerta

2009-01-19T01:47:00.000-08:00

If the Mumbai carnage brought home the reality of the security threat to our country, the Satyam episode demonstrates the other grave threat to India: the corruption and dishonesty that has been feted and celebrated by the educated, highly qualified intelligentsia and adopted as a way of life by most of us. The deadly combination of corporate greed and information technology has laid bare a menace that has long been gnawing away at the innards of our once-great country More

Surviving disruptive change

2008-12-29T02:46:00.000-08:00

Make no mistake at all about the present times: we are experiencing change on a scale that we haven’t imagined. At best we’ve encountered incremental change earlier. Nothing has prepared us for the kind of fundamental change of game (not just the rules) that has suddenly overtaken us More

Lessons from Karna's dilemma

2008-12-22T03:28:00.000-08:00

Mali V. Madhavan Nair’s classic Karnasapatham kathakali explores critical elements of leadership and relationships. The master storyteller constructs a theme that is unmatched for pathos and poignancy More

Facets of accountability

2008-12-08T03:37:00.001-08:00

The assault on Mumbai is like India’s ‘Pearl Harbour’. It has strengthened the resolve of ordinary Indians like no politician can even begin to understand. Millions upon millions are consumed by an internal fire that is no less than that which powered India to Independence in 1947. More

Commitments embedded in comments

2008-12-05T00:16:00.001-08:00

CEOs and business owners better watch out! Every word they utter is recorded, interpreted, amplified and transmitted across the organisation and beyond. Furthermore, perceptions, attitudes, behaviour and performance are shaped by these ... More

Economic Paradigm shift

2008-11-24T03:29:00.000-08:00

The current global economic scenario is not something we have experienced in our lifetime. Comparisons are being made with the Great Depression (1929-33) and later crises. However, it is dangerous to hark back to the past and try to recycle and refurbish previous policy responses. That is because the Indian economy and the global economy are vastly different from what they were even 5 years ago More

Leadership lessons from Kumble

2008-11-10T04:34:00.000-08:00

For nearly two decades a billion despairing Indians found a role model who inspired them to aspire for greatness. That inspiration came not from sovereign sources but from Anil Kumble and his magnificent performances on the cricket field More

Coping with distress

2008-10-27T21:27:00.000-07:00

No matter how bad the current bad news, opportunities abound for those who learn how to cope with the distress. If we keep a few general principles in mind we can ride out the crisis with élan like an expert surfer skims along the crest of the Big One with consummate finesse. More

Empowering the customer

2008-10-20T21:27:00.000-07:00

Make no mistake about it: the business paradigm has truly shifted. Greed has paradoxically caused the global financial system to implode. The winner takes all, win-lose paradigm has been taken to its logical, catastrophic conclusion. more

Rules of empowerment

2008-10-06T00:43:00.000-07:00

Jagdish is caught in a vicious cycle. He can’t leave the store for a moment because he doesn’t have anyone to entrust it to. And he doesn’t have anyone to entrust it to because he can’t trust anyone else. So he’s stuck in the store forever. The world is passing him by and he knows it. Jagdish is lashing out at his near and dear ones; his relationships are frayed. Long hours, a sedentary lifestyle and gnawing frustration are eating away at his health. More

Papaya theory of customer centricity

2008-09-29T05:40:00.000-07:00

Customer centricity is something everyone talks about but hardly anyone practices. It’s really quite shocking to see that even today many businesses and companies treat their customers as “necessary evils” to be exploited, cheated, taken for granted or otherwise inconvenienced. Since IT is now available for every application CRM is almost universal. But in that process customers have been reduced to numbers like prisoners serving life terms! More

Leadership anaemia

2008-09-22T23:21:00.000-07:00

Contemporary India is a seething mass of discontented super-competent people suffering from almost terminal leadership anaemia. That's why we're an unending story of missed opportunities and a messed up polity.. Who said that the current global ..more

Metrics do not make a leader

2008-09-15T21:56:00.000-07:00

If we monitor corporate suites with a secretly installed CCTV we’d find that most top managers are doing the same thing most of the time! Despite all the hoopla about high-faulting strategy, they’re actually engaged in something ... more

CEO's secret weapon: Feedback

2008-09-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we may wonder how the CEO manages to juggle his myriad priorities and indeed, himself. In between seminars, newspaper interviews and TV sound bites he also needs to put in the necessary effort to lead his organisation to results. .more

Games bosses play

2008-08-25T23:20:00.000-07:00

Today’s corporate and business environment is unforgiving. Consistent results are the only survival guarantee. It is therefore important to learn to spot the games that people play, particularly the bosses, and then deal with them ... more

From Business to Institution

2008-08-18T04:04:00.000-07:00

There are businesses and businesses! They make billions of dollars in sales and profits and, therefore, command vast resources and great power. And yet, few of them earn universal respect and admiration. more

Building a resultocracy

2008-08-11T05:10:00.000-07:00

Businessmen are learning the hard way — that “doing business” is very different from leading an organisation. The challenge to established practices and the “way things have always been done” is mounting every single ...More

Principles of mentoring

2008-08-04T22:52:00.000-07:00

Mentoring has been widely discussed and implemented in the Indian corporate context in recent times. So much so that it is in danger of becoming a fad amongst HR specialists. Virtually every conversation on human resources revolves around the ...More

No limits to excellence

2008-07-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

CEOs and organisations can learn important lessons from the history that unfolded on Centre Court at Wimbledon on July 6, 2008. The gentlemen’s final of 2008 was arguably the greatest tennis match of all time...More

2008-07-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

Competing without competing

2008-07-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

Competing without competing is all about focusing energy and attention inwards to discover and utilise our true capabilities. We must learn to identify our own scale and constantly move up on it. More

7 lessons from Sam Bahadur

2008-06-30T05:44:00.000-07:00

For corporate leaders aspiring to make the crossover from good to great, the Field Marshal’s life can be the ultimate inspiration.More

Human side of the CEO

2008-06-23T04:19:00.000-07:00

How many times have you walked up and appreciated your boss sincerely? This is a question with interesting ramifications. Many times we hesitate because we’re afraid that the boss will assume that we’re indulging in flattery if not sycophancy. At other times we’re afraid of approaching him because he’s built such a formidable wall of aloofness around him. In either case the relationship with the CEO is not one that encourages a free expression of th oughts and इमोशंस। More

2008-06-09T23:45:00.000-07:00

Family business mantras

2008-06-09T23:40:00.000-07:00

New found economic freedom has unleashed entrepreneurship like never before in India. A combination of market opportunities, easier access to credit and fewer controls has motivated millions of people to take their economic destiny into their own hands. More

From Self Confidence to innovation

2008-06-02T23:41:00.000-07:00

Times are changing… and fast! Business models are under threat from double digit inflation and competition on all sides. Oil prices, exchange rates and interest rates are combining with talent shortages, rising aspirations and climate change to produce an environment of uncertainty in which intractable problems and exciting opportunities are intertwined. In such a scenario profits can either evaporate like mirages in the desert or rain down in a deluge.More

Mismatched mindsets

2008-05-26T04:31:00.000-07:00

Companies and people that fit together deliver outstanding results. Conversely, incompatibility guarantees mediocrity. Whether the fit is perfect is largely determined by mindsets. So the CEO is concerned with improving the fit between corporate ... More

Virtuous cycle of results

2008-05-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

Every leader dreams of taking his organisation to the pinnacle. But the trek to the top is paved with heartbreak and hard work. Milestone after milestone is conquered with discipline and dedication. Not only must the leader keep himself on ... More

Commitments embedded in comments

2008-05-12T00:49:00.001-07:00

Getting results consistently

2008-05-05T00:12:00.000-07:00

Every CEO or business owner knows the pain of not achieving targets! Leaders of corporates are savaged by analysts, stock prices and their own boards for not delivering on the numbers. For small and medium business owners the price of ... More

2008-04-21T04:06:00.001-07:00

Crafting a Vision

2008-04-21T03:59:00.001-07:00

As the Managing Director of a large company Yogesh is just coming to grips with the complexity and nuances of the business. He knows that the company has hitherto been run in a rather loose fashion. Everybody seems to be pulling in different ... More

The CEO's Role

2008-04-14T00:41:00.000-07:00

If you’re a CEO or a business owner, you’ve got your job cutout for you! You’re a holding a very special position. Why? Because the lives and fortunes of many, many people, families and organisations (employees, associates, ... More

Human Resource destruction

2008-04-07T22:20:00.000-07:00

Indian companies are clueless about local cultures and the social mores that prevail in their associates, joint ventures and subsidiaries abroad.
More

The empire builder

2008-03-31T04:10:00.000-07:00

What do you do when a top performer has carved out a personal fiefdom? Year after year Samaresh delivers growth and profitability. He’s developed strong networks that support him and indeed look up to him; he’s even built up ... More

Fear of decision-making

2008-03-24T04:58:00.000-07:00

Every one dreams of becoming a leader and yet few, very few, actually become one! Most people end up in varying degrees of pseudo leadership. That’s a harsh but true description of most people occupying positions of leadership. Positions ... More

Stroke at the top

2008-03-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

For CEOs it’s now or never. As leaders they have to set the tone for themselves and their companies by focusing on results through health, relationships and workMore

When people leave….

2008-03-10T04:35:00.000-07:00

People are people and so despite every motivator they will leave! They carry an enormous burden of perceptions, assumptions and self-esteem that combine to create a psychological carrying capacity. When the threshold capacity for psychological ... More

Evolving into a CEO

2008-03-03T04:25:00.000-08:00

Every young manager aspires to become a CEO, but sadly only a few make it. The top of the pyramid is unforgivingly narrow! The road to the top is long and hard and very, very slippery. Traversing this tortuous path calls for steely ... More

The CEO' s Conscience-Keeper

2008-02-25T21:32:00.000-08:00

Sadly, if ever there is a community that’s been taken for granted it’s the secretaries. They slog for hours, often way past working hours, to ensure that everything is just right for the bosses.More

Dangers of atrophied listening

2008-02-18T05:18:00.000-08:00

To prevent listening-atrophy eternal vigilance is mandatory. Listening can open the door to undreamt-of wealth in personal and professional relationships......More

The art of creating ownership

2008-02-11T05:06:00.000-08:00

In conference rooms and seminar halls across India companies are now busy defining the final contours of their targets and budgets for the ensuing financial year. The top team is anxious to see what the numbers portend! CEOs, CFOs and COOs are on ... More

The Killer Instinct

2008-02-04T05:02:00.000-08:00

On the sun-drenched veldt in Africa, a deadly drama of life and death is enacted daily. The lioness is on the hunt! She’s spotted her prey and is going for the kill! Ears flattened, body downwind, every muscle taut, all senses focused on ... More

New leader at the helm

2008-01-28T21:56:00.000-08:00

new boss can set off a chain reaction! People start jockeying for positions; they compete to be first movers in capturing the boss’ mind space and attention. Comfort zones evaporate...More

The Insider-Outsider

2008-01-21T21:47:00.000-08:00

The mentor is by definition a person with a passion for helping people and organisations achieve their potential. Other than that, he has no vested interest.More

Madhav's videos!

2008-01-16T20:38:00.000-08:00

Pitfalls of Micro management

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR0Ldi2Dac0" target=_blank>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR0Ldi2Dac0>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR0Ldi2Dac0

Resultocracy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8jcddbHQsA" target=_blank>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8jcddbHQsA>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8jcddbHQsA

Is everybody out to get you?

2008-01-15T00:50:00.000-08:00

The perpetual victim

V. K. Madhav Mohan

Annual budget meetings are just around the corner. It’s an exciting but stressful time! As part of his preparation Tanmay is garnering every bit of information to ward off the inevitable pressure from the “management”. As vice-president of a division that generates a Rs 400 crore per annum topline with a reasonable EBIDTA, Tanmay is on the frontlines of the corporate battleground.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/mentor/2008/01/14/stories/2008011450941200.htm

Accountability vs motivation

2008-01-06T20:04:00.000-08:00

The leader’s dilemma
V. K. Madhav Mohan

Every leader perches precariously on the horns of a dilemma: How can I balance my leadership style between accountability and motivation?Accountability is all about the past; more like a post-mortem of historical performance. Who is ...

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Are you an obnoxious boss

2007-12-31T04:34:00.000-08:00

Obnoxious bosses increase the attrition rate! By now everyone knows that people don’t leave organisations; they leave their bosses! The unflattering truth is that, ceteris paribus, the attrition rate can (and must) be linked ... More

Obnoxious bosses increase the attrition rate

2007-12-30T20:49:00.000-08:00

Are you an obnoxious boss?
V. K. Madhav Mohan

Obnoxious bosses increase the attrition rate! By now everyone knows that people don’t leave organisations; they leave their bosses! The unflattering truth is that, ceteris paribus, the attrition rate can (and must) be linked ...

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The CEO's role is by definition, motivational

2007-12-28T20:43:00.000-08:00

The boring CEO
V. K. Madhav Mohan

CEO Duncan had a sneaky feeling that people in the company were avoiding him! Often people would quickly change direction when they saw him. A hush would fall even on an animated group when it spotted the CEO. In one-to-one meetings Duncan could ...

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It’s desperately lonely at the top!

2007-12-28T20:40:00.000-08:00

Strategic vacuum
V. K. Madhav Mohan

Everyone covets success for the satisfaction, power and money it brings. But the price is stiff indeed in terms of hard work, stress and exertion over a long time. The road to success is paved with blood, sweat and tears! While most of the ...

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