Leadership Insights: Crafting Success in the World of Business

1. Please describe your personal leadership journey, from your first job and assignment to where you are today.

My first job was with M N Dastur & Co as an apprentice engineer and then with ICB as a Procurement Engineer. These jobs were short duration jobs, and the real breakthrough came when I joined, what was then known as May & Baker (now Aventis) as a Project Engineer. I had always had a love for creative engagement with people. Moreover, this was a job where I was exposed to pharmaceutical project engineering and I fell passionately in love with the branch of pharmaceutical engineering. My next job was with Lupin Laboratories, where I worked for 11 long years. Lupin was a great company where I got the freedom to make mistakes and learn. This is where I learnt to manage people at all levels, both within the company and with vendors and contractors.

When I was confident about my knowledge and having made friends across the industry, I thought it was the right time to branch out on my own and share my knowledge with the industry. It was 1995 and the Indian Pharmaceutical industry was getting exposed to international GMP (Good Manufacturing Standards) and while there were many engineering consultants, there were few who understood the nuances of pharmaceutical engineering.

With the knowledge I had gained and wonderful human relationship I had built with my peers, seniors and other veterans of the pharma industry, I took the plunge and started Spectrum Pharmatech as a one-man army. Thanks to the support I got from everyone including my seniors and peers, today I can look back with satisfaction that I have created a vibrant organization of more than 160 technical staff.

2. What are some of the key events in this journey which have shaped your people leadership styles, your approach?

One event which shaped my leadership style was the Landmark Forum course which I completed. This totally changed my outlook towards life and quality of relationships.

Another important event that not only shaped my people management styles, but also boosted my confidence in my ability to take along people of different thoughts, differing perceptions, people with varying level of egos etc.

There was this project, which we were executing at a site in India for a Europe client. I had to deal with the owners in North America (which was the head office) and the site head far away in India. The site head who was the ultimate user and head of the site and the owners who were financing the projects. The user and the investor. I could sense the difference in each of their objectives. While the ultimate objective of both was the same, the way to achieve it with the resultant time and cost implications were different.

3. We know that the best leaders are great at connecting with people at a personal, deeper level. What do you do to make meaningful connections with people you lead?

One of the key attributes is the ability to be a keen listener. Be open to ideas always, keep your ego in check but do not sacrifice your self-respect (it is important to know the difference between both), Never carry tales from one to other.

Learn to enroll people, especially those you lead. Try to understand people’s problems, learn empathy, sometimes people just want a shoulder to cry on. Most of the time there is a personal emotion behind the way people behave at a given time. Sometimes a very good employee makes unexpected mistakes and seems out of color. Try to talk to the person, not as a boss or a leader but as a friend and try to understand his situation.

I believe everybody is born the same. It is circumstances and personal experiences in life that make you what you are. Even a waiter in a hotel or the guy who opens the door for you is doing a job. Ask his name, complement him for a job well done.

4. They say leaders create more leaders. How do you ensure you create great leaders amongst your followers?

Most important is “you should demonstrate the values that you expect from your team”. I believe the most important value that you need to teach everybody in your team is ethical behavior and transparency in all that you do.

Teach your subordinates, understand their strengths, and build on them. Learn to delegate. Once you are confident about their ability, give them freedom to act. Enroll them, give them a team to lead and give them ownership for whatever they are doing. Don’t keep breathing down their neck. Trust them, correct them if they make a mistake, don’t penalize them, they learn from mistakes. Give them credit openly for a job well done. If they fail, don’t shout at them in front of everybody, talk to them one-to-one separately.

I am a first-generation entrepreneur. We are in a knowledge-based industry, and it is usually identified with the owner / promoter. I am proud to have built a team of professionals who take care of day-to-day operations of the company and the company is no more dependent on me as an individual.

5. Where do you get your inspiration from as a leader?

I get my inspiration from Narayan Murthy of Infosys and The Bhagavat Gita.

The Bhagavat Gita - It teaches you:

• the importance of discipline and character.
• To be a good leader, you need to keep your emotions in check.
• Have a long-term objective. Do not be carried away by short term pleasures.
• Success and failures are part of life. Do not lose sight of the ultimate goal and do not lead out of fear or anger.
  
  Narayana Murthy - His leadership style:

• One should always be open to learning new things and adapting to changes.
• A successful entrepreneur must be willing to make sacrifices for the greater good of the company.
• Satisfaction comes from doing something meaningful and making a difference in the world.
• Strong advocate of ethics and values.
• A great leader should lead by example and inspire others to achieve their full potential.
• Be always aware of yourself, your positives, and negatives.