Opinion Articles

January 29, 2009

UNILEVER: a simple and consistent purpose

29th January 2009, ECONOMIC TIMES

(The road maker is the best anonymous servant of humanity. He drives great broad thoroughfares from town to town and for generations men travel over the road, with all their hopes and fears, with all their cares and joys, never once asking who it was that made their way easier for them......Lord Leverhulme).
December 26, 2008

Execution is as important as vision

26th December 2008, ECONOMIC TIMES

In these days, when management graduates vie with each other to do ‘visioning’ jobs such as strategy rather than dirty their hands with ‘executional’ responsibilities such as operations, a page from history offers an exceptional lesson
October 29, 2008

LIVE ONE DAY WITHOUT USING CHEMICALS

29th October 2008, ECONOMIC TIMES

While reflecting about the column on careers and business life, I asked myself what purpose could be served by such an effort. A simple idea, supported by a simple story, could be a positive format for learning and reflection and practising managers could find that useful.
August 7, 2008

PERSISTENT, INNOVATIVE AND HAPPY INDIA

7th August 2008, ECONOMIC TIMES

While reflecting about the column on careers and business life, I asked myself what purpose could be served by such an effort. A simple idea, supported by a simple story, could be a positive format for learning and reflection and practising managers could find that useful.
June 9, 2008

THE THREE UNCERTAINTIES OF LEADERSHIP

9th June 2008, ECONOMIC TIMES

In 1927, Werner Heisenberg stated a principle of uncertainty in physics and that won him the Nobel in 1932 i.e. that you cannot simultaneously assess the precise position as well as momentum of an atomic particle; to assess its position, you have to aim another atomic particle at it and that changes its position and momentum. Likewise, in leadership, you cannot simultaneously judge a person’s attributes as well as future behavior because the mere act of assessing impacts the other.
May 13, 2008

MAKING MANAGEMENT TEACHING REAL: Weaving practice into precept

13th May 2008, ECONOMIC TIMES

On a cold January morning in Boston, I discussed conflict and transformation management with a leading professor. As he made room for me in his car, he apologized for the mess by saying, “I am going through a divorce and it was my turn to drop my daughter at school.” It was unfortunate for the person and odd as a circumstance.
March 24, 2008

THE PASSING OF ICI: A story about three companies

24th March 2008, ECONOMIC TIMES

As the Dutch firm Akzo Nobel assimilates its latest acquisition, the famous ‘ICI’ brand will fade into history. Along with HLL and ITC, ICI pioneered the management profession in India for eight decades. Despite some initial similarity, the divergent destinies of these British subsidiaries exemplify lessons in corporate strategy, which is about the choices made over time.
January 1, 2007

PERSPECTIVES

2006-07, ECONOMIC TIMES

It has been one of the most exhilarating years for Indian business because the mindset has shown definite signs of permanent change.
November 12, 2006

WHY IITs PRODUCE TERRIFIC LEADERS

12th November 2006, ECONOMIC TIMES

Just as microorganisms grow better in some mediums, the leadership ‘microorganism’ grows very well at IITs. This statement is made, not to exclude others, but to underscore the uniqueness of IIT as a medium to multiply the leadership trait.