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Sudhir Narang, Managing Director, BT India

What qualities make a great leader?

A great leader is a “dream merchant” for his team as he helps the team build and live a common vision. The second important quality is to focus on operations and execution. Hence, he should be in constant touch with “individual contributors” to get regular feedback.

Some of the other qualities of a competent leader are risk-taking capabilities, linking empowerment and accountability, talent management, rewards and recognition.

Ways in which you think young managers can develop leadership skills?

All managers are not leaders. The middle-level should be more people-focused as it executes plans.

Managers need to regularly step back, introspect and keep aligning to the bigger picture. They should be good listeners as the best solutions come from within their teams, leading to better thinking, innovation and collaboration.

Managers must learn the benefits of continuous communication whether internal or external; it’s always best to keep the channels open with the team as this ensures that all are on the same page with a shared dream. Managers should also be tactical and pragmatic in their approach.

Who is your leadership ideal in the corporate world - India or global?

Narayana Murthy: I am in awe of the soft but focused approach he used to create a culture and image at Infosys. The good thing is that all who have been on this journey have been duly rewarded.

John Chambers from Cisco: I admire leaders with a direct, straightforward and aggressive approach; it is admirable how he has built a global giant and a successful business model, which is a case study across institutions and countries. — Sudhir Narang, Managing Director, BT India

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