ONLINE/OFFLINE. Don’t do things you have to think too much about

It’s not easy being a second-generation entrepreneur – the pressures of carrying a legacy forward are immense. Pankaj Munjal, whose father OP Munjal set up Hero Cycles, says the challenges of taking a business forward are to make sure growth does not plateau, and to keep finding new ventures and greener pastures. A science graduate who studied Automotive Manufacturing at General Motors Institute, Flint in the US, the CMD of Hero Cycles is an evangelist for bicycle-friendly cities. He shares how he deals with

I feel a business requires the same amount of rigour and focus, irrespective of connections. At Hero, we never differentiated between the alliances a person has when someone walks into the office. I joined the group from factory floor into rim plant production, and that helped me to understand the daily life of our people working there. I have worked in all parts of business to understand how various parts of businesses come together to meet consumer demand and that has helped me to contribute constructively today. If someone is made to lead just because of lineage, I feel the business is not doing justice to its own potential.

I don’t feel that there’s any VUCA that Hero Motorcycle Company experiences, and it’s because we live very close to the consumer. It’s a company built around the consumer and their needs. When you operate with that philosophy as the core of your business, then change becomes an exciting and enthralling journey which each stakeholder enjoys to move.

I do cycling, yoga and golf to keep myself fit, and for me stress is just a buzzword. When you do things you are passionate about, you don’t feel stress at all even if you are involved round the clock.

Hire the best consumer-obsessed people and set them free. As a business leader, one needs to focus on providing a conducive environment for people to reach to their true potential. When you create that environment, people feel motivated, engaged and charged to lead. We have kept HMC very much a flat organisation. Information flow is continuous and everyone is encouraged to perform at their best.

Don’t think too much about the things you have to do, and don’t do things which you have to think too much about.

COMMENT NOW