The Indian Boss at Work: Thinking Global Acting Indian

by Steve Correa

Overview

Journey into the kaleidoscope of Indian business and explore the ‘context and forces’ and worldview of Indian leaders. Unravel secrets to building successful companies based on generational learnings, attitudes and capabilities.

Read through the narratives of top Indian bosses where they reflect on their ‘Indian-ness’ that helped them transform into global leaders. From Harsh Mariwala to Som Mittal to women leaders such as Naina Lal Kidwai and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, there are many distinguished names in this book that add to the Indian leadership fold.

The book responds to oft asked questions such as: What are the winning traits of Indian bosses? What cultural influences have shaped their mindsets? What makes them adaptable in any business situation? What can the West learn from India on leadership?

Discover and leverage:

• The pluralistic notion of Indianness

• Forces of desh (place) and kaal (time)

• The praxis of collectivism and hierarchy

• Context sensitivity and co-holding paradoxes and dilemmas

• Multifacets of the Indian leader

• Insights from ancient inheritance and modern legacy

• Awareness of what impedes women leaders

• The opportunity for Indian youth

The wisdom of Indian-ness—‘the World is One’—belongs to all humans. It invites the corporate Rishi within us, to act with ecological balance, inclusion and harmony.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789353884659
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	10/07/2020
Pages:	344
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Steve Correa is a commerce and law graduate from XLRI and a Chevening scholar. He currently works as an Independent Executive Coach and OD Consultant and is a Fellow of Sumedhas, Academy for Human Context. He has over three decades of corporate experience. Of this, 18+ years have been as CHRO, with overall responsibility for the HR function. He has worked across a wide spectrum of enterprises, ranging from major global corporates (MNCs) to family-led professional businesses. He has diverse industry exposure that includes pharmaceuticals, office automation, FMCG, telecommunications, IT/ITES and alcohol beverage. His exposure spans across India as well as abroad.

Steve was involved with Project Millennium at Unilever, India. He helped in M&A from single licence to national footprint across 23 circles in Vodafone India (earlier Hutch) also talent transformation across Global Technology while based in the UK. He was involved in pre-Jio launch and responsible for driving the people and organization strategy at Diageo India, and its integration with United Spirits. He is currently on his second innings as an independent OD Consultant and Executive Coach.

Steve is an avid reader, loves travelling, blogging and is active on social media. He was featured in Linked In Power Profile 2017. He is based in Bengaluru.

Those who know Steve find him to be passionate, who enjoys freewheeling conversations and, even if the context is linked often to business, the content encompasses space, time and belief. His energy is infectious, and he is most happy when he is in ‘training’ mode. Deeply curious, he penetrates deep into his lifelong hobby of what it means to be human unto oneself and others.

Know more about Steve at http://stevecorrea.co

Table of Contents

Foreword by Krish Shankar
Acknowledgements
Introduction
What Is Indian-ness?
How Time (Kaal) and Place (Desh) Influence (includes Spotlight - Harsh Mariwala)
Facets of the Indian Leader (includes Spotlight - Som Mittal)
Origins of the Indian Leader (includes Spotlight - Naina Kidwai)
Impact of Indian Family (includes Spotlight - Manu Saale)
Ancient Inheritance to Modern Day Legacy (includes Spotlight - Rajiv Memani)
The Indian Psychology of Leadership (includes Spotlight - Ashok Malhotra)
The Indian Boss (Karta) at Work (includes Spotlight - Ravi Uppal)
When Cultures Collide (includes Spotlight - Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw)
Women Power (Shakti) (includes Spotlight - Renana Jhabvala)
What the Future Holds for Young Leaders (includes Spotlight - Jawed Habib)

Editorial Reviews

This book is on a very relevant topic: Who we are impacts how we are as leaders and professionals. Indian-ness is inherent to who we are and understanding how that impacts us can make us more self-aware and effective. Steve has bought his vast experience and considerable research to bear on this subject and every aspiring Indian leader must read this book.

Chandramouli Venkatesan of Catalyst and Get Better at Getting Better

Among the plethora of books on Indian leaders and their management style, Steve Correa’s book stands out as a refreshing analysis based on extensive research yet presented candidly in a free-flowing conversational style narration. The width of research, carefully acknowledged, lends credence to his assessment of Indian psyche. This book will be of immense significance to experienced professionals as well as emerging leaders.

Former Executive Director HR, IBM, Shell Malaysia and Motorola Solutions Asia Pacific - Dr Aquil Busrai

India will be the third largest economy by 2030 and Indian managers will work across the world. This book will give you a deep view of the Indian manager and how he thinks, how he works and what makes him who he is. Steve has written on a relevant topic for India and the world.

Group Executive President, Corporate Strategy and Business, Aditya Birla Group - D. Shivakumar

The Indian Boss is a must-read for global leaders of all types—in all industries, private and public sector and geographies! It provides an important reminder about contextual leadership—understanding in this case, the uniqueness of India as nation, its leaders and individuals as part of a ‘global leadership playbook’. It’s also a reminder of the opposite: the power of Indian leadership on a global stage.

Former US Ambassador; Former Vodafone Group Plc Executive; Faculty Director, UCLA Anderson School of Management - Honourable Terry D. Kramer

Steve offers a compelling narrative combining stories from workplace and mythology, research and voices of diverse industry stalwarts to shine the light on Indian-ness and the Indian leader. Just when you know where you are headed, he does the unexpected and opens up a new vista of thought and self-reflection. Brilliantly written, it is a must read for all practitioners, prospective leaders and those curious about the Indian emergence.

author of Stories at Work - Indranil Chakraborty

I have known and worked with Steve for over two decades. Ever willing to learn outside his comfort zone, he takes risks in embracing new paradigms and in applying them.

This book balances what Steve has gained from his lived experience and his extensive reading and research. He surprises you with ‘newer ways’ of looking at Indian bosses. He is never complacent, always curious and brutally honest about himself. Recognizing the reader will finally want to know ‘How can I use all this to be effective?’, he builds it in with relevant examples and suggestions.

CEO, Zahid Gangjee & Associates, Kolkata; Former Chief of Manpower Development Group, ITC Ltd - Zahid H. Gangjee

Steve, not quite the quintessential chief human resources officer, is impishly curious and an indefatigable provocateur, belying an astute student of executive behaviour. This well-researched, articulate and seminal body of work is littered with lucid anecdotes and deep insights, underlining his rich and varied global experience across blue-chip MNCs and Indian business houses. His grasp of the nuanced styles and cultural influences that define contemporary Indian leadership is truly absorbing!

Independent Board Director and Former MD, Jio - Sandip Das

The Indian Boss at Work is a must-read for global leaders of all types, in all industries, both private and public sectors and across all geographies! It’s also a reminder of the opposite—the power of Indian leadership on a global stage

Terry D. Kramer

This book is an honest, insightful and nuanced look at the Indian leader drawing on deep understanding of India’s cultural DNA, but also the author’s multifaceted experience in local and international companies. Steve sets out a vision for Indian leaders that should inspire us all.

Ex-founder and CEO of YSC; past coach to Steve; author of Cultural DNA - Gurnek Bains

Steve has attempted to describe Indian-ness (not an easy task) while drawing extensively on psychologists’ work on India. The book’s strength lies in emphasizing the role of context in understanding individuals and societies. His rich MNC and Indian company experience allows him to nuance the context. A good read on how Indian leaders struggle with dilemmas and paradoxes that makes us distinctive.

Professor OB & HRM, IIM Bangalore - Vasanthi Srinivasan

I know Steve since his days in Vodafone. With his wide exposure to multiple companies, association with multiple leaders and operating styles, his observations are invaluable—a truly remarkable book on leadership. The choice of spotlight leaders is appropriate and insightful. His observations on desh and kaal strike a personal chord and I can easily relate to success stories of Sundar Pichai, Indra Nooyi and others.

Founder Roti Bank, Mumbai - D. Sivanandhan (IPS Retd)

I highly recommend this book to build, enrich and refine one’s understanding of Indian leadership and recognize that which is uniquely Indian that will separate the winners from the rest in an increasingly VUCA world.

Former CMO Diageo and Former Chairman, Royal Challengers Bangalore - Amrit Thomas

Deeply reflective, probing and questioning… It is packed with anecdotes and interviews and case studies so that you can co-relate the concepts and opinions put forth.

The Hindu Business Line

Steve has surpassed himself in his maiden book. This masterful and honest narrative captures the core of an Indian leader. Steve has treated the subject with a unique blend of research, spotlights, his own reflective experience and has skilfully used reflexivity to present a compelling drama of how Indian leaders think, feel and act. Highly recommended.

CEO, Carbon Black Business; Director, Chemicals; Director, Group HR Aditya Birla Group - Dr Santrupt B. Misra

Steve reveals an indigenous Indian orientation that is in contrast to conventional notions of leadership. Its principles are universal, relevant and timely to the issues we face today. He goes beyond gender, bringing insight to what it means to be a self-leader. This book is a bridge to the two worlds of the East and the West and argues that the twain must meet.

Unilever CHRO, Linked In Top Voice 2018–2019 - Leena Nair

An exceptional narrative, one of its kind, that deals with the Indian cultural context influencing leadership. Steve delves deep into the recesses of Indian-ness, combining research insights and his own experience to reveal the Indian leaders’ distinctiveness. This book is a must-read for students, practitioners and those who truly wish to leverage on Indian leadership. Insightful and reflective, it invites the reader to explore within deeply.

Former Managing Director, SHL, India - Y. V. Lakshminarayan Pandit

An ancient culture awakens and is beginning to find its voice in today’s world. Steve provides a comprehensive insight of ‘Indian-ness’ and the psyche of the Indian leader. A must-read for all young people who wish to be future leaders.

President and Chair, ISDI | ISME | ISDI WPP - Indu Shahani

A deeply researched book with ample data, the book is a fountainhead of business wisdom…The Indian Boss At Work is a must-read for leaders of all categories — industries, private and public sector.

28 February 2021 Books.in

Steve and I go back years starting from Unilever, later Diageo. His book reminds me of the innumerable conversations we have had on business and life. Steve is an enthralling communicator, gifted to see beyond the obvious. A valuable and timely piece of work, for both Indian readers and those fascinated with India.

Vice President, APAC Supply Chain at L'Oréal - Pankaj Gupta

Steve and I were colleagues while the brand Hutch was being given a body and a soul. Going through the chapters reminded me of our free-flowing conversations, during smoke breaks, near the rear gate. While the context of the 10-minute chats was linked to the business, the content travelled across space, time and beliefs. One line in the book, ‘What is the right thing to do, depends on circumstances. There is no absolute yardstick,’ summarized it all for me.

MD & CEO at Tata Sky Ltd - Harit Nagpal

Brilliantly argued, the book captures the essence of ‘Indian-ness’ and uses it as a lens to analyse the complex Indian leadership ethos. Lucidly written to engage with the reader, Steve draws over his Indian and global experiences in the corporate world, significant insights from Indian leaders and deeply mined research data. The book is a fount of wisdom. A recommended and very refreshing read for every aspiring leader who strives to excel.

CEO Coach - R. R. Nair

This book is on a very relevant topic: Who we are impacts how we are as leaders and professionals. Indian-ness is inherent to who we are and understanding how that impacts us can make us more self-aware and effective. Steve has bought his vast experience and considerable research to bear on this subject and every aspiring Indian leader must read this book.

Author of Catalyst and Get Better at Getting Better - Chandramouli Venkatesan