“Inspiration can come from anyone at any time. Be willing to accept and look up to what we can learn from them”

In this edition of 'CEO Insights', as part of The?Great Manager Awards, we have?Dr Sushil Kumar Chaturvedi, Group Chief Executive Officer, Ascend Telecom. In his conversation with Mr?Rahul Mahajan, Country – Lead of Great Manager Awards, he shares his perception of leadership experiences.

?Rahul:?Who do you look up to for inspiration?

Sushil: Life and career success is a blessing of the almighty. Our character and personality are shaped by our parents in our formative years. Then the teachers have played a vital role in our development during the scholar phase. I am indebted to them, for their academic knowledge and the ability to right interpretation. During the professional phase of our life, skills get sharpened, decision making is strengthened and above all good judgement comes from a bad experience. Learn, Observe, Interpret and Adopt has been my anchor philosophy in life.???

For Wisdom, knowledge, competency and capability, I derive my inspiration from the Bhagavad Gita. Especially with regard to the quality of leadership enshrined and displayed deep down in various discourses mixed with practical ways of handling life situations. It was relevant then, is now and will remain in future as well.?

?“Inspiration can come from anyone at any time. Be willing to accept and look up to what we can learn from them”.?

Rahul:?How would you describe your leadership style? What are some of the dos and don’ts around working with you?

Sushil: Leadership is at its best only when it becomes inspirational. Simply put:

• ?Walk the talk and lead from the front?
• Differentiate and innovate?
• An ability to proactively mitigate challenges and exploit opportunities?
• Leave behind an impact that guides people and organizations?

In order to achieve such a level of leadership, a strong current of spirituality must run in an individual. Spirituality will broaden the vision of an individual, embolden them to take great steps without fear of failures and increase their leadership competence.?

In the workplace, I am amenable, accessible and strive to get the best out of an individual.

Rahul:?What are the X factors that you want the company to be developing in its future leaders?

Sushil: Leaders of the future need to be better than the leaders they replace because the future challenges are greater, the competition tougher, and the marketplace increasingly global.?

The leaders of today and tomorrow must be agile leaders willing to constantly innovate and differentiate.?

“Clear thinking and quick decision making without fear of failure is a prerequisite”.?

Rahul:?What would you say is the most critical capability/competency of a Great Manager?

Sushil: Connecting, communicating and collaborating (3Cs)?

Rahul:?If you could only ask somebody one question in a job interview and decide based on their answer whether to hire them, what would that one question be??

Sushil:?What value-adds do you bring in for the job you are being interviewed which makes you more suitable than the others?

Rahul:?If you had to choose among three CEO succession candidates, what qualities would you be looking for?

Sushil: He should be a go-getter with vision and values. Will consider strongly if credibility and trustworthiness are foundations based on which he built his career. Adaptability and resilience are desired qualities.?

Rahul:?What is the advice you would give to the generation that is just joining the workforce?

Sushil: Be forward-looking, walk the extra mile and challenge your own achievements every time; your career progression will be automatic.?

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