Quick Chat with Rahul Agarwal

At the workplace almost all of us have someone to look up to... for guidance, support, inspiration or at least someone to crib with; all of us, except the CEO! So what is the world of a CEO like? Alone at the top, where does one draw the energy, enthusiasm and inspiration to keep going?

In a quick chat, Rahul Agarwal, CEO & Managing Director of Lenovo India tells us few things about himself... right from his leadership style to his idea of an ideal weekend...

As a Leader, I want to be Respected. I believe that leadership has to be inspirational, and Inspiration stems out of respect, not fear.

When you were seven or nine year old, who did you want to be?

Honestly, at that age, I didn’t have the orientation to become anything

Some Key Leadership lessons learnt over these years?

Every leader has her/his own unique style of managing people. Years of experience goes behind the making of these styles. By and large, there is nothing wrong with any of the approaches. But, some people only pick what is comfortable for them and leave the uncomfortable out.

For me, these are the important lessons:

• Success is a result of Strategy, operations and People. The more senior you are ,the more important the people part is.

• A lot gets lost between Intent, Action and Impact ( IAI).
• One of the toughest thing is to ‘keep it simple’.
• Time management is the denominator that can make all the difference to your effectiveness

Do you believe in and practice leaving office on time and why?

Yes I do. Long working hours often means that you are not in control of your priorities and it sets the wrong culture downwards.

I like to plan each day and want to run through it as planned. But, that is in an ideal world. There are challenges, issues and unforeseen situations that are bound to change your plans and that creates stress. To deal with this stress every day, you don't just need a healthy body but also a healthy mind. Most successful leaders have their own way to achieve this. You cannot escape from the unexpected challenges hitting you but you can prepare your mind and body to face them and remain productive.

Outside the business, what is the ordinary day for you like?

Weekend is usually getting up a little late, long workout ,lavish breakfast, a movie, some shopping and then socializing with friends!

How would you characterize your management style and how do you see it driving the organization culture?

Over the years, it has become situational. In general I like informal and open culture where people are free to speak their mind . I encourage dissent but am really hung up about ownership and execution.

In your opinion, what is the most interesting piece of technology on the market now?

Given the mass usage I think it’s still the smart phone!

Coffee or Tea?

Tea early morning and then Coffee during the day.

How do you find your Inspiration?

By reading interesting stuff. Few books are my favorite like Minimalism,If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Happy?, The Art Of Thinking Clearly !

I like Buddha a lot!

What's your Productivity Secret?

The world we live in is in a state of constant change. Say no to one third of the things that come your way and be very particular about what you spend your time on. My advice - start your day early and measure every step.I love to cultivate a continuous learning environment for every employee in the company.

Follow him at rahul610 on twitter