Former Ambassador Mr. Saurabh Kumar discusses Lessons for Management at SPJIMR, Mumbai
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pdfMr. Saurabh Kumar, former Ambassador of India to International Atomic Energy Agency, United Nations Industrial Development Organization & the UN Offices in Vietnam and Austria, delivered a brief address on Lessons for Management at a guest lecture here at SP Jain Institute of Management & Research. Mr. Kumar had previously served as Ambassador to Ireland and Vietnam and held other senior appointments in the Cabinet Secretariat and Ministry of External Affairs. Currently a visiting professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru he gave insights on management from his experiences with the Indian Foreign Services.
Mr. Kumar started the session with a request that any Indian living abroad was an ambassador of the country and must never join in berating the country. He urged the students to stand by the nation and as future managers, appreciate Indias unique situation where a traditional society was being transformed to a modern society in a matter of decades and in a framework that allows total freedom. He talked about power play in international affairs and Indias quest to enhance strategic autonomy with engagement with the outside world to take advantage of the current global trends. He illustrated this with the Indias stand on the NPT and CTBT and some of his own personal experiences.
The highly interactive session which was attended by the students and faculty of SPJIMR was followed by a Q&A round. When asked about the major challenges he faced as a leader and how he applied SPJIMRs concept of Art of influencing without power, he said that the intellectual challenge was primary and the requisite for persuasiveness, which was the key strength of a leader when influencing without power and authority. He says, Remember that your idea is not to win a battle or an argument, but to win a friend.
SPJIMR always strives to maintain strong and long term relationships with industry leaders and eminent personalities. The institute believes that such sessions provide a different outlook on management by learning from the experiences of people with expertise in their fields. Mr. Kumars session marked the inauguration of HR Committee Events for 2012. The HR Committee forms part of the unique program of SPJIMR - the ADMAP (Assessment and Development of Managerial and Administrative Potential) program which aims to develop administrative skills of students through self-management and committee work.
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