Business Leaders from Diverse Industries Conduct a Joint Session with EPGP Students at IIM Indore

Business Leaders from Diverse Industries Conduct a Joint Session with EPGP Students at IIM Indore

As part of the ongoing dialogue of EPGP students of IIM Indore with business leaders, three business leaders from diverse industries, were introduced by Prof. N. Ravichandran, to sensitize the students with the challenges they face as leaders in their organizations.

In a joint session with EPGP students, Mr. Raghavendra Rao (MD, Orchid Chemicals), Mr. B. Santhanam (MD, Saint Gobain Glass India) and Mr. Arun Balakrishnan (Chairman and Managing Director, HPCL) suggested how EPGP students can become future business leaders and sustain themselves in leadership positions.

Mr. Raghavendra Rao, founder of Orchid Chemicals, endorsed the fact that matrix organizations provide managers various opportunities to understand different business functions, and attain more responsible positions and grow faster in their careers. He emphasized the ability of a leader to see beyond immediate predictions based on statistical data. He pointed out that a leader should recognize the capabilities of his team and entrust it with appropriate responsibilities. Therefore appropriate delegation of authority and responsibility was important according to him.

Business Leaders from Diverse Industries conducting a Joint Session at IIM Indore

Mr. Santhanam, highlighted the importance of emotional intelligence for a leader and explained how emotional intelligence coupled with good analytical skills helps to collaborate and compete simultaneously. He mentioned that envisioning, delegation and emotional intelligence are the most significant characteristics of a leader. He advised the students to focus on networking and social commitments along with their managerial responsibilities in the future.

Mr. Balakrishnan discussed the importance of transparency, equal opportunity and boundary management in an organization. He underscored the importance of healthy relationship between management and worker unions in an organization like HPCL. This is in parts due to the fact that PSUs like HPCL, both the management and the trade unions are equally powerful and therefore both are equally aware of their responsibilities and authorities. He encouraged students to be a part of growth in PSUs, as they offer larger responsibilities at an early stage in career. He further stressed that, given the demographic changes of the students in terms of their ages and academic value addition it may be a good idea for the PSUs like HPCL to revisit their recruitment policies so as to benefit from full time executive programme like EPGP.

The programme concluded with a vote of thanks from the EPGP Chair to the three CEOs and the audience present in the summit.

Concluded.

Contributed by -
Media & PR Committee,
Indian Institute of Management, Indore.

MBA Alumni \| MBA Students \| MBA Aspirants \| MBA Forums