Steve Correa’s latest book, The Indian Boss at Work, is available online for those seeking to journey into the kaleidoscope of Indian business and explore the ‘context and forces’ and worldview of Indian leaders. Simply put, it is about discovering Indian-ness and the Indian leader.
From winning traits and cultural influences, to leadership, this well-researched yet lucidly written book unravels the various secrets to building successful companies, based on generational learnings, attitudes and capabilities.
Sharing the inspiration behind the book with HRKatha, Correa says, “This book has been an idea for a long time. Back in November 2011, at a National HR Conference, a global HR speaker was sharing his perspective on leadership practices. Someone in the audience raised his hand and remarked about an ancient thought, and urged that we develop our own indigenous model basis our Indian-ness. Several delegates chimed in at once, agreeing with this. Curious, the speaker invited any willing person from the audience to come up on stage and elaborate on the ‘Indian way’ of management. There was an awkward silence for a while, before someone finally got up and made a few points.”
That was a moment of epiphany for Correa, who realised that his own knowledge of Indian leadership practices was unsatisfactory. He discovered that the foundational knowledge of ‘Indian-ness’ itself was woefully inadequate.
Thus was born this seminal volume, which allows one to read through the narratives of top Indian bosses and their reflections on their ‘Indian-ness’ that helped them transform into global leaders. With a foreword by Krish Shankar, CHRO, Infosys and president, NHRD, it includes chapters by Harsh Mariwala, chairman, Marico; Som Mittal, former president and chairman, NASSCOM; Naina Kidwai, former chairperson, HSBC; Manu Saale, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz Research & Development, India; Rajiv Memani, chairman and regional managing partner, EY India; Ashok Malhotra, MD, Reflective Lenses Consulting; Ravi Uppal, former MD and group CEO, Jindal Steel & Power; Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chairperson, Biocon; Renana Jhabvala, national coordinator, SEWA; Jawed Habib, hairstylist and businessman.
Author Steve Correa offers an extraordinary insight into the cultural influences that have shaped the mindsets of Indian leaders, and throws light on what the West can learn from India on leadership.
