100 Managers in Action: How I Used Case studies in the book “100 Managers ...

100 Managers in Action: How I Used Case studies in the book “100 Managers ...: This book contains case studies of 104 Managers who made impact on those around them. They were selected out of a data base of around 8000...

How I Used Case studies in the book “100 Managers in Action”

This book contains case studies of 104 Managers who made impact on those around them. They were selected out of a data base of around 8000 managers whose 360 Degree Feedback indicated that they made a significant impact on those around them at that time. While 360 Degree feedback which was used to select them the case studies are based on the information provided by the candidates. The information deals with their background, family, education, childhood, significant events and experiences they recollect, accomplishments and activities, and beliefs and views about leadership and management. The cases range from a little over page to three pages. The cases studies are meant to give a glimpse of hundreds of managers who are not so well known. The book starts with a quote from the speech of Narayana Murthy:

“My life story should be a confidence booster for every average person in the world that he or she can indeed make a difference at least in a small way to this world.” (Narayana Murthy, Farewell speech at his last AGM, Infosys, 2011).

I have used the case studies from this book while they were in a draft from with groups of Executives undergoing a Leadership Development Programs and also a group of students undergoing a course on Talent Management at IIMA. The task given to the executives was to read and analyse the case and draw lessons of leadership. For the students the assignment was to read, discuss in groups and identify activities that they have undertaken and the competencies they have demonstrated. Both the sets of groups felt that the case studies are impressive and indicate that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. Also what is considered as extraordinary is really ordinary when you start doing the same.  The case studies therefore may not be impressive after you read a few of them. They definitely show Indian Managers have phenomenal talent. Many of them demonstrate that in doing a variety of activities you discover more and more of your undiscovered self and talent. The case of a Dentist who developed and heads a business group is one such illustration. The following is an abridged version of a case study from 100 Managers and its analysis given by the Executives and IIMA Students.

“He is the first paediatric dentist of the state having three gold medals from Bombay University. Given a roaring dental practice of his father, a secured job at government dental college and hospital, he decided instead to diversify into infrastructure sector. Working in the field of Ports, Roads, Bridges, SEZs, Utilities, Power Generation, Mangrove forestation, Malay has been instrumental in making considerable contributions in these areas since last fifteen years.

He had been in the field of education for eight years. Initially, he served as a Clinical Assistant (Teaching) at Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Nair Dental College, and Mumbai for five years starting in 1987. Then he was inducted in the capacity of a Lecturer in Department of Operative Dentistry and Pedodontia, Government Dental College and Hospital, Ahmedabad. Then for three years, he was the Chairman and Managing Trustee of Ahmedabad Dental College. He was also involved in the development of the first private dental college in Ahmedabad. Apart from establishing the Pedodontia department in Government Dental College, Ahmedabad, he started first large dental polyclinic. He is a member of around a dozen professional societies including Centre for Engineering & Technology, FICCI, and Assocham etc. Parallel to all this, he practices at his private clinic at Shri Krishna Center, Mithakali 6 Roads.

He calls ‘Making of the Mundra Port’ as an experience of a lifetime. This was his first rendezvous with the corporate sector. In 1992, he began with explicit mandate to assess viability of building a captive berth/Jetty for exports.  Mundra was selected as a final location for developing a captive jetty, primarily for salt exports. Around that time, Government of Gujarat came out with BOOT policy for development of ports and leveraged the presence in Mundra to develop a port instead of just a small jetty.

Since 1995, he has been playing a strategic role in port strategic planning, development and construction. This has now graduated to leadership function in Infrastructure development in projects like FCI silo, Controlled atmosphere storage, logistics, SEZ in addition to various Ports in Gujarat.

He played a key role in developing India’s largest Dredging & Reclamation capacity. The company has ownership of thirteen dredgers. They all are being successfully operated by over one thousand two hundred operators at Mundra Port. The project has been completed at the lowest possible cost, highest productivity and on time.

Malay has been an excellent planner, tremendous implementer and above all a great leader. He practices recognising good people wherever they are, and building up an unbeatable army of incomparable human resources.

A leader is someone, who evaluates the way things are done and benchmarks the way to perform them. Leaders are not afraid to challenge the status quo, if necessary or to strike out on a new path. A leader should learn from his mistakes and acknowledge his mistakes and should identify what went wrong in his decision.

Typically in Asian organisation, a leader is required to deal with majority of people who are emotionally driven, which puts objectivity under threat all the time. Leaders should try to keep the personal judgments, opinions and ego away. To have the neutral mindset in decision making is a big challenge.

It is extremely important for leaders, in these organisations, to have strength of detailing & strong follow ups, create culture & focus for achieving the targets. They have to be highly people oriented and practice team development.

Leaders must have flexibility to manage bureaucratic approach of the government officials which require extremely high patience and diplomacy. The local people have different kind of emotions vis-à-vis the developed countries and thus leaders must have the feel of ground level issues to be able to resolve them amicably.

“I believe in focusing on strengths, my personal as well that of my teammates so that these can be transformed into excellence.” Creating mediocre structure and processes is a waste of time for Malay. He is interested in taking something that is good and making it excellent. “Any goal short of excellence is not worth having,” he adds.

In earlier stage of career, he liked building infrastructure and had great pleasure of creation out of nothing. However, in last two years, he is interested in creating right culture which would sustain existence of the massive infrastructure that is built in all these years. This extraordinarily fulfilling career has given Malay happiness and tranquillity from within.

This 47-year-old believes that how far you go in life, depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with striving and tolerant with the weak.

Essentially, he is a family person who loves to spend time with family.  For his two daughters, he supports their goals and ambitions. He takes time out for a regular walk. It gives him time to introspect and be close to nature.

Of course not to forget, this restless soul got his doctoral degree in 2007-2008 in Coastal Ecology around Mundra area, Kutch from Gujarat University.

Analysis by a group of Senior Executives from a PSU based on the case study given in the book:

Malay is a continuous learner. Escapes from routine and repetitive work. He is a visionary and attracts best of the best. He creates transparency and good work culture. He believes in focussing on the strengths of himself and his team members.

A group of Students at IIMA identified the following activities and competencies of Malay as noteworthy:

·        Very good academic record (three gold medals)

·        Networks well with others and leads a highly active life and continuously learns from various sources

·        Diversified into infrastructure sector and did exceptionally well even though having a dental academic background

·        Even though a very busy person takes out time for family; supports goals & ambitions of his daughters; worked for oral healthcare awareness, set up school in Mundra, worked for improvising government schools

·        Successfully provided vision, strategy for PMC projects; Strategic role & leadership role at Mundra port

They also identified the following competencies from the analysis:

·        Initiative taking skill

·        Academically Competitive

·        Risk-taking ability and Adaptability

·        Caring person; Values-driven

·         Has leadership skills;

·         Good planner and implementer  

There are many ways of using such books. While books like Stay Hungry Stay foolish or Connecting the dots Inspire you to be an entrepreneur, I hope this book inspires managers in the making to emulate good qualities of action oriented Managers and Iike them to feel being Extra-ordinary is not difficult to achieve. Seek 360 Degree Feedback to find out where you stand, discover your strengths and cultivate them more.