Crucial Success Skills Forged Through My Journey
Communication: When you work in a leadership position, you must be able to clearly explain everything from expectations to goals and tasks. It is also important to establish open communication between yourself and your team members. Not only does creating an environment of open communication promote cohesiveness as a team, but it often encourages an atmosphere of transparency. Excellent communication considers not only what is being communicated, but how it is being communicated.As an effective communicator, you do more than just clearly verbalize expectations. You also incorporate active listening, nonverbal communication, presentation skills, and engaging public speaking.
Problem-solving and critical thinking: Thrown into the middle of a difficult situation, it is natural for most people to lose sight of the way out. They look to their leaders for support and guidance. Contrary to popular belief, successful leaders do not instantly come up with solutions to every problem. Instead, they bring to the table the uncanny ability to redefine the problem, logically structure it, and solve it from a long-term perspective, keeping in mind their employees as well as customers. For instance, instead of wondering how to move to WFH, addressing the problem of ensuring the safety of employees and clients.
This approach helps me tackle the root cause and deliver sustainable impact to both key stakeholders – employees and clients. It is important to remember that today, problem-solving translates to thinking outside the box. This demands creativity from leaders like me, who in turn must inspire the same in their teams. As a leader, it is not enough to possess these skills; it is equally important to pass them on.
Crafting Creative Opportunities from Every Challenge
My approach to address adversity:
Cultivate a Growth Mindset: Resilient leaders see setbacks and failures as opportunities for growth. Embrace a mindset that views challenges as learning experiences rather than insurmountable obstacles. Encourage your team to adopt this perspective as well.
Build a Support System: Seek out mentors, coaches, or peers who can provide guidance and support during tough times. Sharing experiences and seeking advice can help you navigate challenges more effectively.
Adaptability and Flexibility: Embrace change and uncertainty as constants. Leaders who can pivot quickly and make adjustments are better prepared to handle unexpected challenges.
Stay Focused on Purpose: A strong sense of purpose can be a powerful motivator. When you connect your leadership role to a greater mission, it becomes easier to persevere through challenging times.
Resilience Training: Consider formal training programs that focus on stress management, emotional intelligence, and resilience. These programs can equip you with practical tools and techniques.
My Impact
Essential tangible impact I have played as a leaders play in fostering unity and progression in the community where i operate:
Inspiring a Shared Vision: As a leaders I inspire a shared vision transcending individual interests. By articulating a compelling vision for the community's future, I help people understand the benefits of working together towards a common goal. This vision serves as a guiding light, motivating members to actively participate and contribute their skills and resources for the betterment of the org and community as a whole. eg: CSR Project Pinnacle to drive business by serving people of need.
Building Trust and Collaboration: I prioritize building trust and fostering collaboration among diverse groups within the community. I understand that unity cannot be achieved without trust, respect, and open communication. I try to facilitate a sense of belonging and inclusivity by promoting dialogue and creating platforms for different voices to be heard. This, in turn, encourages individuals to engage in constructive conversations, find common ground, and work collaboratively to address shared challenges.
Empowering Individuals and Strengthening Networks: I recognize the importance of empowering individuals to take ownership of their community's development. I try to provide opportunities for skill-building, education, and leadership development, enabling community members to realize their potential. By strengthening social networks and creating avenues for mentorship and support, my intent is to foster an environment where people feel empowered to contribute their unique talents and ideas toward common goals.
Advocating for Change: I have often serve as advocates for change, speaking up on behalf of my communities and addressing social, economic, and environmental issues. I leverage my influence to raise awareness, engage stakeholders, and influence policy decisions that impact the well-being of my community. Through advocacy i have brought about meaningful and sustainable progress, creating a brighter future for my constituents of influence.
Scaling New Heights in Personal and Professional Triumphs
I have share high stakes projects i have worked for:
The first initiatives as HRBP was around Change Management:
- Setting up a new R&D center for HeroMotoCorp (GreenfieldProject) and working on HR strategies linked to overall business objectives.
- Reporting in to Head HR & CTO, my role was to build the mission and vision of HERO R&D center by benchmarking the best R&D centers across globe and in India. The project encompassed creating the culture framework & business operating structure to identify right talent (Build Vs Buy) which can help expedite the product development lifecycle of Hero’s Products. I was responsible for entire Talent Management strategy (Right from structure design, Human capital planning, Hiring, Goal setting, Skill development, R&R and Retention)
The second initiatives was around Organizational Design:
- Redesigning entire supply chain structure of sales parts division of HERO and building skill capability of entire network channels to achieve 30% topline growth
- The existing structure worked on distributorship model which was limiting the expansion and extraction of the business revenue. I benchmarked the existing structure of some of our direct and indirect competitors and presented a case on creating a super stockiest and micro distributorship structure which increases the reach of our network channel helping increase topline. A case was presented to sales head and drove north zone business on this structure. I got a chance to present this both these project’s successes, learning and change recommendation to CEO along with leadership team. I was awarded Hero achiever award for these project.
Some eg through metrics on effect of these projects on organization were:
Setting up a new R&D center for HeroMotoCorp (GreenfieldProject) and working on HR strategies linked to overall project.
Success Metrics were
Due to HR intervention of bringing right talent at the quickest of the time.
- The timeline of completion each project plan was reduced by many working days overall.
- The number of EV project Go lives went up on an avg
- Saved more than couple of crores in the overall budget of recruitment cost
- Learning per quarter increased
- Double digit tie up globally, locally on technical learning
- Numbers of patents coming out of R&D center Jaipur went up by double digits
- Brought Down attrition from high 20s to single digits
The second initiatives on Organization Design:
Redesigning entire supply chain structure of sales parts division of HERO and building skill capability of entire network channels to achieve 30% topline growth
Success Metrics were
- Growth of topline by double digits percentage.
- New position closed by internal employee - Cost saving of more than a crore
- Brought Down attrition in parts due to new learning and growth opportunity brought by new structure
Measurement of personal success for me was. How i was able to direct, motivate, supervise, mentor, and develop my team thereby driving org's topline and bottom-line for higher profitability and giving a respectable seat at the table for HR.
The Synergy Between My Path and Recognition Values
This award stands for Inspiring Narratives who all have transformed life's.
My professional life according to me operates on same principle. I have conceptualized and driven multiple HR initiatives directed linked to Annual Business Plan that has been directly tied to a Companywide Transformation which redefined the way the business operates through Its People, Manufactures through Its People And Sells its Brands through its People Globally.
High Impact Projects:
- Redesigned entire supply chain structure of sales parts division of HERO and build skill capability of entire network channels to achieve 30% topline growth (Organization Design)
- Worked on setting up R&D center for HeroMotoCorp from scratch (GreenfieldProject) and formulated HR strategies linked to overall project. (Change Management)
- Fast track promoted and Youngest HR professional in Hero to lead as HR business partner for 5 Big corporate business vertical at the same time (Sales, Global Business, Strategy, Information Technology & CSR) (HRBP)
- Lead Global Talent management & Development center of excellence for HERO. Achieved quality 4.0 objective of CMD by creating a training profit center called Hero Learning Academy for employees, supplier, dealers, subdealers.
Others:
- Economic Times HR World 40 under 40 2022 Winner
- Business World HR 40 under 40 2021 Winner
- Indian Achiever Award 2022 from Indian Achiever Forum in HR Excellence
- ET & T A Pai Top 30 HR Leaders 2023
- International Management Institute , New Delhi: Young Achiever Award 2024
- Organization Award - Hero Achiever Award winner 2018
- Identified as one of the top 50 Future Leader in Hero Motocorp Limited
- Certified Quality Cost Specialist from CII (FY 21)
- SHRM certified on HR Business Partnering
- OPQ32r HR Certified Professional