Leaders should always unlearn, relearn

Nachiket Kelkar
Hindustan Times
09 October 2014

A successful leader must lead by example, and must have an open mind to listen to others, feels A Balasubramanian, the chief executive officer of Birla Sun Life Asset Management Co. In an interview with HT, he said that staying on top of the job is extremely critical in a world of financial and economic uncertainties. Edited Excerpts:

How do you define a leader?
A leader is someone who is able to visualise the future for the organisation and lead the team in that direction.

What are key traits of a successful leader?
A successful leader leads by example. He has a deep sense of commitment to the organisation and is passionate about building the future. Leading from the front in the time of crises, a successful leader constantly encourages his team to get their very best through his infectious energy and unwavering optimism. Lastly a very important quality about him is his ability to unlearn and relearn continuously.

Can leadership be learnt?
Yes. Leadership is something which can be acquired through a combination of self-initiative, high-level of passion, and commitment to build the organisation. Having an open mind to listen to the market and colleagues also gives a fair amount of opportunity to learn, analyse and act suitably.

How do you identify and groom leaders?
Traits indicated above may help identify potential leaders. Another key factor to look for would also be the individual's ability to delegate and get the job done. Smooth seas never make a skilful sailor. Grooming for leadership is also a function of exposing individuals to all kinds of challenges and sufficiently empowering them.

Monitoring their mistakes and providing them the guidance to overcome such mistakes is also another way to groom leaders. Lastly making people realise all the time that as all five fingers are important, so is every individual thereby emphasising on the strength of individuals.

India's mutual fund industry is crowded with companies, but very few people invest in MFs. How can leadership drive business in such a scenario?
The MF business offers a great opportunity for one simple reason that it stills remains greatly under penetrated despite it's over two decades of existence (private sector). Leadership can inspire confidence in stake holders to make the solutions and communication simple so as to get more and more customers on board.

Leaders need to be optimistic about this opportunity and stay committed to keeping things simple to attract customers even through simple solutions such as systematic investment plans (SIP).

The world has gone through a series of financial crises in the past few years. What have been the key challenges as a leader?
During uncertainty and challenges in the market, staying on top of the job is extremely crucial. While managing risk has gained significance, proactive planning on the basis of trend analyses has gained importance as well, which helps mitigate quite a few of such concerns in the bud so as to avoid bigger challenges. Therefore, a style towards delivering balanced growth seems to be the right way.

Should a leader always be held responsible for someone else's mistakes?
It is the question of taking the ownership and driving towards the future. There are always enough opportunities to do a post-mortem, however, it does not lead the organisation anywhere towards success.

What's your one-line leadership mantra?
Build trusted, cohesive, empowered and a motivated team through a motivated self.