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Why Indian Leadership Stands Out
A couple of weeks ago, I had lunch with one of my former MBA students from India, Karan. We met up at an Indian restaurant in Santa Monica and enjoyed some delicious dosas — those giant pancakes from Southern India. As we ate, we got into a conversation about Indian leadership and how it’s becoming so influential here in the United States, not only in corporations but also in politics.
Whether it’s Satya Nadella at Microsoft, Sundar Pichai at Google, or Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo, Indian leaders have been making a huge impact on global business and beyond. And now, with Kamala Harris polling so well in the presidential race in the United States, it is likely that an Indian American woman would hold the highest job in American politics.
An article published in the Harvard Business Review in 2010 offers some insightful answers on Indian leadership. The researchers spoke with 98 top executives in India to uncover the leadership traits that make these leaders stand out. They found three key qualities that make Indian leadership so effective: a focus on people, a strong social mission, and a flexible approach to leadership.
