Customizing the Checklist - Country

In a study of Indian executives it also revealed four distinct principles constituting a kind of "India Way" for leading business...

Core leadership principles of the kinds referred to earlier are much the same in many countries and have been found to be essential in running a business in all major economies.  Company leaders everywhere emphasize company strategy and motivating the work force.  In a study of Indian executives it also revealed four distinct principles constituting a kind of "India Way" for leading business on that subcontinent:

• Holistic engagement with employees.  Indian business leaders see their firms as organic enterprises where sustaining employee morale and building company culture are critical obligations.  People are viewed as assets to be developed, not costs to be reduced.
• Improvisations and adaptability. Improvisation is also at the heart of the India Way.  In a complex, often volatile environment with few resources and much red tape, business leaders have learned to rely on their wits to circumvent recurrent and innumerable hurdles.
• Creative value propositions.  Give the large and intensely competitive domestic market, Indian business leaders have of necessity learned to create value propositions that satisfy the needs of demanding consumers and do so with extreme efficiency.
• Broad mission and purpose.  Indian business leaders place special emphasis on personal values, a vision of growth, and strategic thinking.  They take pride in not only enterprise success but also family prosperity, regional advance, and national renaissance.

ACTION POINT:  Identify the cultural leadership principles within your organization.