The Art of New Management | Leadership Talk with Shiv Shivakumar | GCC Conclave 2022 | nasscom

Summary

Shiv Kumar, Group Executive President at Aditya Birla Group, delivers an insightful talk on 'The Art of Management' at NASSCOM GCC Summit 2022. He emphasizes the importance of self-management, including time, ambition, learning, energy, and relationship with the organization. Kumar, author of a book by the same name, shares candid insights from 21 leaders, urging professionals to prioritize long-term success over instant gratification and to foster a culture of giving and loyalty coupled with capability.

Takeaways

• 📚 Shiv Kumar's book 'The Art of Management' emphasizes the importance of self-management as the foundation for a successful career.
• 🕒 Effective time management involves discipline, prioritization, utilizing 'dead time', avoiding wasted time, and being responsive to communications.
• 🎯 Managing ambition should be focused on the team's success rather than individual glory, to gain acceptance and support from peers.
• 📘 Continuous learning is crucial due to the short shelf life of concepts, and it is the individual's responsibility to stay updated through various means including reading and talking to people outside one's industry.
• 💪 Physical fitness and a disciplined lifestyle are essential for managing personal energy, which is critical for peak performance at work.
• 🤝 Maintaining a positive relationship with the organization is key; pride in the organization and avoiding cynicism are important for professional growth.
• 🏆 Loyalty is important but must be coupled with capability; being loyal without producing results is not beneficial in the long term.
• 🚫 Instant gratification should be avoided in favor of long-term planning and financial responsibility.
• 🤝 Being a 'giver' in terms of time and information can lead to receiving more in return, fostering a positive and productive professional network.
• 🤔 Reflecting on one's relationship with an organization requires time and should be based on whether the organization invests in and values the individual.
• 🌟 The talk concludes with the message that self-management is crucial for future success, and it should be a priority for anyone looking to excel in their career.

Q & A

Who is the speaker of the expert talk on the art of new management?

The speaker is Shiv Kumar, Group Executive President for Corporate Strategy and Business Development at the Aditya Birla Group.

What is the title of Shiv Kumar's recently published book?

The title of Shiv Kumar's recently published book is 'The Art of Management'.

What are the three fundamental aspects of management discussed in Shiv Kumar's book?

The three fundamental aspects of management discussed in the book are managing yourself, managing your team, and managing your business.

Who wrote the foreword for Shiv Kumar's book 'The Art of Management'?

Sachin Tendulkar wrote the foreword for 'The Art of Management'.

What are the five key areas of managing oneself according to Shiv Kumar?

The five key areas of managing oneself are managing your time, managing your ambition, managing your learning, managing your energy, and managing your relationship with the organization.

How does Shiv Kumar define time management?

Shiv Kumar defines time management as maintaining a diary to keep track of commitments, prioritizing tasks, utilizing dead time effectively, avoiding time wastage, and being responsive to communication.

What is the importance of managing ambition according to the talk?

Managing ambition is important because it propels a new level of achievement, but it should be directed towards team success rather than personal glory to avoid being pulled down by peers and subordinates.

Why is learning considered crucial in the context of the talk?

Learning is crucial because the shelf life of a concept is short, and the responsibility of continuous learning rests on the individual to stay relevant and ahead in their career.

How does Shiv Kumar suggest managing one's energy?

Shiv Kumar suggests managing energy by being physically fit through regular exercise and a good diet, ensuring adequate sleep, and maintaining discipline in daily routines.

What is the advice given on managing the relationship with the organization one works for?

The advice given is to take pride in the organization, avoid cynicism, and assess the relationship over a period of 3-4 years to determine if the organization values and invests in you.

What is the stance on instant gratification and long-term planning as per the talk?

The talk advises against chasing instant gratification and instead promotes long-term planning, emphasizing that one should deserve before they desire.

How does Shiv Kumar view the relationship between peers in a professional context?

Shiv Kumar views peers as 'frenemies', suggesting that while they can be supportive, they can also be competitive, and it's important to maintain a positive relationship without seeing them as enemies.

What is the significance of giving according to Shiv Kumar's career experience?

According to Shiv Kumar, giving, whether it be time or information, is significant because those who give completely tend to receive much more in return, contributing to their success.

How does Shiv Kumar define loyalty in the context of a professional career?

Shiv Kumar defines loyalty as working for a company till the very last day with commitment, but also emphasizes that loyalty without capability is not enough; both are important for long-term success.

What is the main takeaway from Shiv Kumar's talk on managing oneself for the future?

The main takeaway is the importance of self-management as the foundation for effectively managing teams and businesses, and the need to continuously adapt and improve to succeed in one's career.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Self-Management

In the opening paragraph, the speaker, Shiv Kumar, introduces himself and his latest book, 'The Art of Management,' which features contributions from 21 leaders. The book focuses on three key aspects of management: self, team, and business. Shiv emphasizes the importance of self-management as the foundation for a successful career and life. He outlines five elements of self-management: time, ambition, learning, energy, and relationship with the organization. He stresses the need for discipline in time management, the importance of ambition for the team, continuous learning, maintaining physical fitness for energy, and maintaining a positive relationship with the organization.

05:01

🚀 Managing Ambition and Learning

Shiv Kumar delves deeper into managing ambition, advocating for ambition that benefits the team rather than individual glory. He uses sports analogies to illustrate the importance of collective ambition. In terms of learning, he emphasizes that it is a personal responsibility and cannot be outsourced. He suggests learning from observing others, reading, doing project work, and talking to people outside one's industry to stay ahead. He warns against complacency and the belief that one's industry will not change, which can lead to being overtaken by innovation from outsiders.

10:02

💪 Energy Management and Organizational Pride

The speaker discusses the importance of physical fitness for managing personal energy and warns against unhealthy habits that can lead to a lack of energy. He stresses the need for discipline in all aspects of life to maintain energy levels. Regarding the relationship with the organization, Shiv advises against cynicism and suggests that if one's commitment or energy flags, it may be time to move on. He encourages taking pride in the organization one works for and giving it time to evaluate if it is a good fit before making any decisions.

15:02

🤝 Loyalty, Giving, and Long-Term Perspective

Shiv Kumar addresses the concept of loyalty in the modern workplace, stating that while it is important, it must be coupled with capability. He argues that loyalty alone is not enough and that one must continue to produce results. He also touches on the topics of instant gratification versus long-term goals, the importance of being a 'giver' in professional relationships, and the pitfalls of holding back information or time. He concludes by reiterating the importance of self-management as the foundation for managing teams and businesses effectively.

🎉 Closing Remarks and Event Details

In the final paragraph, the speaker wraps up his talk, expressing his delight in sharing insights from his book. He thanks the audience and NASSCOM for the opportunity. The script then transitions to event logistics, reminding attendees of the next day's schedule, including networking dinner and workshops, and emphasizes the limited seating on a first-come, first-served basis. Sponsors and partners are acknowledged, and the audience is thanked for their participation. The event coordinator, Justin Jacob, looks forward to seeing everyone again and concludes the day's proceedings.

Keywords

💡Management

Management refers to the process of overseeing and making decisions to ensure the effective and efficient use of resources to achieve goals. In the video's context, it is the overarching theme as the speaker discusses various aspects of management, including self-management, team management, and business management, which are all critical for a successful career and life.

💡Self-Management

Self-Management is the ability to regulate one's own behavior, emotions, and actions to achieve personal and professional goals. The speaker emphasizes its importance by discussing five key areas: time management, ambition, learning, energy, and relationship with the organization. It is foundational to the video's message as it lays the groundwork for effective team and business management.

💡Time Management

Time Management is the act of planning and controlling how much time is spent on specific activities to increase efficiency or productivity. The speaker provides insights on maintaining a diary, prioritizing tasks, utilizing 'dead time,' avoiding time wastage, and being responsive as part of effective time management practices.

💡Ambition

Ambition is a strong desire to achieve something, often requiring determination and hard work. The speaker discusses the importance of aligning personal ambition with team goals and warns against naked ambition, which can lead to negative consequences. The concept is used to illustrate the balance needed between personal drive and collective success.

💡Learning

Learning is the acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, experience, or being taught. The speaker stresses the importance of continuous learning, adapting to changes, and taking responsibility for one's own education. The script mentions learning from observing, reading, doing project work, and talking to people outside one's industry as ways to stay ahead.

💡Energy Management

Energy Management in the context of the video refers to maintaining physical and mental vitality to perform at one's best. The speaker advises on the importance of physical fitness, disciplined lifestyle, and proper sleep to ensure high energy levels throughout the day, which is crucial for effective work performance.

💡Organizational Relationship

Organizational Relationship pertains to the connection and interaction an individual has with the organization they work for. The speaker talks about the importance of pride in one's organization and warns against cynicism. It is highlighted as a critical aspect of self-management, affecting one's commitment and energy towards their work.

💡Instant Gratification

Instant Gratification is the desire to experience satisfaction or fulfillment without delay. The speaker advises against seeking instant gratification, especially through loans or shortcuts, emphasizing the importance of long-term planning and deserving before desiring.

💡Peer Group

Peer Group refers to a group of people who are at a similar level in an organization or share similar interests. The speaker refers to them as 'frenemies,' highlighting the complex nature of relationships where peers can be both supportive and competitive. The advice given is to maintain a positive approach and not view them as enemies.

💡Loyalty

Loyalty is a devotion to a cause or an allegiance to a person or organization. The speaker discusses the concept of loyalty in the context of a long career, stating that while loyalty is important, it must be coupled with capability and performance. It is presented as a two-way street where the company's support is contingent on an individual's contribution.

💡Capability

Capability refers to the ability to perform a task or achieve a goal. The speaker emphasizes that capability is essential for an individual to be valued in an organization. It is highlighted that loyalty alone is not enough; one must also have the skills and produce results to be truly valuable to an organization.

Highlights

Shiv Kumar, Group Executive President at Aditya Birla Group, emphasizes the importance of self-management as the foundation for a successful career.

Shiv Kumar's third book, 'The Art of Management', features insights from 21 leaders on managing oneself, the team, and the business.

The book includes a foreword by Sachin Tendulkar and candid discussions on the realities of management.

Effective time management involves discipline, prioritization, and utilizing 'dead time' productively.

Ambition should be directed towards team success rather than individual glory to gain acceptance and support.

Continuous learning is crucial, and individuals must take responsibility for updating their skills and knowledge.

Learning can be achieved through observation, reading, project work, and engaging with people outside one's industry.

Physical fitness and a disciplined lifestyle are essential for managing one's energy levels effectively.

Maintaining a positive relationship with the organization and avoiding cynicism is key to professional growth.

Loyalty without capability is insufficient; both are necessary for career longevity and success.

Shiv Kumar advises against seeking instant gratification and instead focuses on long-term goals and planning.

Being a 'giver' in terms of time and information leads to receiving more in return, fostering a positive professional network.

The concept of loyalty must be redefined in the modern workplace, where capability is as important as commitment.

Shiv Kumar concludes by stressing the importance of self-management for future success in one's career.

The NASSCOM GCC Summit 2022 wraps up its first day with an insightful session by Shiv Kumar.

Day two of the summit promises networking opportunities, workshops, masterclasses, and more.

Sponsors and partners of the NASSCOM GCC Summit 2022 are acknowledged for their support.

Transcripts

that brings us to the last session of

our day one of the last session for this

conference and an expert talk on the art

of new management is up next our guest

for this talk is shiv shiv kumar group

executive president corporate strategy

and business development aditya birla

group shiv needs no introduction he has

worked in maki companies like hindustan

libra nokia pepsico and is now group

executive president for strategy and

business development at the indian

conglomerate the aditya birla group he

writes regularly for the business press

teaches regularly at premier business

schools and is a favorite speaker for

corporate events it is indeed an honor

and pleasure to have him here with us

this evening over to you shiv good

evening ladies and gentlemen it's an

absolute pleasure to do this for nasscom

my name is shiv

and i've worked across many categories

technology consumer products etc over

the course of my career

i have recently published

my third book which is called the art of

management

this is the book you can buy it on

amazon or you can buy it in any leading

bookstore across the country

in this book i get 21 leaders to talk

about three fundamental aspects which

are managing yourself

managing your team and managing your

business

the book has a forward by sachin

tendulkar and i chose these 21 leaders

including sachin because i knew that

they would tell it as it is

they would be candid they would call out

both the positives and the negatives of

how to manage each of the disciplines

that i've talked about

i think in this whole

point of having

a good life a good career in any

profession that you choose i think the

absolute foundation is managing yourself

and many people underestimate how to

manage themselves

when you talk of managing yourself it's

about number one managing your time

number two it's about managing your

ambition

number three it's about managing

your learning

number four it's about managing your

energy

and number five it's about managing your

relationship with the organization that

you represent

so it's managing time managing ambition

managing learning managing energy and

managing the relationship with the

organization

now let me cover each of these in some

detail

so when you talk of time

a lot of people think that time

management is about coming to office at

9 30 or leaving at 5 30 no that is not

about managing time

time requires absolute discipline

if you commit to somebody that you will

do something then you do not need a

reminder

in my career i've never got anybody to

remind me there might be a stray case

here or there

so the key to managing time is to

maintain a diary so that you're not

double booked you know what your

commitments are and you deliver on that

absolutely

the key to management management of time

is to ensure that you prioritize when

you have two or three things at your

table or on your desk

you know in the morning or afternoon or

evening

you have to decide what is priority and

really go with that

so the ability to prioritize is

absolutely important okay

the other thing about managing time is

that you have to know how to manage dead

time

so you're sitting in an airplane you're

sitting in an airport you're sitting in

the back of a car what do you do at that

point of time there's so much time every

day that you have

in almost every city today i think the

commute to work and back is close to an

hour

if you're working from home it's easier

but whatever the day there is a lot of

debt time available to you

how do you use that debt time and ensure

that you get the most out of it

the next thing about time management is

not to waste time

typical wasting time would be

gossip at the water cooler or walking

around the office aimlessly and things

like that so do not waste time because

once you lose time

you lose a lot

and finally

the thing about time management is being

responsive

a lot of people in today's world we have

so many collaborative vehicles on our

desk whether it's email whether it's

whatsapp etc but it's just amazing that

most people are just unresponsive

they do not respond to a mail they do

not respond to a whatsapp and hence then

you need to call them

so

whatever you do please try and be

responsive

time management has three elements to it

a lot of people think my boss controls

all my time that's not true second the

system controls all my time that's also

not true and finally i control some time

okay so what you have to do over a

period of time is to say the time that

you think

you control you have to keep expanding

that

so this is what time management is about

next let me talk about managing your

ambition

i think first i would like to mention

that ambition is good

ambition is good because it propels a

new level of achievement as one person

moves up others follow and overall the

team as well as the company moves up

significantly and that is that can only

be good

for anybody or an organization

the trick with ambition is not to have

it nakedly on your sleep when you are

nakedly ambitious people will pull you

down your peer group will pull you down

and your subordinates will pull you down

dramatically

the skill is to have

ambition for the team

and if the ambition for the team is

there and you're contributing to it then

it works let me give you two examples

if you take the game of cricket

one bowler on a given day or one batsman

on a given day can pull off a huge

victory

that's a given

for example johnny basto

you know

in about 100 balls he's got 130 runs and

he gave victory to england versus new

zealand

okay so on a given day

cricket can be an individual game

a besto or a tendulkar or a virat kohli

or a sangha car or whoever it is

on the other hand you take football

football you need collective ambition

justify just a ronaldo cannot win the

match

so all the 11 players need to work

together

so your ambition has to be for the team

and if you get the ball to score

fantastic

if you get the ball to hit fantastic if

you get the ball to take your wicket

fantastic

as long as your ambition

is in the direction of the team and it

is propelling team success people will

accept you

when they see that you are wearing your

ambition nakedly on your sleeve and it's

about you

and typical words are i did this

i started this i ended this i decided

this these are classic words which

people use when you clearly know that

it's all about self and nothing else so

please watch out for

that ambition which you wear on your

sleeve

the third is learning

a lot of people say that too busy to

learn

the shelf life of a concept today is

between 12 and 14 months

so if you've done a degree 10 years ago

it's quite likely that most of what you

learn is irrelevant

and that's why we see this whole focus

on skills right now in a future world

so how did we learn in the past

in the past we used to have

every company would advocate the 70 2010

rule

where 70 of the learning was on the job

you learn from your seniors you learn

from your boss you learn from the system

that's not true anymore

people don't have the time or the energy

to train and coach people

which basically means if your boss is

not doing it for you the company is not

doing it for you there's no learning and

development department which can do it

for you

then the whole responsibility of

learning rests on your shoulders

if you are willing to shoulder that

responsibility you will always be many

steps ahead of people

so how does one learn

one learns by watching people

there are number of people you can watch

both successful and unsuccessful people

and learn from them

one learns by reading

one learns by doing project work

that's the other way to you know learn

and i find the easiest way to learn

actually

is to talk to people outside your

industry

talk to at least two three people

outside your industry every month

and ask them how's your industry going

what's the business model what's working

what's not working etc if there is

something working out there you can be

absolutely sure it will come to your

doorstep

the worst thing about learning is to say

my industry nothing will change

and this happens in many industries

especially legacy industries

in legacy industries people will say

this is how we've done it for 10 years

and that's why in legacy industries it's

the outsider who always comes in and

sets a new benchmark the incumbents in

the legacy industry rarely rarely

innovate and set a new benchmark

so that's how you think about learning

learning is squarely your responsibility

you cannot you cannot outsource this to

anybody else

next is how do you manage your energy

you cannot manage your energy if you're

not physically fit

you cannot be physically fit if you

don't exercise well you cannot

be physically fit if your diet is not in

good shape

a number of young managers tend to binge

tend to have late nights etc

and as a result of which they wake up

groggy every morning and by the time

they get awake at work

after three four rounds of black coffee

it's already 12 o'clock

don't let that happen to you

whatever you do please ensure that you

have a cut-off time by which you get at

least six to seven hours sleep and then

you are absolutely fresh in the morning

to come to work and beat the living

daylights out of the job

so energy is that energy happens when

you have discipline in everything you do

if you have discipline then you can be

almost certain that energy will follow

it

and finally

managing your relationship with the

organization

the management of a relationship with an

organization has to be one-off pride

if you are not proud of the organization

you are working for then you should

leave

the worst thing to do is to stay in the

organization and be cynical and say hey

you know what this is what's happening

here

people will listen to you when you're

cynical because it's good fun

but over a period of time people will

say this guy or this girl can't get

another job he or she is being cynical

and there is no

you know point in listening to this

person

whatever you do do not become cynical

cynical about your organization

the day you feel that your energy is

flagging or your commitment is flagging

to the organization you should find a

way out and

now how does one judge the relationship

with an organization you have to give

the organization time

i believe in today's world you need to

give it at least three to four years

and in this time frame you should be

able to judge if the organization is

investing in you if the organization

values you if the organization is giving

you the right signals in terms of what

they want to do with you

so these are the important elements in

terms of managing your time

managing your ambition managing your

learning managing your energy and

managing your relationship with the

organization

well i've said all this a lot of people

have

very simple doubts

which is

should i look for instant gratification

do i want a promotion next month do i

want a car next month do i want

a fancy motorcycle next month do i want

a fancy holiday next month or can it

wait

i would always say play for the long

term

if you are chasing instant gratification

or hurried aspiration

by taking on

loans and things like that that's the no

no for me

because there is no free lunch there is

no free holiday there is no free car so

you have to be very very clear how you

will fund each of your ambitions

so

instant gratification is good and i know

that a lot of young people seek it but i

would actually say

you should absolutely deserve before you

desire

a lot of people desire before they

deserve

the second one is

piergu

appears friends can i be friends with my

peer group

or their competition

peer group is what i call frenemies they

are friends sometimes you need them and

they will be enemies sometimes they will

compete with you

but the trick is for you not to see them

as an enemy

as long as you see them as a friend

you'll be fine

the moment you start seeing them as an

enemy you will have your guard up you

will not share you will not give

anything to them

i have found through my career that

people who give completely get a lot

more in return

what do i mean by giving

giving your time if you give your time

to people you'll get a lot more back

if you give information freely to people

you'll get a lot more information back

i've found that every leader who holds

information who does not give time

either to people or to industry or the

sector or society in the long run loses

so what's important for you is please be

a giver

if you are a solid giver you will get

much more

and finally

a question which i get asked about

managing yourself is

how does one think of loyalty

if you think of your career as 30 to 40

years the average life of a company is

today is less than 20 years your career

is 30 to 40 years

i would say in your career you'll

possibly work

for 10 to 15 companies

as long as you work for a company till

the very last day till the very last

minute you must be loyal

but

just being loyal without not being

capable is no use

both are very important

loyalty on its own without capability is

appreciated in very few companies

most people will want loyalty coupled

with capability

so whatever you do do not mistake that

because you've been in a company for 10

years they should take care of you they

will not

they can only take care of you if you

have capability and if you are producing

results with that capability

then you are alone in a company does not

guarantee anything because

time itself does not guarantee a company

anything

all market leaders flounder all market

leaders seed market share because of

disruption

so

loyalty is an old concept

not a concept which in today's world can

exist without capability

so

in summary i would say it's been an

absolute delight talking to all of you

uh i have tried

my very best to distill for you

in about 15 20 minutes this whole book

which i have written about the art of

management this has a forward by sachin

tendulkar and it has a total of 21

outstanding leaders who talk about

managing yourself managing your team and

managing your business the foundation is

about managing yourself

and if you do not manage yourself well

then you will actually be seriously

challenged to get either a role about

managing your team or

get a role in managing your business

that's all i have to say ladies and

gentlemen thank you very much thank you

nasscom for this wonderful opportunity i

wish all of you the very best and happy

hunting wherever you are do well

and keep winning and more important

manage yourself for the future

thank you

it was a delight having you here with us

thank you chef for that interesting and

insightful last session for the day

that was the last session of our day one

of the conference with this we bring to

close day one of nascom gcc summit 2022.

we hope that you enjoy today and are

taking back loads of learning from all

the interesting and insightful

discussions we are very excited to

welcome you back to our physical day of

the conference starting with our

networking dinner tomorrow that is the

29th of june at hicc in hyderabad

followed by a busy day on the 30th with

workshops master classes and tables

please note that the seating capacity of

each of our master classes and workshops

are limited and will be on a first come

first serve basis we will see you all in

hyderabad for those who will be joining

the day two virtually we are excited for

all the interesting things we have in

store for you too on the 30th of june

please log into the platform for our

session beginning at 11 am

we would like to once again thank our

sponsors who have supported this

initiative the government of telangana

our state partner

government of karnataka our sponsor

everest group strategic partner

ibm our knowledge partner

kendrill our innovation partner

deloitte our platinum sponsor

five serve global services our platinum

sponsor

grand thon uh thornton bharath

our platinum sponsor hsbc global

services center our platinum sponsor

legato health technologies our platinum

sponsor metlife our platinum sponsor

saver our platinum sponsor target in

india platinum sponsor salonist

our process mining partner outsystems

are low code partner av inbev our gold

sponsor kpmg our gold sponsor novartis

our gold sponsor pure storage our gold

sponsor sony india software center our

gold sponsor thompson reuters our gold

sponsors swiss re gbs india badges and

lanyard sponsor and amadeus our silver

sponsor we'd also like to thank zuttle

our platform partner and a ct fibernet

our internet partner we'd like to thank

all our speakers as well and all of you

for being an amazing audience my name is

justin jacob i'll be seeing you soon

have yourselves a wonderful evening

[Music]

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