Leadership Styles of Indian Business Leaders

Leadership styles of two Indian Business Leaders- Dhirubhai Ambani
(RIL), and Azim Hasham Premji (Wipro)
A business leader is he who can provide leadership in business, simply
saying. This leadership in business can be measured in terms of
building a very successful enterprise, in terms of market
capitalisation, innovativeness of the product and dominance in the
market. Outstanding leaders are those who set audacious objectives and
get people to own and achieve them. Like our very own Dhirubhai
Ambani, a man with a world view.
Like all good Hindus, his philosophy of life was simple. He believed
that every individual is born into an orbit in which he will probably
remain for the rest of his life. To be successful, you must break out
of your orbit and enter the one above. After a spin in that orbit, you
must break into the next one, and so on until you reach the top.
How did Dhirubhai Ambani do this? By winning in the market, acquiring
an impressive set of competencies, and by making a large enough number
of people share his dreams.
Many critics argue that Reliance's phenomenal success, particularly in
the 1970s and 1980s, was substantially due to some Government rules
and regulations(License Raj), which seemed to have been designed by
Reliance for Reliance. But there is an old adage that you can take a
camel to the water's edge, but you can't make him drink. Everyone
manipulated the corridors of power, Reliance only did that better.

Clearly, Reliance's growth spiral was built on three processes. Its
competencies in project management, finance mobilisation and
influencing the regulatory environment supported its high volume —
low-cost strategy of putting up ever-larger scale plants.
Only a few, like Dhirubhai Ambani, scaled all three. The secret? When
everyone thought he had finally arrived, he himself felt he was only
just beginning.
It is hard to imagine Reliance without Dhirubhai Ambani. The teacher's
son from Gujarat state built his sprawling empire from scratch.From
humble beginnings in textiles, the group now comprises a
fully-integrated polymers, fibers and chemicals business, with
upstream activity in oil refining and power and ambitions in
exploration, gasoline retailing, life sciences and telecom/information
technology.
Subscribing to an unfailing commitment to excellence and demanding the
same from others is the kernel of Dhirubhai's leadership style. This
is ensured by continuous attention to development of skills, by
setting exacting performance targets, and by investing a humane
outlook in the entire operation.
In short, Dhirubhai was a charismatic leader, who never followed a
text book style of management. Instead he developed a unique style,
which combined the American style of entrepreneurship with the
Japanese focus on the latest technology. To this he added the innate

shrewdness of a Gujarati businessman. He displayed an amazingly rare
ability to influence people. His genius lay in figuring out a win-win
solution, producing a spectacular buy-in from the people he dealt
with.
That's why, for all his success, Azim HashamPremji, the tech-man of
India, seems focused on just one goal: even more success.
Wipro has grown from a small producer of cooking oil founded by his
father in 1945 to a colossus by Indian standards: 23,000 employees,
$902 million in revenues(2003).
Over the years, Premji has impressed business leaders worldwide with
his honesty, financial discipline, and ability to attract top
professionals. "He does business straight, eyeball to eyeball," says
former General Electric Co. chairman and CEO John F. "Jack" Welch, who
has worked with Premji as a partner and customer for the past decade.
His integrity is legendary in the business circuit.
He has adopted the rigorous processes of Six Sigma quality standards
to stay nimble as the company grows.
The workaholic chairman doesn't lose much sleep over share price
either. Premji's dominant stake in the company lets him execute

strategy without worrying about pleasing shareholders. "The company is
run to deliver its long-term and short-term goals, not with any view
of the stock price," says Premji.
Employees say Premji is often better prepared for meetings than they
are. He grills executives with tough questions but welcomes feedback
and dissenting opinions. While Premji can be curt, he rarely raises
his voice, instead expressing displeasure through calm, public
observations about where and how managers have failed. "I demand of
others only what I demand of myself," Premji says. He is an exacting
task master, an authoritarian personality.
While both Dhirubhai and Premji are looked up to by their employees,
Wipro, nonetheless, has higher attrition rates, perhaps because they
think it's a low-return job, with them having no stakes in the
company.
Premji firmly believes that ordinary people are capable of
extraordinary things. The key to this is creating highly charged
teams. He takes a personal interest in developing teams and leaders.
He invests significant time as a faculty in Wipro's leadership
development programs. Dhirubhai, on the other hand preferred to be
surrounded by loyalists. Azim Premji believes in creating a pipeline
of available leadership options, in grooming next generation leaders.
"Too much attention is paid to individuals as leaders. Leadership is
much more than that. It is about every small act of each person in an
organisation. Outstanding organisations are built on small acts of
leadership, day on day. We have tried to build a culture of leadership

around this simple thought, and I think that if Wipro is rated as the
'Top Leadership' company, it is a summation of the acts of leadership
of Wipro's 30,000 employees." : Azim Premji
His leadership style has evolved directly from his character. Over the
years, he has tried hard to separate his self from the company he
mostly owns. His lifestyle resembles that of an ascetic entrepreneur
of the Protestant age. Frugal and successful. Not using the money and
power to further individual interests, but rising above it. And he
brings these values to his organization as well.

Leadership Styles of Indian Business Leaders

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Leadership Styles of Indian Business Leaders

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Leadership Styles of Indian Business Leaders

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Leadership styles of two Indian Business Leaders- Dhirubhai Ambani

(RIL), and Azim Hasham Premji (Wipro)

A business leader is he who can provide leadership in business, simply

saying. This leadership in business can be measured in terms of

building a very successful enterprise, in terms of market

capitalisation, innovativeness of the product and dominance in the

Ambani, a man with a world view.

that every individual is born into an orbit in which he will probably

How did Dhirubhai Ambani do this? By winning in the market, acquiring

an impressive set of competencies, and by making a large enough number

of people share his dreams.

Many critics argue that Reliance's phenomenal success, particularly in

and regulations(License Raj), which seemed to have been designed by

manipulated the corridors of power, Reliance only did that better.

competencies in project management, finance mobilisation and

influencing the regulatory environment supported its high volume —

low-cost strategy of putting up ever-larger scale plants.

everyone thought he had finally arrived, he himself felt he was only

It is hard to imagine Reliance without Dhirubhai Ambani. The teacher's

humble beginnings in textiles, the group now comprises a

fully-integrated polymers, fibers and chemicals business, with

upstream activity in oil refining and power and ambitions in

exploration, gasoline retailing, life sciences and telecom/information

Subscribing to an unfailing commitment to excellence and demanding the

same from others is the kernel of Dhirubhai's leadership style. This

is ensured by continuous attention to development of skills, by

setting exacting performance targets, and by investing a humane

outlook in the entire operation.

In short, Dhirubhai was a charismatic leader, who never followed a

text book style of management. Instead he developed a unique style,

which combined the American style of entrepreneurship with the

Japanese focus on the latest technology. To this he added the innate

ability to influence people. His genius lay in figuring out a win-win

solution, producing a spectacular buy-in from the people he dealt

India, seems focused on just one goal: even more success.

father in 1945 to a colossus by Indian standards: 23,000 employees,

$902 million in revenues(2003).

his honesty, financial discipline, and ability to attract top

professionals. "He does business straight, eyeball to eyeball," says

His integrity is legendary in the business circuit.

He has adopted the rigorous processes of Six Sigma quality standards

to stay nimble as the company grows.

either. Premji's dominant stake in the company lets him execute

of the stock price," says Premji.

are. He grills executives with tough questions but welcomes feedback

and dissenting opinions. While Premji can be curt, he rarely raises

his voice, instead expressing displeasure through calm, public

others only what I demand of myself," Premji says. He is an exacting

task master, an authoritarian personality.

While both Dhirubhai and Premji are looked up to by their employees,

Wipro, nonetheless, has higher attrition rates, perhaps because they

think it's a low-return job, with them having no stakes in the

Premji firmly believes that ordinary people are capable of

extraordinary things. The key to this is creating highly charged

teams. He takes a personal interest in developing teams and leaders.

He invests significant time as a faculty in Wipro's leadership

development programs. Dhirubhai, on the other hand preferred to be

surrounded by loyalists. Azim Premji believes in creating a pipeline

of available leadership options, in grooming next generation leaders.

"Too much attention is paid to individuals as leaders. Leadership is