Conquering the Chaos: Win in India, Win Everywhere by Ravi Venkatesan Page A

It is intense.
     There are many incredibly frustrating moments: when you feel misunderstood and unappreciated;
     when you feel angry and let down by people; when you ask yourself if it’s worth it.
     It’s an extraordinary test of who you are as a person and as a leader.
    To make this one of the defining experiences of your life, two things are important
     to recognize. One, you need the right perspective. Remember the story of the three
     stonecutters? A man runs into three stonecutters and asks them what they are doing.
     The first replies that it is obvious that he is cutting stones. The second says that
     he is cutting stones to build a wall. The third looks up at the sky and responds that
     he is helping to build a cathedral. They are all doing the same work, but the spirit
     and perspective they bring to it is different and so is their experience of it. It’s
     much the same with being a country manager. You can approach it as a three-year stint
     and do a competent job, or you can see it as a unique opportunity to build an institution,
     to affect lives and society, to make a difference, and to leave a legacy. I have found
     it much more satisfying to bring such a sense of purpose to the role. That helped
     sustain me through many challenges and disappointments. It also helped me be more
     successful.
    The second thing to recognize is that taking a long-term approach implies that this
     is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s important to manage yourself and not burn out. Years
     ago, I was asked: if you cannot manage yourself, how can you manage an organization
     of thousands of people? Good question. Given the intensity of the role, its challenges,
     and its relentless nature, you have to learn to be more disciplined and manage yourself
     and your life. This means taking care of yourself physically, eating right, and exercising,
     despite the grueling hours and travel. You have to cultivate balance, taking the time
     for vacations, being with family, sustaining friendships, and developing a hobby.
     That means disconnecting and having the discipline to shut off your e-mail and phone.
     It’s important to have people who will be honest with you and give you the feedback
     you need to hear. It’s vital to have a good mentor whom you can turn to for wisdom.
     Being disciplined makes a dramatic difference to productivity and your resilience.
     Those elements are important if you want to achieve your full potential. 5
    THE TAKEAWAYS
In India and China, companies have the opportunity to build multibillion-dollar businesses
     but have to work in a challenging environment. To do this, the country head must be
     an entrepreneurial general manager, not a sales head.
The country manager role in these countries is a smaller version or microcosm of the
     global CEO’s role. There are few roles in a company where a leader has a complete
     view of the company and all its products, brands, and functions. So these are ideal
     roles to develop the next generation of executive leadership.
Implicit trust in the character, judgment, and competence of the country manager is
     of paramount importance, given the cultural and geographic distance and the many risks
     in India. Trust has four aspects. Integrity and honesty are obvious. A second is good
     judgment; many situations that arise every day require an immediate response based
     on sound common sense. Trust is knowing that the country manager is aligned with the
     global strategy and that he or she isn’t pursuing a different agenda. Finally, trust
     is confidence in the country manager’s ability to execute well and be predictable.
     That’s why many companies put a trusted veteran in the role rather than someone who
     knows the market. They must resolve this compromise; the country manager must be someone
     who knows the market and is trusted.
Many traits and competencies are needed for success, but five are extraordinarily
     good determinants of successful leaders: