In the tussle between experience and energy, it's the latter that's in front these days in the race to the corner room. India Inc wants younger leaders. And it's not just newer industries like organised retail, aviation and telecom that want fresh blood at the top.
Traditional manufacturing companies, from Tata group companies to L&T, are hungry to hire leaders in the 30-45-year-old bracket.
The only problem? They are not easy to find at a time Indian companies need them the most. Ironically, finding young people isn't an issue – after all, one of two people is younger than 25 years of age in the country today. "The demographic dividend of the country is such that youth comes easy in this country," points out Chandrasekhar Sripada, vicepresident and head HR, IBM India/South Asia.The challenge is to groom the finest talent among the youth into leaders. "The frontlines of a number of companies need to be filled up with young leaders, and that is why we need so many of them," adds Sripada. Young leaders are also well placed to empathise with young consumers, understand their needs and speak and understand their language. "India Inc needs managers who understand the target audience out there," says Sonal Agrawal, CEO, Accord Group India, an executive search firm. The demographics aside, the advantages of a young leader are visible if you look at the success of some of the biggest global organisations. Bill Gates, Michael Dell, and the founders of Facebook and Google are just a few of the poster boys who are manifestations of the fire that burns in the belly of young entrepreneurs. Aggression, Speed & Innovation
Such names may be just the inspiration for India's new crop of young leaders. "Youth brings aggression, speed, and innovation, and when you are in a growth phase, you need physical and mental energy," says IBM's Sripada. IBM India starts identifying its potential leaders when they have 5-6 years of experience and in their late 20s.
Deepak Gupta, Country Head and MD of Korn/Ferry International, an executive search firm, says leaders with 8-10 years of experience are most sought after. "It's good to get young leaders because in senior leadership roles they have a fresh way of doing things; they are willing to challenge the old methods and norms; they are more enthusiastic," says Gupta. Dr YV Verma, COO, LG India echoes Gupta's views. "Young potential leaders tend to be openminded, can absorb ideas, and are more ready to take risks," he says. Perfect leaders would be the ones with close to a decade of experience across a variety of business verticals or functions – and who haven't, along the way, lost the passion for growth.
Traditional manufacturing companies, from Tata group companies to L&T, are hungry to hire leaders in the 30-45-year-old bracket.
The only problem? They are not easy to find at a time Indian companies need them the most. Ironically, finding young people isn't an issue – after all, one of two people is younger than 25 years of age in the country today. "The demographic dividend of the country is such that youth comes easy in this country," points out Chandrasekhar Sripada, vicepresident and head HR, IBM India/South Asia.The challenge is to groom the finest talent among the youth into leaders. "The frontlines of a number of companies need to be filled up with young leaders, and that is why we need so many of them," adds Sripada. Young leaders are also well placed to empathise with young consumers, understand their needs and speak and understand their language. "India Inc needs managers who understand the target audience out there," says Sonal Agrawal, CEO, Accord Group India, an executive search firm. The demographics aside, the advantages of a young leader are visible if you look at the success of some of the biggest global organisations. Bill Gates, Michael Dell, and the founders of Facebook and Google are just a few of the poster boys who are manifestations of the fire that burns in the belly of young entrepreneurs. Aggression, Speed & Innovation
Such names may be just the inspiration for India's new crop of young leaders. "Youth brings aggression, speed, and innovation, and when you are in a growth phase, you need physical and mental energy," says IBM's Sripada. IBM India starts identifying its potential leaders when they have 5-6 years of experience and in their late 20s.
Deepak Gupta, Country Head and MD of Korn/Ferry International, an executive search firm, says leaders with 8-10 years of experience are most sought after. "It's good to get young leaders because in senior leadership roles they have a fresh way of doing things; they are willing to challenge the old methods and norms; they are more enthusiastic," says Gupta. Dr YV Verma, COO, LG India echoes Gupta's views. "Young potential leaders tend to be openminded, can absorb ideas, and are more ready to take risks," he says. Perfect leaders would be the ones with close to a decade of experience across a variety of business verticals or functions – and who haven't, along the way, lost the passion for growth.
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