Prabhat Chaturvedi, CEO, Netafim Agricultural Financing Agency reveals his perspectives about the leadership qualities for today and tomorrow:
There is a deluge of information in today’s times. Is information absorption and analysis taking up more/less/same time as earlier for you? And why?
The development of global networks, the internet of things, digital cultures, and technologies have opened numerous ways to establish information flows. It has made the transmission and storage of information efficient and flexible. Collecting huge amounts of data and their analysis with artificial intelligence techniques is becoming the trend. We are seeing that more time, effort, and resources are invested in capturing, storing, and organizing data at a humongous scale in the context of prescriptive analysis.
While it is helping large organizations, mid and small-size organizations are struggling to invest heavily in AI/ML projects due to costs being immediate and recurring with no certainty on returns or may take longer time than expected. If only very large organizations can benefit from the evolution of technology, it’ll create an elite layer of almost unbeatable organizations and not help the development of everyone. Understanding what to look for, where, and why makes the difference between a good and a bad audit. However, due to the abundance of information available today on the Internet, it’s necessary to narrow down the information to be obtained and to measure the time required.
What areas are you exploring to help you become a better leader?
Mainly two areas – empathy & evolving technology. Leaders need to be increasingly empathetic towards their teams, and colleagues as sometimes they struggle to keep pace with the changes in today’s increasingly uncertain, volatile and unforgiving world. Despite doing one’s best, some colleagues or team members may not succeed at times. They should be given considerable coaching and a long rope. Employees are increasingly flocking to and will continue to be attracted to, great organizations with empathetic leadership. Second, leaders need to evolve with the ever-increasing digital transformation. Leaders of tomorrow need to be front-runners in this frantically transforming technological development. I have just completed a 11-month Executive Program on Digital Transformation from an IIM. To summarize, being empathetic and being on top of your game will help you become a better leader.
What do you think differentiates unconventional leaders from conventional leaders?
I don’t subscribe to the ‘conventional’ or ‘unconventional’ bifurcation of the leaders. In my opinion, some leaders are dogmatic, and they stick to the ‘known knowns’. They refrain from experimenting with unknowns. Some leaders are more adventurous and experimental. It also depends on the prevailing circumstances whether the leader has the luxury of making unconventional choices.
What kind of leaders does the world need more of in the days to come? What is your favorite technique to be a fast learner?
As I said earlier, the world needs more empathetic leaders. We all in general, are grappling with so many life-altering experiences like climate change, digital transformation, inflationary pressure, and geopolitical tensions between borders. People need leaders who understand their challenges, show them a path, and calm their frayed nerves. To be a fast learner, one must be perennially curious to learn more. True knowledge is in knowing that we know almost nothing. The best technique to be a fast learner is to have that mindset & be always ready to absorb more knowledge like a dry sponge.
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