Book Review: Sriprakash Nadadhur Sridharan’s 'Building Blocks' makes leadership lessons relatable through real-life experiences

There have been umpteen books on leadership across all levels, yet the ones that do stand out are those grounded in the real world and deeply relatable, entwined with personal experiences and lessons. One such book is Building Blocks: Lessons on Leadership I’ve Learnt on My Journey by Sriprakash Nadadhur Sridharan. While his name may not immediately ring a bell, Sridharan has worn several hats in his diverse professional journey, including his latest as Visiting Faculty at the Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship. In addition to running his own boutique consulting firm, Prajna Consulting, Sridharan’s two-decade-long career has taken him across companies as varied as IBM India, AC Nielsen, and MTR (now Orkla), spanning cross-functional roles in business development, consulting, and marketing.

Unlike typical management books, Sridharan breaks down all attributes—personal or professional—into “snackable” takeaways at the end of each chapter. “Snackable” because they can be consumed by everyone, right down to a school-going child. There are no complex strategies or behavioural matrices that Sridharan has conjured up—thankfully so, considering his grounding in market research! Instead, he draws from real-life episodes and instances—from his childhood and college days to his professional life and personal experiences as a parent, husband, neighbour, citizen, and close kin.

At first glance, some takeaways may seem trivial. For instance, the story of why he fought with his aunt and didn’t speak to her before making up—but the episode resonates precisely because of its relatability to our daily lives.

As the saying goes, charity begins at home—and the same holds true for leadership. The incidents and episodes from our early years—whether as school or college students or within our personal spaces—often shape our characteristics, consciously or subconsciously, which only get reinforced through our professional journey. The author brings to the surface what may appear trivial at first but proves more relevant on a second read—for example, how obeying traffic rules is about choosing what is right over what is convenient.

In many ways, the book serves as a ready reckoner, helping you steer clear of certain value traps through clarity of thought. While it is positioned as a guide to value-based leadership for entrepreneurs and business professionals, in all earnestness, these Building Blocks may well reinforce the maxim: “how you do anything is how you do everything.”