Building Blocks: The importance of team, integrity, culture, hard work, responsibility, and humility

Last week’s reflections highlighted a distinct yet complementary set of qualities that entrepreneurs and professionals view as foundational to success. Entrepreneurs emphasised attributes such as attitude, belief, vision, purpose, and dedication, while professionals underscored the importance of team, integrity, culture, hard work, responsibility, and humility. A growth mindset was evident across both groups; however, entrepreneurial thinking is often centred on creating, while professional thinking is more focussed on managing. These are not opposing approaches, but interdependent capabilities. Both creation and management are essential for any organisation to grow, sustain performance, and endure over time.

A team serves as the essential foundation of every leadership journey

Early in their careers, many executives focus intensely on proving themselves before they grow into broader managerial responsibilities. Varun Berry, former Managing Director of Britannia Industries, reflected on this transition through his own experience and on the lesson he learned about the importance of people in leadership.

Berry said that when he began his career, he was an aggressive, target-driven manager who measured success almost entirely through business results. He prided himself on taking bold calls, challenging the status quo, and doing what others might hesitate to do. The leader he reported to had a similar style and paid little attention to team well-being, so Berry adopted the same approach. At that stage, he believed relentless focus on performance was the right way to lead.

Over time, however, he realised that this mindset had created distance between him and his team. That realisation became a turning point. He understood that the image of being constantly driven and hard-edged did not reflect who he truly was, but rather what he had learned to value early in his career. Gradually, he saw that business performance and people cannot be separated. Lasting success requires both strong results and strong relationships. For Berry, leadership matured when he moved beyond a narrow focus on targets and began to appreciate the central role of people in achieving sustainable success.

Teamwork makes the dream work — John C. Maxwell

“In my view, a leader’s strength is not primarily derived from personal brilliance but rather from the capacity to cultivate a cohesive team and facilitate effective collaboration. I have always deemed this to be crucial, which is why I have dedicated considerable time to fostering an open culture that encourages contributions from all members. This type of culture does not necessitate unanimous agreement; individuals can hold differing opinions while still participating in sincere discussions. Even when decisions do not align with everyone’s preferences, what is important is that individuals comprehend the process, respect the rationale behind the decision, and are prepared to accept the results,” says Bjorn Kruizenga, Regional Managing Director, Orkla Asia Pacific.

Decision-making is the cornerstone of leadership

An individual makes over 35,000 decisions on average each day. Among these, some are critical to business operations. The consequences of a good or poor decision are felt immediately; however, sub-optimal choices and procrastination can be detrimental. Procrastination fosters uncertainty, diminishes confidence, and hinders progress. Effective leadership instils trust, offers clarity, and empowers teams to advance with intention.

According to Satyaki Ghosh, CEO and Whole-time Director at Raymond Lifestyle, one of the most crucial qualities a leader must cultivate is the capacity to make timely decisions. Every situation necessitates a response, and one of the most significant frustrations teams encounter is procrastination from leadership. When an issue is escalated, it is typically due to its complexity, urgency, or the fact that it exceeds the team’s authority. In such instances, individuals do not require delays; they require guidance. Not every decision will be correct, but leadership cannot afford to be paralysed. A competent leader makes decisions with conviction, whereas an exceptional leader does so with a high level of accuracy. In practical terms, at least 90% of decisions should be sound, and the benchmark for outstanding leadership is often closer to 95%. What is most important, however, is that leaders do not leave teams waiting when action is necessary.

There is no substitute for hard work

There is ongoing debate about smart work versus hard work, and about how many hours success really demands. Yet most accomplished business leaders agree on one point: there is no substitute for sustained effort. Meaningful transformation takes persistence, discipline, resilience, and patience. In a world that often celebrates instant success, many young professionals grow impatient and expect rewards too quickly. But lasting achievement is rarely built overnight.

Burnouts happen less if your resilience is high – Satyaki Ghosh, CEO and Whole-time Director, Raymond Lifestyle

Nipun Mehrotra, CEO of The Agri Collaboratory, speaks about a promise he made to himself when he left college which he has stayed true to ever since: even if he was not the smartest person in the room, he would always strive to be the hardest working. He believes that while intelligence and judgment are important, success ultimately depends on the willingness to stay committed, work relentlessly, and remain resilient through challenges. For him, achievement is not only about talent, but about endurance, persistence, and the discipline to stay the course over the long term. In his view, those who continue to apply themselves with determination and refuse to give up are the ones who eventually reach the summit of their ambitions.

Endurance is key

Angshu Mallick, Executive Deputy Chairman of AWL Agri Business Ltd, offers simple but profound advice to young people eager to grow quickly: in the early years of one’s career, pursue Goddess Saraswati first; Goddess Lakshmi will follow later. His message is clear: focus first on learning, capability, and wisdom rather than on money and status. If one chases wealth too early without building substance, neither knowledge nor long-term success will endure.

A core influence on Mallick’s journey was the wisdom of Dr Verghese Kurien. Dr Kurien reminded him that institutions such as Amul and IRMA were not created quickly; they were built patiently over decades, often beginning from barren ground with only conviction and vision. His lesson was to think in horizons of two, five, 10, or even 15 years, and to understand that institution building demands both imagination and steady labour over time.

“This framework—consisting of vision, team development, and systematic execution—acts as a proven model for generating business momentum, frequently leading to what is known as a snowball effect. This strategy has allowed the Amul ecosystem to positively influence millions of lives, thus transforming the entire rural economy and improving livelihoods. Furthermore, it has emerged as a model to be replicated within the Indian dairy sector,” says Rahul Kumar Srivastava, COO, Parag Milk Foods.

Reflecting on his own experience at AWL Agri Business Ltd, Mallick spoke about starting in 1999 as the company’s first employee in a modest 100-sq.-ft room and later helping build a business with FY26 revenue of more than ₹74,000 crore. Through that journey, he came to value humility, consistency, and above all accountability. His personal principle was simple: if he said something, he had to deliver it.

That mindset shaped how he led. When AWL set out to build the country’s largest port-based plant, he understood that such promises required not just ambition, but the ability to build the marketing, sales, and distribution systems needed to make them work. He rejected the idea of making grand plans and leaving before results could be measured. If he committed to a three- or five-year plan, he expected to be there in the fifth year to answer for it. For him, leadership meant staying long enough to see commitments through and being accountable for every promise made.

Integrity is like breathing

Integrity and humility are easy to speak about but difficult to practise consistently. Many leaders publicly celebrate values, culture, openness, and transparency, yet these principles mean little unless they are reflected in daily decisions and conduct. They must be lived, not merely stated. When honesty and integrity become a way of life, leadership earns credibility.

T.T. Srinivasaraghavan’s (former Managing Director of Sundaram Finance) account illustrates this with rare clarity and authenticity. “In my early days at Sundaram Finance, when I was still a young officer, Mr Raman, who headed the business, called for me to clarify a matter. As I waited outside his office, two men emerged. One was a familiar visitor. The other I knew for the wrong reasons: he had a reputation for dishonesty, and I believed he should never have been entertained by our organisation. I immediately entered Mr Raman’s office and, without the restraint I should have shown, challenged him about the man’s presence. I described what I knew and warned that we should not do business with him. Mr Raman remained calm, but my youthful anger got the better of me, and he eventually ended the exchange. Later, I realised I had been disrespectful, even if my concern was genuine. Despite my warning, the facility was sanctioned, supported by a strong guarantor. Within a year, the account turned bad. Mr Raman later told me that although he had trusted the guarantor and believed the company’s money was protected, he wished he had taken my warning more seriously. The defining moment came when the matter reached the board for write-off. Mr Raman could have explained it as a recoverable mistake and moved on. Instead, in front of the entire board, outside directors, and his team, he said the transaction should never have been approved and openly acknowledged that I had warned him against it.

 “That moment has stayed with me ever since. Many people speak about integrity, transparency, humility, and courage, but very few demonstrate those values when it is personally costly. For a senior leader to admit his mistake publicly, give credit to a junior colleague, and accept accountability without defensiveness was, to me, one of the clearest examples of true character and leadership. That is why I regard this not merely as a story about being right, but as a lasting lesson in humility, integrity, and courage of conviction.”

He further said, “Sundaram Finance did not need a celebrity brand ambassador because each of its 5,000 employees represented the company’s values in every customer interaction. What gave him the greatest pride, he said, was being able to tell employees with complete conviction that the company would never ask them to do anything that would cost them a good night’s sleep. That assurance, extended as CEO, reflected the organisation’s deepest strength.” In nearly two decades at Sundaram Finance, he considered it a rare blessing that he was never pressurised to compromise its core beliefs and values.

Values are your foundational building blocks

It is often said that charity begins at home, and similarly, your dedication to your work and business also originates from your home environment. While you continue to develop your skills throughout your life, the home environment plays a crucial role during the formative years in establishing core values.

Sanjay Sharma, CEO of ORKLA India, believes that individuals should be defined not by their achievements or financial standing, but by the quality of their character. In his view, being a good human being is the most meaningful measure of success.

His father was one of the strongest influences in shaping his character and outlook. The values he embodied, the discipline with which he worked, and the way he responded to different situations left a lasting impression on Sharma from an early age. He believes that the culture of any organisation is ultimately shaped by the values of its leaders. He identifies respect, values, and commitment to the brand as the principles that have shaped both his personal philosophy and his leadership approach.

A fundamental principle that defines him is respect for every individual, irrespective of role or status. He believes that dignity and gratitude should extend equally to colleagues, drivers, housekeeping staff, security personnel, and all those who contribute to the organisation. The second pillar is being values-driven. Values help leaders distinguish right from wrong, especially when decisions must be made under pressure. Principles such as integrity, honesty, and fairness guide sound judgment and enable leaders to act with consistency, clarity, and responsibility. The third pillar is commitment to the organisation, the brand, and the consumer. One should work not for an individual, but for the larger purpose the organisation serves. In consumer businesses, this means dedicating oneself to the brand and to those it exists to serve. Such purpose fosters ownership, accountability, meaningful work, and lasting credibility.

Team’s growth is a leader’s responsibility

An effective leader serves as a steward, placing the welfare and development of their team above their own ego or aspirations.

“A pivotal moment in my professional journey occurred around 2004 or 2005, when I was given the responsibility of expanding Himalaya,” states Philipe Haydon, former CEO of Himalaya Wellness. “At that time, my spiritual guide asked me a question that stayed with me: Was I there merely to occupy a position and earn a salary, or was I there to make a meaningful difference to the people who looked up to me? Though he was far removed from the corporate world, his words were both simple and profound. He made me realise that leadership carries a deeper obligation. If one is only drawing a salary, one contributes very little. Real purpose begins when one accepts responsibility for the growth and future of others.

“That insight changed the way I led. I introduced a strong culture of training and created what we called the medical representative-to-CEO pathway. Every person who joined the company was told that they were not expected to remain in the same role forever. There was a clear path to progress, and at every stage the organisation would invest in their development. Employees could grow from medical representative or sales officer to frontline, second-line, and third-line leadership roles. To support that journey, we invested heavily in capability building and had 350 trainers despite being a relatively small organisation. Some questioned whether such spending was excessive. I never saw it that way. For me, investing in people was not a cost; it was a responsibility. If leadership means anything, it means creating opportunities for others to grow, succeed, and believe that their future can be larger than their present role.”

Risk-taking is an intrinsic characteristic of effective leadership

Prithvi Shergill states, “I have often chosen the less conventional path. Whenever faced with important decisions, I have tend to favour options that were less tested and more experimental than those most people would choose. That willingness to take the unconventional route has, more often than not, helped me rather than hurt me. A defining pattern in my career has been a preference for working on the most important challenges facing an organisation at a given point in time. Whether by volunteering, or by being assigned, or by aligning myself to critical priorities, I have tried to contribute where the stakes mattered most. Every role includes routine tasks, and not all work appears significant in the moment. Yet, in the larger context, I believe my most meaningful contributions have come from applying myself to agendas that were central to the organisation’s progress and success.”

The three Cs of leadership

Vivek Nadadur, former Global Head of Data Management at Cisco and Founder of Zyomii, describes three principles as the foundations of his leadership approach: clarity, communication, and consistency – the three Cs.

1. Clarity means ensuring that everyone understands what they are doing, why they are doing it, and the purpose behind their role.

2. Communication is the ability to articulate expectations clearly, whether in writing or in person, so that teams understand priorities, timing, and responsibilities.

3. Consistency is often overlooked, yet it is critical. Leaders must stay steady in their message and direction rather than shifting focus frequently in pursuit of the next shiny opportunity. Sustained credibility comes from alignment between words, actions, and priorities over time.

Adapt or Vanish

According to Tarun Arora, CEO of Zydus Wellness, adaptability is one of the most critical qualities required to succeed in today’s BANI world—a world that is brittle, anxious, non-linear, and often incomprehensible. He argues that when individuals become rigid in their expectations about how the world should function, they create unnecessary constraints for themselves. Reality rarely unfolds according to plan, and too much time can be lost resisting what has already happened rather than responding constructively to it. He points to the COVID period as a powerful example. During that time, no one had control over the external environment, and survival depended largely on the ability to adjust quickly and continue moving forward despite uncertainty. In his view, difficult situations are inevitable; the real question is whether people choose to accept, adapt, and respond, or merely react with frustration because events did not unfold as expected. Adaptability, therefore, becomes essential not only for individual resilience, but also for effective collaboration with colleagues, teams, and partners in a constantly shifting environment. Importantly, he distinguishes adaptability from inconsistency. To adapt does not mean abandoning one’s values, purpose, or long-term direction. Rather, it means adjusting tactics, approaches, and responses to navigate difficult terrain. Purpose should remain steady; what must change is the way one moves through disruption. In that sense, adaptability is not about changing who you are, but about finding the most effective way to keep progressing through uncertainty, complexity, and change.

(Part 2 of a four-part series. The writer is the author of Building Blocks: Lessons on leadership that I’ve learnt on my journey, and the founder of Prajna Consulting, a boutique consulting firm. Views are personal.)