PTI- Often regarded as a “people’s CEO”, Mahindra Group CEO and MD Anish Shah firmly believes that constructive dissent strengthens a company.
Eleven years ago, just a month into his tenure at the Mahindra Group, Shah said no to a proposal that his billionaire boss, Anand Mahindra, was planning to take to the board.
His viewpoint prevailed, and the board ultimately rejected the proposal. Today, as Group CEO and MD, Shah considers a ‘no’ from a junior colleague not as dissent, but as a valuable gift.
Shah, who became the chief executive of the Mahindra Group in April 2021, is someone who values constructive dissent and seeks out employees who prioritise the company above all else.
In an interview with PTI Videos, Shah credits Group Chairman Anand Mahindra for creating an empowering and open environment within the group.
He said most people have misconceptions about CEOs that everything can be done “through power”, but a good leader will get things done because others want to do it.
“We feel that empowering leaders really helps create a very good balance because if decisions are made by a small set of people, then you don’t get the right answers,” he said, when asked how the Mahindra group manages to strike a balance between its core competencies and innovation.
Elaborating further, he said, “Empowerment is not just to the next level, but to the level after that as well — people who are closer to the customer. It’s easier for them to innovate because they understand what customers’ needs are. We want to give them the freedom of expression in a product, in what they do, and that’s what allows us to be able to create that balance”.
Asked if he has ever had disagreements with Anand Mahindra, Shah recollected an incident 11 years back during his first month in the Mahindra Group after joining as its head of group strategy, when his opinion was sought about a proposal that was to be taken to the board for approval the next day.
“I saw that, and said I wouldn’t do this. And here’s why, all the reasons why I wouldn’t,” Shah reminisced, adding that, “Anand in his usual style, turns around and said, ‘Okay, I’m going to invite you to the board meeting tomorrow and ask you exactly the same question I asked you today, and I want you to give the board the same answer that you gave me today’.
At the board meeting the next day, Anand and another colleague presented the proposal to the board about what should be done and the funding required for it and there was a discussion on it, Shah recalled.
“Then Anand tells the board that ‘Anish has a point of view, which I want you to hear’. I get the floor. I shared exactly the same point of view, saying I would not do this, and here are the reasons why I would not do it.
“At the end of the discussion, the board decided not to do it,” he said.
Referring to the incident, Shah said, “That gives you a sense of the openness that Anand has always had in bringing in diverse views. As he always says, we need to get to the right answer for the company. And we would need to look at all the diversities before we…
Disclaimer
We strive to uphold the highest ethical standards in all of our reporting and coverage. We 5guruayurveda.com want to be transparent with our readers about any potential conflicts of interest that may arise in our work. It’s possible that some of the investors we feature may have connections to other businesses, including competitors or companies we write about. However, we want to assure our readers that this will not have any impact on the integrity or impartiality of our reporting. We are committed to delivering accurate, unbiased news and information to our audience, and we will continue to uphold our ethics and principles in all of our work. Thank you for your trust and support.
Website Upgradation is going on. For any glitch kindly connect at 5guruayurveda.com
