Nestle India’s Chairman, Suresh Narayanan, emphasized the need for ethical and empathetic leadership in corporate India. He believes that there is a dearth of good leadership in the country and that companies should focus on developing leaders who can handle crises with ethics and empathy. Narayanan stressed that leaders should prioritize the well-being of their organization and employees over personal career concerns. He also suggested that investors should consider sustainable leadership as a key metric for evaluating a company’s worth, rather than just looking at financial performance.
Narayanan, who led Nestle India through challenging times, including the Maggi crisis in 2015, shared his personal experiences of handling crises in various markets. He emphasized the importance of leaders being confident, selfless, and prioritizing organizational culture over personal success. He also highlighted the need for leaders to understand and forge a path ahead for their organization, live with its purpose and values, and unleash the power of their people.
The outgoing chairman of Nestle India criticized the current state of leadership in corporate India, saying that people are becoming too self-centered and the workplace is becoming “corrosive.” He emphasized the need for leaders to engage with employees empathetically and build a culture of trust and support, even in challenging times. Narayanan also stressed that most organizational failures are due to poor leadership rather than flawed strategies, citing issues like self-centeredness, hubris, and governance problems.
Narayanan proposed that leaders should be judged on three characteristics: their ability to understand and forge a path ahead for their organization, their ability to live with its purpose and values, and their ability to unleash and orchestrate the power of their people. He also suggested that investors should look beyond financial performance and consider the sustainability of a company’s leadership when evaluating its worth.
Overall, Narayanan’s message is that corporate India needs to develop a new generation of leaders who prioritize ethics, empathy, and organizational well-being over personal success. By doing so, companies can build a culture of trust and support, and achieve long-term success. As Narayanan prepares to step down as chairman of Nestle India, his words of wisdom offer a valuable lesson for leaders across the country.