Check out the share price trend of Godrej Consumers Limited. Do you see that spike on 12th May? That’s more than 22% jump in a single day!
What happened? Good performance announced by the company?
Well, it’s not always the numbers that drive stock markets. A lot many times, ‘vision’ moulds market sentiments too. On 12th May 2021, it was announced that the leadership at Godrej is set to change. Mr. Sudhir Sitapati will join the ranks as the MD and CEO.
So, that’s it? A leadership change and the stock stonks?
Well, let us introduce you to Mr. Sudhir Sitapati first.
He is the Executive Director of HUL’s Food and Refreshment arm since 2018. And, he has worked with HUL ever since he started his career, which dates back to 1999! (Wow! Can our generation pull off something like that?)
Well, he puts it this way- “There was always a rational reason to leave HUL. Never an emotional one.”
During this journey, he has added many feathers to his cap. He led the Rs. 31,700cr merger of HUL and GSK, which brought brands such as Horlicks and Boost under HUL’s banner. He became the youngest member to join HUL’s management committee. And, he also wrote a book on management lessons that has been hailed as one of the best reads of 2020 by HBR.
But, keeping his accomplishments aside, it's his values that make him stand out. These values are the shoulders on which you carry an organization. And, these values alone have the potential to make or break the numbers on the bourses.
So today, we won’t be cracking numbers or business models. Instead, we will discuss the very thing that drives these. Here are some core values from Sudhir Sitapati’s value system that we all can take inspiration from:
You should not build heroes and villains too fast: Judging someone based on a few episodes, be it putting them on a pedestal or writing them off completely, might not be the right decision. People grow over time and they should be evaluated slowly and steadily.
Processes encourage professionalism, stories encourage entrepreneurship: Can you drive ownership by handing someone a set of flowcharts or SOPs? That’s the power of stories. They inspire you to do bigger and better things. They inspire you to rise above occasions and embrace the spirit of leadership and entrepreneurship. (Tweet this)
People who love the brand and hate the brand should say the same thing: Sitapati gave the example of Lifebuoy. He said that people who love the brand say that it has such a strong smell, it feels like a disinfectant. Also, the people who hate it, say the exact same thing! That’s how our personal brand should also be. If we are different things to different people, are we even authentic and honest?
Values should not be communicated. Those should live by themselves and find enough expressions for it: If you have to hammer the values down the throat of your people, is it even worth it? The leaders should live by their values and that should be enough for others to follow. (Tweet this)
Judgment, Influence and Drive are the three markers of potential and the emphasis shifts across these three during the career of a person. For the first few years, it is Drive, then it moves to Influence and eventually in senior management, it is Judgment: That’s a nice perspective, no? In the very early years of your career, it’s your enthusiasm to learn new things that sets you apart. But as you move along, you are not only responsible for your own growth, but you are responsible for the growth of your entire team. And ultimately, when you are at the pinnacle of your career, your decision making skills drive an organization.
Wow. Some great lessons for life, no?
Everyone’s betting that Godrej will benefit immensely under his leadership. But, at the same time, it’s also being said that change in leadership at an FMCG is almost always considered a good thing. Nah, it’s not just “being said;” past trend proves it - with Dabur, Britannia, Jubilant Foodworks. So, shouldn’t it happen again?
Which of these values would you want to incorporate in your career? Comment away!
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