A Leader's Walk To Bestowing Organizational Success

Vikram Labhe, Vice President & Managing Director, Fivetran India

Vikram Labhe, Vice President & Managing Director, Fivetran India

1. With two decades of global experience, what values are most important to you as a leader?
The value that I treasure most is trust and mutual respect. The ease in which we can lose it and the immense difficulty to regain it means that these, in my opinion, are the most important characteristics to establish the human connection that can spur everyone in an organisation to work towards a common goal and achieve unparalleled success. When we cultivate a business environment centred on trust and mutual respect, it enhances employee engagement and retention, reduces uncertainties and conflicts, elevates performances and gives new talent confidence to pursue long and fruitful careers in an organisation.

In order to achieve high levels of trust and mutual respect, transparency is another value that I always stress on. When our people feel assured that their leader is being human, honest, constantly keeping them informed of developments (be it good or bad) and also welcomes constructive feedback, it leads to organic building of relationships and a sense of loyalty that fosters a more harmonious and trustworthy work environment. This drives the whole organisation to pull together as a team through ups and downs to achieve the company’s desired outcomes.

2.Managing operations of multinational companies in India is very complex; how should a leader monitor the performance of his people?
First of all, beyond professional credentials, we must look for certain traits in those that we bring on board to ensure that they are the right fit to accomplish our goals and objectives. This includes both technical and cultural fit. Of course all hiring decisions are a risk but if we have the right principles in place to ensure that they fit into our identity, are aligned with our goals and feel like they belong in that environment, we can create a fantastic place to work. Leaders must also be committed to empowering their people with new ideas, new skills and accountability. Accountability, especially, is extremely important because when employees are given the opportunity to take ownership of crucial tasks,it showcases the trust and confidence their leadership has in them to execute and deliver.

It also helps them develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities which bodes well for their own ambitions to become leaders one day. As a leader one has to set the standards therefore accountability begins at the top. Only if leaders lead by example will his or her people have faith in them. With accountability at the forefront, leaders do not necessarily need to micromanage their

people.Employee performance is largely driven by the satisfaction of being appreciated in an organisation. When they take pride in the work they do, they have the confidence to be autonomous, remain engaged, driven to succeed, and deliver the innovation demanded by our customers and the industry.

3.In your opinion, how should leaders accomplish responsibilities efficiently?
In fast growth companies, change and advancement is inevitable. Therefore, it’s very important for leaders to constantly educate their people on the purpose of their company, immediate and long-term objectives, how they intend to go about achieving them and ensure everyone buys in to their template for success. These include clearly outlining the responsibilities of each department to develop positive connection and working relationships and also highlighting each individual’s impact on the progress of the company.

People chose and are loyal to leaders that they trust, respect, and feel comfortable interacting with everyday

Vikram Labhe, Vice President & Managing Director, Fivetran India

4.As “culture stuff” is the root of a thriving company, what should be the leaders take on this?
Culture is the fabric of an organisation. Instilling and embracing a corporate culture begins from the top which means that the leadership must, first and foremost, model the culture they wish to see resonate with their people. At Fivetran, our culture,which is deeply rooted in our One Team One Dream (1T1D)core value, shapes our identity. Our leaders unanimously believe in a culture that is centred on honesty, trust and a sense of belonging which played a crucial role in holding our workforce together during tough times, particular the last two years.

We have also built a culture of giving by supporting a number of charities and causes. One prominent example is a charity campaign that we conducted in late 2021, where we raised USD 35,000 for UNICEF India when Covid-19 ravaged large parts of the country.

At the end of the day, it’s extremely important for everyone in a company to truly believe in the culture because, beyond just being part of an organisation, they are also brand ambassadors of the culture.

5.What is the success mantra for upcoming leaders that you want to advise?
People chose and are loyal to leaders that they trust, respect and feel comfortable to interact with every day. To be a strong leader, one needs to invest time and effort to build relationships to foster mutual trust and respect which, in turn, earns the leader the loyalty and commitment of his or her people. This will also set a positive tone for their own development as future leaders.

On this note, it is often assumed that individuals are promoted to a higher position by their organisations. While this is true to some extent, it is just as important to realise that it’s also our people that promote us to where we are today. So, it’s vital for leaders to build a leadership succession plan to take over those that transition into other roles or leave the company or retire. In the words of American attorney and author Ralph Nader, “the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.”

An effective succession plan will define how a company runs when a management shake-up is required. It also helps inspire confidence in people to see their leader as an enabler. In a growing organisation, a leader will always have new challenges to confront and new horizons to conquer so, in reality, one never really becomes redundant.