In the hot seat
It can’t be easy being the CEO of a company whose erstwhile promoter is in jail, whose cash position is uncertain and whose clients and employers appear poised to fly the coop.
It can’t be easy being the CEO of a company whose erstwhile promoter is in jail, whose cash position is uncertain and whose clients and employers appear poised to fly the coop. But then Achutuni Sreenivasa Murty, the new CEO of Satyam Computer Services, has a simple formula to take on the challenges ahead of him. “Do not surprise people,” quips Murty or ASM as he is known within Satyam.
Murty’s game plan is to follow a decision-making process that is inclusive yet decisive. “A leader must take time out to discuss with all concerned, involve them, understand them and be with them in their difficulties,” says the CEO. He strongly believes in practising a nonhierarchical and participative approach in decision making. “This is a time-consuming exercise but it’s an investment a leader has to make,” he adds.
That investment has to be magnified many times over in the case of the 50-year-old soft-spoken electrical engineer, given the uncertainty that shrouds Satyam. The former Head of human resources at Satyam—a company where he’s put in 15 years—will have to pull off a miracle of sorts to get Satyam back on track. This involves keeping back employees and clients by injecting confidence into them about Satyam’s staying power over the long term. Says Kavil Ramachandran, Associate Dean, Academic Programmes, Indian School of Business (ISB): “The real test (of Murty’s leadership) will be in how he is able to convince clients about the sustainability of doing business with Satyam and how, internally, he is able to project himself as a pillar of strength. This will call for an ability to provide competitive leadership on the external front and compassionate leadership on the internal side.”
Murty is an ardent admirer of Jack Welch, former Chairman & CEO of General Electric (which is, incidentally, one of Satyam’s biggest customers). He also draws inspiration from F.C. Kohli, Former Deputy Chairman, TCS, and the man responsible for putting Indian IT on the world map. “What impressed me about him was his vision along with attention to detail,” says Murty.
Murty also admires Mahatma Gandhi for his ability to “carry along with him lakhs of people and, finally, emerge a winner.” The CEO has to do something similar at Satyam. His advantage, perhaps, is that although the Rajus stand disgraced, Satyam doesn’t. Not yet. “The good thing is that the company has provided quality service to clients. It is crucial to continue doing that,” says Arvind Thakur, CEO, NIIT Technologies. Without surprising too many people that is.
—E. Kumar Sharma
Murty’s game plan is to follow a decision-making process that is inclusive yet decisive. “A leader must take time out to discuss with all concerned, involve them, understand them and be with them in their difficulties,” says the CEO. He strongly believes in practising a nonhierarchical and participative approach in decision making. “This is a time-consuming exercise but it’s an investment a leader has to make,” he adds.
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That investment has to be magnified many times over in the case of the 50-year-old soft-spoken electrical engineer, given the uncertainty that shrouds Satyam. The former Head of human resources at Satyam—a company where he’s put in 15 years—will have to pull off a miracle of sorts to get Satyam back on track. This involves keeping back employees and clients by injecting confidence into them about Satyam’s staying power over the long term. Says Kavil Ramachandran, Associate Dean, Academic Programmes, Indian School of Business (ISB): “The real test (of Murty’s leadership) will be in how he is able to convince clients about the sustainability of doing business with Satyam and how, internally, he is able to project himself as a pillar of strength. This will call for an ability to provide competitive leadership on the external front and compassionate leadership on the internal side.”
Murty is an ardent admirer of Jack Welch, former Chairman & CEO of General Electric (which is, incidentally, one of Satyam’s biggest customers). He also draws inspiration from F.C. Kohli, Former Deputy Chairman, TCS, and the man responsible for putting Indian IT on the world map. “What impressed me about him was his vision along with attention to detail,” says Murty.
Murty also admires Mahatma Gandhi for his ability to “carry along with him lakhs of people and, finally, emerge a winner.” The CEO has to do something similar at Satyam. His advantage, perhaps, is that although the Rajus stand disgraced, Satyam doesn’t. Not yet. “The good thing is that the company has provided quality service to clients. It is crucial to continue doing that,” says Arvind Thakur, CEO, NIIT Technologies. Without surprising too many people that is.
—E. Kumar Sharma
