The Power Of One

Sanjeev Kumar, Chairman And Managing Director Of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co Ltd, Insists A Good Leader Should Be Accountable For His Team’s Mistakes.

- Jodie Darlington

While many managers are quick to blame their team when things go wrong, Sanjeev Kumar is adamant that a good leader should always take full responsibility. “Leadership is not failing your team when they need you,” he declares. “Leadership is taking responsibility on your head when things go wrong and answering to the public.”

As Chairman and Managing Director of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co Ltd (MSEDCL), Sanjeev explains this is no small task. MSEDCL is the largest electricity distribution company in India and employs 79,000 people. “I’m responsible for running the company efficiently and profitably, as well as ensuring reliable and quality power supply to more than 25 million consumers,” he says.

According to Sanjeev, communicating effectively and working as a team is essential in such a large organisation. “It’s a very big company, so without a good team, this can’t work,” he reasons. “Bringing all the people together on the same page is a tough task. Each message needs to be correctly understood by everyone. Therefore, I must ensure I clearly communicate my vision and objectives to my team.”

Sanjeev joined MSEDCL in late 2015 after more than 25 years of experience working for government departments, ranging from taxation to water supply and sanitation. “When I was given this role, I felt that it was a perfect fit for my background, competencies and knowledge,” he recalls. “I studied engineering and then I did my master’s in finance. I feel that I also have an appetite for legal things. I thought it would be very challenging because it’s a corporation, which means we have to be independent. We can’t be going to the government asking for funds. We have to make money, satisfy our employees, satisfy consumers and improve our results. So, it was a very good challenge.”