This year’s annual Most Valuable CEOs are from varied industries, redefining leadership mantras in a challenging economic arena.
TO BE A CEO is a calling. You should not do it because it is a job. It is a calling, and you have got to be involved in it with your head, heart and hands,” once said Indra Nooyi, CEO, PepsiCo
If great businesses can sprout from the most unlikely backgrounds and situations, so too can great CEOs. With the blazing speed of reactions today to major decisions of CEO, it’s definitely not an easy era to be one. And it has not been so in the past three years — the period of the BW-Cedar Management Consulting study of the Most Valuable CEOs.
At the start of 2014, credit off-take in the economy had begun to be squeezed, and companies started cutting back on investing. CEOs were struggling and stretching themselves to alter strategies after the gutwrenching slowdown of 2013 and were seeking ways to conserve capital. The questions during those crucial years were: should we invest now or later? Should we continue with this product line or do away with that one? Should we invest more capital or re-direct resources the other way? And so on.
There were no easy answers. But some CEOs, to stay profitable, found newer areas of growth, paths untrodden but promising. Others tweaked their business models and came out ahead. Yet others, to strengthen their brands and business, invested further in research and development. When businesses require course corrections and ‘re-engineering,’ CEOs, perforce, have to lead the change. At times though, re-engineering is not needed, but a relentless focus on the goal.
This story is from the March 08, 2017 edition of Businessworld.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 08, 2017 edition of Businessworld.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MEMORIES & IMPRESSIONS
Ratan Tata was an exceptional human being. He was a visionary leader, esteemed industrialist, and a humanitarian, who left an indelible mark on India and the world.
The Robotaxi Market
The robotaxi market is shaping up to be a high-stakes battleground as tech giants and automakers race to transform urban mobility.
And the Nobel Prize Goes to AI
The recent Nobel Prize T awards to AI pioneers affiliated with Google have sparked a broader conversation about Big Tech's influence on research and the limitations of traditional prize categories.
Ola Electrified
Once considered a trailblazer in India’s electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem, Bhavish Aggarwal’s Ola Electric now faces a major accountability crisis.
Sharp Slide in Industrial Output on Eve of Deepavali
India’s index of industrial production (IIP) saw a sharp reversal in August, contracting by 0.1 per cent, in stark contrast to the 4.7 per cent growth in July, mostly because of significant contractions in mining and electricity generation.
Heralding the Solar Era with Sustainable Electrification
RAJEEV KASHYAP on the economics of solar power, the hurdles in scaling it, and much more
A WELL-GREASED MACHINE
The OmniBook X14 laptop runs on first-generation Snapdragon X Elite, which bets big on Al-enabled productivity and battery life, but falls short when it comes to overall experience, says Deep Majumdar
DO NOT LETA HEALTH CRISIS RUIN YOUR FINANCIAL HEALTH
For a family of four living in a metro, it is recommended to opt for a family floater health insurance plan with a sum insured of at least Rs 15-20 lakh
Disruption Ahead: Beyond Organisation Charts and Structures
ALBERT EINSTEIN FAMOUSLY said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Dr. Rahul Shivajirao Kadam: A Visionary Leader Blending Sustainability, Innovation, And Social Empowerment
We are on the stage of global warming, and these technologies not only help prevent further damage but also leave behind a better environment for future generations.
