Being a leader or a CEO is not about titles but about habits, says Shiv Shivakumar, Group Executive President at Aditya Birla Group. The veteran corporate leader, who has led companies like PepsiCo and Nokia, believes that aspiring CEOs need to prepare well in advance for the demands of leadership.“When you become a CEO, you have to oversee many functions, and many people get that balance wrong. That balance actually develops 10–15 years earlier,” he said in an interview with CNBC-TV18.According to Shivakumar, a CEO cannot afford to be defined by a single function. “Many people end up being a super salesman as a CEO, or a super marketing person, or a super finance person. They don’t take the holistic view. You have to have a good appreciation because remember, when you are a CEO, there are about 10 to 15 people reporting to you. If you can’t add value to them, they won’t respect you,” he explained.
Leadership, however, is not just about managing teams. Shivakumar pointed out that today’s CEOs face extraordinary challenges from technology disruptions, evolving ecosystems and shrinking consumer attention spans. “India today is a consumption market, not a penetration market. A lot of people haven’t understood this. When they come to the CEO role, they’re still playing off the old playbook,” he cautioned.For him, one of the biggest qualities that reveals a CEO mindset is prioritisation. “Prioritisation and time management are linked to each other because all of us have the same amount of time. If the CEO cannot prioritise, he cannot motivate or inspire the organisation,” he said.Shivakumar added that young leaders must also show hunger, honesty, and the willingness to learn. “Do the very best at the job given to you. When you do that, you give the company no option but to notice you,” he said.Watch the accompanying video for the full show.
