Business leaders,
Social sector leaders,
Brands,
What did I find common in them ?

I have worked close with the finest business leaders , social sector leaders and brands for over 35 years.

This is what I found common in them.

Trust
Authenticity

You can trust them to keep their word , every time.

A brand makes a promise , keeps its promise , a leader has values , lives by them .

Sudhakar Ram my boss and mentor for the longest time at Mastek and later at the startup we cofounded.

I could trust him to live by his values . I knew how he would respond to any situation.

So much so even after his death , when faced with a challenge , I ask the question how would Sudhakar have responded.

Good Brands are authentic , they don’t try to be like anyone , they are real , vulnerable.

A brand that does a put on of always doing great winning, never failing , never going wrong will be seen through by icustomers.

You cannot always win.

They learn from their failure and are ready to admit when they fail.

It is this transparency that makes them endearing iconic brands.

They can take a tough knock.

Don’t copy , be real , be you. I learnt this from every leader in business and social sector.

Dr Ashish Satav is down to earth , simple , humble , he lives with Gandhian values.

He is not a great speaker , he fumbles.

Yet when I invited him to speak at Mastek he got a standing ovation.

Why ?

The raw passion of his work to transform lives of poor tribal patients in Melghat despite of challenges got across.

Remember always , you cannot be who you are not .

A brand cannot be what it is not.

Don’t try to be like anyone, don’t dress up , don’t put on , just -BE YOU.