The Shape of Work

#89: Lalit Dhingra on the real test of leadership and how to deal with crisis as a leader

August 26, 2021 Springworks Season 1 Episode 89
The Shape of Work
#89: Lalit Dhingra on the real test of leadership and how to deal with crisis as a leader
Show Notes Chapter Markers

Lalit Dhingra has held numerous strategic leadership roles in multiple tech companies, including a stint as President and Global Head of Alliances and Partnerships at NIIT Technologies. Today, he is the Founder & CEO of EnSignis Digital where he delivers solutions for complex business problems in the as-a-service model. 

With over 30 years of enriching experience in technology leadership and executive-level positions, Lalit is a key tactical innovator renowned for transforming companies’ visions into realities.

His business outlook and expert commentary have been quoted in leading publications, such as CIO magazine, Fortune, Silicon Valley, and The Wall Street Journal.

We discuss with Lalit:

  • The real test of leadership doesn’t happen when everything is running smoothly: top qualities of a great leader
  • The significance of Murphy’s law to deal with the crisis as a leader
  • How leadership influences organizational culture
  • Effects of remote work on employee productivity
  • His thoughts on ‘hustle culture’ within organizations

Traits a leader should have:

There are several adverse moments in a workplace in which a leader reacts. Each person acts differently in such situations. Some might not be willing to handle it whereas some might want to take full responsibility for it. Ultimately, leaders need to be honest, collaborative, and transparent. They need to practice direct communication with their team members and manage things as per the schedule. 

Changing geographies affecting productivity:

Our guest answers this question from a tech perspective. Before the pandemic, people used to connect to others from different locations as well. With the onset of pandemic, it has changed this into a complete remote work structure. But there has not been any effect in the productivity here.

However, organizations need to figure out whether the productivity shown by people from different locations is ‘effective productivity’ or not. In addition, people need to share their ideas, get regular inputs from colleagues and have open discussions. According to Lalit, these are the few areas remote working lacks in. 

A well-defined company culture:

According to Lalit, culture starts from the top. It is the founders/leaders defining the culture. Their core values dictate every other person’s mindset and requirements in the companies. Moreover, a leader can define the belief of the companies as a statement and everyone has to follow the rules. That is how it is connected. Ultimately, it is very important to have a well-defined culture in the organization.

Hustle culture of organizations:

Lalit feels that the pandemic has nothing to do with the hustle culture. It has been invented in different places and with different descriptions. However, he does not believe in this culture. He feels that eventually people get mentally unhealthy without a proper work-life balance. As a result, organizations face lack of productivity among their workforce. They need to work within official hours and balance it making the workplace fun. Leaders are responsible for making a workplace healthy. The employees should be the central point of the organization. Companies can succeed without the hustle culture as well.

Follow Lalit on LinkedIn

Produced by: Priya Bhatt
Podcast host: Rohan Mankad

Get highlights of this episode from our blog.

The real test of leadership doesn’t happen when everything is running smoothly: top qualities of a great leaderz
The significance of Murphy’s law to deal with the crisis as a leader
Effects of remote work on employee productivity
How leadership influences organizational culture
His thoughts on ‘hustle culture’ within organizations