By Prashant Kumar
#1 We can talk: It’s only when you work outside India, especially in the East, that the benefits of having been born in a by and large free democracy stands out more starkly. The culture of debate, rooted in our ancient dialectical tradition and honed by our democratic upbringing, means we communicate well, and have the analytical ability to deconstruct complex problem scenarios into rational components, solve and put them back together into one cohesive, integrated whole and strike a good balance between macro and the micro.
#2 We are hungry: Coming from a nation of a billion-plus people, and having fought hard every step of the way to belong to the privileged few millions, Indians have an innate drive to stand out and stay at the top of the line. This results in relentless passion, a craving for new learning, hardworking attitude and the courage to persevere, which for many a comfortable people of relatively affluent countries is less common. In the backdrop of a rising India, increasingly confident of its place in the larger world, there is a manifest destiny many subconsciously believe in.
#3 We can count: Even our qualitative researchers can do a few good numbers, thanks to our indomitable dads and their fanatic fascination with mathematics. This faculty inculcates in us a more objective view of life, problem scenarios and decision making. To an average Indian talent, getting under the skin of the data to reveal the underlying story and seek the conceptual bridge with the intuitive insight into reality is the crux of good management. That doesn’t come so naturally to others.
#4 We plug into the big picture: While Indians are not well known for operational efficiency and reliability, their diligence and attention to details, and a perfect alignment between the promise and the delivery, they sure get the big picture much better. Their ability to think beyond their narrow job briefs and their strong urge to figure out how the world around them works helps them develop a more holistic perspective earlier, helping them transition to leadership roles easier.
#5 We can survive: The versatile challenges of growing up in India, encountering personalities and assumptions from a dozen parallel worlds in a regular day, and holding our faith into the perfect despite living with deep imperfections all around us, makes us highly adaptive, at least in our work set-up, if not in terms of food habits. At some level, our ability to go back to zero base and reframe our approach is probably better, sometimes out of need and necessity, but often out of sheer instinct.
Prashant Kumar is the CEO at IPG Mediabrands in Malaysia.
