A selection of the quotable quotes of India’s top business leaders published in ‘Mantras for Success: India’s Greatest CEOs Tell You How to Win’ by Suhel Seth, published by Maven, Rupa, April 2015

Take decisions and actions based on what you believe is the right thing to do – even if these actions are difficult, unpopular or emotionally hard.                                                                        Challenge the unchallenged. There is always scope for addressing something that seems impossible and achieving surprising results.            Set the ethical and value-based tone of your organization. Accept that colleagues will do what they see you doing.

 Ratan Tata

The most difficult challenges turn out to be the ones you
least expect.

Kumar Mangalam Birla – Aditya Birla Group

Step back and let the right individuals lead and ‘own’ their specific sectors of business. (…) with any luck, leadership within your group can grow like a benevolent virus
In a highly competitive environment, a huge helping of humility is essential for staying ahead of the game. Humility enhances curiosity, and thus accelerates learning.

Anand Mahindra– Mahindra Group

Remember: sales is vanity, profit is sanity and cash is reality.                                                                                                 We put tremendous emphasis on continuous improvement in good times as well as bad.

Adi Godrej –Godrej Ltd

Be a giver in life, and not a taker.

Be willing to always learn, unlearn and relearn.

Kishore Biyani –Future Group

No dream is too big.
There is an entrepreneur in each employee; empower them and let them discover their potential. Promote a culture of ownership of decisions across levels of organizations.

Sunil Bharati Mittal – Airtel

As a pioneer, I have understood the power of differentiation to build leadership. I have always chosen to lead rather than follow.
I have always believed in challenging the status quo and have benefited exponentially by reinventing the business every five to seven years.

Kiran Mazumdar- Shaw – Biocon Ltd

Ideas belong to no one. So create an environment where an idea can emanate from anyone.
Only good listeners make for great managers. Listen with your soul and your mind. Listen all the time. Because only then will you be able to respond
with care and responsibility.

Pawan Munjal – Hero Motor Corp

Successful organizations consider people as their most important asset.
Take advice from others but ultimately trust your own gut.

P R S Oberoi –Oberoi Hotels

Don’t look to decide your life’s projects and journey in one week. The journey will be assembled over a lifetime. You will fi nd the projects and they will find you.
Pay now or later. Reap always later. That is business. That is life.

Analjit Singh – Max India Limited

I may be ordinary but I like to be surrounded by extraordinary people.

Sanjiv Goenka – R P-Sanjiv Goenka Group

Stretch the rules if you have to, but do not ever break the law                        Avoid verbosity. Be precise. Surround yourself with people of robust common sense Practise austerity even in times of prosperity

K P Singh – DLF Ltd

Never be shy of taking help from other team members who might
know more than you.
We spend more time analyzing failures. We are always paranoid about what went wrong. We don’t spend a lot of our time celebrating our wins.

Rajiv Memani – Ernst & Young

Thoughts and words must be translated swiftly into correct, constructive action – time is too precious to waste away on thoughts and words only.

Naresh Goyal –Jet Airways

There is a fundamental difference between the ‘best of our efforts’ and the ‘best of our ability’. We realize our true potential … things that we can do to the best of our ability, only once n a while. Therefore, it is important to strive to the ‘best of our ability, and not just to the ‘best of our eff orts.’

Aditya Ghosh –Indigo Airlines

It is important to be intellectually honest, and the only way to do it is to tell yourself that if you don’t do it, you will die

.Kunal Bahl – Snapdeal

Senior leaders must have the knack of picking up local insights and cultural sensitivities.
It is not just important to know where we want to be, it is equally important to know how we are going to get there.

Atul Singh –Coca-Cola

Disrupt the hierarchy using smart, innovative products and marketing.
It is important to have something new in life always.

Rahul Sharma –Micromax