INSPIRATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN THE TIMES OF CRISIS

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REALTY+ FEATURES SOME OF THE MOST VISIONARY C-SUITE PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE PART OF ONE OF THE TOUGHEST BUSINESSES. WHICH IS REAL ESTATE. THESE DYNAMIC PERSONALITIES SHARE THEIR VISION TO HELP US LOOK BEYOND THE CRISIS AND TOWARDS A BRIGHTER FUTURE. The year 2020 will be remembered as the year of uncertainty and unprecedented changes in the way we conduct businesses. In the so called “New Normal”, key to an organisation’s success and competitive edge will be its agility to change and face unexpected challenges. A holistic leader, Akshay Taneja, Director, TDI Infratech Limited emphasizes that business development should act as a catalyst for social uplift and economic growth of people. For this young professional, integrity is a core value and he is a firm believer that business growth must play a role in strengthening social threads. Akshay achieves this by working on building team morale, productivity and unity by facilitating easy-going and efficient communication. Upon seeing his father and uncle together lay the foundations for the company, Amit Paranjape, Head Business Development, Paranjape Schemes Construction Limited inclination towards the real estate industry grew naturally. Amit enjoys facing new challenges as they enable him to stay sharp and learn new skills. He believes in extending decision making power to the team and valuing customer priorities. He believes when your leadership is clear, people know what to expect from you. Amit Goenka, Managing Director & CEO, Nisus Finance Services Company summarises his life’s driving philosophy in the poignant words from the Bhagavad Gita, |Karmanye Vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kada Chana|. With multiple disruptions occurring in the real estate industry over the last 15 years, Amit sees the arena as one of constant excitement and engagement with change. Each failure is the stepping stone to an extraordinary catapult towards one’s dreams and goals, believes this astute leader. Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO, CBRE India, South East Asia, Middle East & Africa leadership resonates with trust. He believes a brand should be able to establish a relationship of trust by virtue of excellence with its employees and clients. The most endearing attribute of his chosen field of real estate is, that it is so intrinsically connected with every element of life. From the industry veteran Amar Nath Shroff, Chairman and Founder, Alcove Realty comes valuable advice – “avoid losing time and efforts in unnecessary negotiations, after all, time is precious.” A firm believer in his own instincts, he warns against temptations and pressures that tend to move you away from your values of commitment and quality. It is your words that define your credibility, he believes. A stalwart of the Indian real estate industry Dr. Ananta Singh Raghuvanshi, Sr. Executive Director, Experion Developers Pvt. Ltd, believes in accepting with grace the hurdles, hurricanes and happiness of life. Her leadership manifestation has always been to earn the trust of her team. With her karmic leadership, she leads with a simple motto – “support without interfering, correct without domineering and guide without steering.” Amit Grover, Executive Director- Office Business, DLF Cybercity Developers Ltd has always been passionate about buildings. It was his love for architecture that led him to choose a career in real estate. Amit Grover drives his team to success by sharing the big picture with them and helping them identify their roles within it. He is a leader for whom a good work-life balance is a priority. Anuj Puri, Chairman, ANAROCK Group is a leader with his finger on the pulse of Indian real estate. He considers his uncompromisingly positive outlook his greatest strength. His brand of leadership is one of building trust. He believes that apart from great business strategies, excellent funding and innovative ideas, leaders should not forget that business at the core is about relationships built over the years. Diligent, calm and consistent, Anuranjan Mohnot, Managing Director and CEO, Lumos Alternate Investment Advisors Private Limited is confident in playing to his unique strengths as a leader. It is this ability to take calculated risks that enabled him to grow from zero assets under management to approximately Rs. 400 crores in commitments in a short period of time. He believes operational autonomy is the key for individual and organisational growth. BM Jayeshankar, Chairman & Managing Director, Adarsh Group is known as a leader who leaves no stone unturned in delivering superlative quality to his customers. He is able to consistently achieve this through the value of integrity and trust, which he considers non-negotiable in his life. A self-professed dreamer, he believes his creativity comes from his ability to imagine and bring fruition to his dreams. Gaurav Moudgil, Managing Partner, GLOBAL C – Project & Development Management is a leader who walks the talk. He believes in empowering people to problem solve rather than offering up the solutions. He believes leaders must be willing to operate at the frontlines and be uncompromising in facing challenges. Dr. Jupally Rameswar Rao, Chairman, My Home Group says success only comes from hard work, dedication and a clear vision and the advice he often gives to young aspiring leaders – be truthful, work hard and stay focussed on the job you undertake. Success, he says, will naturally follow. The visionary leader Basant Kumar Parakh, Managing Director, Orbit Group believes that every piece of real estate tells a story. For him, the values of honesty, loyalty and hard work are non-negotiable. A leader’s journey is not without ups and downs. For Basant Kumar Parakh, life’s lessons have emphasized the importance of staying grounded and keeping the faith in oneself. Bijay Agarwal, Managing Director, Salarpuria Sattva Group has imbibed certain practical learnings such as that, financial steadfastness requires course correction and must not be overleveraged. Naturally inventive, he is known for his ability to think on his feet and ace a negotiation. He constantly empowers his core team which he considers to be his best asset. Harshavardhan Neotia, Chairman, Ambuja Neotia leadership begins with a vision and translates into actionable steps towards achieving a mission. He has always been an introspective leader, who also encourages others to do the same. This, he feels, is the best way to discover inner strengths, nurture the self and express creatively, which in turn allows us to step into the world as more caring individuals. Since the start of his professional life, Khushru Jijina, Managing Director, Piramal Capital & Housing Finance has lived by the mantra of ‘Raising the bar both for yourself & the industry.’ His philosophy is to make well-informed choices backed by credible data, to be ambitious yet humble, and a pragmatic approach in dynamic industry environments that allow you to explore new possibilities. Kumaran Chandrasekaran, Vice President – Investment Sundaram Alternate Assets Ltd. believes that there is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to leadership. His personal strength in being a leader is knowing when to act differently and when to act in accordance with tried and tested principles. Madhusudan Pai, Chief Financial Officer, Century Real Estate Holdings Pvt. Ltd. core competency is his ability to foresee, analyse, underwrite & complete complex business transactions within timelines in the most efficient manner. With a leadership style that focuses on inclusivity and high performance, he believes in understanding the complexities in detail and improvising the solutions under all circumstances and adding value at all stages. Madhusudhan G, Chairman & Managing Director, Sumadhura Infracon Pvt. Ltd. leadership has been an evolving process through a process of value creation and forging an environment that nurtures trust. Life’s trials have taught this astute leader to stay objective and agile, to identify the reasons behind the challenges and evaluate possibilities in order to make decisions with empathy at its core Mani Rangarajan, Group COO, Housing. com, Makaan.com & Proptiger.com is a transformative leader, known for being a catalyst for individuals and business for positive change. Through innovation and empowering people to achieve their potential, he is known as the man who grows companies and builds leaders of the future. Neeraj Bansal, Partner & COO, India Global, KPMG in India follows the ‘3 Es’ when it comes to leadership - Enablement, Empowerment and Encouragement. This, he says, has resulted in highly capable teams that have run with minimal supervision, while also ensuring excellence in their output. Niru Agarwal, Director, Salarpuria Sattva Group is an indomitable force. Her innate ability to venture into unchartered territory and make it a success in a short span, speaks volumes for her perseverance. Self - belief is a prerequisite to effective leadership. A role model for the entire Indian real estate industry, Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani, Co-Founder & MD Hiranandani Group, - President Assocham & NAREDCO is a leader like no other. A positive thinker and social innovator, his dedication to duty goes beyond just the balance sheet. A mentor, motivator and guide, he inspires the best in others through a shared sense of purpose and ownership. As a leader, Dr. Nitesh Kumar, Managing Director and CEO, Emami Realty believes that his ability to listen keenly and communicate effectively has helped him connect with his team in order to harness the best of their potential. He likes to convert challenges into opportunities to prepare him for better growth. Articulate and thoughtful, Pirojsha Godrej, Executive Chairman, Godrej Properties leadership style is synonymous with the refined elegance of the Godrej legacy. With a belief in the power of partnerships, he has led the company through a phase of rapid growth. He is also a keen political observer. In fact, he forayed into the world of politics, having served as the additional private secretary to the Minister of State for External Affairs in New Delhi. As a leader, Pradeep Lala, Managing Director and CEO, Embassy Services shares a symbiotic relationship with his team. He is as much enriched by them, as they are by him. He also believes in encouraging the innovation mind-set of today’s youth and makes all efforts to empower them. Pradeep Aggarwal, Founder & Chairman, Signature Global Group and Chairman, ASSOCHAM - National Council on Real Estate, Housing and Urban Development leads with his heart on his sleeve; engaging people and connecting with them through his open and honest approach. He brings his philosophy of ‘family first’ to his profession. A leader who loves to experiment, Pratiik Jalan, Director, Jalan Builders leadership brand is one of quality and dependability, and true to his frank nature, he admits going through dark times at the start of his professional journey. He believes leadership comes with great responsibility, and has a high respect for the team that assists him in fulfilling his goals. Raj Pillai, Managing Director, Starworth Infrastructure and Construction Ltd. is a creator at heart. His signature leadership style is one of transparency, which stems from his uncompromising devotion to professional integrity. A visionary who leads from the front, he is also a leader who embodies trust with his complete commitment to duty. Ravi Kumar Dugar, Director, PS Group says his passion for real estate derives from seeing how reality can be built from sheer imagination. He believes in being fully accessible to his team and taking on challenges collectively head on. He knows that passion is a must for one to give their 100 percent to their work, and he constantly works on fueling his team’s passion towards their projects. One word to describe the leadership style of Ramesh Nair, Real Estate expert and Former CEO JLL India is - Authentic. He says it is important for leaders to admit when they don’t know something or when they may be wrong, as this builds credibility and trust. A professional who believes in always giving his 100%, he is dedicated to his work and is known to walk the talk with transparency and openness. Reeza Sebastian Karimpanal, President - Residential Business, Embassy Group is a firm believer in nurturing a collaborative culture through empowered teams. She leads with a blend of democratic, pacesetting and transformative leadership. Trust and integrity are foundational to her relationships, and she believes shared vision is something that is cultivated through mutual respect and in being dependable and open-minded. Sachin Bhandari, CEO, VTP Realty describes his journey as “almost entrepreneurial He believes in coaching and mentoring teams. Inspiring them to achieve impossible goals are a reflection of his own confidence and strong belief system. Understanding that one can’t make ‘perfect’ decisions all the time, the important thing for him is to stay focused on finding solutions. Sanjay Dutt, MD & CEO, TATA Housing Development Company is a leader who thrives on challenges. He believes the ticket to one’s own success lies in the success of others – as clients, colleagues and shareholders. With an inner compass set to enthuse confidence, dignity and pride, he empowers people to achieve their personal and professional goals. Sankey Prasad, FRICS, Chairman & Managing Director, Colliers is a leader who inspires confidence, it is his integrity to do what’s right even at a personal cost that enables him to focus on people. Impactful leadership lies in empowering one’s team, which he believes is the catalyst for growth for the individual and for the organization. Santosh Agarwal, CFO, Alphacorp leadership has empowered the company to achieve dynamic milestones. He says the pandemic crisis has made it clear - nothing is permanent, everything is transient, whether failure or success. With this grounding in the realities of life, he refines his leadership to be affiliative and pace-setting. This style has helped devise a roadmap and facilitate teamwork and collaboration to work towards a shared vision. With his rich and diversified experience, Sathish Rajendren, COO & Head - Facilities & Asset Management Services, Knight Frank India has a strong customer focus, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement and a drive to add value. Taking a people centric approach, he is always focused on strengthening the team spirit. Driven by his entrepreneurial spirit, Tanuj Shori, Chief Executive Officer, Square Yards believes establishments should be set up only if one is unendingly passionate about an idea. For him, strong ethics and integrity are non-negotiable. He reckons that leaders leave behind the quality of lives they have impacted, their core values and the aggregate of the decisions and actions taken while building an organisation. As a leader, Uddhav Poddar, MD & Group CEO, Bhumika Group believes to harness the best talent and create for them an environment that brings out their best. Uddhav focuses on enjoying the journey, including learning from mistakes and accepting the ups and downs of life, which he believes only keeps things interesting! Dr. Vasudevan, Chairman, Ozone Group believes in the power of transformation. He is known for his skill at converting distresses into opportunities through out-of-the-box approaches. He believes, customer loyalty is the biggest return to be gained. Over the years, he has gained a deeper awareness of the importance of according accountability in order to empower all key employees. High-performing leaders relentlessly pursue performance excellence through shared goals, open communication, clear role expectations and group operating rules, early conflict resolution, and a strong sense of accountability and trust among its members. It is said that visionaries build what dreamers imagine. Vinod Rohira, CEO, Mindspace Business Parks REIT has curated and created masterpieces with much more than brick and mortar! A pioneering leader, it was he who pioneered the concept of landmark business districts, premium residential and retail complexes, which have become benchmarks in Indian real estate. An authentic leader, Vishal Singh, Partner, Delloite India would like to be known as a professional who is humble & always stays true to himself, client and his responsibilities. He operates with discipline and focus, and when challenge arises, his skill of being flexible & resilient enables him to change with the tides. Yatin Patel, Founder & Principal, DSP Design Associates regards perseverance as non-negotiable, while personally, it’s his curiosity and passion that drive him to achieve greater heights. As a firm believer in leading by example, he has taken on the onus of imbibing across the organization the notion that people are prized assets. Yukti Nagpal, Director, Gulshan is motivated by the drive to deliver excellent experiences to people by providing them a quality lifestyle. She believes leaders can excel only when they are thoughtful, considerate, and empower the team to make their own decisions.