Indian business leaders succeed on quick improvisations

A study by the Human Capital Leadership Institute, Singapore's National Centre of Excellence, in partnership with Tata Communications, brings out interesting nuances of Asian leadership on the back of in-depth conversation with 165 C-level executives across nine countries in Asia. "Leadership Mosaics Across Asia" is an in-depth study that throws up insights into the similarities and differences in leadership characteristics across the continent, giving a detailed orientation into its organisational cultures and providing leadership lessons. The study claims that Singapore's business leaders are forward planners, driven by data and processes while their Indian counterparts succeed on quick improvisations and emotional connections with their people. Confucianism forms the cultural core of many Chinese senior business leaders. As a result, they lean towards a hierarchical leadership style. Yet, similar to trends across many markets in Asia, there must be a turn towards participative decision-making and empowerment.