Note to readers: Fit to lead is a series of interviews with business leaders on their approach to fitness, leadership and navigating the new normal.
Varun Alagh, 38, holds an electrical engineering degree from the Delhi School of Engineering. “My grandmother thought my degree was a waste because what electrical engineer couldn’t fix the electrical issues and problems at home,” recalls Alagh, with a laugh. Alagh went on to get an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur and has since done plenty as an entrepreneur to not be pulled up by his grandmother on the work front.
Today, Alagh is the CEO of Honasa Consumer Pvt. Ltd, the company that he co-founded with his wife Ghazal and has popular personal care brands such as Mamaearth and BBlunt on its growing portfolio. Both he and Ghazal are working with a singular focus to take their venture to the top personal-care pyramid in India. He leads a team of 700, of which 500 joined while the COVID-19 pandemic was unfolding. As with any entrepreneur, Alagh received plenty of advice and was asked to visualise several adverse scenarios so that the firm was in a better position to deal with them. Not in his wildest dreams did he picture himself sitting at a police station for hours on end in March 2020 during a strict nationwide lockdown trying to convince the cops and administrators that their products were essential services. He successfully navigated that hurdle and returned to office as soon as he could. “My team was working after our products were declared as essential services. I couldn’t have let them face the risk all by themselves while I sat in the safety of my home,” says Alagh, who despite returning to office found himself having a lot more time than what was normal during the pandemic. That gave him the time to focus on his fitness routine and personal happiness. “In my personal life, I am a father of two, a spouse, a son, and have other roles as well,” he says.
Alagh, who used to run and has run six or seven editions of the Tata Mumbai Marathon before the pandemic, believes that “a happy life is the result of a sound mind, being physically fit, eating well, and getting enough sleep.” He developed a regular working out habit at an early age to strike a perfect balance between his personal and professional lives. “Fitness is a mental game. When you understand what it means to be fit, you can overcome the mental pressure to unwind and relax. For me, staying fit comes by regular exercising and eating healthy,” he says. Edited excerpts from an interview:
Your health and fitness routine…
I exercise in the gym every day. For 20 minutes, I run and then do weight training for 30 minutes. I swim a few times every week. I used to do half marathons as well, but it's been at least four years since I've done so.
Favourite fitness activity…
Rowing is my go-to exercise activity that strikes me as a comprehensive workout.
Your toughest?
Leg days. Those workouts are the toughest and most important for me. It calls for a lot of strength and aids in improving flexibility and balance.
Your new normal…
The pandemic has taught us to be collaborative, flexible, inclusive and that is the new normal. I attempt to organise my time so that I can play all my roles and responsibilities well and avoid blending my personal and professional lives.
For me, my employees and their health have been a priority since the very beginning… it continues to remain that way. I constantly encourage them to maintain good health and a healthy balance between their personal and professional lives.
The one change you would encourage your teammates to make to deal with the challenges of current times…
I want each of my teammates to be healthy and engage in a physical activity of their choice, whether it be yoga, running, playing sports, dancing, or whatever they enjoy doing. I want them to have a strong balance between their physical and mental wellbeing. Additionally, your exercise routine improves your ability to make decisions and uses your energy more effectively.
What impact does your image of a 'fit leader' have on your team?
I believe I have created a positive impact on my employees by encouraging fitness. I've overheard several of them mention how motivated they felt by the fact that we, at our level with the stretch (on multiple fronts) and busy schedules, could still squeeze in time for exercise and manage our healthy eating habits. I think we always say, it’s not about time. It's about importance and priorities. Therefore, make time for what is important to you. Just be sure that you consider fitness as being extremely essential.
Has being fit helped you become a better leader and a better version of yourself?
Yes, I've noticed a connection between the two. I’ve missed workouts in the past due to work and as a result witnessed changes in my energy levels, ability to process data, patience levels, and decision-making skills. I consider myself to be a much more balanced, alert, and engaged leader whenever I exercise.
Your leadership style…
My leadership style is situational and adaptive in nature. It changes depending on the circumstances and it's also related to lines of businesses. How we should respond depends on the type of business situation — whether it calls for a wartime leader or a peacetime leader. So, in my opinion, there isn't just one kind of leadership that can make you successful in a variety of settings. Additionally, there may be situations in which you must behave like a watch general.
Goals for the year…
I want to be healthy and fit both mentally and physically and also aim to build four-pack abs very soon.
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