FMCG conglomerate Hindustan Unilever on March 10 announced that Rohit Jawa will take over as the Managing Director and CEO of the company from Sanjiv Mehta on June 27.
The 56-year-old, who is currently serving as the chief of transformation for Unilever in London, had written a post on LinkedIn, in 2017 titled, "5 Principles of effective leadership in an uncertain world".
In the post, Jawa offered five suggestions for progressive leadership amidst global uncertainty:
Be Agile: The first point that Jawa focused on, in the post, was the need to constantly evolve and realise that the path towards the required destination would not be straightforward. "I have taken many roads in my career, across different countries and market conditions. I am currently based in China, which has its own vast and complex dynamic that I must not only respect and understand, but master, if I am to provide valuable leadership to my team. How do I do this? By understanding that as a leader, my learning is never truly complete, that to succeed I must evolve and adapt to a constantly changing landscape. Ultimately, success in changing environments is about forming mental flexibility, adaptability and understanding the value of educating oneself. While we work towards a stretching destination in the future, we must accept that the path will not be straight and predictable," he wrote.
Need to Create Strong Team: The second point that Jawa wrote was to develop a strong team, which is competent and offers stability. "An organisation is only as strong as its weakest link and when dealing with times of unpredictability it has never been more important to secure a stable, competent workforce. Fundamentally success is about the ‘who’ far before the ‘what’. As a leader, it is important to ask: Who are the people going on this journey together? Do you trust them? Do they connect with the core values and purpose of your business? At Unilever, we champion sustainability, fairness in the workplace and inclusivity, so it is paramount that our team advocates the same ideals," Jawa wrote in his post.
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Simplify the Complex: In the third point, Jawa wrote about how important it was to understand the complexities involved and emphasised the need to simplify them. "When we learn to simplify the complex, and we communicate in simple terms, we can come up with a set of clear priorities for our team. This helps clarify things and allows them to see their role in the bigger picture. I call this ‘sense making’ – the art of joining dots and keeping business simple," Jawa wrote in his post.
Celebrating Success: In his fourth principle, Jawa wrote about the need to celebrate success, even during volatile times. He felt that recognising achievements would help create happiness in the team and develop confidence. "Recognising achievement is vital in building confidence and a sense of joy within your team – it speaks volumes in ensuring your employees understand their value within the company and this positivity is a fantastic motivator. This recognition need not be elaborate, sending simple thank-you notes or congratulating people with a little gift serves the objective to ensure the team feel valued. This spreads a widespread feeling of positivity within the company and curates a culture of generosity."
Developing Resilience: In his fifth and final principle, Jawa wrote about the need to remain positive and mindful amidst volatility and by developing resilience, one could help gain trust and create reassurance which could inspire the rest of the team. "Finally, when trying to navigate a constantly changing world, one of the most valuable pieces of advice, and something I live by in all areas of my life, is the increasing importance to stay mindful and positive. Be it during personal struggle or dealings within the business, finding a mental balance to accept the negatives and knowing that these lows are temporary, are vital skills when leading a team. Keeping this resilience and calm has never been more important in leadership; it helps to gain trust and reassurance while inspiring your team to follow your example," he concluded.
Jawa graduated from St. Stephen's College in Delhi in 1986 and later completed his MBA in marketing from Delhi University.
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