Hi there. Have you ever tried to shake things up to find a solution? I honestly believe that is the only way. And I am trying to do just that as I search for new leadership that will lead the way to find the solutions for a better tomorrow. I know it is to be found beyond established pinnacles. My bet is that we will find it in the refreshingly new approach of Generation Y.
I am an entrepreneur at heart. Yet, I have spent the large part of my career at a job. The secret to my happiness has been a convergence of the two paths along the way. Having spent the first seven years of my career at HCL, I then ventured into setting up HCL Comnet to meet an unfulfilled need for IT infrastructure and services. It was here that I experimented with my ideas of inclusive leadership. A philosophy which shifted power away from the office of the CEO and into the hands of employees.
Leadership, I believe, is a pursuit of values; success a by-product rather than a destination. In the corporate world, we tend to look up the ranks for leadership. But leadership lies at the bottom of the corporate hierarchy. My Employee First, Customer Second philosophy is based on his belief and it is humbling that the success of this transformative approach, has been recognised by respected institutions across the world, including Harvard Business School.
Beyond the corporate sphere, I am working hard to catalyze this broad-based leadership to spread the magic of education through a non-profit organization SAMPARK. I have no doubt that over time, we can “create a million smiles” through improving the quality, infrastructure and opportunity for education to the underprivileged.
Dear Sir,
You are my huge inspiration.
Mr. Vineet
I recently read the article “Leadership Lessons from India” in the March issue of The Wall Street Journal.
Your ideas on the responsibilities of a manager and leader were quite avant-garde in my perspective. It was an inspiring article and an inspiring idea. I cannot wait to find out more about the idea of “Employees first”.
I look forward to reading more on your success, as well as your employees welfare.
Hello Vineet,
I am so inspired by your thoughts and employee first program that am really motivated working for you, i see myself in you the aggressiveness, discussion attitude, and innovative thinking power. I would like to let you know that your organization has some really smart people working for you. I wish best of luck for you and everybody working for you. Please keep the spirit and sharing your ideas.
Vineet,
I worked under you in Chennai for 3 yrs & a top performer all along. After HCL i had worked in MNC and currently in a leading IT services company in a senior position.
Having said that i wish to say that i have not seen any leader who is so professional, innovator, an avid management application person so far and you are my guru.
Look forward to meet you sometime sir.
Thanks,
Venkatasubramanian
Mr Nayar,
I am going through all your articles slowly and it is an indeed a source of inspiration.
It was an absolute pleasure to meet you today at Amaya and i hope to receive more motivational articles and now waiting even more eagerly for your book.
Thanking you,
Rohit Arora.
Amaya.
Dear Vineet
We met yesterday in the Eurotunnel and hopefully you’ve arrived safely back in New Delhi. We’ve made it back to Amsterdam, safely and without any problems.
All in all, interesting experiences, as you mentioned as well. Stuck in London but how to turn it into an opportunity.
Can you please send me that name of the play again? is it the Power of Yes? I can’t recall properly due to the time, most probably…
Please pass by when in Amsterdam / Den Haag. Our meeting was most unplanned, but very interesting.
With best regards and best from Amsterdam
Wilbert
Dear Vineet:
You speak of leadership and business in uncommon ways – which reflect concern and care for the individual. In a day and age when business has become more about profit – you seem to have a larger vision and purpose.
Congratulations on your book – i look forward to reading it.
Best wishes
Noel
Hi Vineet,
The transformation that you have coined is so bold,unconventional and farsighted – much ahead of times.
Hats off, to you for sailing upstream and letting people understand what innovation means.
Dear Vineet,
I am writing this to congratulate you on two counts:
1. The article “HOW I DID IT” in Jun 10 HBR was an amazing insight into your style of thinking, articulating and executing strategy.
2. Your book titled “Employees First, Customers Second: Turning Conventional Management Upside Down” is revolutionary.
I picked up your book yesterday and could not put it down till 3 this morning. I wish I could do what you achieved with HCLT; it would be a lifetime experience. Since I might not be able to do it in my organization, I’ve decided to pursue the same in my personal life and my family.
Thank you for enlightening us.
Warm Regards
–
Anupam Kaushal
Hello Vineet, I am so impressed by your ideas. I just bought your book..I plan to read it soon. also I would like you to know I was your classmate in highschool. we all have connected after a long time..and would like to get in touch with you. I am currently in USA and have been for the past 30 years..More later after I read the book….
vineet you are a great businessman.i am your great fan.you r my inspiration.i also want to become like you.god bless you
Hi Vineet,
Good to hear a fresh approach and the guts to follow it with action.
Just wanted to bring to your attention a great new organizational operating system that is in synch with your emergent thinking: http://www.holacracy.org
You may find it useful and even implementation- ready!
Neelesh
Hi Vineet, congratulation on your book and looking at the positive reactions I am sure it must be a great read. I am looking forward to read CFCS over the weekend:).
I started my career with HCL and currently work with a software products company in the BFS space. I believe HCL provides the best training ground for anyone starting off on a sales career. I am very happy that talented people like you are leading the company and the financial results reflect the great work you and your team are putting up.
I also would like to compliment you on the fact that, you are probably the only senior industry leader in India who uses the “new age media” so effectively. I hope other industry leaders too start using them to keep in touch with their customers, employees and public in general. Congratulations once again on your book and the great work. Keep writing!!
This is fantastic ‘connect’ medium….great ideas Vineet !!
Hi Vineet,
Glad to see your scrapbook and interesting thoughts on ‘Employee First’. Hope this has gone well with your clients too…
Do share the initial comments from the clients.
Regards
Vasanth
Ristakes: while I appreciate the truth in that entrepreneurs must always take risks, and I appreciate the contemporary desire to coin such portmanteaus as “Ristake” (which does not resonate in my natively English-speaking ear, I might note), I must point out two very important considerations that your Post on this matter do not: 1) While executives might do well to take prudent risks which have non-zero possibilities of failure, employees are not typically looking for risk-all management, so a balance between workforce risk and personal risk for managers must be struck; 2) Ethics (and indeed securities laws) demand that full disclosure of risks be included in financial prospectuses. Too many executives bring a swashbuckling management style to fight a personal Moby Dick without care for the consequences to a crew that might have much more modest (i.e. risk-averse) ambitions. In an extreme case, if such executives are plying the trade of soldier, the risk capital for their work force could be too much to require. In other words, the executive must take care that his ego does not drive unacceptable risk exposure for less-engaged stakeholders.
Hello Vineet!
I’m a big advocate of your Employees First / Customers Second philosphy, and I applaud your championing of same. I just did a search for the title on bn.com, and I found it — as well as another book on the same philosophy which was published in 1992 (and revised in 2002) by Hal Rosenbluth and others.
I’m not trying to start a ruckus; in fact I looked around for a way to contact you individually rather than posting this in the open. I’m just wondering if you learned this philosophy from them or discovered it serendipitously on your own.
Either way, please keep up the great work, and thanks for another great blog post at HBR.
Incidentally, if you have the time, I’d welcome your thoughts on a possible extension to the same philosophy: Shareholders Third. (Just in case they were wondering whether they came in BEFORE the employees in the pecking order.)
Thanks again.
Dear Vineet,
I have been seeing your blogs and articles recently. I am really amazed at your leadership thoughts! Very inspiring and relevant!
I had worked at HCLT, but coincidently had left HCLT the same year when you took over the reigns as the President. I wish I could work at HCLT under your leadership!
Keep writing, keep sharing and keep inspiring us!
Regards
Sunil
Dear Vineet,
Warm Greetings!
Your video-talk at NHRD meeting in bangalore on 24-Aug was very informative and useful. Your leadership vision and courage to think beyond the convention, is highly commendable.
Keep inspiring us!
Regards
Rajaram
Dear Vineet,
I just received your book, personally signed by you. Am writing in to express my profound thanks for this wonderful gesture.
Am waiting to delve into your thoughts that you share in the book. Looks like an exciting weekend!
Thanks, again!
Lalitha
Dear Sir,
I am an Ex-Army Officer and a great admirer of your good self. I wish to meet you. I will be very happy if you could come to Defence Services Officers’ Institute, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi on comming Thusday at 07.30 PM.
Thanks with best regards,
Surinder
Hi , Vineet ,
It is really a pleasure rather ecstacy to study your work done in all fields …I remeber the days we were together at University and the way you looked at every thing then.Stay ahead , keep it up .May like to get in touch on my email ! adarsh srivastava ( Pantnagar collegemate )
Hello Vineet,
I am a great fan of your book and your outstanding thoughts!!!
You write in a manner which enthusiast everyone and create a vision for every human to do innovative, who wants to. I work for HCL and started my career with this company this year as well.
I did higher education from UK, however I came back India to work for a best employee company HCL, as before leaving from India, and before persuing my Master’s HCL was my dream company.
Hope, I would get a golden opportunity here to learn and earn, facts of life and can see myself somewhere on the top of world like you under kind guidance people like you. I have seen most of your video while induction in HCL
Regards
Abhishek
Dear Vineet,
I sincerely hope you get this email.
You book was the first book that I have read after a long long time..simply because you wrote of “what you did!…whether in your own retrospect it was the right thing or not, that doesn’t matter- that essence in which you wrote connected me more as a reader!”
Funnily I first liked the title and now I keep telling everyone of this book and the practices detailed in it.
Vineet, we at Human Circuits need you. We are a non-profit association of People Passionate Professionals. New kids on the block ( only 18 months old with 1600 members), but with extremely big hearts and even bigger aspirations.
Your reference to the Gen Y population, the related strategies and the adaptation-inclusion practices that you highlighted is something that we want you to enlighten us by.
We organize quarterly free events (thats the only thing we do!) where students, Junior leaders, middle level leaders, senior leaders to CXOs come in and experience a heightened sense of people passion. We create creatively organized learnin-sharing-networking sessions where people walk out in awe of themselves, thier newly established connections and their learning.
On 11th December 2010 in Mumbai we are set to hold our 7th such Human Circuits event and we humbly request you to take the stage and speak to our audience from your heart. Tell them your story of how you have managed,accomodated and led Gen Y employees.
Vineet, we appeal to your goodness and your humility to be with us. I would love to talk to you more on this. Especially about our focus, aspirations, and soul shapers. If I had your number I would call you! but I do not!
Here are my coordinates
Kenneth Lewis
+91 9820160888
team@humancircuits.com
kenneth@seven.net.in