1. What have you found most challenging as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise?

It's all about the people's challenge. In my role, I work with a diverse set of stakeholders. Helping them all align to my vision, thought process while ensuring their inputs are embedded in the larger goal is one of the most challenging aspects of being a leader.

2. How did you become a CEO or executive of a large enterprise? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I was a practitioner of my craft for over 10 years. All along, I have always tried to see ahead, be on top of trends in my industry and craft, to bring in that futuristic thinking into my work with my clients and go deeper into my craft. And when a leadership position opened in a reputed company, I was fortunate to be appointed to this position from where I then lead a large number of fellow designers.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

I try to do creative work early on. I read, study my current course and do the more strategic kind of work early on in the day. During the day I set aside time for my emails and the urgent work that I need to take care of. I schedule my meetings towards the second.

4. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?

The most significant lesson is to know you can make mistakes and be humble about it. When one is in a leadership position, he/she is fully involved in making decisions, taking ownership and leading from the front. One gets adept at it but when one does that for a long time, he starts believing he can never go wrong and that is what can be the downfall. And there's never enough time anyway so one starts to fall back into what he knows best. But I have learnt to look beyond that. I believe in thorough research before making any decision. I also make sure I go through the pros and cons of all actions and put aside time for it.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

Good to Great is an amazing book that has had a profound impact on me. It talks about ensuring the right people are on board and occupying the right places. It emphasizes the leadership aspects that made the difference between being just good enough and to be truly great.

6. How do you build leadership capacity in a large enterprise?

In a large enterprise, one has to ensure the support of all the senior leaders and the major stakeholders to build leadership capacity. It's about ensuring the team is aligned to the organisation's vision at all times, be able to pivot along with the changing nature of the business, be a leader in dealing with that change and to create opportunities.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise so far?

There are many but one of the most fulfilling one was how we are supporting diverse set of individuals in my team. We facilitate special needs individuals through their interview, onboarding as well as their everyday work while empowering them with what they need all the time ensuring they are empathized with and ensuring one is not offering false "sympathy".