Name: P Kalyana Chakravarthy

Title: Head of Technology, SC Capital and SCMAC India

Organisation: Standard Chartered Bank

Visionary CTO | Driving Technology Leadership, Strategic Transformation, and Operational Excellence | Partnering with Boards, CEOs, and CXOs to Deliver Innovation, Growth, and Long-Term Value

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

We’ve gone through the interviews and asked the best of the best to come back and answer 7 MORE Questions on Leadership.

I hope P Kalyana's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. As a leader, how do you build trust with employees, customers and other stakeholders?

Building trust needs a collaborative effort of various leadership traits.

1. Most important is leading with Integrity.

2. It might be employees or customers, or stakeholders they are all human and will always respond well to empathy and care.

3. Fostering a culture of belonging is needed for an inclusive environment.

4. Understanding competency and empowering teams

2. What do 'VISION' and 'MISSION' mean to you? And what does it actually look like to use them in real-world business?

A clear vision is essential because, without it, defining a mission to achieve that vision becomes challenging. Both vision and mission are equally important in fostering a culture of growth and purpose.

3. How can a leader empower the people they're leading?

To empower your team, trust them with autonomy, align their work with purpose, and support their growth through learning opportunities and constructive feedback. Foster open communication, celebrate contributions, and encourage collaboration while modeling the behavior you wish to see. Empowered teams are engaged, innovative, and resilient, driving success and growth.

4. Who are some of the coaches or mentors in your life who have had a positive influence on your leadership? Can you please tell a meaningful story about one of them?

I have been fortunate to learn from many leaders who have shaped my growth as a leader. Their influence has taught me not only what to do but also what to avoid in my journey to becoming a better leader. Here is a short story that gave me my first lesson. During a workplace accident, a senior leader taught me the true value of empathy and compassion.

Instead of focusing on disruptions or blame, they prioritized the injured employee’s well-being, supported their family, and reassured the team. They fostered unity by addressing emotional impacts, offering counseling, and collaborating on safety improvements. This experience showed me that leadership is about prioritizing people and creating a culture of trust, a lesson that continues to guide me today.

5. Leadership is often more about what you DON'T do. How do you maintain focus in your role?

I stay focused by keeping a to-do list and tracking the status of work through daily catch-ups with my team. Initially, the meetings felt overwhelming, so I started bringing fun snacks to keep them engaged. I also shifted the meeting from the start of the day to the end, turning it into a winding-down session to set expectations for the day ahead.

6. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Everyone plans differently. How do you plan for the week, month and years ahead in your role?

I create a yearly strategy that includes my goals, projects, and initiatives for the year. This planning approach helps me stay motivated and on track to deliver what’s due each year, month, week, and day. While it may seem complex, having a clear plan and the discipline to follow it ensures you achieve what’s needed while also making time for additional initiatives.

7. What advice would you give to a young leader who is struggling to delegate effectively?

To all the young leaders out there: if you’ve hired smart people, trust them to do what they were hired to do. There’s a clear difference between being involved and trying to influence. Being involved provides assurance, while attempting to influence others to follow your idea after delegating is like having extra hands without the accompanying brain.

Delegation is a collaboration, not a “delegate and forget” approach. If you don’t invest time in understanding the progress, be prepared for either a successful or an unsuccessful outcome of your delegation.