Leading With Authenticity, Influencing With Inspiration

In an interaction with People Matters, Prabir Jha, the Founder and CEO of Prabir Jha People Advisory, talks about leadership, digital transformation, and future of work and jobs.

- Mastufa Ahmed

Prabir Jha is a Human Resource leader, columnist and active Tweeter. Prabir has diverse industry experience, from civil service to engineering, information technology, pharmaceuticals, automotive and a conglomeration of Hydrocarbons, retail, and media and telecom/digital services. He has worked as the CHRO of two New York Stock Exchange listed companies and two Fortune 500 companies. Prabir has the experience of working in all facets of HR and organizational effectiveness and led several large-scale transformations.

Prabir has recently left Cipla as President and Global Chief People Officer and announced his new venture called Prabir Jha People Advisory.

What experiences, people, or philosophies have most influenced the way you view and practice leadership and why?

Having traversed my career across both the civil services and a range of corporate jobs, I realize leadership is most about authenticity, the willingness to ‘give’, to influence with inspiration and not authority. Outcomes naturally happen, and in a more sustained way. More importantly, you build people who take the leadership multiplication agenda forward.

Have no particular role model to my leadership belief and approach. But have observed and imbibed many things from my parents, my teachers, some of my bosses and senior colleagues, some of my peers and even labor union representatives and some relatively junior colleagues. More importantly, I have chosen not to make the leadership mistakes that I thought I saw equally many make across these decades.

How has your view of leadership changed over the years, in your years of involvement in leading and running the people show at several big companies?