Earlier this week, when the world was pleasing to the appointment of Shailesh Jejuriker as the CEO of Proctor and Gamble, I did not think of another Indian at the top of a global powerhouse – but about my brother, Rajesh Jejurkar.
From beautiful Pichai to Satya Nadella, the global CEO is proud of its growing tide, Shailesh’s height is still another proud moment. But if you really want to understand the leadership of the Indian brand, you will do well to see a little close home in Rajesh Jejurikar, the calm, self-transparent executive director and CEO of the auto and farm sector in Mahindra & Mahindra.
Rajesh does not chase the headlines. He creates heritage.
He is the kind of leader who prefers the calm of a shopfallore in Nashik for the dazzling of a boardroom in Mumbai. He spends the same time with engineers tampered with the next-gene EVS as he does with dealer partners in small town India. And when the credit is assigned, it is the first to redirect the team.
I am the Indian auto industry’s Dions and Mahindra’s top former leaders, Dr. Remember a conversation with one of the holy Goenka, who is now the president of the in-space, who offered a farewell to give. “When I was made the chairman of the Auto Business Way in 2003, Goenka told me,” Rajesh was in a serious controversy. I was leading R&D, he was marketing. The success of Scorpio was made on both. Perhaps I got a role only because I was 40 years old and he was 40. “
This is the classic Rajesh: talented without any regional, dedicated without demand.
His journey in Mahindra is more than two decades, which is marked by the resurrection of product milestones, global forces and SUVs of the brand. And yet, when I messaged him on Wednesday to congratulate my brother’s big moment, Rajesh gave all the best wishes on behalf of his family and wished his brother. shy. Polite. Grace.
At a time when leadership is often the same with visibility, charisma and individual branding, a quiet, stable form of effect is present – lies in a purpose, flexibility and faith. These are leaders who create institutions without applause, which shape industries through thoughtful decisions rather than public announcements. Often more high-profiles are overshraded by siblings or peers, their power lies in stability, sympathy and a deep belief in collective on the person.
Later that evening, we talked. I asked what is common among the two brothers.
“We both call our parents daily. It is a habit that we never leave. We were not academic toppers, but we loved the game. I did athletics, they played serious cricket. We both enjoy reading, partying and living a balanced life.”
He said, “We are practical, not theoretical. We cut the origin of problems. But Shailesh is more structured. I go with intuition. Longs in India, I live for a long time, I relax more with ambiguity. He likes the structure.”
There is something about Indian brothers and sisters. It may be a shared value, grounding in middle class aspirations, or just the magic of complementary strength. Over the years, we have seen this cool symphony of the success of cybbing in the boardroom.
Take Ajay and Windy Banga. The President of the World Bank and former MasterCard President Ajay is a master of strategic inclusion and global diplomacy. Windy led India and global businesses of Hindustan Unilever with a razor-sharp focus and environmental vision. One brings charisma, the other discipline. Together, they reflect two faces of excellence.
Or Indra Nuoi and Chandrika Tandon. PepsiCo’s formidable former CEO Indra is praised for his strategic mind and social discretion. Chandrika, his sister, is a McKinse veteran who is a grammy-namine artist and philanthropist. Steel and soul, in equal measurement.
Then you have Kurian twins, Thomas, Google Cloud CEO and Netap CEO George. Thomas is the change agent, George the Anchor. One disintegration, the other saves. Both are contained in intellectual rigor and calm determination.
But perhaps no one understands excellence like brother -in -law Natarajan brothers.
N. Chandrashekaran (Chandra), President of Tata Sons, was up from the intern for the CEO of TCS before becoming the first non-family professional to lead the Tata Group. His career is defined by focus, operational talent and ability to lead both turnaround stories and transformative acquisitions.
N. Ganapati Subramaniam (NGS), Chandra’s elder brother, served as the COO of TCS, who steering one of the world’s largest IT companies with vision, stability and deep confidence among customers.
His eldest brother, N. Srinivasan is the Group Finance Director in the Murugappa group, widely honored for his integrity, financial leadership and people-first approach.
What does all three bind together? A common sense of perseverance, humility, and purpose. Based in his rural upbringing, hard work and simplicity in Tamil Nadu, he has shaped his leadership styles, which are sympathetic, colleagues and quietly effective. His personal style may be very different however. Negligence in a meeting can taste a mango, which changes its taste in conversation; The second one can spend a complete interview that reveals to say everything yet.
And sometimes the Bonomi of the brothers also plays at the intersection of business and policy. Take Rajan brothers: Raghuram Rajan, former RBI governor and global economic thinker, and Mukund Rajan, who once starred the brand and morality in the Tata Sons. Both brought intelligence and integrity to their respective domains, policy and enterprise, while adopting various public individuals: a global, vocal and reformist; Other methods, thoughtful and mission-driven.
Mukund Rajan said, “Raghuram has written extensively – articles, books – and he is known to stick to his faith. I think what I praise the most is that he wishes to stand for what he believes, even if it goes against traditional knowledge.”
“Like his early warnings about the financial crisis – he stood alone in a room and raised concerns. It takes courage. He believes in fairness and truth. You can explain it or make it rational, but you can’t change it, but for me, for me, I shape my career.” Was. “
Then there are Kant brothers. Amitabh Kant, CEO and G20 Sherpa of former India’s Niti Aayog, is known for his role in Architecting Make in India and Startup India. His brother, Ravi Kant played an important role as the managing director of Tata Motors, where he made Nano champions and helped to make the company’s footprint global through the acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover. Both are visionary institutions-bedters. One in public policy, the other in corporate strategy. Their shared DNA: passion for effects, expression of large ideas, and fearless execution.
Separas people who work together, according to those, there is a deep heartbeat to grow and has an extraordinary ability to learn and adapt. In the case of Shailesh, he never got away from new challenges. Whether it means going to continents or transferring roles and regions. From India to Kenya, Singapore to America, and again, he adopted changes with openness and resolve. That kind of professional dynamics, his brother, says, creates perspective and character.
A strong learning muscle and combined with a instinct for execution, this is what the leaders enable to grow indefinitely. Many also indicate a defined feature often seen in Indian professionals in global companies: a mixture of ambition, work morality, and ability to detect things, the properties that consistently separate them.
“Shailesh is a curious learner … he has a remarkable ability to have a relationship with people and take them with his ideas,” said KR Subramanian, operating partner, The Convervance Foundation. Subramanian and Shailesh joined P&G as management trainees on the same day and worked with each other for many years. He shared an apartment as a graduation and remained friends. Their sons graduated together from Harvard – one study law, other business administration.
Subramanian said that Shailesh is proof that the one who comes out of reach may be possible for young Indian professionals.
For Ajay Banga of the World Bank, all this is about seriousness.
“Windy is more thoughtful and I am a little more imprinting, but at the end of the day, both of us have given seriously importance to both our career and our personal life. Whatever one of us feels very happy is that Serndipity has taken us to places,” Ajay Banga said in a podcast in a podcast.
He said, “You uproot the jobs and think that you want to live in a situation in a certain number. By the time you reach there, you realize that the whole structure has changed. The worst thing is the worst thing that you can do,” he said.
And the best life hack? Another should be born.
“A very good piece of work is the birth of the other. Life is 50% luck and my luck was there (Windy) in front of me.”
Therefore, as we are happy for Shailesh Jejurikar, and well, let’s also increase a quiet toast for other brothers and sisters, which stand away from the stage only, shapes the future of Indian and global businesses with sympathy, integrity and excellence.
Because in the end, leadership is not always loud. Sometimes, it just shows, works, and allows others to shine.
Amrit Raj is a former Mint journalist and author of the Indian icon: a creed called Royal Enfield. He is the Chief Marketing Officer in Zetwark, a manufacturing company,
