Seminar Talk: Mr. S K Dutt, HR – ABG Group
August 12, 2011
Sri Sidhanta Das, IFS, Member Secretary, Orissa State Pollution Control Board
September 17, 2011

KIIT School of Management, (KSOM), a constituent school of KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, successfully organized  its 2nd National HR Conclave based on the theme “Leadership Challenges in Business: Today and Beyond.”

The Conclave took up the challenge of addressing the issues that HR professional across industries face in developing employees as leaders. Questions on what make effective leaders and how to decode the intricate processes of developing leaders were discussed, with particular emphasis on the rules and challenges that are shaping the quest for able leaders.

The Conclave was inaugurated by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder KIIT and KISS in the presence of Mr. Hari Menon, CEO, Indiaskills, who also graced the occasion as chief guest; Prof. R. P. Kaushik, Chancellor, KIIT University; Prof. Ashok S. Kolaskar, Vice Chancellor, KIIT University and Prof. Ashok Kumar Sar, Dean, KSOM. The inaugural ceremony saw a large number of participants including executives from corporate and public sectors, academicians, students and faculty members.  Among the other eminent speakers who attended the Conclave and shared their rich insights were corporate leaders like Mr. Aquil Busrai, CEO, Aquil Busrai Consulting; Mr. S. P. Garg, Head of Employee Relations, Britannia; Mr. Vijay Iyer, Chief Learning Officer, Deloitte India U. S. Offices, Mr. Srikantha Karra, Director HR, Hewlett-Packard; Mr. Nishith Mohanty, Chief HR Officer, Manipal Group; Mr. N. S. Rajan, Global Head HR, Ernst and Young; and Mr. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, Head HR, Philips Carbon Black Limited.

Conclave-HR-2010p2The Conclave had three sessions, besides the inaugural session. The inaugural session focused on the Five Rules as formulated by Dave Ulrich, Norm Smallwood and Kate Sweetman, called The Leadership Code, which formed the basis for the conclave. While the first session discussed the need to engage today’s challenge in order to develop their careers, the second session carried forward the conclave by elucidating on the requirements for building the next generation. The final session discussed at length the importance of investing in oneself in order to emerge as a successful and transformational leader.

Dr. Achyuta Samanta commenced the session with a very invigorating speech on the challenges that the youth of today face as leaders, citing the emergence of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) as a shining example of how he and his colleagues have overcome the challenges of setting up the world’s largest tribal residential school.

Prof. Sar introduced the topic of the conclave, expounding on the work of Ulrich, et al, briefing the guests about the rules that formed the sub-themes for the subsequent sessions. Prof. Ashok Kolaskar addressed the audience, citing chairman emeritus of Infosys, Mr. N. R. Narayana Murthy as an exemplary leader for future managers. On similar grounds, Prof. Kaushik added to the Vice-Chancellor’s speech, alluding to the visionary leaders of J. P. Morgan who steered the company through difficult times.

Mr. Hari Menon, the keynote speaker for the conclave, talked about how our lives do not change when there is a change in the people who influence us but instead how our lives change when we change, going beyond our limiting beliefs. He concluded his speech by stressing on the importance of engaging today’s talent.

Mr Sabyachi Bhattacharya started his speech by quoting Aristotle: more than anything else men and women seek happiness. He emphasized on the challenges HR managers face at individual and organizational level and how integration and collaboration help in sorting out the differences in these levels. Mr. Aquil Busrai carried forward the conclave by his thought provoking speech in which he illuminated the audience about the gap between the industry needs and the present talent pool.

The discussion was continued by Mr Srikant Karra, who elaborated on the idea of building a platform for the next generation – generation Y – in which its members can come together with those of generation X for a symbiotic relationship. The event continued with eminent speakers like Mr Vijay Iyer and Mr N.S. Rajan who enlightened the young students and experienced corporate executives alike on how creating leaders is such a complex and difficult activity that brings together the nuances of personal and professional behavior.

In the final session, Mr. Nishith Mohanty addressed the audience, talking about how leaders need to have a clear understanding of their own personalities, clarity in their vision, and the ability to display passion for their followers for making the transition from transaction to transformational leaders. Mr. S. P. Garg concluded the conclave, creating a very comprehensive picture in the minds of those present about the changes that current and future managers need to incorporate in their practices in order to develop their employees into leaders.
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In the valedictory session, Dean Prof. Ashok Sar covered the five rules of leadership development and the balance scorecard with a view to capture the associated objectives, measures, targets, and initiatives with a view to give a complete narration in the form of a scorecard for the development of leadership resources. He also summarized the proceedings, highlighting the role of the leadership resources in success for organizations across product markets and across geographic markets.

The sessions of the conclave were ably moderated by Prof. (Dr.) Jitendra Mohanty, Conclave Coordinator; Prof. Partho Sengupta and Prof. Debjani Ghosh. The HR Area of School of Management, KIIT University strove hard to make this event a grand success.

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