The Art of Management: By Shiv Shivakumar

D Shivakumar addressing the session during his book launch

D Shivakumar addressing the session during his book launch

AIMA had organised a special session on the launch of a new book- ‘The Art of Management’ by D Shiv Shivakumar, Group Executive President, Corporate Strategy & Business Development, Aditya Birla Group & Past President, AIMA. D Shiv Shivakumar not only shared the insights of the book but also shared tips on managing self, organization and business.

AIMA had organised a session on the launch of a new book- ‘The Art of Management’ by D Shiv Shivakumar, Group Executive President, Corporate Strategy & Business Development, Aditya Birla Group & Past President, AIMA.

Being one of the most recognizable CEOs in India and leading some iconic global companies, D Shiv Shivakumar has penned his new book on career management having plenty of knowledge about the subject.

Sharing insights from the book, D Shiv Shivakumar said “managing self, organization and business has become a surmounting task”. Hence the book was written with the view of realigning one’s priorities, capabilities and values in a fast-paced world.

Explaining more about career management, he said that there are many young CEOs and entrepreneurs who disappear in no time. While it could be sheer fate for the disappearance, a greater part of it also has to do with a disciplinary approach and one has to be consistent, as there is no substitute for that. As far as managing an organisation is concerned, there is no substitute or shortcut, you have to do the right thing and do it dedicatedly in order to succeed.

So what is the shelf life of a manager in a company? He said that it depends on the kind of industry one is in. So, depending on the industry, the rate of learning is very important. Enrolling in short-term courses to upskill yourself is a good idea, as skill is going to be more important than a degree in the future.

The pandemic has changed the course of office culture to a hybrid culture, so what is the way to scale up in an environment like that? A lot of entrepreneurs have ideas to scale up for the next 3 years and then run out of ideas, but what is more important is having a forecast of the business that you have undertaken so that it sustains.

What mistake are some digital companies making for not being able to scale up? D Shiv Shivakumar said that the reason is high customer acquisition. He further added that if the cost of a company’s customer acquisition is more than its gross margin then it’s almost like “living on hope”.  And hope can never be a strategy for growth.

His advice to the young managers was that they should do what they think is right for their companies. They should learn and they should contribute the best they can.

Finally, D Shiv Shivakumar said that while the book is a documentation of his experiences and ideas, it is also a CTA (call to action) for self-improvement as an individual, a leader and a business builder.

Watch the full video session here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL-Ni54krJk

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