Name: Mandarr Kkamthe

Title: Consultant

Organisation: Freelance

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

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

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

Balancing the needs of individuals with the needs of the team or organization.

Making tough decisions.

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

After pandemic, I got the chance to work as O&M manager (Water Projects) for a reputed Infrastructure organisation in my hometown Pune. Thanks to Mr. Vivek Hemmady who believed in me. That is the starting point of leadership journey… That project I got chance to lead a sizable team to achieve some decent targets set by clients. After this role, in all other roles which came, it became easier for me to behave like a leader.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

I am a early to riser. Mornings are dedicated to self which includes meditation/exercise.then I take five to 10 minutes at the beginning of each day to write out a to-do list,by 9.30-10am till 4-5pm is the time I prefer to finish up my work/meetings. Most of the meetings are pre-determined with agendas.Evening time is for family with early dinner and I will sleep by 10-10.30pm. Rinse and repeat.

4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?

One recent leadership lesson that I came across is the importance of self-awareness. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks and forget to take a step back and reflect on how you’re showing up as a leader. Cultivating self-awareness can help you understand your strengths and weaknesses, and how you can best support your team.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

"The Servant Leader" by Ken Blanchard, along with Phil Hodges, has been a transformative book for me, shaping my approach to leadership and helping me become a more effective leader. I continue to revisit the book's principles and find them applicable to various situations and leadership challenges.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

Trust your Instincts.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?

One day, my Project manager was meeting privately with a staff member. The Project Manager’s phone rang while they were discussing something important. The manager ignored the call, not only once but thrice.The staff member asked the manager if he wouldn’t take the call.To that question, the manager only answered no because the phone call can wait while the issues they are discussing cannot. Feeling valued, and continued their conversation.