Leadership insights from the top: exploring leadership through the narratives of CEOs in India

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the corporate and non-corporate leadership practices in India, the effect of culture on such practices and how these drive management philosophies.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with CEOs from India. A key finding was that Indian leadership shares some aspects of global leadership traits, but factors such as culture and religion are significant influences on their leadership style and philosophy.

Findings

The findings are helpful to both practitioners and policy makers seeking to understand the leadership style of Indian CEOs.

Originality/value

Many qualities of a good leader, as defined by Indian CEOs were derived from the Hindu mythology (Bhagvad Gita, Mahabharata, Ramayana and the four Vedas).

Citation

Tripathi, S., Prabhakar, G.P. and Liddle, J. (2015), "Leadership insights from the top: exploring leadership through the narratives of CEOs in India", International Journal of Public Leadership, Vol. 11 No. 3/4, pp. 126-146. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPL-02-2015-0006