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

– 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.

– 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.

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

– 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).