New Recording 6

Mr. R. Gopalakrishnan, a physicist and engineer, has had a successful career in leadership roles at Hindustan Unilever and Tata Group. He is known for his perspective on leadership and human behavior. A passionate writer with over 50 books, he emphasizes growth, authenticity, and reflection in leadership. Gopalakrishnan's ultimate purpose in leadership is to help others grow, making him a respected corporate veteran and storyteller. Mr. R. Gopalakrishnan, a physicist from St. Jesus College, Kolkata and an engineer from IIT, Kharagpur, further enriched his learning by attending the advanced management program at Harvard Business School. He began his career with Hindustan Unilever in 1967. He went on to save the success of Unilever and later the Tata Group. Over five decades, he has held leadership roles across India, Middle East and UK. From Vice-Chairman of Hindustan Unilever to Executive Director of Tata Suns, serving on boards of leading companies that touch millions of lives each day including Tata Powers, Exxon Mobil, Castrol India and many more. What makes his journey remarkable is not only the position that he has held, but the perspective he has built. After decades of leading organizations, he chose to become a student once again of leadership, human behavior and purpose. He is also a passionate writer, encouraged by his wife, who supported his decision to take a sabbatical in 2012, stepping down from his role as COO of Titan so that he would write his first book and backed by his daughter and family, he has authored numerous books. Today, he has written over 50 books. Through his acclaimed books, The Case of Bonsai Manager, When the Penny Drops and What the CEO Really Wants from You, he reminds us that leadership is not about the power or position. It is about growth that is organic, authentic and deeply human. He often says managers grow through expression, but leaders grow through reflection and it is that reflection he brings to us today shaped by more than five decades of learning, leading and nurturing others to lead. He is not just a corporate veteran, he is a storyteller of leadership, a thinker who believes that the ultimate purpose of leadership is to help others grow taller than oneself.