Date:03/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/10/03/stories/2007100350431500.htm

Back ‘Leaders can be made’

New line: Dr Hansa L Manohar, Principal and Head, St. Mary’s School of Management Studies, with Mr R Anand, Partner, Global Tax Advisory Services, Ernst and Young Pvt Ltd, during a BL Club meeting.

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Chennai, Oct 2 At the end of the day “you deal with human beings” and increasingly, in a global scenario, “you will deal with people from France and Switzerland or any corner of the world”, said Mr R. Anand, Partner, Global Tax Advisory Services, Ernst and Young Pvt Ltd. Interacting with almost 100 MBA students of St. Mary’s School of Management Studies on “Soft Skills – Current Trends”, the subject of a Business Line club lecture, he encouraged students to form groups and conduct sessions as well as practise regularly to improve soft skills.

While technical knowledge and facts dealt with in the textbook are hard skills, Mr Anand emphasised the importance of soft skills in today’s corporate scene. He said, our ability to communicate more effectively than we do today is very important and is a “continuous learning process”. Alluding to India’s victory in the recent Twenty-20 World Cup, he said, it was captain Dhoni’s “attitude”, another important soft skill, “and his contagious positive energy that led the team to win.” Refuting the statement that “leaders are born”, he said that “leaders could be made too” and emphasised the significance of “decision-making” as a leadership trait. “In the face of ten varied opinions, the ability to take a view which will be in the best interests of the organisation is part of corporate decision-making,” he added.

Like cricket field

Much like the cricket field where there are all-rounders and specialist batsmen and bowlers, he said, “In corporate life as well one needs to be a generalist and specialist”. Also, in a fast paced world of quick decision-making, he emphasised “the need to temper speed with caution.”

As a last thought, he averred, “the basic foundation of any soft skill is discipline, punctuality and respect for authority.”

Encouraging the move by the University of Madras to set up a curriculum on soft skills, he said, “Evaluation of soft skills at the college level will help in persuading students to take it up seriously.”

Underlining its significance, Dr Hansa L. Manohar, Principal and Head, St. Mary’s School of Management Studies, said, “Corporates feel that students are able to demonstrate sound technical knowledge; however, progressively companies are laying more importance on soft skills – the ability to make presentations, good communication skills and etiquette, in their recruitment process.”