Flying in Life While You Stay on Ground

Mr. Rajesh Ramakrishnan is this week's guest on The xMonks Drive podcast. He mentioned some of his childhood experiences that shaped his current value system as an adult. The discussion progresses to forming relations, determining what constitutes a great work, and so on. Here are some of the key points from the discussion.

Adulthood is shaped by childhood.

Children's behavioural, cognitive, and social abilities all play a role in how well they get along with their peers. When a child is able to properly recognise and interpret the behaviour of others, he is able to manage his own feelings and choose acceptable responses.

Such growth in childhood lays the groundwork and framework for the belief system he would use as an adult. “I grew up in a very, you know, modest kind of thing in terms of a traditional middle class family living in a very middle class place in Chennai,” Rajesh says, emphasising the importance of childhood in his personality. Some of the ideals that were instilled in me from the start revolved around simplicity, but they also revolved around hard work and commitment. So, I believe those are the basic principles that exist.”

As a CEO, you need to be able to connect with people.

In any position, a leader should be approachable. As the discussion progresses, Mr. Ramakrishnan speaks about engaging with people.

“I believe that being grounded, modesty, and simplicity are all intertwined. It makes no difference whether you're a CEO or an employee at any stage. However, I believe that the ability to communicate with people correctly, for example, becomes extremely important.”

If I consider myself to be a higher-order individual who sits on a pedestal, I find it difficult to interact with others. These ideals have always been instilled in me since I was a kid. That, for example, greatly aided my ability to communicate with people at that level in the organisation.

Connecting with others has two benefits. One, it gives you a clear idea of what's going on in the company and, as a result, the ability to keep an eye on it. The second benefit is that it allows you to communicate with others, encourage them, and motivate them to do their best. So, in many ways, I believe it has an influence in terms of not only a personal relation, but also, eventually, a business impact.

As an added bonus, Rajesh mentions his ability to interact with people from various cultures. “Some of the people I've met in my life, even when I was in school. It, in a sense, opens things up on various levels. As a result, one is learning about a new community as well as a different type of climate. How do you adjust to that? Meeting people who have very different backgrounds, speak different languages, and eat in different ways. So I believe it was totally different on several levels. And, of course, the whole thing took a long time. But I believe it begins to teach you something.

About the Speaker: Rajesh Ramakrishnan

Rajesh Ramakrishnan is the Managing Director of Perfetti Van Melle India, the country's leading confectionery company. He has 25 years of experience in General Management, Sales, and Marketing. Rajesh is in charge of the company's overall activities in India and Nepal.

Rajesh is an accomplished business leader and seasoned marketing professional who has worked in industries such as Personal Care, Household Care, Foods & Beverages, Confectionery, and Media. Under his leadership, Perfetti Van Melle Bangladesh achieved market leadership and sustained growth in 2016.

Rajesh is a photographer who has won several awards. His work has been featured in many publications in India and abroad, including the Cannes Film Festival. He also enjoys travelling and has participated in expeditions to Everest Base Camp and Mount Kilimanjaro.

In March 2015, Rajesh, his wife, and their teenage daughter launched the My Daughter is Precious [MDIP] initiative to promote gender equality and support the education of girls.