Local Memoirs of a Global Manager

1
Local Memoirs of a Global Manager

• Gurcharan Das
• Reading 7-1

2
The Major Arguments

• Most important lesson To learn to tap into the
  roots of diversity in a world where global
  standardization plays an increasingly useful role
  
• Think global and act local tells only half the
  truth - international managers must also think
  local and then apply their local insights on a
  global scale

3
The Major Arguments (cont.).

• What we learn from acting locally is often
  universal in nature
• Globalization means having a global vision and
  strategy, but it also means cultivating local
  roots and individual identities
• Managerial basics are the same everywhere, in the
  East or West
• The key to success is a tremendous amount of
  local passion and local pride and ownership

4
Lessons Learned

• Consumer product with a competitive advantage in
  marketing should focus on creating, retaining and
  satisfying consumers
• Concentrate on ones core competence
• Your customer pays your salary
• It is better to build on your strength than to
  try and correct a weakness
• Listen to and respect the market. Resist the
  temptation to impose your will on it.

5
Lessons Learned (cont.)

• You cannot be all things to all people
• When you are number one, you must not grow
  complacent - you must grow the market
• You must always benchmark yourself against the
  best in the world
• Build on what exists rather than reinventing the
  wheel

6
Lessons Learned (cont.)

• Recognize diversity and tap into your roots as
  creatively as you can
• The importance of local passion is key for global
  market success
• International success requires cultural
  immersion in the local culture
• Business truths are fundamentally local in origin
  but they are expressions of fundamental universal
  human needs

7
Lessons Learned (cont.)

• The most common disease in a global company is
  the not-invented-here (NIH) syndrome
• Smart global mangers nourish each blade of grass
  without neglecting the garden as a whole
• Happiness comes from doing acts that are for the
  sake of the action, not for the sake of reward
  from the action - nishkama karma