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To begin, let me say that I was born and raised in India and, although I am an Indo-Canadian, I still consider myself desi at heart.

The intent of this article to improve the lives of the Indian IT support staff by highlighting the shortcoming of Indian Managers and how those managers can improve themselves.

When I was promoted to a management position in 2002, I used what could be considered a stereotypical Indian management style, which focused heavily on operations and results at any cost. While I felt deserving of the promotion, I also felt the need to prove myself and lacked adequate role models, coaching, and mentoring.

The strategic outsourcing environment I worked in was fast-paced and demanding, leaving little time for explanation or proper guidance during high-pressure situations. I initially adopted a coercive leadership style, which I saw used by other managers, dictating what needed to be done and holding people accountable for it. While this style yielded impressive results, it did not foster strong relationships with the staff.

Despite my reputation for achieving results, I was not well-liked by the staff. While many of my former staff have since achieved senior positions and credit me for their achievements, we all agree that a better approach could have been used. That approach involves prioritizing employee engagement, enablement, and empowerment, which I will discuss in a future post.

For now, I would like to focus on the initial leadership style I adopted and what I see among newly promoted Indian leaders. There has been a surge of Indian leaders being promoted to roles such as Director, Associate Partner, Partner, Senior Partner, Vice President, and more. While some of these promotions are undoubtedly deserved, others make me wonder what criteria was used. Were the hiring senior managers also Indian, or did the promotion stem from the presence of Indian CEOs? While the promotions are not inherently problematic, support must be provided to those who may not be fully ready yet, to develop proper management and leadership skills.

What happens when people are promoted prematurely and do not receive the necessary support from senior managers? Negative impacts ripple downstream, affecting both clients and employees. Clients may experience lower service quality and other disruptions, but the most significant impact is felt by employees. These "managers," who I hesitate to call leaders, mistreat their employees, regardless of their location. I have witnessed mistreatment in North America and India.

Why am I sharing this now? I want to impress upon newly promoted managers, regardless of their title, that their primary role is to provide administrative support and to support their employees. It is not about their personal achievements but about the well-being of their employees.

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