In today’s rapidly changing business environment marked by geopolitical upheavals, disruption in supply chains, technological leaps and macro-economic uncertainty, the role of leadership has evolved. Ajay Srinivasan, a prominent business leader and the former CEO of Aditya Birla Capital, shared his opinion on empathy, clarity, and courage on a blog recently. He believes that leadership is often equated with strategy, which in this unpredictable world, isn’t enough. What makes the most effective leaders stand apart according to him is their ability to pair strategy with empathy, communication and adaptability.
The New Leadership Paradigm: Meaning-Making
Ajay Srinivasan Aditya Birla further states that the best leaders today go beyond being strategists. They are the meaning-makers, explaining why somethings matter, especially during challenging times. He writes:
“Empathy is defined as ‘Understanding before acting’. … Communication is defined as ‘Clarity in the fog’. … Adaptability is the ‘Courage to pivot’.”
Empathy builds trust during uncertain times, clarity helps navigate foggy terrain, while adaptability ensures survival when the map is constantly changing.
Empathy: Understanding Before Acting
Empathy is an important leadership tool, especially effective in challenging situations, when people feel fear and sense disorientation. Though strategy provides direction, empathy gives people the confidence to follow. A leader who stops to listen, to understand what the team is going through, inspires the team as compared to those who solely give direction.
Communication: Clarity in the Fog
Communication also plays an important role, and according to Ajay Srinivasan news, communication means “clarity in the fog.” In uncertain times, teams don’t expect the leader to remain silent. Though people don’t expect leaders to possess all the answers, they want transparency about what is known, what isn’t and how decisions will be made. Quoting leadership thinker Warren Bennis:
“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.”
For Srinivasan, this translation means a simple and streamlined strategy to avoid confusion. The team tends to remain more optimistic and aligned when communication is clear and honest.
Adaptability: The Courage to Pivot
Even the most well-crafted strategy can go off track. That’s why Srinivasan elevates adaptability—“the courage to pivot.” It’s about recognising when a direction needs to change and having the humility and guts to redirect resources, even when sunk costs are high. He observes:
“Adaptability requires humility and courage to redirect resources even if it means abandoning sunk costs.”
At Aditya Birla Capital, Ajay Srinivasan oversaw expansion across multiple businesses including life and health insurance, domestic and offshore mutual funds, wealth management and lending across corporates, SMEs and retail including housing finance. Besides, he had to respond to market vagaries, regulatory shifts and customer behaviour changes, making adaptability a necessity, rather than a luxury. By using these skills and leadership abilities, Ajay Srinivasan was able to build and grow Aditya Birla Capital’s business.
From Strategy to Purpose
At the centre of Ajay Srinivasan’s thinking is a simple but strategic shift. He focuses on moving from strategy to purpose. Strategy might chart the course, but purpose gives the journey meaning he says. He cites Viktor Frankl:
“Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear almost any ‘how’.”
For Ajay Srinivasan, the best leaders help their organisations discover that “why.” In turbulent times, that becomes the anchor, not the map.
Applying His Principles: Lessons for Executives
The four actionable takeaways inspired by Ajay’s leadership model:
Ask not only “What is our plan?” rather “Why does it matter?” When team members are able to connect their work with a broader vision, they feel more connected and engaged.
Ensure transparency. Tell people what is certain, what is uncertain, and how you plan to move. Build alignment even when the path isn’t clear.
Listen actively. Recognise fears, concerns, and ideas. Empathy won’t replace strategy, but it will enable it.
Be ready to pivot. Strategy is dynamic. Plans should change as per the changing conditions. Encourage a culture where agility is valued and rewarded, rather than staying rigid.
Why This Matters Now
In this dynamic business world, which changes constantly, traditional leadership also takes a back seat. Leaders today are translators of uncertainty, connectors of people and purpose, builders of resilient cultures.
Srinivasan’s career—from founding CEO roles (such as at Prudential and Aditya Birla Capital) to his current Founder role at Maxima Management Advisors—illustrates how combining empathy, clarity, and adaptability becomes not just desirable, but essential.
Conclusion
When you look at Ajay Srinivasan’s leadership mantra, one thing stands out: he isn’t content with a leader being just a strategist. He wants the leader to be a meaning-maker. And in an age of ambiguity, as he says that might just be the most strategic act of all.
For anyone in a leadership role—whether in finance, technology, or any domain—Srinivasan’s approach offers a timely, human-centred blueprint.
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