He spoke to the ISB students on 'Leadership, Teamwork, Strategy & Motivation'. The talk covered strategies and systems for achieving success, both in business and the sports arena.
Speaking on an important requirement for a good leader, Dr Charlesworth said, "Understanding the team players is critical for a leader. A leader has to constantly listen to what his team is saying. Working with the team is a moral choice – it is about doing the right things at the right time for the right reason."
While sports and business may appear to be different, they, in fact share several similarities and this made for an insightful learning for the ISB students. A key learning from the talk was that a good leader is one who is able to create a 'leader-full' team instead of having one to lead the team. He should be able to appreciate the diversity in the team and allot roles based on their individual strengths. A leader should also be an active team player. A good team player is one who has faith in the team's decision and is committed, even though it may not be his preference.
The students were deeply impressed with the talk. Speaking on what he learnt from this experience, Prashant Purushottam, student, Class of 2009 at the ISB said, "Not only do we get to learn from international gurus at the ISB, but also interact with such legends. Meeting these great minds helps me to constantly challenge existing beliefs and learn new ways of thinking."
This talk was arranged by Viren Rasquinha, student, Class of 2009 at the ISB and former captain of the Indian hockey team. The ISB has a diverse student body and this diversity provides a holistic learning environment. Students from different backgrounds bring fresh perspectives to issues and case studies discussed in the classroom and this contributes to stimulating and challenging classroom learning.
Earlier, Prashanth Hariharan, another ISB student, organised a session on 'Appreciating Indian Classical Music'. Prashant is an accomplished carnatic musician besides being a rocket scientist.
The ISB also organises the 'Business & Arts' programme every year, where students have the opportunity to interact and learn from eminent artists and learn alternate ways to think creatively.
