From using reams of paper to going paperless, Anant Maheshwari says taking e-notes helped him become a better boss

When Anant Maheshwari first moved to Microsoft India four years ago, it took him a while to adapt to the tech capabilities available to him. “I came from the industrial world and was very used to using reams of paper to take notes,” said the Microsoft India President at a recent entrepreneurial conclave.

Maheshwari recalled that he would, at any point in time, have six to eight pens on him - in his bag, in his pockets, different colours for different notes etc. “That’s how I learned to work for four decades; how I had been educated,” he said.

The habit didn’t strike him as odd until one day, shortly after he joined Microsoft, he found himself taking notes in his notebook in front of a CEO talking about digitizing his business and creating an entirely paperless office. “When I walked out of that meeting, I said, ‘I’m trying to paint a vision of this new cutting-edge way of working and look at what I’m doing. It struck me that I had to change myself, I had to start using the tech capabilities that were available” he recalled.


Easy Access
Making the switch to digital was doubly beneficial for Maheshwari. Not only did he save on reams on paper, but he found it made him a better boss and collaborator.

“I collaborate much better. My notes are not a secret that I keep. My entire team has access and they suddenly feel that I’m a better leader because I am sharing my notes more easily and they’re able to work through them.”