India Inc scores on leadership confidence

NEW DELHI: India Inc has shown the highest confidence in corporate leadership ahead of world leader, the US, and China, thereby signalling an encouraging headstart to 2010. The finding is in line with a Q4 Confidence on Leadership Index released by executive search and talent management firm Korn/Ferry International and fielded by Braun Research.

The survey reflects attitudes and opinions of global executives at various levels of the corporate ladder, including management leaders, CEOs and board of directors. At each of these levels, India has shown the maximum confidence in their leadership. The index revealed that India continued to score the highest on confidence while it ranked second after China in leadership direction. While North American executives felt that their leaders were much more trustworthy than the rest of the world, India came in just second to America on the trustworthy leadership index.

Even as India Inc reposes tremendous faith in its leadership, the factors evaluating the leadership have shown no big improvement. The strategic and operating skills, the ability to manage financial performance as well as the courage to lead have remained at the same level as the past quarter while the factor measuring energy and drive of the leaders has shown a decline. But on a few parameters, including operating skills, India is still ahead of America.

With this, leadership direction in India has shown a decline compared to a three-point improvement globally, but is well ahead of North America, which has consistently put up a poor show. European respondents showed the largest quarter-over-quarter gain of 6.3 points.

The Confidence in Leadership Index is conducted quarterly through an online survey completed by 500 adults employed at management level or higher positions. The survey was conducted in 13 countries — Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. In India, 50 executives participated.

India’s overall outlook to the corporate leadership here has slipped, behind the United States, Russia, China and Brazil. “The county’s trust on ethical corporate standards has taken a hit. The Satyam fiasco is one of the major factors that raised pertinent questions on corporate India’s leadership credibility,” Deepak Gupta, country head and MD of Korn/Ferry International, India, said.