The Roman playwright of the Old Latin period, Plautus said 'No man is wise enough by himself.' Everyone, be it in a business or personal life, needs advice from some astucious friend or professional to deal with the affairs of life or business.
Undoubtedly consulting as a profession is not a new phenomenon. Biblical Kings had their prophets and Greeks had Oracles. Consulting began with its developments when management appeared as a unique field of enterprise in the late 19th Century, after the Industrial Revolution.
In the last decade of the twentieth century, factors like a strong global economy, increasing computing power, penetration of emerging markets, privatization, globalization, and the new Information Technology Consulting practice effloresce the consulting industry into a dynamic and growing sector.
An amalgamation of the efforts employed by Viraj Kalra and Luv Jasuja resulted in the establishment of White Ladder Consulting in 2011. 'People' & 'Culture' are at the heart of the organization, and brand success has been the belief of both the co-founders. Observing numerous clients grappling with this issue prompted their collaboration, bringing both of them together.
At present, White Ladder boasts a team of 27 employees and a collective of over 50 coaches, trainers, and experts specializing in strategy, research, project management, and client service. Their reach extends across various locations, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Singapore, Dubai, and beyond.
The company offers a comprehensive range of services to its clients. These include training for soft skills and behavioural skills, leadership coaching, complete oversight of offsite events and corporate retreats, brand strategy, HR strategy and organizational development, change management, culture cultivation encompassing EVP, values, vision, and mission, employee engagement, as well as innovation capacity and capability services.
We caught up with Viraj (Co-founder) of White Ladder over a conversation. Edited excerpts.
Parameters of success and its secret ingredient
I remember an incident when the CEO of a client brand asked me to conduct a 1-day 'executive excellence' workshop at an offsite in Dubai. When asked about the reference, he replied that we had met 15 years ago at a workshop I had conducted for another client organization. He was an intern with them at that time, and he was part of that workshop.
He added that learnings from that workshop have stayed with him all through his professional journey from intern to CEO. For me, such instances are the true measure of success, when a 1-day training/workshop/ keynote causes not just an initial euphoria but a lasting impact.
Working through Existential crisis and views on leadership
As an earthling, I believe it is our responsibility to positively impact the next generation such that they become better inhabitants of the planet than us.
I am cognizant of the fact that I have very limited time to make this impact. Hence, "so much to do and so little time" is the motivating factor that gives me a sense of purpose that is larger than just self-serving.
As an organization, we try to align our decisions with our values and vision. So, as long as we prioritize that, all else will fall in place in the medium-long run.
I engage in coaching numerous young individuals, encompassing both my employees and those stepping into leadership roles for the first time. These include high-potential individuals and young leaders who are brimming with energy, possess innovative ideas, and exude abundant confidence as they discover and refine their unique leadership approaches.
I prefer servant leadership and democratic leadership. While trying my best to consciously add directional, emotional, developmental, transformational, strategic, knowledge, skill, insight, and support – value with all my professional as well as personal stakeholders.
There is always scope for improvement (as a leader) and my current strive is in trying to find a balance between logic and emotion. Apart from that, I am trying to be more disciplined (more self-control) overall and less diplomatic in my interpersonal equations.
A typical day
Due to my 150 days of annual travel for assignments, my routine lacks a conventional structure that defines a 'typical' day. Nevertheless, I strive to maintain certain practices. These include a 5-kilometer outdoor run, reading around 50-60 pages of my current book, and sharing a bedtime story with my nine-year-old son, Veer.
This situation creates an interesting paradox "while I'm working to establish a degree of routine and consistency, I'm also drawn to the thrill of unexpected challenges that arise."
Changes brought to the organization
I guide leaders in understanding that prioritizing development over delivery inherently leads to an elevation in the quality of delivery. At White Ladder, we are actively fostering a culture of 'EQ-driven leadership' throughout the organizational hierarchy, promoting emotional intelligence among our professionals.
I firmly believe that this approach has resulted in a holistic enhancement of the positive influence we exert in the market.
Strength and weakness
My acute awareness and sensitivity toward both expressed and unexpressed intentions, motivations, perceptions, mindsets, and belief systems empower me to provide exceptionally tailored solutions as a coach, trainer, and consultant.
This awareness also enables me to adopt a more forgiving, patient, adaptable, and collaborative approach in both my methods and interactions.
I don't prioritize ROI to a significant extent. I frequently invest more time and effort than the situation, assignment, project, or individual necessitates or merits.
My business partner, Luv, frequently monitors this generous approach of mine. While it proves beneficial in the long term, it might not always result in favorable immediate ROI.
Favorite threes and Auto-biography
My three current favorite books are The Subtle Art of not giving a F*ck (Mark Manson), Sapiens (Yuval Noah Harari), and Born to Run (Christopher McDougall).
My favorite places on the globe are Hardangerfjord (Norway), Maldives, and San Francisco.
I would name my autobiography, 'Learner for Life.'
Helmsman
Before entering the entrepreneurial waters, Viraj started his professional journey in 1997 as a PR executive in a leading PR agency while pursuing graduation. In a matter of three years, he rose to the height of heading the agency's 'media insights division' which gave him a promising start.
His stint with a Japanese Fortune 500 company honed his skills for building and leading Greenfield projects while working on the launch of a first-time TPA service aimed at the auto sector.
Following the completion of his MBA with a specialization in Marketing and HR, he dedicated a decade to a diverse conglomerate. During this time, he played a pivotal role in conceiving, launching, and overseeing global start-ups across a range of industries, including higher education, media, motion pictures, ITES, consulting, and training. This experience not only allowed him to master the art of brand-building but also provided valuable insights into the realm of entrepreneurship.
So, when he co-founded White Ladder (in 2011), he already had 15+ years of pan-India and global strong consulting, brand, HR, training, media, entrepreneurial, and Greenfield experience at hand.
A piece of advice for budding entrepreneurs and plans
"Let your personal and organizational values guide your decisions. Be the server and not the leader to be a good leader – encourage, enable, empower, communicate, coach, mentor, and facilitate.
Take risks, experiment and allow your people to do the same – don't become a slave to a rhythm, routine, and a zone – push the limits, challenge yourself, and motivate your team to do the same."
Our immediate next agenda is to launch our 'digital micro-learning platform.' Due to the diminishing attention spans of young adults, it is pertinent to make learning bite-sized, engaging, interactive, and accessible at will.
We are aggressively populating our digital content library and actively seeking partners for this venture. Also, over and above engaging with our Fortune 500 variety of clients, a deeper engagement with SMEs and start-ups is on the cards this year.