Jayajyoti Sengupta, APAC Head, Cognizant

OREANDA-NEWS. “Leaders would do well to revisit the carrot-and-stick approach,” says Jayajyoti Sengupta. “Much of today’s workforce consists of millennials who have redefined the concept of “work” and created entirely new social and operating norms. Jobs have become more global, virtual, complex and self-driven. It is time to do away with “command-and-control” structures in favor of “coordinate and cultivate” methods of operation.”

He adds, “Empowering people is a great way to encourage responsibility, commitment and excellence. Business leaders should aim to cultivate experts inside and outside conventional business hierarchies, and nurture and reward behaviors that support collaborative problem-solving."

Sengupta says, "In encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset, individuals should be allowed to take charge of their roles within the framework of organizational values and vision, and provided with the required mentoring, feedback and recognition for them to innovate. Ultimately, it is about creating an ecosystem that’s not fail-safe, but one where it’s safe to fail.”