In yet another episode of Talking Matters, People Matters’ exclusive radio show, Editor-in-Chief Esther Martinez talked to K. Ramkumar, Executive Director, ICICI Bank. The radio show revolved around Ramkumar’s journey as an HR leader and what lead him to where he is today.

Crediting his parents and teachers as the earliest influencers in his life, Ramkumar offered his heartfelt gratitude to them. As a teenager in school, he was fixated with the idea of becoming an engineer. In a conversation with his father about why he wouldn’t pay his capitation fee, his father told him that it was not the qualification and degrees but what he made out of life that mattered. And this was the teaching that he remembered till date.

Listen to the full radio session here

When talking about the ingredients of success, he said it is his passion and intensity which drives him every day. He says that it is very difficult for him to engage without being passionate but he doesn’t get hung up about winning or losing. For him, it is about giving his best every time. One of the key lessons that he has learned through his career is that the same passion and intensity can blind a person and become a weakness as well. He advised that moderating the passion and intensity and being insightful about others is a make or break decision.

Looking back at his younger self, he says that he would tell himself that things he thought were essential for success then did not even matter now. There is a lot more to life than getting fixated on notions. He stated that with age, immaturities did not go away, rather new ones came up. He says that it is better to concede some battles so that others can be won.

When talking about his vision for HR professionals, he said that HR people need to stop obsessing about their roles. They need to be flexible with their roles and should be able to move from one position to the next. It is about being a good business manager. As a parting statement, he said that the three qualities for a young leader were passion, conceptual clarity and the power to mobilize people.

Key takeaways:

• There is a lot more to life than getting fixated on notions
• HR people need to stop obsessing about their roles
• It is better to concede some battles so that others can be won
• Moderating passion and intensity and being insightful about others is a make or break decision
• Three qualities for a young leader were passion, conceptual clarity and the power to mobilize people