Guest Lecture by Mr. Nalin Jain (Director Finance, Volkswagen Group Sales India)

On 25th July 2015, the Corporate Relations Committee of SIMSREE organised a guest

lecture where Mr. Nalin Jain, the Director Finance, Volkswagen Group Sales India was

invited as a guest to address the speaker. The topic of discussion was ‘Strategies for

attaining and sustaining leadership’ in the industry. Mr. Jain shared his insights and

observations drawn from his corporate experience.

 He highlighted the qualities of a good leader and defined a leader as an individual,

who functions in the present moment, is aware and conscious of what is happening around

him or her and believes in democratization and he also discussed how an individual is

expected to know the basics and deliver value as soon as they join the organization. The

functions of a good leader according to Mr. Jain involve visioning, sense making, inventing

and relating with others. Mr. Jain explained that one should think through the situation and

not react instantly. This will help solve the conflicts which generally arise in an organisation.

He discussed sense making and ladder of inference to the students. He explained

that the ladder of inference is a tool that helps leaders balance inquiry and reach

appropriate logical conclusions. He then explained the enacted system predominant cycle

which is a cycle of interaction between habitual artefacts, habits of actions, habits of

thoughts, consequences and actions and includes 3 steps of studying the generative

structures, then analysis of patterns of behaviours and then adapting the reactions to it.

It was an interactive session where Mr. Jain interacted with the students and

addressed the queries and doubts. The session lasted for about an hour and the students

learned from Mr. Jain’s insights, experience & enthusiasm.