Speaking of the power of persistence, P Madhavan, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales, TVS Srichakra, said it is this attribute of his that has gotten him this far. In a conversation with Storyboard18, he added, “Even if you’re doing the smallest of things, you must not give up. You just have to keep at it till it actually works. Don’t take your eyes off the job till it’s done.”
Edited excerpts:
Can you list five of your favourite quotes on marketing and leadership?
One thing that strikes immediately is what industrialist and philanthropist JRD Tata said during an interview in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s, that, “When you start a business, there has to be a larger purpose behind the project.” He doesn’t talk about what profit the business will make, or market share it will achieve, etc. He talks about the larger purpose behind a business, i.e., what does it do for the society and the country? How does it give it back?
The other gentleman who’s had a big impact on many is the late Ratan Naval Tata, Tata Group’s former Chairperson. Back in 2010, he said, “If you have to run a business in an unethical manner, it is better to be out of that business.” As a leader, you need to have these qualities, and be very clear. It’s not business at any cost.
Another quote which is attributed to scientist Thomas Edison is, “I have not failed. I’ve found 10,000 different ways to find out it doesn’t work.” There’s nothing called a perfect world. Don’t wait for an ideal situation to start anything.
In your free time, what kind of marketing-related content do you consume?
I constantly look to read or listen about how big brands are created and what has led to the downfall of some of them, what the pitfalls are, and how one is to prepare for them. Bloomberg Originals has some great content on how some of these brands have been created.
Where do you get your social media mix from?
I’m not into Instagram or Facebook. So it’s all YouTube.
What were the last few videos you viewed?
The most recent was ‘What differentiates BJP from Congress?’, a report on the country’s fiscal health in The Print by the publication’s Political Editor, DK Singh.
The other video was by The Print’s Editor-in-Chief, Shekhar Gupta, on the Sivagalai archaeological digs in Tamil Nadu, where 5,000-year-old iron age items were found. Another video that I recently saw was about why Nike is struggling.
Who are your favourite creators and what draws you to them?
One of my favourites is film director K Balachander, who was about 30 years ahead of his time. The other is American filmmaker Steven Spielberg, simply because of the spectrum of genres he’s worked in.
What is your sport or fitness routine like?
I believe I’m extremely disciplined. I pack in almost two hours of exercise every day, along with seven hours of sound sleep. That’s my favourite wellness / fitness routine.
What’s your favourite weekend like?
I’m in the office most Saturdays, and cram in five to six hours of workout. I also watch four-five hours of TV over the weekend. That’s a must do. On Sundays I visit my favourite temple. This is followed by any pending chores.
What have you been watching?
I have finished watching the thriller series Tehran on Apple TV. I’m re-watching The Night Manager. I watched the American series Chicago P.D.
Any work or life hack you swear by?
My strength is my persistence, which has gotten me so far. Just don’t give up. Even if you’re doing the smallest thing, you must not give up. You just have to keep at it till it works. Don’t take your eyes off the job till it’s done.
What are you reading? Any recommendations?
I recently read ‘Who Moved My Cheese?’ by Spencer Johnson. I also read a lovely book by the former High Commissioner of India to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria, called ‘Anger Management: The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship between India and Pakistan.’ It’s about the India-Pakistan relationship and how diplomats have endured the friction between the two nations and their governments.
What’s your advice to avoid personal and professional burnout?
We are always worried about what will be and what might happen. That’s the primary reason for burnout. My advice is to not over analyse or overthink.
A piece of professional wisdom you would like to share with next-gen marketers?
Back in the day, we never had the opportunity to listen to consumers as much as today’s marketers do. In the early days, structured research was done once or twice a year, and one would go by that.
Today, the consumer is leaving feedback all over. How does one listen to it? How does one assimilate all that information, use it to further whatever objective has been set? Next-gen marketers have the tools to do this, so listening to customers is the best thing they can do. That would be my advice.
What’s the best advice you’ve got (or heard) in life?
Business magnate Richard Branson once said, “Take care of your employees and they will take care of your customers and business.” The cliched saying prevalent before that was to take care of customers since they came first. Branson changed that belief.
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