Executive-Presence in India

March 19, 2004 (Press Release) -- Good dress sense is the

hallmark of a successful

e x e c u t i v e . Presence, a shirt

and tie is accepted as the standard

business attire for men. For

women, the choice is quite wide

and includes the sari, the salwar

kameez (a long-sleeved, loosely

fitting dress worn with loose

pantaloons) and traditional

Western dress. A mixture of

polyester and wool fabrics are

the preferred choice for trousers

and suits as they fall well.

Woolen fabrics are generally

avoided because of the predominately

warm weather. However,

it is not unusual to find directors

and other top managers dressed

in a bush shirt or a regular shirt

without a tie. Because they

occupy senior positions, they

are exempt from the dress codes

to which their juniors may need

to conform.

The large majority of Indian

executives sport a mustache.

Beards are not as well accepted,

except for the Sikhs, as their

religion forbids the shaving or

cutting of hair.

The presence of social

g r a c e s and the ability to put

others at ease in a social setting

is the sign of “executive

p re s e n c e . ” In social situations,

where formerly the high and

mighty took every opportunity

to show how important they

were, successful executives who

are polite and show common

G l o b a l P e r s p e c t i v e s, Summer 1997 9

E x e c u t i v e

Presence in India

by Clarence Lobo

EX E C U T I V E P R E S E N C E, T H E I N D E F I N A B L E

Q U A L I T Y T H AT D I S T I N G U I S H E S A S U C C E S S F U L

E X E C U T I V E, B E C O M E S M O R E D I F F I C U LT TO

D E F I N E I N A C O U N T RY A S H E T E R O G E N E O U S A S

IN D I A, W I T H I T S M U LT I P L I C I T Y O F L A N G U A G E S,

D R E S S H A B I T S, TO P O G R A P H Y, C L I M A C T I C C O ND

I T I O N S, C U S TO M S A N D F O O D H A B I T S. IN

M A N Y R E S P E C T S, T H O U G H, T H E L O N G H I S TO RY

O F BR I T I S H I N F L U E N C E, T H E W I D E S P R E A D

K N O W L E D G E O F T H E EN G L I S H L A N G U A G E,

T H E E A S Y A C C E S S TO AM E R I C A N A N D BR I T I SH

L I T E R AT U R E A N D T H E L O N G-S TA N D I N G P O P UL

A R I T Y O F HO L LY W O O D F I L M S H AV E I N F L UE

N C E D H O W E X E C U T I V E P R E S E N C E I S D E F I N E D

I N T H E C U R R E N T IN D I A N B U S I N E S S C O N T E X T.

The ability to express oneself clearly

in the English language, the accepted

language of business and commerce, in

a grammatically correct manner with a

reasonable degree of fluency and without

traces of a regional Indian accent is considered

helpful in furthering one’s executive

c a r e e r. However, attempting to mimic a

distinct Western accent, without conviction,

is perceived as being in poor taste.

English skills are more important in

general management, marketing and sales,

banking and financial services, consumer

products and the services sector, including

consulting, advertising, hotels, airlines

and public relations. English skills are

less important in production, finance and

industrial relations.

courtesy to their juniors now command respect

and admiration. Until only recently, in the

British tradition, the normal form of conversation

was largely formal. With the recent

flattening of management structures and

increasing American influence, there is now

a greater tendency to address each other on a

first-name basis, although this is by no means

prevalent. The advantages of communicating on

a first-name basis are becoming more and more

obvious. However, a person who is much higher

in the hierarchy and is senior in age as well

will be addressed in a formal manner as a

sign of respect. The manager with executive

presence knows when to address a person by

his first name and when to prefix “Mr., Mrs.

or Ms.” to the surname.

The typical successful executive is a

happily married man or woman. Because it

often presents hurdles to building strong

business relationships, a single, separated or

divorced person finds it difficult to obtain

complete acceptance. This applies even more

so in the case of women. This stigma is

gradually changing, especially in the high

profile advertising profession where an

executive’s personal life does not affect his

or her career adversely.

10 G l o b a l P e r s p e c t i v e s, Summer 1997

Clarence Lobo is managing partner

of Ray & Berndtson’s Bombay office.