Rohit Gupta completed his MSc in Finance and Management from the University of Exeter in 2008. Since returning to Kathmandu, he has been serving as an executive director of business development at Lucky Groups—telecom division. Part of the team that brought two popular mobile brands—Colors and Gionee—to Nepal, Gupta in this interview with the Post’s Alisha Sijapati talks about the value of leadership at the workplace and his personal management mantras. Excerpts:

What are the keys to managing a large workforce?

The key to managing a large workforce is to have strong teamwork and a good quality of leadership. In this day and age, one has to have a charismatic personality in the professional world. To be honest, I feel that strict hierarchy impedes the progress of a company instead of helping it. So, responsibility and tasks should be delegated equally. The competition is getting tougher day by day and one always needs to be on their toes. Also, one needs to have quick decision making skills. At times, in business, you have to make choices in split seconds. In addition, another key to managing a workforce well is to instil a sense of responsibility and accountability among all members of an organisation.

As a company grows bigger, how important is proper delegation to its success?

It is extremely important for a company to have proper delegation. These days, leading economies have shifted their focus from entrepreneurship to interpreneurship—which means that the department head is given most of the opportunities to develop innovative ideas for the company and delegates tasks independently. This methodology helps boost employees’ confidence and improves their performance on the tasks at hand. Along with that, they are given the opportunity to prove themselves as an entrepreneur within the company. These are all key points to remember as your business grows.

How important is trusting your employees with their tasks, as opposed to micro managing?

I have to say that both of these things are extremely important while running a company and both of them have their pros and cons. To be fair, I would say that no matter how much you trust someone, everyone has their limitations. So, I should say that both employee and the employer cannot have 100 percent trust in each other. I believe two-way communication is essential to building trust among team members, which will in turn create a balance between oversight and accountability.

What are you management mantras?

My management mantra is to be free flowing. I like conversing with all of my employees regardless of what department they work in. I believe in being humble and nice to all my employees and my door is always open for everyone. I think having a friendly environment at work is of great importance. For things to go smooth at a workplace one has to have patience and perseverance and you need to treat everyone with respect.

What advice do you have for young managers?

Think big and have a wide horizon so that you are compelled to constantly think beyond the box. Managers these days need to challenge themselves all the time because a lot of companies are mushrooming with great ideas and it’s becoming excessively competitive. To have a strong stand in the market, you must not languish in your comfort zone. You need to create a holistic environment for growth and keep pushing yourself to become a better worker and manager every single day.