The main characteristics of effective leadership are intelligence, integrity or loyalty, mystique, humor, discipline, courage, self sufficiency and confidence.-James L. Fisher. Fits perfectly into the bill is Shailendra Singh's, Joint managing director, Percept Holdings. Making of leader unfolds his experiences to Nidhi Jain.

Lessons learnt so far

The ultimate lesson I learnt,when I plunged into business was not to trust anybody, but the only way I want to do business is by trusting people, the only way I get satisfied is when one loose. I trust everybody blindly and have great time doing and that also means, one should use skills to safeguard interest.
Secondly, the most crucial thing is never say die spirit, everybody has that but I think in Harry and me both brothers have in the blood stream, courtesy our lifestyles, we are very sporting people ,and in a sport one always have a spirit when it's known that in the last ball the game can turn, even if its four sets down or three, in a big game one can come to five set tie breaker if one is an athlete and the mind is also used like one ,in that case one fight that last minute helps in business. If one loose one is sporting instead of brooding and crying is a fantastic lesson to learn in business.
Third thing is a strategy of being an underdog. I like to strike from the back. People most least except is when one should succeed. It's focus more on the product and realities than the packaging.

Method of pacifying madness

I try and most of the time-manage to have a good time of what I am doing. My entire thought process is the journey we are living, one must enjoy because destination is unknown we all might land up in ICU.People around me like wannabes, achievers all seem to be running towards some destination, they don't have a clue where it is .We must give it our best and use all the skills! Try having a good time doing it and that mountain of a task look like nothing. If it goes with the flow, we don't realize what we have pulled off. That's what I do in anything I lay my hands on. There's no task which is impossible, there is no agenda which is boring, there is no meeting with a pressure therefore I don't come to work. Live life in a manner it's meant to be lived .I am not here to survive I see 99% people surviving in Mumbai?we should live it.

People that influenced

My dad for his discipline, never say die spirit, my brother for his wisdom. I have looked up to athletes like Kapil Dev, my best friend, a great opportunity to look up to an athlete to be your friend. I look up to Michael Douglas as an actor, for his entire persona, his personality, he is a fantastic orator. A person like Sylvester Stallone was very high level of inspiration to me for his movie, Rocky. We aware that he is going out win in round 13 but we watch all 13 rounds, to know what's going to happen next .I haven't found an icon who gets me going because most of the people I have seen are not complete achievers if the business is very rich, they are unhappy. An athlete like Borris Becker is whom I turned on by. They are business models; one man show conduct in industry. I try translating that into business.

Strategic alliance

Everything is a game. Both I and Harry who runs the business have different perspective and whole thing is a game .Game means strategy, game, passion, plan and the end should be victory. That's how I plan my moves .Ingredients, which is same in business and sports is- passion. If we don't have the passion, it's better don't do it .I try bring all that strategy of sports into business that helps our organization to be healthy, sporting and fun loving.

Changing rules of work
The philosophy of Percept is -the only constant is change, we should listen, understand with a difference, what entire country is witnessing in an accelerated manner now. Every moment of our life, lifestyles, TV, technology, sexual/physical habits, food have changed, that's life. We mark a change.

Ensuring that team delivers
We have got in our old set of rules. I am very lunatic, if we don't challenge ourselves how can we challenge the system, if push comes to me I make sure I do it. I get inspired by Lance Armstrong, a simple person with normal body and great work .It's all about making mind. I add every new thing to my life which excites me. I set targets for my team that they can deliver, it's important you set a reasonable target. It's no point asking Harbajan Singh to bat, he is a good baler, should only ball .Likewise, it's important to know the potential of the executive. Get the best within his means and set a target, also show him the path. One has to stop being a dictator and demand Rome. Give him an army of half a billion soldiers with arms and ammunition.
With credentials of Percept, we show executive the path to achieve target then we let them be independent, interference is not fair way. We supervise that path periodically to ensure that we are running the right direction.

Fun part of your business
Fun part are relationships, we are fortunate that to be in the business were in any point of time have 6000 global relationships we maintain, that's the key factor. My business arouse me to meet people, talk to them exchange views and have fun.

I am never short of energy, without gas we can't drive a car, by God's grace I maintain a decent health, a routine where I don't like to sleep more than four hours. The focus, if energy is distributed in wrong directions it's wasted. I know where I am heading, I have 40 odd different meetings in a day, but I still put energy and focus into each meeting the way its required. I know what I want.