A robust business environment is where transformation recreates the rules and strategies advance at an unmatched pace. Here, effective leadership demands more than textbook knowledge. Astute leaders seek the guidance of those who have witnessed the industry grow and have actively shaped its course.
Sandeep Jain | Leadership Coach & Strategy Consultant | CEO, Value-Unlocked Private Limited—is one such individual who has seamlessly navigated diverse geographies and industry segments, steering organisations toward new heights of growth and success.
With a career spanning country leadership roles and expertise in strategy consulting, leadership coaching and finance, Sandeep has established himself as a transformative force in the business world. His track record includes driving impactful change and delivering sustainable growth across multiple sectors.
Sandeep’s influence extends more than consultancy. As a Finance and Strategy Professional, he has redefined finance strategy and controllership, enabling organisations to achieve operational excellence and financial resilience. His commitment to nurturing startups has made him a trusted angel investor and mentor to 20+ ventures shaping the trajectory of innovative companies. Besides, he mentors many others through incubators and accelerators of IIMs, IITs and also some private set-ups
Catalyst for Positive Sustainable Change
Sandeep excels in driving positive sustainable change across various domains. In strategy consulting, he transforms organisations, guiding them through comprehensive transformations. As a leadership coach, he empowers individuals, helping them build new competencies and capabilities. For startups, he provides the essential support to turn ideas into reality.
Sandeep believes that regardless of the stage an individual or organisation is in, there is always room for improvement and positive change. His work is dedicated to fostering growth and development, ensuring lasting, impactful results.
Approach to Evaluating Startups
For Sandeep, the first crucial filter to evaluate a startup is the reality of the problem being addressed, ensuring it is grounded in customer or user research, not just the entrepreneur’s belief. Following this, he assesses product-market fit, market size, business model, and financials.
However, he emphasises that the most critical factor is the quality of the entrepreneur and the founding team. Their ability to execute the idea and their willingness to pivot when necessary are paramount to the startup’s success. Sandeep’s thorough approach ensures startups are well-positioned for sustainable growth and impact.
Key Criteria for Startup Success
For Sandeep, favourable unit economics are paramount for a startup’s long-term survival, alongside a clear path to profitability. Setting and tracking robust financial and non-financial KPIs is equally important. He insists that founders must be financially literate, comprehending financial numbers and their drivers thoroughly.
This financial acumen is crucial and often determines a startup’s success or failure. Sandeep’s emphasis on these criteria ensures that startups are not only innovative but also financially sound, enhancing their chances of sustainable success.
Leadership Challenges
Sandeep identifies a common leadership challenge as the inability to foster psychological safety, where team members feel a sense of belonging, are open to sharing ideas and are willing to take risks.
Another significant issue is the lack of self-awareness among leaders, who often fail to realise that good intentions must be paired with good behavior. As leaders advance, they may become resistant to feedback, losing sight of opportunities to improve their leadership practices and styles. As a coach, Sandeep tailors his approach to each leader or organization, focusing on enhancing competencies, culture and capabilities to address these challenges effectively.
Role in Digital Transformation
Digital transformation has gained unprecedented momentum, driven by exponential improvements in processing speeds, storage costs and communication costs, alongside emerging technologies.
Sandeep focuses on leveraging digital transformation to enhance operational efficiencies within organizations. By utilizing various platforms and technologies, he helps organizations achieve their sustainability, automation and operational goals. Sandeep’s expertise ensures that businesses can harness the full potential of digital advancements to optimize their processes and drive long-term success.
A Mosaic of Experiences
Sandeep believes that individuals are the sum of their experiences, which profoundly shape their work. His opportunities to work in diverse cultures and multiple industries have made him more accepting of diversity and open to the migration of ideas across sectors.
This diversity of experiences allows Sandeep to integrate and adapt concepts beyond best practices within a single domain, enriching his approach to fostering positive change and innovation in various environments.
Perspective on Organizational Change
A common misconception about organizational change is that it’s mainly about implementing new systems, processes, or technologies. While these elements are crucial, they are only part of the equation. Sandeep emphasizes that the most important aspect is the human element.
He helps leaders address the psychological and emotional impacts of change, managing fears, uncertainties, and resistance. His work focuses on inspiring and empowering people to not only embrace but also drive and own new ways of working, making the human aspect central to successful change management.
Strategic Initiative Success in FMCG
Sandeep successfully drove strategic initiatives for an FMCG organization that needed help with implementation. He broke these initiatives into smaller projects, each with a defined project charter, led by a nominated project leader and supported by a cross-functional team.
Clear deliverables and necessary support, coupled with a reliable project governance framework, enabled the organization to navigate and achieve the desired change. This structured approach ensured the effective execution of strategic goals and facilitated the organization’s transformation.
Philosophy on Time Management
Sandeep believes that success is not about managing time but about managing oneself. Despite working across multiple domains, he selectively engages in projects that he enjoys, which he feels makes all the difference.
He feels privileged to operate in such a diverse space, allowing him the freedom to choose engagements that align with his interests and passions, enhancing both his personal satisfaction and professional effectiveness.
Curiosity and Passion in Work and Life
Sandeep’s curious and inquisitive nature, always seeking to learn and experience more, is reflected in his work choices. He embraces a diverse range of hobbies in his personal life, including running, trekking, yoga, music, dance, reading, and writing.
This eclectic mix defines who he is, straddling between various interests and bringing passion from these fields into his work. Sandeep finds that his passions and hobbies outside of work enrich his professional endeavors, infusing them with enthusiasm and creativity.
A Personal Development Guide
Sandeep has authored “Chase the Change,” bringing a wealth of his experience and insights into the domain of personal development. The book has garnered the endorsement of Dr Marshall Goldsmith, a globally recognized leadership thinker and an executive coach, who says ‘Read this book, follow its advice and watch your career, relationship and life change!’
Book Overview
Chase the Change challenges the gap between thinking and doing that prevents individuals from reaching their full potential. Sandeep’s premise is that everyone has the capacity to achieve more in their lives than they currently do, but this often remains unrealized due to lack of action. The book aims to inspire positive, sustainable change in life, work and relationships by encouraging readers to take ownership of their desired changes.
Themes and Objectives
The book delves into the difficulties of change and provides insights into what holds individuals back, exploring the psychology and unconscious biases that hinder progress. Sandeep identifies the fundamental laws of change that everyone knows but struggles to apply consistently.
The WONDER Framework
Drawing from his experiences, observations and research, Sandeep introduces the WONDER framework as a structured approach to facilitate positive personal change. WONDER serves as an acronym to guide readers through initiating change, establishing positive habits, building motivation and commitment, and achieving success in their desired changes.
Audience
Chase the Change is designed for a wide audience including students, working professionals, corporate leaders, and homemakers. It aims to empower individuals to make significant changes in their lives, offering practical guidance applicable to any area of improvement.
Ultimately, Chase the Change invites readers to seize the opportunity for personal growth and improvement. It promises to resonate with anyone striving to enhance themselves and their circumstances, offering insights and strategies to achieve lasting positive change.
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