A Conscientious Leader Inspiring the Youth of Jammu with His Exemplary Leadership
We put our heads together for youth's future potential on how to empower them by investing in improving livelihoods, reducing violence, transforming communities, and empowering future generations.
While the efforts are, without a doubt, praiseworthy, what we often hold back is perhaps more important. Today's youth are already championing the horizons.
They are everywhere, selflessly contributing to almost every sphere of human peace, economy, justice, sustainability, and much more. They are the agents of change, needed to be invested in & empowered.
During this edition series, our editorial team has been interviewing these young and ambitious business leaders from around the country. To unveil their uniqueness and valuable viewpoints, their struggles, and their ability to lead. One such skipper is Abheek Dutta, Senior Vice President, Henson Group.
Abheek was fifteen when he had his first paying job. The chapters of his professional journey were scripted at TCS eleven years back, as a software engineer.
Catering his aptness at IBM and iGATE at various managerial positions. The young leader now chairs as the CEO of Dutta Info Services, Senior Vice President of Henson Group USA, and Country Manager of Henson Info Solutions Private Limited.
Keeping his approach fresh and open, Abheek pushed boundaries and addressed the myriad of challenges. How to grow the operations of the Henson Group USA and so on.
Recognized as a preferred partner by Microsoft and its associates, The Henson Group proudly maintains its status as an acclaimed Gold Certified Partner. This distinction signifies the company's excellence in delivering licensing, consulting, and managed services to businesses of varying sizes.
With a workforce comprising over 650 employees and partners, Henson Group caters to a multitude of clients across various industries. Through this extensive network, the company has solidified its reputation as a premier and highly reliable global partner for cloud solutions.
However, the driving force behind the growth of this cloud solution provider has been none other than Abheek. He ventured into uncharted territory and, amidst a series of trial-and-error endeavors, played a pivotal role in firmly establishing the footprint of Henson Group in India.
Abheek's mainspring lies in its determination to harness transformative changes and establish benchmarks within the cloud technology space. That's why Henson Group, headquartered at World Trade Centre New York USA, seated Abheek as the Vice President.
Under his leadership, he decided that all the service delivery of the Henson Group offices across the globe would be done from its Jammu Branch.
Presently, Abheek is instrumental in ensuring seamless project delivery from India, providing valuable support in pre-sales activities, and adeptly steering through various procedural, structural, and interpersonal hurdles. His leadership guides the team towards attaining the company's objectives.
What fuels his determination? We sat down with the Young Turk to find out. Here is an edited version of the same.
Tell us the inception story of your journey.
I always wanted to be an Entrepreneur. At some point in my career, I had to choose between working as an Employee or working as an Employer, and I, without a hitch, decided to choose to be an Entrepreneur.
How efficient is your organization from an operational standpoint? Where does it stand today?
Today we foster a team of around 30 full-time and 50 Part-time/contractual employees in India. We work for customers across the globe, which includes the USA, UK, Australia, Africa, Canada, Latin America, and other parts.
Are you growing your next generation of leaders to be strong, capable business leaders for your company?
Yes. I believe in and boost my team members while being flexible and realistic. From my perspective, to build a strong next-generation leader, it is important to:
Identify and apply appropriate economic and moral enticements to incorporate sustainable development into our daily lives, and
Be vigilant about the challenges and opportunities for innovation
Throughout your journey, who inspired you?
Ratan Tata and Judson Althoff, have been my inspiration.
What are you most proud of?
Today we are running our company's operations from Jammu and Kashmir, my home state. This gives me immense pleasure and brings in the proud feeling, as I am somehow able to give it back to my home place.
How do you keep your team members keen and motivated?
I am a strong believer in the equation, Performance = Ability * Motivation.
Hence, how well your employees perform depends largely on how motivated they are. All deserving employees are awarded and recognized in the company.
We invest heavily in our employees, so they learn new skills. In addition, we have also planned to introduce paid hours (beyond regular shifts) for some employees to give impetus to their skills and creative thinking.
Continuing with your previous reply, how do you encourage creative thinking within your organization?
We make time for brainstorming and the employees are incentivized for every creative thing they add to the platter of the organization. In meetings, I do not lead rather, I sit and listen to my team . So that I get more and more new ideas.
What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning?
I like to take challenges and do new things. As such, every morning I get up, I know I have challenges waiting for me when I reach the office.
Is every day the same in the life of a business leader?
No, every day welcomes you with new teachings and learning.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?
To maintain my leadership and expertise – I groom myself from my experiences and simultaneously teach my team that will save them from making repetitive mistakes.
What have been your responsibilities towards society?
The commencement of our office in Jammu marked the initiation of our commitment to contribute to society. Our dedicated efforts aim to empower the youth in our region, offering them opportunities to engage with a globally renowned company.
This endeavor not only provides competitive compensation but also enables them to work on cutting-edge technologies, all within the comfort of their home state.
What is your favorite quote?
"Failures are the Pillars of Success."
Which one thing do you wish you'd done differently?
I wish I could've been more self-conscious and worked towards my dreams. Instead of catering to others at an early age when I started working. I wish, I could've been a little less naive and a bit more wary to achieve my goals early.
What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?
"Lead from the front."
What is one mistake you witness leaders make more frequently than others do?
Not taking time to bond with the people.
What are a few resources you would recommend to someone looking to gain insight into becoming a better leader?
Strong Communication, Innovation, Collaboration, Delegation and Empowerment
If I would to say to a bunch of people who know you 'Give me three adjectives that best describe you,' what would I hear?
"Organized, optimistic and communicative."
If you had one piece of advice for someone just starting, what would it be?
"Believe in doing hard work smartly."
