Ratan Tata

Ratan Tata: Leading the Tata Group into the 21 Century

Ratan Tata took over from his uncle J.R.D Tata in 1991 when the company was facing internal wrangling and a very unrelenting risk of disintegration. He took over the running of the Tata Group and set the Indian company on the path to global economic dominance as a conglomerate of international importance. He did this through persistent hard work and accountability through holding those around him to the highest levels of ethical management standards. Currently, Tata Group is Ninety six companies of which twenty eight are listed. Tata Group has annualized revenues of $67.4 Billion.

THE ROLE OF THE LEADER IN INITIATING AND MANAGING CHANGE.

On taking over the reins of the business, Ratan Tata had a vision which was to turn the business into an integrated conglomerate that would be able to compete both domestically and globally owing to the opening up of India to the global markets. (Complementing for Complexity; Leading through Managing, 2005) He was able to achieve this not withstanding some challenges that he faced; the old management that was there did not want to relinquish power to the new crop of leaders he brought in. He was able to achieve this by introducing a mandatory retirement age which saw the old crop of leaders exit paving way for the new crop of leaders. (Meredith, 2005) The old style of leadership was more inclined towards maintaining the status than furthering the business. Ratan Tata came in with a niche for risk taking which saw his biggest achievement come to life, the Indica project. (Wadia, 2007)

A leader of an organization is seen as its representative to the world, the person who is supposed to steer the organization on the right path towards achieving its set goals as per its objectives. The rise and fall of an organization is attributed to the managing skills of its leader, thereby making him solely responsible for the success or failure of the organization. The managerial...