

Shaping the future of software driven business
46
•
Annual Report 2018-19
Leadership Development
Our Leadership Development COE charter
involves creating a competitive advantage by
building a strong leadership pipeline and bridging
existing leaders’ skills gaps. Our focus for 2019
has been on strengthening their business
understanding and customer engagement.
Programs such as
Navigate to Value
were
launched to equip our sales leaders in the US with
a deeper understanding of what a client buying
approach entails, while also covering areas such
as framing client value, solution-selling, and
strengthening a client-facing presence.
We also worked on enabling engagement
managers and digital ambassadors within the
Technology Services Unit to generate newer
opportunities within existing accounts. This
was done through a program on
Strengthening
Consulting Capabilities.
Over a period of five
months, the participants learned how to work
with their clients as trusted partners, probe for
value, and influence their choices by offering
business solutions.
A
Financial Acumen for Sustainable Growth
program was introduced to enhance non-finance
leaders’ ability to make financially-intelligent
decisions. Senior leaders from across the
organization attended this highly engaging
two-day workshop. They gained a better
understanding of reading financial statements,
profitability and cash flow management, the
global and domestic economic scenario, and
reading a Funds Flow statement to evaluate the
financial performance and health of a business.
Prerana:
After the successful implementation
of the ASPIRE Program last year, the women
leaders from the ASPIRE team came up with
another unique program named DISHA. A
pilot program was launched across various
locations within Pune. Their goal was to create
a women’s network that would give women in
team leadership positions Direction, Inspiration,
Support, Happiness, and Appreciation. Women
that volunteered for this program were divided
into approximately 7 groups of 12 each. Women
from our ASPIRE leadership batch headed each
group and conducted 10+ sessions in about 8
months. These sessions included skill-building
workshops for networking and decision-
making, as well as a session where the senior
management at Persistent was invited to speak
about the company and give the group a better
understanding of its structure. Additionally, books
such as Lean In, Nonviolent Communication, and
Mindset were reviewed and discussed during
these sessions. We received positive feedback on
DISHA, with many of the participants reporting
This six-month program helps mid-
level, high-potential managers gain
a comprehensive understanding of
Persistent Systems, its customers,
positioning, and offerings. This year we
also launched an exclusive batch for our
global employees.
LEAP —
Leadership Enablement
at Persistent