he Infosys Leadership Institute in Mysore, India, pumps out executive talent
for Infosys Technologies, the global IT solutions provider with fiscal 2008 revenue
of $4.18 billion and year-over-year growth of 35 percent. Infosys employs 91,187
people and has offers out for an additional 18,000.
The HR function is responsible for the institute’s curriculum
and an on-site staff of 80. HR is also responsible for all leadership development
programs, including designing the curriculum and monitoring the results.
"Our underlying philosophy is that leadership cannot
be taught, but it can be learned," says Girish Vaidya, Infosys, head of the institute.
"Leaders must first master themselves, but we all have blind spots."
Infosys splits its leaders into three tiers. Tier 1
leaders are the top 50 people in the organization, including the heads of the business
units, who have an average of 20 years of experience. Board members mentor these
50 leaders. Tier 2 consists of 180 leaders with an average of 15 years of experience.
They are mentored by Tier 1. Tier 3 represents 550 people who average 10 years of
experience and are mentored by Tier 2.
Employees from all three tiers apply for formal leadership
training. "Applicants are evaluated on the basis of their achievements within a
nine-dimension model and selected on that basis," Vaidya says. All of the leaders
selected move through an anonymous 360-degree feedback analysis, which becomes the
basis for constructing a personal development plan.
They also attend sessions with senior leaders, who discuss
their own learning within the company. Some are sent out for educational programs
at the top universities in India or Ivy League universities in the United States.
Every quarter, HR reports to the board on the number
of personal development plans in progress and the status of the leadership development
programs. Infosys also conducts an annual survey of the participants from all three
tiers. HR reviews the list of participants and determines whether anyone should
be dropped from the program for performance reasons.
To gauge the results of the leadership development program,
HR uses a leadership index based on the nine dimensions and rates each participant
on a 1 to 5 scale, with 5 as the highest rating. The rating hinges not only on each
leader’s actions but also on the leader’s efforts to share learning with others
in the business unit or function.
"When leaders share what they have learned, you get
alignment with others in the unit," Vaidya notes. "The rating is two-sided: It reflects
what you have learned and achieved and how well you have communicated it to others.
For example, strategy development is important, but getting buy-in from the rest
of the organization is also important."
" ‘Leadership’ is an overused term," he says. "You must
begin with a clear definition of what a leader is in the context of your company.
You have to define the competencies required, and that will define the path you
need to take."
At Infosys, however, accountability for leadership development
rests with the individual. "The organization can provide access to all the tools
that are needed, but in the end, the individual must take on the responsibility,"
Vaidya says.
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