6 lessons I learned from my career: Kaiser Kabir

Syed S Kaiser Kabir has enjoyed a distinguished career, holding senior roles across the agriculture, banking, and pharmaceutical sectors. He has also served on the boards of Brac and Sajida Foundation, contributing to social impact initiatives.

Kabir earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Relations from Claremont College in the US. He then pursued a Postgraduate Diploma and an MPhil in Economics from the University of Oxford.

A well-known leader in Bangladesh's pharmaceutical industry, Kabir is recognised for his transformative role as CEO and Managing Director of Renata PLC. Since joining the company in 2002, he has led Renata PLC to become one of the country's largest and most successful pharmaceutical firms. His focus on strategic growth, social responsibility, and innovative governance has been key to the company's success.

Under his leadership, Renata PLC has set new industry standards in employee welfare, ethical practices, and environmental responsibility. The company has also become a leader in animal healthcare product production.

Kabir recently shared six key lessons from his career that have helped him stay ahead of the curve.

1. School's never out

Despite his intensive education, Kabir recognises that in a world that is changing so rapidly, one must never stop learning and must always remain curious to gain new knowledge and understanding.

To illustrate, he points to the time lag between technological breakthroughs. The period between the invention of the printing press and the first computer printer lasted almost 500 years. Whereas the jump from those printers to 3D printing occurred in just 30 years.

"In such a transformative environment, formal education is merely the beginning of a lifelong process of learning and adapting," he asserts.

2. If a leader is the sun, then managers are stars

Kabir stresses the crucial role managers play in a company's success. As many management consultants point out, strong leadership is key to achieving goals. 

However, Kabir points out that in practice, experts who focus too much on leadership often overlook the importance of managerial roles.

He explains that while leaders concern themselves with lofty visions, "managers must keep the engines of the company running." He further likens managers to frontline soldiers in a battle, without whom a general can never be successful. Thus, to ensure the continued success of a company, managers must be valued.

3. Acting small for greatness 

While it may seem like a paradox, acting small is the best growth-maximising strategy in a world filled with uncertainties, according to Kaiser. Taking small steps allows one to learn without taking unnecessary risks. 

Moreover, using this approach can lead to vital incremental changes based on feedback and observation. In contrast, a growth strategy or reformist agenda that relies on making huge leaps in the dark ignores vital learning and is inherently reckless.

Borrowing a term from Nassim Nicholas Taleb's bestselling book Antifragile, Kabir calls this approach tinkering. "Tinkering is all about adjusting and refining rather than making large sweeping changes," states Kabir. 

However, Kabir is quick to add that this approach does not preclude high ambition. Great changes can occur if one takes small and steady steps towards progress

4. Delegate, but remain connected

Kabir admits that empowering others through the delegation of responsibilities to them is a prerequisite for growth.

However, he warns that empowerment is tricky in a rapidly changing world. "Typically, after delegating authority, corporate bosses rely on a matrix of performance indicators to ensure that responsibilities have been transferred efficiently. Yet, in a highly fluid operating environment, those very performance indicators may quickly become obsolete," he explained.

In order to mitigate this risk, one cannot lose touch with the minutiae of ground realities even after delegating responsibilities.

"There is a fine line between empowering others and abandoning one's own responsibilities," added Kabir.

5. The importance of never being complacent 

More than a decade ago, when Manchester United was winning nearly every trophy, manager Sir Alex Ferguson asked himself, "How many of my players are good enough to play for Real Madrid or AC Milan?" The answer never satisfied him, and he pushed his team to reach even greater heights.

Kabir shares this story to highlight that while success should be celebrated, it must never lead to complacency.

He explains, "In a world where competitors invest heavily in productivity and innovation, there's no room but to set higher goals for yourself."

Kabir acknowledges that stressful and difficult times are part of the journey and should be embraced, as they keep people focused and motivated.

"There is great joy in making the world a better place to live. If, in the process, you experience stress or occasional depression, so be it," Kabir says.

6. Balancing the needs of the company and shareholders 

Kabir states, "Maximising shareholder value is usually at the top of most CEO job descriptions. Yet, often the welfare of the company and its shareholders are at odds. For example, spending on R&D may be good for a company in the long run, but it will lower its capacity to pay dividends for a while, which will upset the shareholders."

Being able to know how to navigate such positions of conflict is an extremely difficult but crucial aspect of finding success. Kabir offers some insights in this regard,

"If the prospects of the company are good, then it makes sense to reinvest resources at the expense of shareholder returns. On the other hand, if the future looks bleak, then returning resources to its owners may be more prudent."

However, the trouble is that it is almost always difficult to know what the future may bring. 

Despite the difficulty, "Making the right decision could mean the difference between corporate greatness or obsolescence." Kabir concludes