IIM Lucknow Chairman Warns of Unprecedented Uncertainty for Modern Managers
In a powerful address to the graduating class at the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, the chairman of the board of governors, N Chandrasekaran, delivered a stark warning about the volatile landscape facing today's business leaders. Speaking during the institute's 40th convocation ceremony on Thursday, Chandrasekaran emphasized that managers currently confront more uncertainty than at any point in recent history.
Geopolitics, Technology, and Sustainability: The Triple Challenge
Chandrasekaran outlined three primary forces creating this turbulent environment. "On the one hand, we have geopolitics; on the other, technological advancement. Then there are sustainability challenges, all of which are shaping the future workforce and the nature of work itself," he explained to the assembled students and faculty.
The chairman's remarks come against a backdrop of escalating global tensions, including conflicts in the Middle East and shifting international alliances, which directly impact business operations and strategic planning worldwide.
The Imperative of Agile Execution in Business Strategy
Highlighting the need for rapid adaptation, Chandrasekaran stressed that businesses must cultivate agility not just in their strategic thinking but particularly in their execution capabilities. "If you embark on something and do not execute it fast enough, it may become irrelevant," he cautioned, pointing to the accelerated pace of change across industries.
This call for speed and flexibility reflects the reality that market conditions, technological breakthroughs, and regulatory landscapes can shift dramatically within short timeframes, rendering yesterday's innovations obsolete.
Artificial Intelligence as a Foundational Managerial Skill
Chandrasekaran placed special emphasis on artificial intelligence, declaring it should become a necessary skill for all managers. "It is about understanding what is possible with AI, appreciating its developments, and most importantly, knowing how to use that technology in the context in which you operate," he elaborated.
He further clarified that regardless of career path—whether as an entrepreneur, working in global corporations, Indian companies, marketing departments, or business operations—professionals must learn to imagine and apply AI within their specific contexts.
Continuous Learning as a Way of Life
The chairman advocated for lifelong learning as essential for managerial success in this complex environment. "You have to learn all the time. Every day, some amount of time must go into understanding what is happening—through reading, listening, or observing. It is going to be a way of life," he told the aspiring managers.
Chandrasekaran also highlighted the importance of multidisciplinary approaches, noting that "innovation happens at the interface of disciplines as the world's problems are not monolithic. They are complex and require multidisciplinary skills."
Ambition and Effort: The Cost-Free Formula for Success
Concluding his address with practical wisdom, Chandrasekaran advised graduates to cultivate both ambition and diligent effort. "Both ambition and effort are free in life. They do not cost anything. If you can combine ambition and effort, you will go places," he encouraged, offering a timeless principle for navigating uncertain professional landscapes.
The convocation address at IIM Lucknow thus served as both a sobering assessment of contemporary challenges and an empowering roadmap for the next generation of business leaders, emphasizing adaptability, technological fluency, and continuous growth as non-negotiable elements of managerial excellence.
