Introducing Dileep Mangsuli, Executive Director - India, Siemens Healthineers
1. Tell us something about your childhood. What values had been instilled in you that helped you excel later in your life?
My childhood was spent in a small village in Karnataka, India. My father worked in a charitable trust hospital where the hospital’s purpose statement was “Here service to patients is service to God”. That instilled a strong purpose in life. The hospital and the community living in hospital compound had a culture of punctuality, where sticking to time and commitment and service meant everything. That culture has helped a lot in my career.
2. What have been some of the biggest challenges in your life and how that has shaped you? What’s the most important risk you took and why?
There are many challenges that have helped shape my career. At personal and family level we took the risk of going to different locations and taking up challenges in China, UK and US. Those experiences helped in understanding culture and work practices. There was a lot of learning during these assignments. Leadership learnings and market learnings shape your career in a big way.
3. Could you share with us some interesting lessons you’ve learned while travelling?
Travelling and living in different countries has taught me one great lesson. People everywhere are good by nature. Most of the people are like mirrors. They reflect your own image. If you do good, good gets returned to you. It is Karma theory. Every country teaches you something unique. China taught punctuality on product delivery, UK taught importance of staying in role to become expert, Germany taught meticulous work practices and quality focus, US taught how to look at scale and dream big for business.
4. How did you discover your passion for STEM?
During high school day there was a lesson on how a door bell works. The concept was so interesting that I started reading and studying a lot of physics concepts. Before I knew STEM subjects became fascinating past-time for me. Mechanics was my favorite subject.
5. How would you define success?
To me success is about an attitude on “never giving up”. Success comes after several failures. It is about constant learning and becoming a better version of yourself every day. Whenever I look back on success, I realize that there were several events which were not considered “successful” laid the foundation for future success. Never give up. There is a saying by Edison Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
6. How do you continue to grow and develop as a leader?
Leadership is a journey. Leadership is about continuing the learning path. They day one stops learning is when leadership is lost. One needs to have child-like enthusiasm to learn and develop. Leadership is about surrounding yourself with people smarter than yourself. Leadership is about seeing things that may be hazy. Leadership is about making people around you successful. Leadership is about bring best out of people. Leadership is about saying “Woh Subaha kabhi toh ayegi” set the vision and lead they way. It is fascinating.
7. In your opinion, what is the ideal way to lead in a crisis?
It is leadership by example. People rally around you. Leadership Positivity rubs on people.
8. Looking back on your journey and knowing what you know now, what is the one piece of advice you would have given yourself along the way?
Just enjoy your journey.
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