Issue No : 88

Jul— Sep 2025

Edition– 2025 (Times of Intense Sharing & Learning)
CORE MIND Fraternity of Co-Learners

The Joy of Leading with Optimism

In boardrooms, strategy sessions, and everyday life, I have come to realise one
truth: optimism is underrated. We often hear about strong leadership, smart lead- INSIDE THIS ISSUE
ership, even tough leadership, but rarely about joyful leadership.
Interesting segments
And yet, it’s often the leaders who carry a quiet sense of hope despite uncertainty
and thereby inspire the deepest levels of trust.
‘U’ Tunes Pages 2-7
Optimism does not mean ignoring reality or shying away from difficult decisions.
It means believing that every challenge carries the seeds of new possibilities. It is
this mindset which builds resilience, inspires teams to step up, and turns transi-
tions into opportunities.
Recently, we witnessed a shift in one of our core leadership groups, a key member
stepping aside. Naturally, there was a sense of void. But what was heartening to
notice how the others responded—they did not panic or hesitate, instead respond-
ed with clarity, calm, and optimism. It was a quiet confidence that said — we have
got this and we will grow through this — and that to me, is true leadership. Guest Post
Page 8
What stood out was how this group did not wait for a perfect plan or a new title to
take charge. Instead, they leaned into the moment, with purpose, mutual trust, Talent Box
and a shared sense of responsibility. It are in these moments when culture is truly Page 9
revealed..
In a world that often celebrates urgency and optimism ought to invite us to lead Market Sense
with trust in people, in process and in the future we dream to shape together. Pages 10,11

Let us keep choosing hope, not because everything is certain, but because we be-
Tweets & Greets
lieve in what is possible. Page 12
After all, Happy Times are not merely found — on the other hand, they are creat-
ed. Happiness Wall
Pages 13-17
‘I am fundamentally an optimist… Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head
pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward.’
- Nelson Mandela

With love and regards,

P.C. Madhavan aka Maddy

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Groupthink - Fall out & way out…

It is One of the phenomena in Group Dynamics and the learning around its multiple manifestations which has fascinated
me and ceaselessly so, is Groupthink.
My first brush with Groupthink and its associated understanding happened when I was a novice in the student avatar
while pursuing post-graduation in Human Resources at XLRI, Jamshedpur. I owe it to the Professors who taught our co-
hort on Organization Behaviour [OB], Organization Development [OD] and Group Dynamics. I simply cannot help recalling
in the moment with immense Gratitude, the then distinguished Professors of these 3 Subjects, Father Ed McGrath [SJ],
Jittu Singh and J Arroyo who were the then respective educators. It is under their tutelage, I evolved to learn and inter-
nalise the research-based foundation about the concept and phenomenon termed Groupthink.
The above-referred sojourn and academic pursuit at XLRI was in circa 1980-82, when I invested precious time to enor-
mously gain while dining and growing alongside the crème de la crème students, of my batch who did Graduation and
hailed from the best of Colleges and Universities spread across India. The batch mates were of an outstanding genre having
passed through the rigors of a tough entrance exam and later filtered via incisive personal interviews. They possessed solid
intelligence and maturity. Many of them [proudly so], were their College rank holders. I was positively awed by the apt
blend of pronounced brilliance and humaneness of the student community. These IQ and EQ traits certainly challenged me
to blow several myths that arose out of the then held wrong assumptions and ignorance. At times, I remained in a state of
denial or defence, even when constructive feedback was rendered by host of Professors and Students in varying contexts,
when studying and understanding about Group/Team Dynamics, which included delving upon real-time experiences that
emanated during in-person classroom settings.
There was a sense of oscillation between two states: firstly, believing that ignorance is bliss and staying there and secondly,
the emphatic rude awakening to realize the profoundness of learning about the layers and subtleties involved. It was quite
challenging and difficult to accept feedback about self and Group Dynamics that pertained to real-time happenings and epi-
sodes and processing relevant observed and experienced data in the context of interpersonal and group relations, in settings
which batch mates and I participated, within the classroom and outside. Such pertinent feedback beyond the absorption of
Groupthink theory turned into revelations and enlightenment during the elective classes on Group Dynamics, facilitated by
Professor J Arroyo. These classes used to run past midnight sometimes into the wee hours. The classes to say the least
were intensely engaging, equally so both experiencing comfort and discomfort in varying degrees, as Learning radiated from
unexpected insights, on the fly.
Candidly I did not bother much in the interim after I passed out from XLRI to revisit the concept and practice of Group-
think while working in the corporate world [1982-1993] as the ever-emergent priorities were grossly of fire-fighting nature
that included strategies to either prevent or douse the fire. Issues surrounding dialogues with Trade Unions, Negotiation for
long-term Wage Agreements, Productivity issues, Conciliation Processes and confronting Legal cases in Labour Courts,
tended to take predominance over the pausing to reflect and learn. These hectic nature of work pressures hardly gave
scope for reconnecting with research-based OB, OD and Group Dynamic models.
I pursued the long spread-out learning stint with NTL Institute [USA] from 1998 before acquiring the famed Organization
Development [OD] Certificate Credential from them in 2002 after acquiring sufficient learning credits across 10+ Work-
shops - duration of the Workshops being one week each. I was passionately mentored by late Dr Udai Pareek [legendary
OD Consultant/Practitioner] over 120 hours as part of the curriculum. There were occasions when we together meaningful-
ly meandered into a variety of OD themes and interventions for Organization Building and Employee Engagement, and we
touched upon Groupthink too as part of the focused Mentoring conversations. This led me to renewed understanding that
offered clarity and revelations about understanding the Covert [implicit] Processes beyond the Overt [explicit] Process prev-
alent in Organizations when I partnered Corporate Clients in Facilitation and OD Consulting assignments. I simply cannot
thank late Dr Udai Pareek enough for this unconditional gifting that enabled me to evolve in the Professional space. It is
from hereon that I began to intuit and deeply perceive by connecting the dots which were apparently not supporting Corpo-
rate Clients and their Senior Leadership Teams to critically examine Groupthink processes, occurring below the tip of the
iceberg. The intent was not just to collaborate with them to resolve the concerns and close the loop holes but also move to-
wards reasonable satisfaction for all the stakeholders, in true Systemic Thinking ways, valuing all members of the Organiza-
tion’s ecosystem, both internal and external.
Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that can naturally occur within a team who are working for a common Mis-
sion on a long-term basis or even randomly a group of individuals who congregate to explore and decide for the common
good. This can evidently happen in settings like Board Room of Corporate entities including big ones, Strategy and Review
Meets anchored by senior Leadership Teams in Corporate corridors, Family milieu, School-College Reunions, NGOs/PVOs
who are into social empowerment space, Principals – HMs and HODs, alongside Teachers – Professors in Educational In-
stitutions, Volunteer based Institutions, Social oriented Clubs like Lions International, Rotary Clubs, Neighbourhood Civic
Associations, Government’s Ministry Teams, Public Work Authorities, Governance Bodies and the list can never be exhaus-
tive.

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By now you as readers may have been restless or wondering what Groupthink is all about and why did I
pen down a long preamble before deep-diving into the concept and practice of this research-based
theme. Of course, there are reasons, which you will connect with upon reading this whole article. Well, I do not wish to
further delay introducing this phenomenon and without much ado, let me plunge in along with you and
enable you to resonate with this.
To share an elaborate understanding about Groupthink, it is referred to as a psychological phenomenon that can
occur within a Work Team or group of people who are otherwise well-intended to progress towards a set of goals, in
alignment with the Organization’s/Institution’s stated Mission and Core Values. To amplify: a Work Team or a Group of
people in the underlying or fundamental desire to seek harmony towards the stated and largely unstated norms or for
conformity to the diktats or commands of the Leader/s or any other significant role holder in the Team/Group can be
driven towards irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcomes. To clarify: I am referring to Teams in an Organ-
izational [profit driven] settings and Groups in the context of NGOs/Volunteer Groups, who either rely on charitable fo-
cus or for the common development and learning of its members and for the matter any form of Teams and Groups that
come together and function for accomplishing common goals, whatever they do.
The Team/Group Members tends to blindly go with the flow in the interests of cohesiveness, friendship and camaraderie
and moves towards a decision-making process which can generate agreement at all costs. The entire process is carried out
without examining the short and the long-term pitfalls thus compromising both the process orientation and final outcomes,
which can turn completely in contrast with the original stated intents.
This is because the Team/Group prefers adopting a short-term and myopic approach which would secure them easy results
without going that extra mile and merely to meet their basic expectations. In this mode, the Team/Group tends to minimize
Conflicts and reach a Consensus decision without very little or nil critical evaluation of the final outcomes. This pans out as
Mission accomplished for those who are lackadaisical and lethargy to go for stretch targets of the higher order challenging
variety.
This scenario gets played out in Political Arenas, Leadership/Business Ventures, Start-ups, Religious Cult Groups etc. Per-
haps the frequency and variety could vary, but then it is an often-neglected syndrome or phenomenon, which can cause Or-
ganizations, Political Leaders, Religious Leaders, Volunteer Leaders et al to face the unexpected backlashes or uprisings
[unrests] much to the disadvantages and damage to the respective Leaders. It can also carry long term ramifications and ill
effects both for the Leaders and Followers and possible negative consequences for the Organizations/Institutions that lead
to not just breakdowns in communication but may also result in irreversible crumbling of Organization’s/Institution’s ar-
chitecture and cultural fabric, which were once the pride generating foundational values and governance.
Please read this in metaphoric sense, for better understanding and learning. Here is a good old storyline
which I picked up from my PG days. OB/OD Professors narrated the same with perked up [almost on the lines of stand-up
comedy, albeit in a serious learning style] and still stays with me. It was about a Corporate Leadership Team decision-
making event in progress and one of the Key Leaders uttered to the Group: Let us all go to Timbuktu for a week. The
whole team gets quite charged up into a tizzy [agitation, confusion and nervous excitement] and quickly without much
thinking, moves into finer decision-making like create committees for different purposes, plan the budgets, examine logis-
tics, design fun activities, make a list of travellers, set off to inform families.
After around few hours of hectic deliberations, all of a sudden, someone in the team ask a basic and curious question:
where is Timbuktu? Unexpectedly, an uneasy silence crops up in the conference room - imagine the scenario where every-
one is looking at each other cluelessly, so much so none has the answer! This leaves the group in unwarranted turmoil and a
few among them could possibly see emerging clarity out of the prevalent chaos and ask difficult questions for e.g. if none of
us have heard about Timbuktu and just jumped in to plan and organize the trip, why did we ever lose the time talking
about something which didn’t exist in the first place. Beyond all this cluelessness, there will be an unwary an embarrassing
moment when they turned to the Key Leader and ask him or her, where is Timbuktu? He/she is also equally or more
clueless and this further place the Team/Group into irreparable and irrevocable state of being, resulting in cacophony or
absolute jarring or discordant noises. Imagine if such a cacophony happens in a musical orchestra performance, which is
bound to invite unpleasant and nasty feedback from the audience.
To share the metaphoric essence, Timbuktu is otherwise factually a well-known ancient city located in Mali, West Afri-
ca recognized as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, that holds a rich cultural and historical legacy. The utterance
of Timbuktu is a metaphor in the above-mentioned storyline of Leadership decision-making event. The larger meaning is
all about the Team/Group Members without having an inkling [hint or clue] simply rushed into make decisions just to hon-
our and support the Key Leader - Influencer, without questioning the rationale of the decisions, let alone connect with emo-
tions behind it.
Doesn’t this get played out in Teams that perform in your Corporate Corridors or in Groups belonging to
Institutions or other bodies that you are associated with, whether Commercially driven or Socially ori-
ented? Possibly at times you may not have observed this phenomenon happening in the Teams/Groups that you belonged
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and perhaps on hindsight, after reading this piece your memory lanes may open up to simultaneously realize whether some-
one else in Leader’s role or you in Leader’s role could have indulged in a situation by way of taking inappropriate decisions,
which led to Timbuktu nay Groupthink. Be honest in this reflective thinking, as it would definitely open doors to under-
stand of others or you in the ‘heat of the moment’ [impulsively] led the Team/Group to go down the route of decision-
making wherein rationale or understanding of data was never applied and/or the Key Role Holders/Leaders were grossly
insensitive to the emotions as they were suppressed or silenced.
For the understanding of the readers, the term or phenomenon Groupthink was coined in 1952 by late William H
Whyte Jr who was hailed as an American urbanist, sociologist, organizational analyst and journalist. Most of the initial
research on Groupthink was conducted by late Irving Janis, an research psychologist from Yale University, who pub-
lished this theme in an influential book in 1972, which was revised in 1982. Irving Janis in his research studies referred to
the failed invasion of Late Fidel Castro's Cuba in 1961 read as his declaration of Socialism and also described as Bay of
Pigs Invasion by USA during the term of Late John F Kennedy [then President of USA], which inflamed anti-US sen-
timents.
Another prime case study in history was the surprise attack/military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
against the United States naval base, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 1941 that led to the United States' entry into World War
II. In this instance, Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto conceived the Pearl Harbor attack and Captain Minoru
Genda planned it. Eventually, this alleged Groupthink decision further led to America bombing Hiroshima and Nagasa-
ki in 1945 and the lethal war resulted in an estimated 70-85 million fatalities, making it the deadliest conflict in human ex-
istence.
Now returning to the concept of Groupthink: it implies Team/Group Members avoid raising controversial issues or alterna-
tive solutions impacting quality of decisions that rests on loss of individual creativity, uniqueness and independent think-
ing. There appears or produces an illusion of invulnerability which denotes an inflated certainty that the right decision/
s has/have been made and there is no need whatsoever to revisit or redesign the thinking and execution. Normally, the in-
teresting Group Dynamics facets that show up indicates an Ingroup sub phenomenon, within the precincts/confines of
Groupthink phenomenon. It is this Ingroup that rules the roost, dominates the decision-making processes and thwarts any
external viewpoints resting on contrary convictions and values and goes to the extent of even silencing and suppressing the
possible open and transparent voices within their Teams/Groups. As an unhealthy consequence, neither the voices of the
other Team/Group members are heard by opposing camp nor the latter’s voices are empathetically listened to by both In-
group and their Team/Group members, considering they are forcibly silenced.
Such dysfunctional Group Dynamics of the Ingroup over estimates/exaggerates its own abilities in decision-making of the
small or big nature and underestimates or devalues and misjudges the capabilities of its opponents, which can be referred to
as the Outgroup. Another likely consequence is that Groupthink is that it can generate dehumanizing actions against the
Outgroup and also exhibiting numbness in the form of not connecting at all with the emotions of the Outgroup almost in de-
humanizing manners, wherein empathy, consideration, care and compassion will be at abysmal/nadir points, leaving the
members of the Outgroup even more pained, hurt and upset, with the result both the Ingroup and Outgroup tend to dig
their heels deeper and deeper into their respective positions with no easy solution/s in sight.
In addition, in Groupthink Team/Group Members within the Ingroup plays to the gallery and remains under the radar of
peer pressures displaying unhealthy characteristics to go along with the crowd for fear of rocking the boat. Many
can apprehend that even if they speak out openly, they will be reprimanded by the Leaders who reign the show and strings
[by those in command] and how they might be wrongly perceived by the rest of the group by not adhering to the unhealthy
set of group norms – conformity becomes a bigger goal/process than being open/vocal and freedom to express.
This overtime results in tendencies of Team/Group Members reaching seemingly harmonious understanding [at surface
levels and not deep] and not resonant. Agreements with little or no scope shuts off innovations, working towards better out-
comes for the stakeholders, wherein transparency/openness/receptivity are completely curbed. Constructive feedback, even
though they might see reasons and emotions that appealed to them from the opposing camp, will not be entertained at all –
knives come out brazenly/brashly to the extent of even stamping out even the mildest of disagreements – clamping and
suppression of courageous voices under the guise of terming it as rebellion against the role holders/leaders. Communication
wires can get snapped and incommunicado can arise, with even the past gratitude and recognition towards each other com-
pletely goes under the carpet or radar. Instead, sadly elements like blind opposition, ingratitude, hostility, animosity and
hatred take the place of success, harmony, understanding, trust and wellbeing.
In an essence, Groupthink can also often be referred to as a Group of Yes Men almost on the lines of indelible and memo-
rable comedy show that was aired in BBC titled: Yes Minister, a British political satire sitcom [situation comedy] writ-
ten by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn. Incidentally, Yes Minister ran into 3 – seven-episodes series, first transmitted
on BBC2 from 1980 to 1984. Its sequel, first transmitted on BBC2 from 1980 to 1984. A sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, ran
for 16 episodes from 1986 to 1988. The entire set of series and episodes were one of my good old favourites, to watch and
re-watch. Candidly I never linked the phenomenon of Groupthink to that Yes Minister then and there, but certainly in
the here and now!

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Let me explore based on an interesting set of revelations that emerged in the course of curating this arti-
cle, a 2x2 matrix dedicated to Groupthink – Leadership/Group Dynamics.

Groupthink - Leadership Matrix

High

Acrimonious Harmonious
Outcomes

Lackadaisical Over-
sentimental

Low

Low Team Engagement High

The characteristics, behaviours, dynamics and outcomes listed below against each of the 4 Quadrants depict the essence
of how Leaders and Team Members tend to operate within each of the 4 Quadrants. The given understanding is that the
Ideal Space to belong for Authentic Leaders is to perform within and from the Harmonious Quadrant.
Leaders irrespective of their roles should never function in the other 3 Quadrants. Upon realizing and recognizing by dip-
ping into deeper self-awareness levels or being receptive to Constructive Feedback from Team/Group members, key inter-
nal and external stakeholders in the larger ecosystem, irrespective of what Roles they perform and contribute, whether
they are senior or junior colleagues, ought to initiate immediate and focus action to move out of the 3 dysfunctional Quad-
rants.
Lackadaisical – Low in Outcomes and Low in Team Engagement
• Rely on half-baked and unrealistic knowledge and information
• Impulsive thinking boils down to ad hoc decision-making
• Blind optimism resulting in avoidance of realistic pitfalls
• Gross apathy/indifference towards all other stakeholders
• Recklessly believe those who wield power and influence, without questioning them
• Acceptance of superficial knowledge/information lacking depth in decision-making
• Mere compliance to decisions of superiors/key influencers and being judgmental about those who oppose
• Negating opposite/contrary points without being receptive
• Not bothered about outcomes and consequences
• Unwilling to seek and receive constructive criticism
• Operate on hidden agenda, which can turn manipulative
• Myopic understanding and decision-making

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Over-sentimental – Low in Outcomes and High in Team Engagement
• Bizarre/peculiar sense of bias towards anything apprehensive, without being focused on results
• Low understanding or weak databased approach
• Excessive warmth beyond needed threshold of Teams’/Employees’ needs
• Goody-goody based relationship building more to gain mere popularity
• Excessive welfare orientation at the cost of business orientation
• Unwilling to confront inefficiency and disciplinary issues, including integrity and governance
• Mollycoddling or pampering others by treating them with excessive care and attention
• Protecting team members and other stakeholders from external exposure and pains
• Tending to practice cult leadership and blind followership

Acrimonious – High in Outcomes and Low in Team Engagement

• Gunning and quelling voices of dissent at all costs, by being authoritative and dominant
• Shutting constructive feedback at the very root and seek flattery – dishonest appreciation
• Fear and avoidance to express frank opinions
• Goals and targets tending to be boxes to be ticked without humaneness
• Gross absence of Empathy, Care and Compassion
• Operate from Position of Power and Titles to crush perceived sound views/opinions
• Condescending others as though they are worthless and incompetent and live in false pride
• Strong biases and discrimination against those who hold opposite views, even if right
• Summarily reject others’ outlook, disregarding merits or strengths

Harmonious – High in Outcomes and High in Team Engagement

• Audacity to take courageous, fearless and bold decisions
• Tenacity to be highly determined and persistent to take and implement decisions
• Possess high clarity by connecting all routine tasks to big picture of Organization/Institution
• Courage to speak out one’s voice convictions and similarly courage to listen to others
• Ability to listen sans judgments and understand the stated and unstated emotions
• Fearless to be vulnerable and accept one’s mistakes independently
• Accessible and Receptive to views and dialogue, even if there is discomfort
• Balanced approach to Outcomes and Team Engagement without compromising either
• Select Team/Group composition with diversity
• Valuing and celebrating differences
• Mature mentoring and reverse mentoring will be practiced, as accepted norms
• Walking the talk [authenticity] enhances credibility in Leadership and fosters trust

Negative Consequences of Groupthink:

• Prevents Teams/Groups/Organizations from moving forward and innovating
• Complete clampdown, if anyone ever speaks up and says something could be done differently
• Loss of enriching opinions by nipping them in the bud - diverse views goes completely unheard
• While Colossal demotivation among Team/Group members
• When constructive feedback and suggestions are blocked, they will stop coming
• Suppression of Team/Group members’ perspectives, can result in quiet rebellions

Functioning in the Harmonious Quadrant – Positive Outcomes when Groupthink is avoided:

• All members of the Teams/Groups including Leaders, experience freedom of expression
• Willingness to go the extra mile and execute tasks beyond role boundaries
• Prevalence of well-balanced, stable climate yielding to assuredness

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• Openness and flexibility to differing ideas will be key indicators of progress

• Balanced evidence of accomplishing Outcomes and Team Engagement
• Pride and sense of belongingness to the Team/Group/Organization
• Discipline, adherence to process orientation and Core Values will be corner stones of success
• Proud ambassadors of the Team/Group/Organization, in the external world
While in this process of documenting my learning to offer the same to potential readers in as much lucid forms, I pause here
to recall multiple and mostly painful instances of Groupthink in action. Albeit often time, the Executives/Leaders were not
even objectively aware at fundamental logical cum intuitive levels that they are either unknowingly demonstrating or realiz-
ing that they are in the wells of Groupthink, way beyond their then comprehension or blissfully defensive that it was not.
In effect, the phenomenon of Groupthink can occur in any of the above backdrops and the important aspect to be borne in
mind is that it can happen anywhere and can happen during the most unexpected situations and thereby take the concerned
team members or participants by utter surprise. The tendencies can shock themselves into numbness and eventually leave
the legitimate stakeholders even more shocked, sometimes beyond redemption and too late to recover, as by then the peri-
lous damages for the members, may be beyond control.
Nevertheless, it is never too late to reconcile, explore and be resilient to overcome the unintended struggles and handicaps,
to move towards a space of comfort and harmony. Perhaps more often than not, it requires the presence and rendition of
Competent Facilitation Skills combined with Business/Strategic Acumen, incorporating Systemic Thinking and most im-
portantly strong Employee Engagement Values and Skills that encompass Empathy, Care and Compassion. This ought to be
demonstrated, at least by a few members. When this happens, acrimony can be replaced by harmony, hate can
be replaced by restoring unconditional love for each other and the gunshots and wounds can be replaced
with healing energy. All these require deposits of tremendous passion, patience, tolerance, valuing differences in diversi-
ty promoting a shift in thinking, laced by connecting with each other at transparent emotional levels.
Avoidance of Groupthink phenomenon is seemingly easy to present in a power point mode to an audience or render pon-
tificatory statements [implying arrogance of ‘I know-it-all’ attitudes] or remain within the clutches of Advisory Roles
which do not carry any Accountability for Actions and Execution. This clearly calls for to begin with, at least a few mem-
bers who can objectively revisit the Mission and Core Values of the concerned team/s and gain the acceptance of the ag-
grieved Team Members, whether in Corporate settings or elsewhere.
Groupthink - Fall out & way out… Connecting back to the title of this article, I genuinely presume that as Readers who
are either Leaders in the Making or Seasoned Leaders can certainly make sense from what is offered, totally avoid perform-
ing in Lackadaisical, Over-sentimental and Acrimonious Quadrants and be ardent Leaders Practitioners to operate
only from the Harmonious Quadrant, whether Designated or Voluntary Leaders in the Corporate World, Academia, So-
cial Milieu, Professional Associations/Networks etc.
In the process of penning down this article I for one, was benefited by raising the level of consciousness to understand more
about this intriguing Groupthink phenomenon at a deeper level. I could with clarity connect the recent happenings in a Vol-
untary Professional Association forum, which depicted manifold characteristics and behaviours of Leaders and Team mem-
bers involved pointing towards Groupthink.
This is my two-fold resolution [in the Here and Now] and submission, to the readers and those in my Cir-
cle of Influence:
• to be consciously aware from now on to avoid being inadvertently or otherwise led by Groupthink
• assertively/courageously highlight whenever I perceive Groupthink in Teams with whom I partner

I sign off with the solid, nurtured and renewed hope and optimism to avoid and point out that every time I sense disturb-
ing signals about the prevalence of Groupthink in subtle and direct manners…
While in Team/Group Dynamics, Groupthink can and bound to occur, anytime…
Will you back yourself to avoid Groupthink in any Team/Group that you are and will be associated, either while being in
the role of Leaders or Followers?
If the answer is No, you need total redemption – wish you the very best, to realize the perils for self and dysfunctional
Teams/Groups sooner than later!
If the answer is May be, there are enough and more reasons to ponder and perhaps move forward!
If the answer is Yes, there are hosts of learning and growth possibilities for you to grab and gallop, in the immediate and
distant future.

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Guest Post by Nithu (PDC 2015, Chennai)

A Journey of Dreams, Determination, and Triumph

Some days etch themselves into our hearts forever—days that remind us of how far we've come, the battles we've
fought, and the dreams we've dared to chase. 21st June 2025 marked one such unforgettable moment in my life:
attending my convocation, hand in hand with my husband, his face glowing with pride. It was more than just a
ceremony—it was a celebration of resilience, passion, and unwavering belief.

My academic journey began with a dream. As a school topper with a 98% aggregate in my Plus Two, I aspired to
pursue a B.Com degree. I call it an aspiration due to the financial constraints stood in the way. Thanks to my
mother’s relentless efforts and the generosity of a close relative, I was able to complete my graduation and secure
a campus placement at Wipro. Yet, my thirst for learning never waned.

While working at Ford, I enrolled in ICWA (now CMA India). The first three stages were smooth, but the fourth
stage—one paper—became my Everest. It took me six long years to conquer it. In August 2017, I finally complet-
ed ICWA, a moment of immense pride and relief.

After that, I shifted gears towards practical learning. Tools like Alteryx and Power Automate fascinated me. I
earned a core certification in Alteryx, and to this day, data analysis continues to be my passion.

In 2023, while working at Johnson Controls (JCI), a new opportunity knocked—CIMA (Chartered Institute of
Management Accountants), a UK-based qualification. Sponsored by the company, I enrolled in October 2023.
Weekend classes from February to May 2024 became my routine. As a qualified Indian CWA, I received exemp-
tions for all but the final paper. Yet, clearing that one paper meant learning concepts from all 15 modules.

I studied diligently and appeared for the exam on August 22, 2024, in Pune—alone, uncertain, but determined.
Just a day before, I had interviewed with KPMG. The exam was a thrilling experience, and I completed it in 2
hours and 58 minutes. As I stepped out of the exam hall, my phone rang—it was KPMG HR. I had been selected!

On October 10, 2024, the results of the exam arrived. I had cleared the CIMA final paper in my first attempt. The
joy was indescribable. Though the course cost was high and I had to repay it due to not completing the clawback
period, I saw it as an investment in myself. Today, I proudly hold two professional qualifications—ICWA and CI-
MA—and continue to chase excellence.

This journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, the support of loved ones, and the magic that happens
when you refuse to give up on your dreams.

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Talent Box

Son of Rajarajan M being recognized during the

Graduation Day [5th Standard] by Narayana e-
Techno School, Kolathur, Chennai. Congratulations
from Happy Times.

Dhanvanth Son of Mahesh graduated from Uni-

versity of Sydney, after completing graduation
[B.Com] majoring in Business Management, with
specialization in Financial mathematics & Statistics.
Happy Times congratulates this achievement.

Adithi granddaughter of K R Subramanian aka

KRS, studying in Primary 2 (equivalent to 2nd std) at
Waterway Primary school, Singapore was awarded the
Model Student of the year - 2025. She secured this
Award last year too.

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Market Sense (By MC) Inspired Passion [Chennai - Nov 2012], Influencing [Chennai - Jun 2015] & PDC - 2015

The Quarter Gone by!

The second quarter of CY2025 was better than the first half. The nifty hit 25000 in May after a long
hiatus of six months in spite umpteen negative factors from wars to trade disruptions. The short war
against Pakistan viz., Operation Sindhoor didn’t had any impact on the Indian markets. The lower
and relatively stable oil prices did its bit in boosting sentiments despite the uncertainty. The high li-
quidity sloshing across market is pushing prices of most assets including equity, gold, silver etc.,
The Indian macro situation is one of its best ever. The GDP growth for FY25 at 6.5% was one of the highest in the globe. IMF
forecast that India shall become the fourth largest economy in FY26. The fiscal deficit for FY25 at 4.8% was within the target and
the lowest since covid. The CPI inflation dropped to a 6 year low of 3.16% in April. The strong macro data and lower inflation in-
duced RBI to reduce interest rates by 0.50%. The overall interest rate reduction is 1% in the last one year. The CRR was cut from
4% to 3%, boosting liquidity further.
The performance on the external front was better than the previous year. The cur-
rent account balance recorded a higher surplus of USD 13.5 Billion (1.3% of GDP)
during Q4 FY25 against the US 4.6 billion achieved in FY24. In spite of the slower
FDI inflows, FII outflows the forex reserves nearly touched USD 703 Billion just
short of the all time high of USD 705 Billion recorded during Sep’24.
The economy is at one of its best positions in the last few decades. This has pushed the Indian
stock market to a high, with the indices trading at a forward P/E of around 21~22. The income tax
cut announced in the Union budget FY25-26, is expected to boost consumption. The rain gods had
been very kind during the current season with better and earlier than usual monsoon. This is ex-
pected to give the much-needed fillip to farm and rural sector. The India designed and made
weapon systems viz., Brahmos, Akash and other missile systems, Akashteer air defence system,
loitering munitions, drone and anti-drone systems performed superbly during the short war with
the terror state Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. This boosted the image of India designed
weapons and the stocks of defence companies shot up.

Market share - Necessary for sustainability!

Why Is Market Share Important? Market share is a key indicator of market competitiveness, it enables to judge

• Market growth or decline,

• Identify trends in consumer behavior

• Estimate market potential and market opportunity.

• Effectiveness of marketing campaigns

Higher the market share, a business is likely to have a higher profit margin and lower costs. Changes in market share helps to
quantify the impact of the company’s strategies and execution tactics vis-à-vis competitors.
However, certain companies ignore market share and focus on internal metrics such as customer satisfaction, awareness, loyalty,
leads, revenue growth etc., But the internal metrics can give a false pretence of success if market performance is below par vis-à-
vis competition. Examples were galore during the dot-com bust when companies focussed on eye-balls and hits rather than busi-
ness model and/or profitability.

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Market Sense (By MC) Inspired Passion [Chennai - Nov 2012], Influencing [Chennai - Jun 2015] & PDC - 2015
Market share and Profitability
Market share is one of the key determinants of business profitability is market share. This
connection between market share and profitability is demonstrated in the results of a pro-
ject undertaken by the Marketing Science Institute on the Profit Impact of Market Strate-
gies (PIMS). PIMS project, completed in late 1973, reveals 37 key profit influences, of
which one of the most important is market share.
The PIMS project clearly validated the co-relationship between market share and return
on investment. The study showed that companies with market shares in excess of
40% have twice the profitability of those with only a 10% market share. For every 10%
increase in market share, the return on investment rises by 5%. The marketing cost as a
percentage of sales tend to decline with higher market share.
Benefits of higher market share
Economics of scale: Increased market share allows a company to operate on a far
greater scale in procurement, manufacturing, marketing, and other cost components
leading to increased profitability.
Experience Curve: According to BCG, total unit costs of producing and distributing
a product tend to decline with each doubling of a company’s cumulative output. The
lower costs lead to higher profits.
Pricing power: Greater market power from high market share helps companies to be
a pricing leader rather than a follower.
Quality of management: Once a business achieves a leadership position it is much
easier for it to retain its talent pool and consequently market share.
Bandwagon Effect: leading brands of consumer products benefit to from a “bandwagon effect” that results from the brand’s
greater visibility in retail stores or greater support from retail store sales personnel.
Brand Loyalty: Higher market share can help improve sales when existing, brand-loyal customers buy more of a company's
products. It also helps widen a company's overall customer base as potential new customers follow the lead of existing ones.
Foster Innovation: Market leaders, in contrast to their smaller competitors, spend significantly higher amounts on research
and development, relative to sales. This helps in sustainability of business.
Alternative View on Market Share
Peter Drucker, a renowned management consultant and author, viewed market share as a
strategic tool rather than an ultimate goal. He emphasized that while a certain market
share might be a desirable outcome, the true purpose of business is to create and retain
customers. Drucker believed that a company should focus on understanding its customers
so well that its products or services effectively sell themselves, making traditional selling
methods largely unnecessary. Focusing too much on market share might make companies
overlook other important factors like innovation, efficiency, and customer-centered strat-
egies. This can potentially cause them to miss out on long-term growth and success.
Way forward
Simply put, market share is a key indicator of a company's competitiveness. A grow-
ing market share can translate into greater profitability while a shrinking share can
have the opposite effect. Investors and stock analysts monitor changes to market
share of companies very closely.
A rising market share can signal to investors that a company is worth betting on,
while a falling one could be a sign of problems. Most investors tend to invest in com-
panies with the highest market share and consequently such companies trade at a
higher PE. Due to the benefits which accrue due to market dominance, such have
shown longevity of business and have been able to survive the cycles more effectively
compared to the followers and strugglers.
Happy Investing!

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Tweets & Greets

HAPPY TIMES wishes its family members, celebrating their Birthday & Wedding Anniversary in
July, August and September Month.

July Month August Month September Month

Birthday Birthday Birthday
1st Aug Sandy
2nd July Rajeshkumar CCL 4th Sep Devipriya Spouse of Ram
1st Aug Venky
Brakes India 5th Sep Suresh PD
6th July Sivakumar 5th Aug Raja
CCL

8th July Mohan Reddy CCL 5th Aug KB 6th Sep Uday
5th Aug ASN Sandeep
9th July Rajeshwari CCL 6th Sep
5th Aug Dakshin Abhraham
Spouse of Spouse of Gavas-
9th July Bagyalakshmi 7th Aug Malini 6th Sep Janani
Suzzie ki
13th July Nirmala 8th Aug Chella
7th Sep KRS
Spouse of
13th July Prashanth CCL 8th Aug Vinodhini
Srini
11th Sep Yesodha Spouse of GPK
Neethu Pa- Spouse of 9th Aug Sunil Kumar CCL
20th July
rakh Amit 12th Aug Martin Jose CCL 13th Sep Kalai
21st July Jagadeesh Spouse of
12th Aug Yamuna
ASN 16th Sep Mary Celma Spouse of Chris
Spouse of
22nd July Durai 13th Aug Gokulnath
Komal 17th Sep Karan
14th Aug Amar
25th Jul Raghavan CCL 19th Sep Balajee N
14th Aug Nithu

28th Jul Anand CCL 18th Aug Bazskar raj 19th Sep Kumar CCL
20th Aug Imran Ahmed CCL
Natarajan 19th Sep Punit
28th Jul CCL
[CCL] 22nd Aug Dharmendra CCL
23rd Sep Hariharan CCL
Spouse of
29th Jul Kannan [CCL] CCL 23rd Aug Bhramara
Raja
26th Sep Bobby
Madhukar 26th Aug Naveen
31st Jul CCL
[CCL] 29th Aug Sangee 28th Sep Balaji

31st Aug Saravanan CCL

Wedding Anniversary Wedding Anniversary Wedding Anniversary

2nd July Shyam & Mahalakshmi 20th Aug Vijay & Sasikala 9th Sep Raj & Manju
7th July Venky & Vidhya 26th Aug Malini & Saravanan 12th Sep Chris & Mary Celma
12th July Mani & Sudha 27th Aug Amarnath & Mauriya
27th Aug Dinnu & Girija

Please send the Birthday and wedding Anniversary details of you and
family members to hteditorialteam@gmail.com

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HAPPINESS WALL

Kannan M aka Kans is seen sitting in the center and 5th from Kalaiselvan M aka Kalai [seen in the center wearing medal
left, wearing blue color Blazer. This group pic was taken during and receiving trophy] captained Synergy Masters Team of
the event held in Chennai by Builders World Forum, on Mahindra Farm Division Product Development
10.04.2025. He was the Chief Guest and addressed the gathering [FDPD]. This Team won the internal Volleyball Champion-
ship organized by HR Team on 04.04.2025

Senthil Kumaran [Senior Leader Role, Har- ASA secured the People's Brand Choice award during the Pen Utsav at Indian
man Connected Services, Bengaluru] met Uday Council For Cultural Relations [ICCR], Kolkata, held on 04.05.2025. Happy
over breakfast on 27.05.2025 at Woodlands Times congratulates Subramanian aka Subbey and Aparnaa Subramani-
an – Subbey is seen standing extreme left and Aparnaa, standing on his left side
Drive-In Restaurant, Chennai. They carried out a
deep-diving reflective conversation about Per- Seen in this pic - Hon’ble Tarun Vijay former MP presenting ASA Chennai
sonal and Leadership Mastery themes, in addi- Pen [crafted by Subramanian aka Subbey] to Hon’ble Mansukh Lax-
tion to informally catching up with each other’s manbhai Mandaviya who is serving as Minister of Labour and Employment
lives. and Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Dinesh Kumar K aka K seen explaining to Anbil Christy Nithya aka Nithu was awarded with the credential of CGMA- Chartered
Mahesh Poyyamozhi [Hon. Minister of School Edu- Global Management Accountant by AICPA and CIMA, during the Convocation
cation, Tamil Nadu Government] about the activities and Recognition Ceremony of CGMA held at Christ University in Bengaluru, on
of Footwear Design and Development Institute, during 21.06.2025. In the second pic, she is seen with her husband Praveen aka Spidy, who
The Hindu Education Plus Career Fair 2025 held on is also a member of Heart Parlour Group. The Certificate awarded is also seen in one of
05.04.2025 the pics. Happy Times congratulates Nithu for this outstanding academic completion.

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HAPPINESS WALL

Christopher aka Chris, Kalaiselvan Christy Nithya aka Nithu, Chelladu- Maddy, Suresh aka Suzzie, Arvind
aka Kalai, Rajesh Kumar aka Raj & rai aka Chella, Amarnatha aka Am- aka Aaru, Sundar aka Vipu, Sudha
Ponraj aka Ponnu are available in this ar, Murthy Dhasarathan Dura aka aka Express & Daya aka Puppi are
frame. They participated in an online meet- Dakshin & Anbajagane aka Anbu seen participating in an online meeting
ing held on 25.05.2025. This CORE Group were part of the online meeting held on held on 24.05.2025. This CORE Group
25.05.2025. This CORE Group named
named Seventh Sense is led by Chris & AABCD is led by Nithu. Seen along with
named Pentastic, is led by Maddy
Dinesh Kumar aka K Nithu in the same frame is her husband
Praveen Kumar aka Spidy

Raja, Akbar, Durai, KB, Veda, Spidy, Prakash & Mani registered 100% attendance while attending their CORE Group
meeting [online] held on 27.04.2025. This CORE Group named Friends Forever, is led by Rajaram Kolle aka Raja

Sadiq, Antony, Kani, PDS & Srini are seen in the frame Subbey, Kans, Komal, Amit, Hari & Naren also registered
during an online meeting held on 20.04.2025 This CORE 100% attendance while attending their CORE Group meeting
Group named Famous Seven, is led by Sadiq Mohamed [online] held on 29.04.2025. This CORE Group named Scintillat-
aka Sadiq ing Six, is led by Subramanian aka Subbey

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HAPPINESS WALL

Seen in the first [Left to Right – front row] are Barani, Rajkanna aka Naveen, Gavaskar aka Gavaski, Amit, Uday,
Brahma Rishi aka Rishi, Venkatesh aka Venky & Arjun Cumarr aka Bobby [standing behind Left & Right]: Rajara-
jan, Balajee aka Bala. This CORE Group named Seven Heaven, is led by Venky met on 18.05.2025, at Anna Nagar Tower
Park, Chennai, followed by breakfast at the adjacent Geetham Restaurant, Anna Nagar

Karan, Sadiq, Naveen Prasath aka ASN, Emmanuel aka Em- Featured in the pic [left to right] are Akbar, Shyam
my & Athikundavarathan aka AKV are seen in the pics when they Sundar, Uday and Malini, when we attended the
attended an online meeting held on 25.05.2025. This CORE Group AGM of Indian Society for Training & Development aka
named Frost Fire is led by Karan ISTD, held on 22.06.2025 at ISTD Chennai Office
premises.

Group Pic [featuring Shyam, Akbar & Uday] captured along with other attendees after the conclusion of AGM of
ISTD held on 22.06.25, at ISTD office, Chennai. In the other pic, Shyam & I were honoured to release the Annual
Report of ISTD during the AGM. The others seen in the pic are current office bearers of ISTD – Chennai Chapter

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HAPPINESS WALL

Left: Group pic taken after the conclusion of MILT Monthly Alumni Meet held at Happy Times congratulates Vasuki aka
Andhra Chamber of Commerce, on 29.06.2025. Uday is seen standing, second Vasu for having successfully completed
from left [on 02.05.2025] Viva Voce ahead of
Uday is seen with Narasimhan aka Narsi along with Kavin Selva [centre], being conferred with PhD
who was MC of the MILT Monthly Alumni Meet. Uday and Narsi were Reviewers
in the MILT Leadership course conducted by Late Aporesh Acharya in 1993,
when Kavin was a participant

Saravanan R seen along with Uday when they

met [a pleasant surprise] during a wedding re- Uday is seen in both the pics while addressing [around 50 High Potential
ception of a common friend on 05.04.2025. Sar- Leaders] and facilitating mid-Review Workshop [held on 03.05.2025] of the
avanan has been promoted as Plant Manager of ongoing Team Coaching initiative at Saint Gobain, Sriperumbudur cam-
Ball Beverage Packaging, effective January 2025. pus. Six Vibrant Project Groups belonging to 3 Cross Functional Teams, pre-
Happy Times wishes him the very best for the sented the progress and learning takeaways to the Senior Leadership Team.
career ahead The big picture objective of this initiative is to build a robust Leadership pipe-

Shyam Sundar aka Shyam [Advisor – HR, Shyam Sundar aka Shyam [HR Consultant & Trainer] is seen in the first pic-
Brakes India] conducted 7 sessions (on HR Strat- ture, facilitating a maiden Training Program in the Freelancer avatar, on the topic of
egies) duration of each session being 3 hours, dedi- ‘Problem Solving Skills for Leaders’ to the employees of a Design Back Office
cated to the MBA - HR Students of DG Vaish- [MNC] at Perungudi, Chennai on 19.06.2025. In the second picture, the participants
nav College, Chennai. In this group pic, he is are seen actively engaged in a creatively small group activity. Happy Times Congratu-
standing in the centre [wearing light blue color lates Shyam for launching the second innings of his professional career, post
shirt] along with HOD, Faculty and Students retiring as VP – HR & later as Advisor HR from Brakes India, May 2025.

16
HAPPINESS WALL

Prakash Natarajan presenting a carica- Yadagiri, IRS was promoted as the K R Subramanian aka KRS met
ture to B Santhanam who retired as Commissioner of Income Tax, Gov- Praveen Kumar aka Spidy and
CEO of Saint Gobain [Asia Pacific & ernment of India. Happy Times extends Christy Nithya aka Nithu over dinner
India Region], after a few decades of warm celebrations and hearty congratula- at a restaurant in Bengaluru on
remarkable career innings that spanned tions upon this significant milestone in 08.06.2025
across Grindwell Norton and Saint Go- his career and also wishes him all the very
bain best, going forward.

38 Heart Parloureans attended the Reunion Meet held on 15.06.2025 at Hotel Jaag, Chennai. The broad smiles noticeable in
these 2 Group Pics evidently indicate the joy and buoyancy generated during the event

Seen in this pic [left to right] are Sudha aka Express, Sundar aka Vipu,
K R Subramanian aka KRS [resident of Sin- Bhramarishi aka Rishi, Subramanian aka Subbey and Madhavan aka
gapore] who visited Chennai being presented Maddy. Express, Vipu and Rishi were honoured for donning Volunteers roles –
with Caricature curated by Prakash Nata- Subbey gifted them special Pens from ASA stable. They planned and facilitated the
rajan, who is seen in this pic with KRS & Uday Reunion Meet and received rave reviews with positive feedback from the participants,

17