A global teambuilder

Leadership and team management in finance

Managing financial compliance and internal controls may sound like a very meticulous job. For a keen cricket player like Arun Rathod though it’s not much different than preparing players for a crucial cricket match. It’s all about making sure every member of the financial teams across the Sandvik globe is working towards the same winning goal and using the right tools to get there.

“Just like in cricket, this job is a team sport that requires different talents to collaborate, communicate and coordinate to achieve common goals,” says Rathod.

Regardless of the playing field, it’s equally important to identify the right talent and to utilize that resource at the right time and place.

“You don’t want to put even the best of bowlers or batsmen in the position if they aren’t ready for it,” he says. “Doing that can make people lose confidence. This insight is just as important when building a work team.”

Building team synergy across global divisions

Rathod became Group Internal Controls Manager at Sandvik about two years ago. His role is similar to that of an internal consultant. The mission is to establish and maintain a global internal control framework that will support business areas, divisions and group functions as well as the external auditors. When he started there wasn’t even a formal team to support him with this task.

The first year, Rathod focused on picking the right teams and getting the players in positions where they all had the best opportunities to score. That included uniting business area finance members and incorporating their input into the mutual strategy and operational approach.

Today his work is supported by a team that’s distributed across the Sandvik map, from India to the Americas.

Just like in cricket, this job is a team sport that requires different talents to collaborate, communicate and coordinate to achieve common goals

Rathod's approach to Leadership

“Arun has all the qualities of a good Sandvik leader, but the job he has now is very tough,” says Vaishali Surve, Regional Compliance Officer for Sandvik Machining Solutions in the Asia Pacific region.

“His mission – to ensure that every business area aligns with the internal control strategies coming from Group – that’s very challenging, but if there is anyone that can make this happen, it is Arun,” she says.

So, what tools does Rathod utilize to navigate this challenging field? The fast answer is effective communication and empowerment. He is also known to be a good listener and a collaborative leader; two very useful qualities to address the geographical differences that run through the vertical business structures.

“Arun has understood the nuances of different business work cultures and the challenges that come with it. He is able to navigate through all that by being flexible, but still maintaining his ground,” says Surve.

Working with global stakeholders across businesses and groups gives Rathod the opportunity to interact with all kinds of personalities and different cultural backgrounds. “That’s what I like about my job, and I believe I have become quite good at building new relationships and maintaining them,” he says.

Leading through tough decisions

You cannot always be a “goody-goody” leader though, as Vaishali Surve puts it. At times, it's necessary to assertively make difficult decisions and even let people go. In situations like that, Rathod believes treating people with respect is key and emphasizes that sometimes a person is simply not right for the position. Reminding them of their strengths can help them hone in on what kind of opportunity to pursue next.

The geographical spread of his team can be quite isolating. That’s why he tries to make sure that people are teamed up in pairs, which helps them learn from one another and support each other.

“In our joint meetings we have a system with a rotating chair so that everyone gets to lead different topics. At each meeting I also ask the chair to spend ten minutes sharing his or her latest training experience, to encourage time spent on personal development,” he says.