Navnit Singh on startup
From Don't do this in your first job: One blunder that taught me everything about leadership · · Great Lakes Institute of Management - Gurgaon
“I remember when Flipkart started I placed their first CFO Sanjay Pavvesa with Sachin and Bini Bansil. They were all 27, 28 and they gave that man tons of money. Those were the days when stocks were given by the bag full.”
On , Navnit Singh, Chairman & Country Head of India at KORN FERRY, spoke about startup during Don't do this in your first job: One blunder that taught me everything about leadership on Great Lakes Institute of Management - Gurgaon.
About Navnit Singh
Navnit Singh, Chairman and Country Head of India at Korn Ferry, has been active in public discussions on leadership, career development, and talent management. In a December 2025 conversation, he advised young managers to be patient and avoid frequent job changes driven by peer pressure, stating that over 10 to 15 years, professionals from the same starting batch typically end up within 10% of each other in terms of career outcomes. He emphasized that patience allows individuals to build skills and competencies. In an August 2025 talk, Singh recounted a personal mistake from his early career at Ashok Leyland, where he organized a union trip to Haridwar without proper approval, leading to a reprimand. He described this as a lesson in humility and accountability. Singh also argued that no one is inherently a bad manager, but that people fail when they take on roles beyond their capabilities. He urged students to take responsibility for their own development, noting that the market changes rapidly and that individuals must upgrade their knowledge and skills beyond formal education. In other appearances, Singh discussed strategies for getting noticed by search firms, advising professionals to never ignore a call from a search consultant and to treat them with the same honesty as a doctor or lawyer. He criticized Indian CXOs who accept offers and then back out, stating that signing an offer should be a commitment. Singh also spoke about the importance of leading by example, being available 24/7, and responding to candidates promptly. He expressed frustration with candidates who aggressively seek his personal contact information. In a 2023 interview, Singh said that leadership is not about the chair one occupies but about how one leads by example, and that he believes leaders can be trained and developed. He also noted that when promoters seek external CEOs, he first asks why they are not promoting internally, though he said his advice is taken only about 30% of the time.