Saket Singh : Leveraging Strong Leadership Qualities & Team Empowerment To Drive Organizational Growth
Saket Singh
Executive Director
In an exclusive interview with CEO Insights, Saket sheds light on his overall professional journey, his leadership approach, and much more:
Give a brief account of your professional back- ground and experience. What is the motivation that fuels your daily routines?
I started my career in 1998 as a System Engineer at Modicorp, responsible for managing the IT infrastructure at the firm's Corporate Office in Delhi. Being part of a corporate environment at the beginning of my career was extremely helpful. I had the privilege of observing Group CEOs, CFOs, and other industry leaders very closely, which gave me lot of insights into their mindset and how to carry oneself as a business leader. Later, I joined ABB, where I was responsible for the their North India IT Operations, posi-tioned at ABB’s corporate office which further extended my exposure to Sr. Leadership working style. At the height of the outsourcing wave, ABB decided to outsource its IT to IBM, making me an IBMer in 2002. While initially, I was reluctant to join IBM, I gradually started to
understand the pulse of the firm. I continued my journey with IBM for about 20 years before joining HCSC.
As a people person, being able to impact my team positively is what fuels my daily routine. Serving the organization's mission & purpose is something that keeps me motivated to show up at work every day.
You possess over twenty-five years of experience. How has been your path to success and what is your success mantra?
Starting my career as an IT Engineer, I have been part of various roles throughout my extensive career spanning over 25 years. While I gradually moved up the leadership ladder, a few guiding principles have always remained constant for me. The success mantra that I strongly believe in is, staying humble and being your authentic self. 'Fake it till you make it' does not take you that far. You have to be consistent as well as persistent and keep building momentum towards your goal. I believe in leading with integrity and empathy.
I also firmly believe that opportunities don't come your way, you have to create them. Reach out for stretch assignments, seek mentors, and make connections. Lastly, be a spokesperson for yourself. Just doing good work is not enough, being able to publicise one’s good work is equally important.
Tell us about your leadership approach. What are the guidelines or methodologies you follow as a leader?
Many people confuse leadership with a designation or a rank that they need to achieve.However, I believe that leadership is a journey, a person goes through. It's like gymming, where you won't find the result in a day. You have to be consistent enough to see the result. My leadership approach revolves around nurturing human-to-human connections. I am a strong believer in team empowerment. As a leader, you have to look beyond yourself and consider the perspective of others. Instead of just giving directions, empower them to make decisions. One of
As a people person, being able to impact my team positively is what fuels my daily routine. Serving the organization's mission & purpose is something that keeps me motivated to show up at work every day.
One of the biggest responsibility of a leader is to become an enabler by developing & nur-turing more leaders.
You possess over twenty-five years of experience. How has been your path to success and what is your success mantra?
Starting my career as an IT Engineer, I have been part of various roles throughout my extensive career spanning over 25 years. While I gradually moved up the leadership ladder, a few guiding principles have always remained constant for me. The success mantra that I strongly believe in is, staying humble and being your authentic self. 'Fake it till you make it' does not take you that far. You have to be consistent as well as persistent and keep building momentum towards your goal. I believe in leading with integrity and empathy.
I also firmly believe that opportunities don't come your way, you have to create them. Reach out for stretch assignments, seek mentors, and make connections. Lastly, be a spokesperson for yourself. Just doing good work is not enough, being able to publicise one’s good work is equally important.
Tell us about your leadership approach. What are the guidelines or methodologies you follow as a leader?
Many people confuse leadership with a designation or a rank that they need to achieve.However, I believe that leadership is a journey, a person goes through. It's like gymming, where you won't find the result in a day. You have to be consistent enough to see the result. My leadership approach revolves around nurturing human-to-human connections. I am a strong believer in team empowerment. As a leader, you have to look beyond yourself and consider the perspective of others. Instead of just giving directions, empower them to make decisions. One of
the biggest responsibility of a leader is to become an enabler by developing and nurturing more leaders. Let your team lead themselves so when success comes along they can say 'they did it!'
How do you keep yourself up-to-date with ongoing industry trends? In light of your strong experience within the industry, what advice would you give to budding industry leaders?
I always keep a close eye on current and emerging trends. Being a part of the tech industry, it is extremely important to constantly upskill and update yourself. Weekly, I typically dedicate a few hours towards learning new technologies or industry trends. At the same time, it is equally important not to get carried away with every shiny object that comes our way. Every new technology has a hype cycle and a maturity cycle. For instance, it's critical to examine the use cases of AI that are relevant to your organization and not join the bandwagon just for the sake of it. Last year, I had the privilege of being a part of a Chief Technology Officer Program at Wharton. This year, I'm focusing on upskilling myself in AI governance and ethics.
My advice for budding industry leaders is not to be in hurry to become a leader. Learn to be a follower first. Never confuse leadership with authority. In my experience, great leaders are some of the humblest humans. Be an avid listener and a keen learner. If you don't upskill, you will surely get out skilled. Be courageous & always ask why and lastly , trust your gut.
Saket Singh, Executive Director, Health Care Service Corporation
An accomplished IT leader with over 25 years of extended experience in the industry, Saket Singh started his career as a Systems Engineer at Modicorp. Over the years, he has been a part of many esteemed organizations in various leadership and senior leadership roles, including his two decades at IBM. Currently, as the Executive Director at Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), a leading health insurance service provider firm in the US, he has been at the helm of IT Infrastructure Strategy, AIOps, Strategic Sourcing & Governance, and Mainframe Operations.
How do you keep yourself up-to-date with ongoing industry trends? In light of your strong experience within the industry, what advice would you give to budding industry leaders?
I always keep a close eye on current and emerging trends. Being a part of the tech industry, it is extremely important to constantly upskill and update yourself. Weekly, I typically dedicate a few hours towards learning new technologies or industry trends. At the same time, it is equally important not to get carried away with every shiny object that comes our way. Every new technology has a hype cycle and a maturity cycle. For instance, it's critical to examine the use cases of AI that are relevant to your organization and not join the bandwagon just for the sake of it. Last year, I had the privilege of being a part of a Chief Technology Officer Program at Wharton. This year, I'm focusing on upskilling myself in AI governance and ethics.
My advice for budding industry leaders is not to be in hurry to become a leader. Learn to be a follower first. Never confuse leadership with authority. In my experience, great leaders are some of the humblest humans. Be an avid listener and a keen learner. If you don't upskill, you will surely get out skilled. Be courageous & always ask why and lastly , trust your gut.
Saket Singh, Executive Director, Health Care Service Corporation
An accomplished IT leader with over 25 years of extended experience in the industry, Saket Singh started his career as a Systems Engineer at Modicorp. Over the years, he has been a part of many esteemed organizations in various leadership and senior leadership roles, including his two decades at IBM. Currently, as the Executive Director at Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), a leading health insurance service provider firm in the US, he has been at the helm of IT Infrastructure Strategy, AIOps, Strategic Sourcing & Governance, and Mainframe Operations.