Page 212 - Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows
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CHAPTER 21


                      LEADERS LEAD BY

                     WALKING AROUND

















             As senior vice president and general counsel at Catalent Pharma Solutions,
             Samrat “Sam” Khichi (WHF 04–05) is responsible for the legal department
             of a massive international organization with nearly $2 billion in sales and
             around 10,000 employees. Whether he and his staff are dealing with
             import and export issues, employee law, patent applications or cross-border
             mergers and acquisitions, Khichi has to be well informed and on top of
             everything that comes into or goes out of the office. Although some in his
             position might be tempted to use their desks as the hub from which everything
             emanates, or “command central,” Khichi prefers to get out from behind
             his and lead by walking around.
                 Leading by walking around is a skill Khichi first learned as a young
             lieutenant in the Army. His commanding officers taught him that being
             out front and being seen by the troops is an indispensable leadership
             technique in a military organization. Khichi was surprised when that
             lesson was reinforced strongly during his year as a White House Fellow for
             Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson. “As a
             White House Fellow I learned that leading by walking around doesn’t just
             have applications in the military. Secretary Jackson stressed the importance
             of personal interactions and connections at HUD too,” Khichi said. “And
             as I look back though the notes I made after all the face-to-face meetings
             we had with those incredible leaders during the Fellowship, one of the
             common takeaways I gained was just this notion of leadership by walking


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