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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