Cassata is a traditional Italian dessert that refers to either a rich, sweet Sicilian cake or a multi-layered fruit and nut ice cream. It is usually a three-in-one concoction consisting of sponge cake, fruits, and ice cream. An organization having a cassata of talent, culture, and leadership can become a successful, innovative, and sustainable entity.
Private sector enterprises in Pakistan can flourish if they are able to navigate through the complex and challenging ground situation. A monopoly or oligopoly is more or less immune to predatory inroads in their domain by competitors, but here too, volatility in the economy can spiral efforts out of control.
Enterprises that have to face downward pressure, tightening fiscal noose, inefficient grid, and impact of front loaded taxation, are more prone to manage, preserve, and be resilient if they have the blend of talent, culture, and leadership in their ecosystem.
The presence of talent in an enterprise begins with the challenge of hiring the right people and subsequently training, grooming, and developing them to excel in the prevailing environment of the enterprise. The reality is that at times, management may have the notion that an ideal choice was made but despite efforts to embed the person within the company’s system, the person may not be able to effectively perform to the satisfaction of the top hierarchy.
The drawback is usually the manner in which the candidate was interviewed in the first instance where emphasis was placed on academic credentials, past work experience, or rehearsed confidence aura displayed by the candidate. Moreover, even if an enterprise is known to be progressive, well known, and profitable, the candidate’s discomfort in the workplace may lead to mental pressures and disenchantment.
The budding talent is then likely to bear detrimental negativity of his or her intellectual capabilities, natural competencies, and future prospects. On the other hand, candidates who may not have been impressive during interviews may still be appointed if the interviewer decided that a calculated risk could be taken on the candidate who could be pragmatically mentored and developed into becoming a promising asset.
John Spence, a UK businessman and leadership expert, highlighted five core traits that define high-performing individuals: Comp etence, Character, Collaboration, Communication, and Commitment. The candidate with excellent cognitive abilities may not be an asset compared to someone with potential to have a transformative impact in the enterprise ecosystem instead of being a burden on management and teamwork.
Every enterprise functions as per the vision of top hierarchy or owners, and this aspect is the culture which is embedded within the environment. This vision, in whichever way, defines the operational effectiveness and architecture of the enterprise.
Culture is not restricted to the workflow or human resource policies or style of management. In a progressive enterprise where there is a culture of shared values, performance metrics, standard operating procedures, and key performance indicators, the outcome is positively organic. There are no laid down textbook guidelines, nor are there arbitrary drifts where unwritten rules replace or change official policies, nor are there inadequate responsibility or accountability systems.
These days, formidable emphasis is placed on occupational safety and health. Gone are the days when top management more or less ignored instituting measures, procedures, and even equipment to align with safety and well-being of workers and staff. Hence enterprises adapted and adjusted these to foster a safe environment. Progressive companies have introduced systems to address grievances, to respect dignity, to incentivize ideas, and to provide satisfaction. Enterprises that apply such initiatives are able to retain efficient and productive people and attain higher levels of success.
Enterprise strategies are to a large extent due to the thinking process of the person at the top level. Continuity of informal policies as well as panicky decisions may not necessarily be because of the top person or even top management, because factors that are beyond their control or capacity can negatively impact on the sustainability of the company. In Pakistan’s domestic corporate and industrial base, the influence and powers of many Chairmen or CEOs are overarching which ensue into a “my way or the highway” atmosphere.
While this system has proved to be a relative success, the fact is that many times the top guys have not kept pace, embraced, or aligned themselves with technological advancements, human resource behaviours, and decentralization. There are cases galore in which an autocratic head of the company did not or was not able to introduce a participative, delegative, and transformational ecosystem in the enterprise.
Two vivid examples are the management style blueprints of Jack Welch, former Chairman and CEO of General Electric, and Lee Iacocca, former President of Ford Motors and CEO of Chrysler. While Welch emphasized continuous evaluation, meritocracy, and removing bureaucracy to speed up growth, Iacocca openly accepted ownership of his decisions and was an expert in motivating large workforces with charismatic appeal, and negotiating aggressively with stakeholders.
Henry Ford, the head of family dynasty, could not stomach the immense popularity of Iacocca among workers, suppliers, and buyers, which resulted in personality clashes and the firing of Iacocca. Ironically, he rescued Chrysler from bankruptcy when he moved there from Ford.
It goes without saying that Pakistan’s corporate sector and major business groups have or had visionary leaders whose businesses grew by leaps and bounds because they recognized markets, skills, and talent, and because they knew what, when, and whom to delegate, and because they adapted their management style to keep flowing with the winds of change.
They transform their conglomerates into strong and functional bedrocks of private sector dominance that is evident from the exceptional growth trajectory of their companies. Their charisma, competence, and courage have been widely acknowledged and reflected in positive performances of their enterprises.
Their strong leadership, business acumen, and personal drive made them iconic figures, and promising entrepreneurs look up to successes of Syed Babar Ali, Ahmed Dawood, Mian Muhammad Mansha and many others, and strive to emulate their entrepreneurial spirit and business characteristics. Syed Babar Ali philosophically once stated, “Build a life that people remember — not just a business.” This says it all for current and future corporate leaders.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
The writer is an industrialist
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