Five leadership lessons that every boss should know: Levi’s head of South Africa

"I have never seen a leader without initiative as a virtue. Leaders initiate thought processes, actions, team building and the list goes on and on."

The post Five leadership lessons that every boss should know: Levi’s head of South Africa appeared first on Inside Retail Australia.

Sandeep Sokhanda has worked in retail for nearly three decades, including stints at FMCG majors, Nike and Levi’s, where he is currently the country manager for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Here, he shares his approach to work-life balance, where he goes for career advice and what he loves about his job.

Inside Retail: Tell me about your career journey. How did you get into the industry, what are some of the different roles you’ve held along the way?

Sandeep Sokhanda: I began my career selling Citibank credit cards, fresh out of college as a commerce student. 

Within six months, I knew that I wanted to do more than just sell plastic money. Luckily, I found a mentor who gave me solid advice on how to build a strong foundation in the corporate world and an MBA seemed like the natural next step.

Whilst pursuing my MBA, rural marketing held a special fascination and it was providence that I landed my first job with an FMCG major which was acquired by Gillette. Thus, I began my learning curve selling a host of products which included dry cells, mosquito coils, and personal hygiene products in the deep interiors of northern India. 

It was a challenging four-year learning curve, but it laid a solid brick in my management foundation. It also ignited my spirit for adventure, so when I got a call from a commodities trading firm to head to Indonesia, I was all set.

I landed on a small island in Sumatra called Lampung and therein began my journey of selling and buying coffee. Over the course of the year, I learned the nuances of commodities trading and how it transcends cultural boundaries. 

I also learned Bahasa Indonesia, the local language and to date, it’s the code language between my wife and me when we have company. However, a personal emergency had me packing my bags and heading home to pick up where I left off in the corporate world in India.

FMCG beckoned again, and this time I began work with French writing instruments company Reynolds. Although the role was interesting, in my heart I knew that I was looking for something else. 

So when a headhunter called me about switching industries, my ears perked up – and I found myself sitting in a cafe being interviewed by a person in a cool trucker jacket, asking me my views on fashion. 

That was the day my journey began with Levi’s. They were launching in India and wanted to hire regional managers not just for their business acumen but also with a keen eye and ear for music and fashion.

For the next 10 years, I had the opportunity to work alongside and learn from terrific leaders and colleagues and it was an exciting time for me professionally and personally. I began as a regional head, transitioned in two years to a national role and when I left Levi’s, I was the COO for the southern market and also managing neighbouring Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Building brands, exploring and creating markets has been a passion, so when Nike called, I jumped at the chance to grow another iconic West Coast brand in India.

 As the retail director, I steadily built Nike’s footprint across formats and launched nike.com in India. The global exposure and meeting with sports legends were an icing on the proverbial cake and my time at Nike has many exciting highlights!

In 2018, I rejoined Levi’s, this time to helm the Denizen brand and its launch in India. Within a year, I was asked to helm the Middle East and North Africa market and that was another thrilling ride. 

I saw the team and the market grow and worked alongside diverse partners from Lebanon, Tunisia, Israel and Dubai to name just a few of the territories under the MENA banner.

After four thrilling years, I am now in perhaps the most exciting role of my career as general manager of South Africa based in Cape Town. 

IR: What do you love about your job?

SS: I remember being asked at the time of [my] job interview at Levi’s if I liked fashion, music and partying. I remember being flummoxed by that question, wondering whether that was a trick question, only to realise it wasn’t one since Levi’s was a brand associated with all three!

I liked all three, and have over the years understood the importance of that question. Since I don’t differentiate between work and my passion, I enjoy every moment of being at Levi’s – being in the marketplace with the consumers and teams is what energises me the most.

IR: What are some of the key leadership lessons you’ve picked up over the course of your career?

SS: I have had the fortune of working with some great leaders over time and have continuously tried to learn from them. My five lessons:

1. Lead by example: never undermine the power of lifting a carton off the floor to set the example to your fellow team members of showing what is acceptable and what is not.
2. I have never seen a leader without initiative as a virtue. Leaders initiate thought processes, actions, team building and the list goes on and on.
3. As a leader, you needn’t be the brightest person in the room but you should have the ability to know who to go to for solving specific problems.
4. Fearless: don’t hesitate in asking the tough questions albeit in a modulated manner depending on the audience.
5. Be generous: be it praising your colleagues in public or celebrating some success with a team, all of it goes a long way.

IR: Where do you go for career advice?

SS: Never undermine the power of getting career advice from your family. During my early years, I used to lean a lot on my parents for career advice and over the years my wife has been my counsellor too.

I believe in the power of having external mentors and counselors. They can be your ex-managers or ex-colleagues who are genuinely invested in you, or professional mentors. 

I do listen to lots of podcasts during long drives or before going to bed. Be it The Economist, HBR or even the Bhagavad Gita (the Hindu scriptures) – the power of knowledge through these podcasts does help me stand out.

IR: What does a typical day look like for you?

SS: I will share with you my current typical day. I wake up at 5 am and need my coffee to get me started. I am at the gym by 6 am for my workout. I am aiming to reach the office by 8:30 am.

The days are typically busy with meetings, hence it is important that I have some focus time for myself in the morning before these meetings commence.

Lunch is short typically; I ensure every day that I am not only attending recurring meetings but doing some work that is future-focused and different.

The day typically winds up by 6pm and I focus on family time in the evenings 

IR: What’s your approach to work-life balance?

SS: The modern-day manager, especially post-Covid, has been forced to take a hard look at their jobs and prioritise family time. To be honest, I didn’t have such a work-balance before Covid, but now I do.

I take time off when it gets too much at work – am yet to master the art of completely switching off though.

IR: Do you have any hobbies that help you switch off and stay balanced?

SS: During Covid I learnt how to play guitar enough to strum a few basic songs. After six years of picking up golf, I still consider myself to be a budding golfer with an aspiration to have a single-digit handicap. I ensure that I find time over the weekends to pursue my hobbies. 

Needless to say, spending time with family is very important to me. We ensure not a single weekend or a holiday is wasted without doing some fun activity together as a family.

The post Five leadership lessons that every boss should know: Levi’s head of South Africa appeared first on Inside Retail Australia.