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Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
Experts Share Ineffective Management Advice (And What To Do Instead)
Leaders today have a variety of sources from which to learn business strategy. From industry peers and mentors to targeted workshops and formal educational programs, developing one's business knowledge and strengthening people management skills is critical to successfully maintaining a business over time. However, not all advice is good advice. With social media enabling anyone and everyone to offer advice, it can be difficult to discern which tips are well-intentioned but ineffective and which ones are genuinely helpful. To help, 20 Forbes Business Council members share one common piece of management advice they've found to be highly impractical, as well as what managers should try instead. 1. Treat Everyone The Same Treating everyone the same sounds fair but fails in practice, as people have different needs and motivators. Instead, be fair but personalize your leadership. Adapt your style to each team member while maintaining consistent values. This builds trust, boosts engagement and helps everyone perform at their best. - Narendra Babu Vattem, iSpatial Techno Solutions Inc. 2. Always Be Available For Your Team Always being available for your team sounds noble, but it can burn you out and make others dependent on you. Instead, teach autonomy. Set clear expectations, be accessible at fixed hours and trust your team to figure things out. - Nitin Gupta, QRCodeChimp 3. Hire Great People And Get Out Of The Way Hiring great people and then getting out of their way sounds inspiring, but it often leads to poor alignment and missed opportunities. Even top performers need direction, feedback, challenges and accountability. Instead, stay close to the work. Great managers enable autonomy, not abandonment, and guide without micromanaging. - Henry McIntosh, Twenty One Twelve Marketing Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify? 4. Implement An Open-Door Policy Keeping an open-door policy sounds good, but it often leads to constant interruptions and reactive leadership. Instead, set structured availability and hold office hours with a purpose. This boundary respects deep work while still inviting feedback. Clarity beats constant access. - Arpit Jain, SEO Sets 5. Bring Your Whole Self To Work People often say to bring your whole self to work and be authentic. This isn't good advice for someone in a leadership or management role because there is a power dynamic to consider and it can too easily be an excuse for bad behavior. Instead, focus on credibility. This means you need to be capable, empathetic, supportive, trustworthy, likeable, vulnerable, as well as have integrity and a vision. - Jenni Field, Redefining Communications 6. Leave Emotions At The Door Leaving your emotions at the door is the worst advice because what it really teaches is disconnection, not professionalism. Instead, managers should bring emotional fluency to the table. Teams don't need robots; they need humans who can read the room and lead with both head and heart. - Stephanie Dillon, Stephanie Dillon Art 7. Maintain A Positive Attitude A common piece of advice that can be highly ineffective is to always maintain a positive attitude. While this is generally not bad advice, there are times that call for gravity and honesty. It's important in these moments to evaluate the situation. Maintaining a positive attitude at the wrong moment can give the impression of insincerity, dishonesty or disinterest. - Nikolaus Kimla, Pipeliner CRM 8. Be The Expert First The advice to be the expert yourself first is ineffective. Once you know how the work is done and what to expect from the team, then you can set realistic and achievable goals. Be reasonable. - Henry Fan, Globevisa Group 9. Stay On Top Of Everything One common but ineffective piece of management advice is to 'stay on top of everything.' This not only often leads to micromanagement but also kills trust and innovation. Instead, managers should empower teams with clear goals, autonomy and accountability. Trust drives performance far more than control. - Allen Kopelman, Nationwide Payment Systems Inc. 10. Empower Your People The 'empower your people' phrase as blanket advice lacks nuance. Without clear guardrails, teams flounder or play it safe. Instead, managers should define clear objectives and boundaries, then coach and trust teams to innovate within those limits, fostering true autonomy balanced with accountability. Use constraints as the leverage for impact. - Krzysztof 'Kris' Garlewicz, ProsperiFi LLC 11. Keep Your Team Busy Busyness isn't productivity — it's noise. Idle moments often lead to insight and meaningful process improvements. Instead of filling every gap, teach your team to pause, reflect and prioritize what actually moves the business forward. This cuts against the outdated 'hustle culture' mindset and introduces the idea of the strategic pause and reflection as a management tool. - Aleksandr Zemel, NYWD 12. Delegate More One-size-fits-all management advice like "just delegate more" is overrated. Not every task or team is suited for delegation. Instead, managers should focus on understanding their team's strengths and tailoring their approach to get the best results. - Mark Berookim, High Rise Financial LLC 13. Hire For Culture Fit 'Culture fit' is one of the most misused ideas in hiring. I've seen teams lose their edge by filling seats with people who think alike. What drives real performance is culture add. You need people who challenge assumptions, flag blind spots and surface flaws early. That tension sharpens execution and protects you from groupthink before it turns into costly mistakes. - Zain Jaffer, Zain Ventures 14. Avoid Getting Too Close To Team Members 'Don't get too close to your team' is an outdated theory. People don't need a boss, they need a human. Connection builds loyalty, not distance. Try leading with transparency and trust. When your team feels safe, trusted and appreciated, they'll go further than KPIs ever will. - Braden Yuill, Virtual Coworker 15. Have Employees Bring Solutions, Not Problems Saying, 'Don't bring me problems, bring me solutions,' shuts down psychological safety. It discourages early communication, often making employees feel like they have to figure things out alone. Instead, say, 'If you bring me what you're stuck on, we'll solve it together.' That fosters trust, learning and better outcomes. - Stephen Sokoler, Journey 16. Avoid Micromanaging 'Don't micromanage' is popular advice, but it can lead to misalignment and delays if taken too far. Blind trust without structure doesn't work. Instead, lead with clarity by setting clear expectations, explaining the 'why,' and checking in regularly. It's about direction, not control. - Janet Lam, Building Blocks Business 17. Give Feedback Only When Something Goes Wrong I find the idea of only giving feedback when something goes wrong to be ineffective. This creates a culture of fear and defensiveness. Instead, managers should learn how to give positive feedback regularly and sincerely. Recognizing progress, effort, and small wins builds confidence, motivates teams, and creates a foundation of trust. This then makes it easier to have honest conversations when challenges do arise. - Egor Karpovich, Travel Code Inc. 18. Do Feedback Sandwiches The feedback sandwich sounds appetizing in theory, but there's a reason some call it by a less flattering name. Bookending criticism with praise teaches people to brace for bad news whenever they receive positive recognition. Instead, be direct, be specific and separate praise from constructive feedback. People respect honest communication over sugar-coating feedback. - Laurent Valosek, Peak Leadership Institute 19. Motivate Your Team A common piece of advice is "motivate your team," with no input on how to effectively do that and what it means. It's more nuanced than that, and you want your team focused, not just motivated. Instead of focusing on management buzzwords, look at the data around high-performing teams. That's the environment you need to create, and you only have so many levers to work with. - Jeaneane Falkler 20. Focus On Your Zone Of Genius With our company's focus on marketing, we talk to leaders every day who say that their marketing team is the hardest to manage, especially with social media. They typically want to focus on their "zone of genius," which is what we are all told to do, but it leads to abdication rather than delegation. You don't have to be a marketing expert, but you do need to learn enough to know what "good" looks like. - Kenda Laney, Laney Media
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
India's NFRA appoints new chairperson
The National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA), India's audit watchdog, has appointed Nitin Gupta as its chairperson. From June 2022 to June 2024, Gupta held the position of Chairman at the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). With experience spanning the Income Tax Department and Ministry of Finance, he spearheaded automation, faceless assessments, and taxpayer services initiatives. As CBDT Chairman, he leveraged technologies, including AI and big data analytics, to enhance business ease, which are claimed to have resulted in 'record' direct tax-to-GDP ratios and tax revenue growth, as per a release from the corporate affairs ministry. Additionally, NFRA appointed three new full-time members: Smita Jhingran, P Daniel, and Sushil Kumar Jaiswal. Smita Jhingran has a history of involvement with NFRA, where she has expertise in the convergence of Indian auditing and accounting standards with international practices. Her previous roles include Secretary at the Competition Commission of India and various senior positions within the Income Tax Department. In his career, Daniel contributed to vigilance and anti-corruption measures as the former Secretary of the Central Vigilance Commission. Jaiswal's background spans in overseeing audits of central revenue and tax departments as the Director General of Audit (Central Receipts). His international experience includes leading and supervising audits for UN Peacekeeping Operations and various UN agencies. Meanwhile, in June 2025, NFRA urged collaboration between audit committees and auditors to strengthen corporate governance, emphasising thorough engagement led by independent directors. "India's NFRA appoints new chairperson " was originally created and published by The Accountant, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Former Finance Secretary Ajay Seth appointed as new Irdai chairman
The Union government on Thursday appointed former finance secretary Ajay Seth as the new chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai), nearly four months after the post fell vacant. Seth, who retired from the finance ministry in June, joins the list of former North Block mandarins now at the helm of regulatory bodies. Former revenue secretary Sanjay Malhotra was appointed as the Reserve Bank of India governor in December last year. Former finance, revenue, and Department of Investment & Public Asset Management (Dipam) secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey was made the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) in March this year. Last week, the government appointed former Central Board of Direct Taxes chairman Nitin Gupta as the chief of the National Financial Reporting Authority. An Indian Revenue Service officer, Nitin Gupta served as CBDT chief between June 27, 2022, and June 30, 2024. Seth, who also held the position of economic affairs secretary since April 2021, had been part of the Finance Minister's A-team for budget-making for four years. Pandey is credited with presenting five budgets since his stint as Dipam secretary, starting in October 2019, and Malhotra, former financial services and revenue secretary, presented three budgets. The IRDAI chairman post had fallen vacant after Debasish Panda completed his term in March 2025. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved Seth's appointment for a period of three years or until he attains 65 years of age or until further orders, whichever is the earliest. A 1987-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Karnataka cadre, Seth was the officer-in-charge of the finance track of the Group of 20 (G20) under India's presidency. He is credited with heading initiatives such as India's first sovereign green bond issuance and the creation of the infrastructure finance secretariat. Seth holds a Bachelor of Technology degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Ateneo de Manila University. His career spans over three decades, and he has significant expertise in public finance, taxation, and social sector administration. The bureaucrat gained recognition for his work in transforming Karnataka's commercial tax administration, for which he received the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration in 2013.
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Business Standard
22-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
New NFRA chief Nitin Gupta brings experience of policy and Investigations
Nitin Gupta, the new chief of the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA), brings years of experience in policy-making and investigations, particularly in tackling complex financial issues Listen to This Article The new chief of the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA), Nitin Gupta, a 1986-batch officer of the Indian Revenue Service, is no stranger to dealing with complex issues, ranging from policy-making to investigations. Gupta, who served as the Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) from June 27, 2022, to June 30, 2024, oversaw efforts to expand the department's digital oversight, particularly through e-verification during his two-year tenure. 'A lot of groundwork was done on e-verification during his tenure, with emphasis on using data to flag mismatches and reduce manual checks,' a senior bureaucrat said. The e-Verification Scheme,
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India's rare earth rescue: Can e-waste recycling break China's grip?
It has been months since countries across the world are scrambling and huddling together to find a solution for the rare earths crunch imposed by China. For India, the supply bottleneck for rare earths is threatening to put spanner in the 'manufacturing wheel' of the country, as they find usage in every modern industry– from EVs and mobile phones to fighter jets and wind turbines. However, scaling up the capacity for mining and processing of rare earths is time-consuming as well as energy-intensive activity, impacting India's net-zero targets. As the government prepares for the scheme for incentivising the production of rare earths magnets while also scouting for the rare earth assets abroad, there is another goldmine that is hard to ignore–and that is e-waste. According to a Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change report, India produced 1.751 million tonnes of e-waste in 2023-24, third highest in the world. Yet, only 43 per cent of e-waste is processed annually. Enter private players like Attero India and Lohum who have taken up the gauntlet to address India's challenge in securing its rare earths' future by handling the e-waste, simultaneously fulfilling the goal of a circular economy. Scaling with Science With advanced technology at the centre, these private players are scaling up their capacity to meet India's burgeoning demand for rare earths. Attero India recently announced a ₹100 crore investment to ramp up their rare earths recycling capacity to 30,000 tonnes over the next 12 to 24 months, from the current 300 tonnes. 'For rare earth magnets, our current recycling capacity is 1 tonne per day, which we are scaling to 100 tonnes per day. Our patented technology has a recovery rate of 99.9 per cent for rare earths from the different feedstocks which include materials like batteries, refrigerators, solar panels, EVs, etc,' says Nitin Gupta, CEO, Attero India. The company has around 47 patents around the world for its recycling technology and more than 200 are already filed. Another player Lohum, which is primarily a lithium-ion battery recycler, is planning to augment its recycling capacity to rare earth elements like neodymium, lanthanum, scandium, yttrium, cerium, praseodymium, promethium, samarium and europium. Lohum's proprietary NEETM technology is at the heart of its operations, which is a zero-waste and zero-emission process to extract minerals from e-waste. The company, recently, also held discussions with the Japan delegation which was there in India to explore tie-ups in the battery supply chain and rare earths supply. More startups are mushrooming in the e-waste recycling space like BatX Energies and Metastable Materials; however, they are currently restricted to recycling critical minerals like lithium, cobalt and nickel. Recycling e-waste meets just 1 per cent of the rare earths demand globally, while the estimated economic value of metals in the e-waste is approximately $91 billion, as per the Global E-waste Monitor report, 2024. This means there exists a huge untapped potential in this industry and the emergence of new players is a clear sign that the e-waste recycling industry is increasingly gaining recognition as a bigwig in the global critical minerals and rare earths supply chain. Does India have the potential to become a global rare earth recycling hub? The recent chokehold imposed by China presents a unique opportunity for India to up its ante and position itself as a global alternative in the rare earths supply chain– and recycling presents a viable option. Policy experts and industry leaders argue that India has all the ingredients to position itself as global leader in rare earth recycling. 'It is vital for India to scale up the recycling capacity if we want to reduce our dependence on China for rare earth magnets. With rules like Extended Producer Responsibility, e-waste collection has also started to get a bit streamlined. Moreover, a new crop of startups focused on R&D are already providing the technological maturity to this sector. So, definitely India has the potential to become a global hub of rare earth recycling,' opines Ashim Sharma, Senior Partner & Group Head Business Performance Improvement Consulting (Auto, Engg. & Logistics) - at Nomura Research Institute. Nitin Gupta of Attero is more optimistic about the future and believes recycling, when scaled up, alone can reduce 60 per cent of our reliance on China for rare earth elements. Rajat Verma, Founder and CEO of Lohum echoes the same sentiment and adds: 'With continued investment in technology, infrastructure, and formalisation, India can not only reduce its own import dependency but also become a global partner for sustainable critical materials and advanced technology, challenging China's monopolies in the process.' Lohum counts top brands like Mercedes Benz Energy, Ola, Tata, Panasonic among its customers. India's potential arises from its massive domestic feedstock, with its ambitious target for EV adoption and renewables deployment. Over the years, the government has also taken proactive regulatory measures to support the sector. Moreover, new-age players are pouring in money in R&D to zero in on technology that is efficient and scalable. 'The present technologies in the country show promise and the ability of India to innovate and compete on a global scale,' says Shubham Vishvakarma , founder and Chief of Process Engineering at Metastable Materials. However, the fledgling sector has its own share of challenges. Global race, local gaps Worldwide, the rare earth recycling industry is fragmented. While Europe has a strong recycling base in the west; in Asia pacific, it is Japan which is a key player, with companies like Hitachi, Mitsubishi leading the charge. Policy experts credit the stringent environmental regulations and early government intervention and strong R&D push for catalysing this industry. In India, the e-waste collection market is still largely informal and there is policy misalignment. Saloni Sachdeva Michael , energy specialist, India Clean Energy Transition, at Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) says: 'Despite increasing focus on critical mineral recovery, policy misalignment continues to be a major barrier to scaling up recycling efforts. Until recently, solar panels, batteries, and e-waste were all treated as a single category, despite each requiring distinct recycling processes. Recently, CPCB has released draft guidelines for the safe storage and handling of solar waste, including photovoltaic (PV) panels, which is a welcome move.' The regulatory framework for managing e-waste in the country comes under e-Waste Management Rules, 2016, while the Central Pollution Control Board is responsible for overseeing the implementation of these rules. Vitalising the e-waste recycling industry is also an important aspect of the National Critical Mineral Mission, launched in 2025 for strengthening the critical mineral supply chain. However, things are not moving at the pace which would give a fillip to the industry. The government needs to show a little more swiftness in executing the plans, stresses Nitin Gupta of Attero. On the other hand, Saloni highlights that significant disconnects still remain, particularly in aligning the roles of various ministries and agencies under the National Critical Mission although it is intended to bridge institutional and regulatory gaps. These misalignments continue to hamper India's ability to build a sustainable and circular rare earth supply chain. Reportedly, the government is also working on a PLI scheme for boosting this sector, though the policy corridors have now fallen silent. Given the momentum slowly building up around recycling, isolated efforts would not be enough– there is a need for developing a fully integrated value chain. 'It will not be just recycling that will reduce our reliance on China. We need an entire ecosystem, especially the cell manufacturing business, the cathode active material business. These need to be stitched with the policies and standards of recycled material. The government should take a horizon of 10-15 years to make things work, with a focus on R&D,' says Vikrant Singh , CTO and Cofounder, Batx Energies. The road ahead In its rare earth journey, India is standing at an inflection point. China's supply squeeze has exposed deep vulnerabilities in its strategic autonomy. But, it is also the time when the focus should shift to homegrown innovation, policy reform and industrial collaboration, where recycling is not just a fringe option, but a strategic shift.
