IMA India CXO Forum: The Future of Leadership — From Command to Collaboration

New Delhi, September 23, 2025 – Leadership is undergoing a profound transformation. The once dominant command-and-control model, built on hierarchy and authority, is steadily giving way to collaborative, ecosystem-driven approaches.

This was the central theme at the IMA India CXO Forum, hosted at The Oberoi, New Delhi, on 23rd September, 2025, where Shiv Shivakumar, Operating Partner at Advent International and one of India’s most respected business leaders, delivered a compelling address. Having successfully steered companies like PepsiCo India and Nokia India through large-scale transformations, Shiv shared deep insights on what it takes to lead in an era of volatility and change.

The session agenda explored how leadership today must shift from command-and-control structures to collaborative, ecosystem-driven models. It highlighted the need for leaders to build trust, enable cross-functional collaboration, and balance long-term purpose with short-term agility.

Representing Stratbeans at the event were its Co-Founders, Sameer Nigam and Pradeip Agarwal, who engaged with fellow CXOs on the evolving nature of leadership in an AI-driven, rapidly changing world.

Key Highlights of this Session

• Rethinking Leadership Models: Legacy success no longer guarantees future leadership—adaptability and collaboration define relevance.
• Trust as the New Currency: Leaders must ask whether they create space for debate or demand compliance; fairness and trust are critical to unlocking performance.
• Navigating Volatility: Uncertainty is a structural reality, requiring resilience and anticipatory leadership.

Reflecting on the discussion, Pradeip Agarwal, Co-Founder of Stratbeans, noted:
“What resonated most is that the future of leadership will not be about the power to command, but the ability to collaborate across ecosystems. As leaders, we must build organisations where trust, inclusivity, and agility are embedded in the DNA. That’s the only way to thrive in disruption.”

As Shiv Shivakumar summed it up, the next generation of leaders will be defined not by how much control they exercise, but by how effectively they inspire collaboration, foster trust, and create ecosystems of shared value.

For organisations, this is a timely call to reimagine leadership capability. At Stratbeans, these lessons resonate strongly. Through AI-powered skilling platforms, collaborative learning ecosystems, and real-time workforce insights, Stratbeans is helping businesses prepare for a future where agility, inclusivity, and co-creation will shape sustained success.