What was the problem you were grappling with?
V-Guard was founded in 1977. By the 1990s, it had grown into a trusted brand in South India. In 2012, my father asked me to lead the company as managing director. As a young entrepreneur stepping into a legacy-rich organisation, I faced a human challenge. V-Guard was shaped by many employees who had dedicated decades to the company. But I knew that to take the company into its next phase of growth, we needed to attract and empowe new talent. The dilemma was: how to integrate these two worlds without losing the essence of either? This balance, I believed, was the key to driving V-Guard forward without losing sight of its roots.
Whom did you approach for advice and why?
I turned to my father, Kochouseph Chittilappilly, who had founded V-Guard and built it from the ground up. I knew he would have the wisdom and emotional intelligence to guide me through the transition.
What was the advice you received?
He told me, “The people who built this company are not just part of its past. They are its strength even for the future. Your job is not to replace them but to create a culture where their wisdom becomes a foundation for the new generation to build upon. Let them mentor, let them guide, but also give space for new thinking to thrive.”
It wasn’t about balancing old and new—it was about bridging them.
How effective was it in resolving the problem?
That changed the way I approached leadership. Over time, the organisation felt more unified, and the transition felt organic. It taught me that real leadership is not about choosing between past and future but about connecting them.
—Team BT
