Mahesh Mahato: Illuminating the Path to Progress at Cosmic Electrical Limited, Nepal

In the heart of Nepal’s burgeoning electrical industry, a visionary leader is making waves and transforming the landscape. Selected as WCRCINT World’s Leading Leader 2023, Mahesh Mahato, the driving force behind Cosmic Electrical Limited, is not only steering the company towards unprecedented success but is also leaving an indelible mark on Nepal’s industrial map. As the Managing Director of Cosmic Electrical Limited, Mahesh Mahato’s leadership is synonymous with innovation, sustainability, and a commitment to powering the nation’s future.

Mahato’s journey is rooted in a deep understanding of electrical engineering and a passion for advancing Nepal’s energy infrastructure. Taking the reins of Cosmic Electrical Limited, he embarked on a mission to not just meet the growing demand for electrical solutions but to redefine industry standards. Under his guidance, the company has evolved into a powerhouse, delivering cutting-edge electrical products and services that meet the needs of a rapidly developing nation.

At the core of Mahato’s leadership philosophy is a dedication to innovation. Cosmic Electrical Limited, under his direction, has become a hub for research and development, consistently pushing the boundaries of electrical technology. The company’s product portfolio reflects this commitment, boasting state-of-the-art solutions that cater to a diverse range of industries, from renewable energy projects to modern urban infrastructure.

Mahesh Mahato’s vision extends beyond business success; he is a strong advocate for sustainable practices in the electrical industry. Cosmic Electrical Limited, under his leadership, has embraced eco-friendly technologies and green energy solutions, aligning the company with global efforts to reduce the carbon footprint. Mahato’s commitment to environmental stewardship not only positions Cosmic Electrical Limited as a responsible corporate entity but also contributes to Nepal’s sustainable development goals.

A key aspect of Mahesh Mahato’s leadership style is fostering a culture of collaboration and skill development within Cosmic Electrical Limited. His belief in the potential of a motivated and skilled workforce has resulted in an environment where employees are encouraged to innovate and excel. This people-centric approach not only enhances the company’s internal dynamics but also contributes to its reputation as a preferred employer in the Nepalese electrical industry.

In addition to his contributions within the company, Mahesh Mahato actively engages with industry forums and government bodies to advocate for advancements in Nepal’s electrical infrastructure. His presence in national and international conferences underscores his commitment to contributing to the broader discourse on energy solutions and technological advancements in the region.

As Nepal continues its journey towards modernisation and sustainable development, Mahesh Mahato stands as a beacon of inspiration. His strategic vision, commitment to innovation, and dedication to sustainable practices position Cosmic Electrical Limited as a trailblazer in Nepal’s electrical industry. Mahato’s influence extends beyond the boardroom, shaping the narrative of progress and electrifying the path to a brighter and more sustainable future for Nepal.

In conversation with Mahesh Mahato, Managing Director, Cosmic Electrical Limited, Nepal

What makes a strong leader? What are your key leadership strengths are make the strongest attributes of success.

A strong leader should have integrity, positive attitude, empathy and attitude to learn, un-learn and re-learn the process and skills.

Key leadership strengths:

1. Effective communication – I firmly believe that the “communication” is the common denominator to do anything in our life. Most of the time we are communicating with our business partners, friends, family members etc, therefore, one must communicate effectively to get their message a crossed with an intended impact.
2. Ability to work in a team with the diverse group of individuals – I believe that as a Leader, we need to work with various individuals or groups having different cultural backgrounds. It is extremely important to keep them motivated to remain in the same page to achieve shared goals. I have been able to get things done working with a diverse group of individuals.
3. Self-regulation and self-motivational skills – It is important to have a self-regulated attitude and keep ourself self-motivated irrespective of the situation whether chasing a goal or struggling with a problem. I am habituated with a positive thinking despite in a tough situation. I have a habit of finding solution in any situation which might be an extreme one. As saying goes – the events might not be in our control, but how to react on them, are definitely in our control.
4. Effective negotiation skills – As we need to negotiate almost every time. We negotiate with our business partners, friends, family members and therefore, it is essential to have effective negotiating skills to make it a win-win situation for all the negotiating parties. I have been trying to use this effective negotiating skills to come to the conclusion in a manner that all negotiating parties should feel as winners.
5. Dynamic leadership style: Actually, I don’t follow a specific leadership style, rather it is a blending of coaching, innovative and at times authoritative. Based on the situation, I deploy different leadership style and I call it Dynamic Leadership Style. However, while exercising the different leadership style, I don’t change my core values like accountability, Excellence, Innovative, Passion, Relationships etc.

An accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career? What challenges did you face to reach to the success.

I think, if I have to name one accomplishment that I consider to be the most significant in my career, it is the decision I took almost 22 years ago to become a job creator and to start my own organization. I created an organization from the scratch to this stage with a positive intent while remain accountable towards the community and stakeholders. I would prefer to call myself as philanthropist in my industry. We do business sensibly and create employment opportunities with a positive impact in the community.

The challenges that I faced during the process are countless, but to name a few, have listed below:

1. Technological challenges – As Nepal is a land locked country and never easy to have access of industrial best technologies and practices. However, by collaborating different world leading companies like ABB and General Electric, our team overcome with these challenges in an effective way.
2. HR challenges – It has been always a common challenge in our country. The qualified and experienced engineers, managers, experts are not available as per the demand and therefore, it is generally difficult to recruit the right people at the right place.
3. Supply chain management challenges – As Nepal is import based economy and most of the products, we have to import from India, China and other third countries. Thus, it has been a unavoidable challenge to plan supply chain management. We have to plan way ahead to make things happen and complete projects on timely manner. If we run a short of any materials which are common and easily available in other parts of the world, but it might take couple of months’ time to import and hence project gets delayed significantly.

What is a role of leader in these challenging times. List 5 in order of priority.

The role of a leader specially in challenging times as per my experience are list below:

1. Empathy – I believe, leader should be empathetic to their team members, so that the team members should feel to be part of the entire process. We need to empower people by involving them in creative and proactive activities. Leaders should always ready to appreciate team members for their accomplishments.
2. Resilience – It is extremely important to a leader to be resilient to the difficult times and recover quickly from the difficult times. Leaders need to act proactively towards future possibilities. Leaders must take care of themselves before actually they help others, be self-aware with the situation, seek solution with the experts to get things done creatively.
3. Proactive approach– As a leader, one should scan the circumstances, possible future events and their consequences. Leaders must act on them proactively and get ready with the possible solutions. As we know the fact that we might not be able to control the events but how to react on them, is definitely in our control.
4. Shared Vision – To make team members motivated, leaders should communicate the organisational vision to the team members. Also, leaders should try to align the team members vision with the organizational vision and make them a shared vision.
5. Open to change – Good leaders formulate proper strategies to change management as per the situation. The organizational policies and processors shall be dynamic and subjected to change as per the need to inspire and motivate the team members to ensure the company’s reputation.

What is your vision and how do you share that with your shareholders, employees and others?

By 2025, we aim to develop into one of the leading engineering construction companies in the region. We shall be achieving this by doing below things:

• By offering value added solutions to our customers
• By creating sense of belongingness to employees and business partners
• By making reasonable profits for the shareholders while remaining accountable to the community welfare.

How do you drive active business renovations and how does that impact your subordinates?

Sometimes, as a leader, we need to revamp the entire business strategies to beat their competition. We should be aware of the customers wants, market trends and future prospects. Based on these inputs, a leader should plan to revamp the business process entirely or partially. During the process, leaders can take advices from the related experts to make things happen. I am actively involved in the business renovation process and aware of the outcome to beat the competitive landscape. The respective team members are well informed about the process and possible outcome from the business renovation.

How do you integrate corporate philanthropy or corporate social responsibility as a part of your business strategies?

This is our integral part of our corporate business philosophy. Cosmic group of companies are committed to public welfare and the environment. We execute our business operations without any adverse effects on the environment and public welfare. We thrive to make a better future jointly with all stakeholders including employees, customers, and vendors.

Respect for  Human Rights – We support the principles of Human Rights ensuring our entire business operation in accordance with the basic  Human Rights Standards.

Contributing to sustainability – We aim to ensure that our business practices contribute to long-term economic and social developments.

Diversity – We do not discriminate on the basis of gender, religion, race, national

or ethnic origin, cultural background, social group disability, sexual orientation, marital status, age, or political opinion. We recognize the intrinsic values of different cultures in which we operate and will show respect for these cultures in our entire business operations.

Dialogue – To ensure that our activities are properly adapted to meet local conditions and general positive benefits both for the company and the community,  we are prepared to enter into dialogues with our stakeholders.