Abstract

The case details the origins and background of Indra K. Nooyi and her career trajectory in different levels of various organizations and PepsiCo. It describes Nooyi’s rapid rise from a middle class background in India, her exposure to the US, and the difficulties faced by her. It shows how she took on challenging assignments early in her career and had the good fortune to be mentored before taking on the top job at PepsiCo. She pushed the organization in the direction of her vision of ‘Performance with a Purpose’ in which changes were made in the working style and culture of PepsiCo. The case brings out the various leadership styles of Nooyi that make her a hybrid leader — servant leadership, ethical leadership, socialized charismatic leadership, and authentic leadership. However, Nooyi faces increased pressure from shareholders to improve firm performance at a time when the world economy is experiencing a slowdown and customers are turning increasingly cautious in their spending. The objective of this teaching case is to present and discuss the qualities of leaders that are emerging from the developing world and how they are making a difference to the working of the companies they lead. The case can be used at the postgraduate level in the discipline of People Management and Leadership. It can also be used in a General Management and Strategy curriculum.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• The case will help the students:
• Presenting and discussing Indra Nooyi as a leader.
• Providing information about the increasing emphasis on value-based leadership and how it affects companies and the stakeholders
• Contributing to the understanding of leaders from developing countries that are a product of diverse backgrounds.
• Discussing the unique qualities of Indra Nooyi and considering them in relation to the established theories of leadership.

Keywords

Leadership, People Management, Transcultural leader, hybrid leader, Servant leadership, Ethical leadership, Socialized charismatic leadership, Authentic leadership, Transactional leadership, Transformational leadership, Value-based leadership, Level 5 leadership, Vision, ‘Performance with Purpose’, Corporate social responsibility, Agency theory, PepsiCo, Leadership Traits, Women Leaders, Glass-Ceiling, Asain Leaders, Global Career, Work-life Balance, Investor Expectation, Stock Marketing Returns, Career