Cedar on Unlocking Human Capital examines how organizations can maximize the value of their people in an era of rapid change. This channel explores workforce strategy, leadership, culture, talent transformation, and performance management—connecting human capital decisions to enterprise strategy and results. Conversations focus on building agile, aligned, and future-ready organizations.
Role of Leadership Drives Performance Accountability
Cedar's 2026 HR Pulse Survey identifies the role of leadership as the primary lever shaping human capital priorities for 2026, placing it ten points ahead of every other factor surveyed. This episode reviews what that finding means in practice and how organizations can translate it into a working system. The discussion covers the operational levers that support leadership priorities, including KPI clarity, pay-for-performance frameworks, organizational structure, and a clim...
20 Feb 2026
The Architect’s Guide to Surgical Restructuring
Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International In this episode, I describe corporate restructuring as the equivalent of open-heart surgery for a business — high stakes, precise and unforgiving. The first principle I stress is simple: structure must always follow strategy, never individual egos or internal politics. I explain why restructuring must be decisive and swift. Once the strategic direction is clear, design should be tightly held, execution rapid, and new roles assi...
20 Feb 2026
Escaping the CEO Trap: Restoring Strategic HR Functionality
Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International In this episode, I outline the critical HR priorities that I believe every CEO must personally lead. First, organisational structure must be aligned to strategy — it cannot be delegated blindly to HR. Structure is a strategic decision. On compensation, I emphasise the growing importance of performance-linked variable pay to meet market realities. I also discuss succession planning through what I call the “hit-by-the-bus list,” ...
20 Feb 2026
The CEO's Strategic Guide to Organizational Leadership
Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International In this episode, I share five critical pillars that I believe every CEO must personally lead when shaping their organisation’s people strategy. First, I discuss why organisational structure must be designed around business strategy, not individual personalities. Second, I explain how compensation frameworks should reward strategic performance through meaningful variable pay. Third, I introduce what I call the “hit by the bus li...
20 Feb 2026
Strategic Alignment and the Architecture of Modern Management
Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International In this episode, I speak about how organisational structure can quietly become an obstacle to performance. I often describe it as “structure and musical chairs” — where roles are designed around personalities and egos rather than business strategy. Structure must always reflect strategy, never accommodate individuals. I also discuss span of control. In my experience, a CEO should ideally have 8 to 10 direct reports. Beyond that...
20 Feb 2026
The Executive Compass, Mastering the Work-Life Equilibrium
Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International In this episode, I speak candidly about the challenge of work–life balance for senior executives. Over the years, I have seen many leaders express regret about not spending enough time with their families. Success at work should not come at the cost of personal fulfilment. I share practical disciplines I believe in — working smart by prioritising what truly matters, delegating effectively, and limiting distractions such as unne...
20 Feb 2026
The Board’s Mandate in Human Capital Management
Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International In this episode, I speak about the evolving role of Boards of Directors in human capital management. In my view, boards can no longer remain distant from people strategy. Their most critical decision is the selection of the CEO — and that choice must reflect the organisation’s immediate need, whether transformation, stabilisation or growth. I also caution against allowing incoming CEOs to bring an entire “mafia” of loyalists, a...
10 Feb 2026
Paying Directors for Long Term Commitment
Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International Board compensation and performance have come under increasing scrutiny, especially where pay appears disconnected from company outcomes. A core principle is that directors must actively participate to be paid; over-boarded directors who miss meetings undermine governance. Boards are collectively responsible for strategic oversight, risk management, shareholder value protection, setting company values, and holding executives acc...
10 Feb 2026
Comprehension Is Harder Than Execution Three Levels
The article explores how organizations can effectively manage change by first understanding its nature and impact. Change typically occurs at three levels: unit-level, business-unit-level, and enterprise-level. Unit-level changes are short-term, focused, and quicker to implement, such as sales or customer-focus initiatives. Business-unit changes span functions like operations or finance, take longer, and require more effort to address specific pain points. Enterprise-level changes, such as ER...
10 Feb 2026
Designing a successful ESOP program
Organizations are increasingly using Employee Stock Option Plans (ESOPs) to retain talent, reward performance, and align employee interests with long-term business success, especially in services-driven and GCC markets. ESOPs offer employees the right to buy shares at a predetermined price, motivating loyalty and performance without immediate cash outflows. A successful ESOP requires clear objectives—typically retention and performance—along with careful design of eligibility, grant size, ves...
10 Feb 2026
Increasing importance of HR for Middle East businesses
Human capital is critical to business success, yet many Middle East organizations historically underinvested in HR due to reliance on transient expatriate labor and a focus on basic personnel administration. This has led to weak people development, low motivation and high attrition. As governments push nationalization and businesses recognize HR’s impact on performance, attention to structured HR practices is increasing. Key regional challenges include unclear organisation and grading structu...
10 Feb 2026
The human capital octagon
Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International Successful bank mergers depend heavily on effective integration, with Human Capital Strategy providing a critical competitive advantage. Acquisitions often trigger anxiety, talent loss, productivity decline and cultural disruption. To mitigate these risks, banks must adopt a structured approach addressing people, leadership, culture and organization design. Drawing on regional acquisition experience, the “Human Capital Octagon”...
10 Feb 2026
Competing in a New World
The COVID-19 crisis has forced organizations to rethink talent decisions, highlighting a critical question: what if employees stay but are not upskilled? Survival in a disrupted world depends on employees’ ability to adapt, making competency development essential rather than optional. Many organizations focus on outcomes instead of the foundational behaviors that drive them. A Competency Assessment Framework helps define, measure and develop the behaviours required for success across roles an...
10 Feb 2026
Why digital speed is killing bank strategy
Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International In a world obsessed with rapid digital transformation, many banks have lost sight of their core purpose. While innovation is essential, the "scorching pace" of change—such as updating apps multiple times a month—risks overwhelming users who can only absorb so much at once. The author argues that juggling hundreds of tech projects simultaneously makes meaningful success unlikely and distracts from a bank's primary role as a secu...
10 Feb 2026
Next-Gen Family Businesses - A Strategic Guide
Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International This episode of Cedar’s Leadership Podcast explores how high-growth organisations across India and the Middle East can bring strategic clarity without losing momentum. Sanjiv Anand and the Cedar leadership team unpack the Elite Balanced Scorecard framework and how it converts strategy from a slow, complex planning ritual into a sharp four-week execution blueprint. The conversation focuses on aligning financial goals, customer v...
10 Feb 2026
The HR Scorecard - How to Finally Prove HRs Strategic Value
The HR Scorecard, built on the principles of the Balanced Scorecard, provides a structured, performance-oriented framework to enhance the effectiveness and credibility of the HR function. It offers a cockpit view of HR by defining 20–25 clear objectives, aligned performance measures and targets, and a focused portfolio of priority initiatives. As HR is not a direct revenue generator, its primary perspective is internal customers—employees, managers, unions, and leadership—and their expectatio...
10 Feb 2026
HR Scorecard Measures Department Value and Growth
Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International An HR Scorecard, based on the Balanced Scorecard framework, helps make the HR function more valuable, focused, and performance-driven. It provides a “cockpit view” of HR by identifying the top 20–25 strategic HR objectives, the measures and targets to track them, and the key initiatives required to deliver results. Since HR is not a revenue generator, the primary perspective is internal customers employees, line managers, union...
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