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Startup > My Story > Abhijit Tannu
Abhijit Tannu

Abhijit Tannu

CTO
Seclore Technology

Ensuring Growth

It is like growing you bank account. Every time you take on a challenge and get the team to deliver on that, you deposit in the account. Every time you either avoid the challenges or do not deliver on it, you withdraw from the account. Idea is to keep depositing over and over again. For this one has to take calculated risks, be ready to swim in un-chartered territories and have a complete trust in your capabilities. I am blessed with a great team that gives me the confidence that we can take on anything ! Leaders build teams but it is these teams that make them a successful leader !

Current Job description

I am playing the role of Chief Technology Officer at Seclore. I head the product development and customer delivery. I am responsible for all the product releases, customer deployments, ongoing support, professional services provided to customers. I also head HR at Seclore.As a part of that I am responsible for HR policies, recruitment, ensuring healthy team interactions and creating Seclore brand for prospective employees. I am also part of the board of directors at Seclore participating in all the strategic decisions.

Important career decisions

If I have to pick one then it would be to leave a cushy job and start my own company. At that juncture there are so many uncertainties. One cannot justify the decision except for your gut feel.

Handling Grievances

Seclore has a very open culture. We encourage people to speak their mind. As a leader, we are never afraid to face the tough questions. In a lot of cases, it helps bring out clarity either in our mind or with the team members. It’s very important that they know why we are doing what we are doing.

My advice
In my view, there is a difference between Managers and Leaders. Managers manage – mostly to keep it running the way it is. Leaders lead you on a journey of change. If you get complacent with what you have, you can not become a leader.
Leadership qualities
To be a successful leader one has to make things happen and demonstrate that time and again. This might need many qualities depending on the situation. You need to walk the talk, you need to have a clear vision and make sure that your team buys into that. You need to be able create an environment where performance is rewarded , team mates are encouraged to put up their hand and take on responsibilities, take calculated risks. This is especially important in our line of business where we have to continuously innovate and stay ahead. If you can make every employee into an entrepreneur, you can accelerate the overall growth of the organization.
Managing personal and professional life
Focus ! That is the one that keeps you on track and removes all the noise ! For a company like Seclore which has hundreds of customers and millions of users, there are so many requirements. We have to stay focused on what is the real real core and the most important for our business.
Family background
I come from a modest middle class family. My father was a government servant and mother was a school teacher. My sister is leading distance education programs at YashwantraoChavan Maharashtra Open University. My wife is coaching young minds at a pre-school.
Influenced by
There is a long list of people including my friends, family members and colleagues. When the challenges looks un-surmountable, every aspect of your personality has to get together to overcome them. Not just knowledge and skills but also the person you are. As a team, Seclore has overcome many such challenges. That’s the “personality” we work hard to build at Seclore.
My views on India Technical development
I think it has to start from our core values and culture. Most of us do not look favorably at failures or people who tried hard but failed. It is everywhere – parents, friends, colleagues, peers. There is so much fear of failure. We have to change our thinking and encourage experimentation. Having started 2 tech companies, I have learnt to respect anyone who is walking a different path. It’s not easy and you are the winner even if you fail.I do see this changing though. A lot of young people are now ready take risks, ready to jump in unknown waters. However, there need to have more support systems like the IIT Bombay incubation center (Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship).