Driven By Emotional Intelligence

“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” – Ronald Reagan

Daniel Goleman’s 1995 book Emotional Intelligence rates emotional intelligence (EI) over the intelligence quotient (IQ) and technical skills combined. It describes EI as a defining attribute of a successful leader. An effective CEO needs to be a risk taker, a lateral thinker and someone comfortable with chaos, among other things. He needs to possess emotional intelligence, or the ability to understand and leverage his own emotions and that of others for a positive and desired outcome.

Divyesh Bharat Kumar Shah, CEO, Indiabulls Ventures, seems to be an embodiment of all these attributes. “One quality that I particularly like about him is his ability to take his team along,” says Indiabulls Group Executive Director Ajit Mittal. “He’s a great motivator of people and has always encouraged his team and empowered them. Very high on emotional quotient, he has nurtured his subordinates and been able to build a formidable talent pool in the company,” says Mittal.

Indiabulls Ventures provides securities and derivative broking services. The company is registered with SEBI as a stock broker, a depository participant, a research analyst and a Category I merchant banker. Indiabulls is itself a listed company, with shares trading on the National Stock Exchange of  India and the BSE. Its Global Depository Receipts are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.  

Shah took charge as CEO, Indiabulls Ventures in 2015, after a stint as Chief Executive Officer, Indiabulls Securities (a subsidiary of Indiabulls Ventures). He has over 18 years’ experience in the share broking business and has successfully led and managed large teams and cultivated lasting client relationships. “A good leader needs to be able to manage himself and his team effortlessly through the highs and lows,” says Shah. “In the financial industry, especially where situations can get very stressful, very fast, it is important for a leader to be able to keep his cool and direct his team regardless of the situation,” says Shah.

 Indiabulls began as a capital market broking firm in 1995 and had by 2007 a profit after tax exceeding Rs 220 crores. In 2017 it introduced a personal loan product called ‘Dhani’, which allows consumers to apply for loans directly through an app. The company has since developed and perfected the product to give consumers access to hassle-free loans. In the last quarter of the 2018-19 financial year (FY19), Indiabulls Ventures’ net profit rose 100.22 per cent to Rs 109.82 crore. The company’s sales rose 55.41 per cent to Rs 599.59 crore for the quarter ending March 2019.

“I have closely interacted with Divyesh for almost twelve years. What impresses me most are his exceptional networking skills and the zeal to take on challenges. Having literally incubated the securities business from scratch, he made it one of the largest retail broking houses in the country, and then started several verticals to diversify the revenue stream for the company,” says Mittal. Shah’s senior colleague went on to say, “He does not hesitate to take risks when it comes to venturing into new businesses. And very often, his convictions have paid off as demonstrated by the success of  the new ventures.”