Book review: The evolution of talent as science and technology progress

From Field Marshal Manekshaw’s leadership lessons to today’s talent playbook

December 3, 2025

Reimagining Talent: Why modern talent demands new skills, new thinking, and new leadership

Sam Manekshaw (1914-2008), India’s first Field Marshal and a legendary soldier, is the hero of many a folklore. He is not only specialized in military affairs but also in management and leadership qualities. His famous one-liner advice to decision makers was that they should never be indecisive, thereby delaying important projects. “I have coined a term for this advice, and it is Manekshawism. If you are to take a crucial decision, do it faster and get labelled as an idiot at the earliest if the move comes a cropper. Never delay a project because of your indecisiveness, which leads to many missions getting stalled, causing hardship and loss to the people who depend on its success,” the Field Marshal said while inaugurating a leadership training program post-retirement from the Army.

While the Field Marshal dealt with the basic requirements to be a good leader, P V Ramana Murthy, an ace human resource specialist is elaborates about talent in his book “Reimagining Talent: Enabling Collective Growth for Organizations and Employees” published by Harper Collins. Starting with the definition of talent, which has undergone many changes over the last decades, thanks to the speed with which science and technology are evolving, PV, as he is addressed by friends and colleagues, takes the readers through many manifestations of talent, and this makes the book interesting.

To succeed in any field, one should have the talent required to excel in it. A businessman should have the talent to emerge as a baron from small beginnings. An artist succeeds in his chosen field only if he/she have the talent. The same is the case with medical doctors, medical professionals like nurses, engineers, or lawyers. Unless we have the talent required for executing the responsibility entrusted to us, chances are that we will end up as square pegs in round holes. Some may be poor in their studies and fail to make it to institutions of higher learning. But the same persons are sure to shine well in some fields.

Talent is defined as a natural skill to be good at something without being taught. The importance given to skill development, starting from the Prime Minister downwards, has to be seen in this context. The Narendra Modi government is the first administration in independent India to launch skill development missions, and there is a Union Ministry for skill development. The ministry is engaged in nourishing and strengthening the talent and skills of youth in the country.

What has happened is that with the progress being made in science and technology, the concept of talent, too, has undergone many changes. Manual labor has given way to artificial intelligence. What was being taught previously as part of skill development has become outdated. Out-of-the-box thinking is the new benchmark.

“Talent is essentially a set of capabilities – natural, acquired, and unconscious which an organization possesses in its employees, says PV. Organizations need to focus on building a culture of oneness, competitive adaptability, and meaningful complexity in job roles to build these capabilities among the employees. Talent management is strategic in nature. By linking talent management to business strategy, organisations can thrive. Employees will also grow in their careers by building critical capabilities required for the organisation,” says PV of his new book.

The author narrates these points through storytelling and anecdotal evidence/ proven research on the subject of talent management. He also brings out the hidden dynamics (below the human consciousness) within the organisations during the implementation of talent processes like hiring, succession planning, etc.

An interesting aspect PV has highlighted is the shift from individual appraisals to team-based evaluation a viz their output. Many establishments controlled by the Central government had this practice of preparing annual confidential reports about the employees working in them. It has many inherent issues while grading the individual performance of the staff by the superior officials. If the head of the office has some kind of prejudice against the staff member who is reported, that is the end of the latter’s career. This is the personal experience of this writer and not an isolated instance. The officer who writes/ grades the staff members belongs to the old school and is adamant about not moving with the changing times and work culture.

The case of Tulsi Gowda, hailing from a tribal family in Karnataka and who was honored with the Padma Shri award in 2021 by the President of India, is an interesting story. Despite being handicapped by a lack of formal education, Tulsi made use of her traditional knowledge and regenerated the barren land in her village into an evergreen garden by planting 30,000 trees, which restored the ecosystem.

Ramana Murthy explains the intricacies of the various aspects of talent through 14 well-written chapters (excluding the prologue and epilogue) in an intelligible style. An ideal read for those looking for how to improve their performance, and also for HR managers.

Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.

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