The Good Syndrome Boy
A Peculiar feature of being a man in the Indian context
Tuesday, 25 Mar 2025
06:00-07:30 PM
MMA Management Centre
Kartik V Kartikeyan
Ganesh Chella
Lakshminarayanan Duraiswamy
Sharada Chandrasekar
Synopsis
Have you ever felt the silent, unrelenting pressure to be the “Good Boy” who always plays by the rules, meets expectations, and never steps out of line? Or do you know someone who fits this mold all too well?
Kartikeyan V's The Good Boy Syndrome is a deeply insightful exploration of the psychological, societal, and cultural constructs that shape the identity of men in India, often at the cost of their individuality and well-being.
At its core, the book dissects the ways in which Indian boys are raised to internalize a rigid framework of familial and societal expectations. The book not only offers a lens into the struggles of men navigating these expectations but also provides strategies for self-awareness, self-actualization, and liberation from this invisible cage.
Kartik’s writing style is both intellectually stimulating and accessible, balancing academic depth with engaging storytelling. His insights are punctuated with industry perspectives, real-life anecdotes, and a deep understanding of cultural nuances.
There is a section on “The Corporate Good Boy”, which would be of great interest and value to management and leadership practitioners. Anyone who wishes to understand the unseen yet deeply entrenched expectations placed on men in Indian society, read this book!
(credit – KhyatiGautam, LinkedIn profile – khyatigautam)
Programme
5:15 PM
Registration & Hi-Tea
6:00 PM Welcome Address
Mr Lakshminarayanan Duraiswamy
Senior Vice President, MMA & Managing Director, Sundaram Home Finance Ltd
Launch of the Book “The Good Boy Syndrome : A Peculiar feature of being a man in the Indian context” & Address by the Author
Mr Kartik V Kartikeyan Executive Coach|Leadership Consultant|Author
Author in conversation with Special Invitees
Mr Ganesh Chella Author and Co-Founder & Chief Solution Architect, CFI
Ms Sharada Chandrasekar Leadership & Executive Coach, CFI
Mr Lakshminarayanan Duraiswamy
Q&A
7:25 PM
Vote of Thanks
Gp Capt R Vijayakumar (Retd), VSM Executive Director, Madras Management Association
7:30 PM
End of the program
Profile
Mr Kartik V Kartikeyan Executive Coach|Leadership Consultant|Author
Kartik V. Kartikeyan is a distinguished Executive Coach and Leadership Consultant with over 35 years of transformative experience in top-tier corporate roles, organizational development, and leadership consulting. Renowned for his strategic acumen, he partners with senior leaders and organizations to navigate complexity, foster alignment, and drive sustainable growth in dynamic global environments.
A visionary in his field, Kartik’s mission is to enable leaders and change agents to revitalize their systems through deep expertise in leadership development and organizational transformation. His holistic approach integrates practical insights from decades in human resources leadership at marquee organizations like Unilever, Motorola, and Texas Instruments, with innovative methodologies tailored to contemporary challenges.
Core Expertise
• Leadership Coaching: Empowering C-suite executives and senior leaders to enhance self-awareness, build strategic capabilities, and navigate role transitions.
• Organizational Development: Facilitating cultural alignment, leadership team effectiveness, and competency frameworks for Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders.
• Facilitation & Thought Leadership: Designing immersive interventions for top management teams, fostering trust, alignment, and adaptive leadership mindsets.
Proprietary Innovations
Kartik is the architect of the Transformative Alignment Map® (a framework for leadership self-awareness) and CORAL® (a coaching readiness assessment), both widely recognized for their impact on leadership development.
Credentials & Legacy
• Post Graduate Diplomain Personnel Management (XLRI, India).
• Associate of Group Relations India and staff role-holder in several Group Relations Conferences (GRCs)
• Architect of the popular Transformative Alignment Map (TAM)
• Author of two acclaimed books, including the very recent book “The Good Boy Syndrome” (Atlantic Publishers), which explores what it means to be a ‘Man’ in the Indian context.
Kartik’s blend of intellectual rigor, practical wisdom, and compassionate guidance positions him as a trusted advisor to global organizations and a valuable perspective-holder in and shaper of the human and leadership development landscape
tion Architect – CFI
4 decades, Ganesh has come to be respected g contributions as a practitioner, consultant, coach and thought leader in the field of Organisation development, Human Resources Management and Executive Coaching. Ganesh Chella is credited with pioneering the use of executive coaching for leader development in India He has in his role as Co-Founder & Managing Director, helped CFI become a highly respected and sought-after destination for coaching led leader development solutions and coach education and certification He has also authored a very large body of books, articles, and blogs
Ganesh is an alumnus of XLRI, Jamshedpur, a professional member of the India Society for Applied Behavioural Science, and trained and certified as a Coach by Dr Skiffington, Australia.
Profile
Ms Sharada Chandrasekar Leadership & Executive Coach, CFI
"Getting Real"-is the tag line of Sharada's work with people. She believes every human being is an immense possibility and, as a coach in their lives, can empathetically and compassionately help mirror their self- limiting beliefs and narratives, thereby helping them navigate towards their desired future.
Sharada Chandrasekar is a seasoned Leadership & Executive Coach with over four decades of experience spanning corporate leadership, consulting, and coaching. A firm believer in human potential, she empowers leaders by helping them navigate self-limiting beliefs and embrace transformative growth.
Sharada began her career as one of the first women officers in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, gaining hands-on experience in operations, sales, and safety Her deep engagement with Peter Senge’s Principles of Learning Organization led her to transition into consulting and leadership coaching.
For nearly two decades, she has coached senior leaders, plant heads, CEOs, and women professionals across industries such as manufacturing, pharma, banking, IT, and infrastructure. Her expertise includes transition coaching, emotional intelligence, people management, and leadership development, with a strong focus on mentoring women in STEM
Sharada’s approach is enriched by her deep connection to yoga and Vedanta, fostering clarity, empathy, and resilience in her coaching practice. Beyond coaching, she is passionate about preserving Tamil Nadu’s folk dance and actively participates in cultural initiatives.
She holds an Honours degree in Psychology and certifications in NLP, Emotional Intelligence, and CEO Coaching.
Profile
Mr Lakshminarayanan Duraiswamy
Senior Vice President, MMA & Managing Director, Sundaram Home Finance Ltd
Mr Lakshminarayanan Duraiswamy is currently the Managing Director of Sundaram Home Finance Limited. He has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, with expertise in risk management, operations and strategy. He was the Chief Operating Officer of Sundaram AMC till 2019 He joined Sundaram Asset Management Company in 2009 and prior to that, he worked for GE Capital India and Australia in various risk management and business development roles across commercial finance, consumer finance and healthcare He started his career with Citibank in retail operations before moving to GE Capital
Mr Lakshminarayanan is a commerce graduate, qualified Cost Accountant and Master of Business Administration (Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai). He is also the Senior Vice President of Madras Management Association.
