The pandemic has opened up the doors for wider, more diverse connections 

Dev Modi is an organisational psychologist who thinks that leaders should embrace a golden opportunity to cast their net far and wide. 

A position in risk management at PwC was Dev’s first – a position which inspired him, he said, to leave that line of work and try something else entirely.

“I realised that I was not really very interested or good at IT risk management or anything super-technical,” he explained. “What I was interested in was people, and I realised that actually the people are more valuable than any physical assets. I wanted to know how I could be part of the success of those individuals within a business.”

So he left and retrained as a psychologist.

Today, Dev is an in-demand organisational psychologist with a gold-plated CV that lists such career highs as leading an 18-month project for BP that was designed to create large-scale culture change across the organisation.

“I learned a lot from that whole experience,” he commented, “and made a lot of really nice connections. Many of those senior leaders from BP have moved on or set up their own businesses and I’ve stayed in touch with them.”

Among the large companies where Dev has held senior roles are the BBC and Grant Thornton – but more recently he has come to enjoy the agility and freedom that comes with working for a smaller firm. He is currently part of the leadership team at Equiida, an eight-strong enterprise which helps business with inclusion and innovation and to improve performance.

“I’m nudging 43 and probably working for the smallest organisation I’ve ever worked for,” said Dev, “but that really appeals to the entrepreneurial side of me.”

When businesses hire Dev to help them transform the organisation, he brings “a holistic, data-driven, behavioural science-based approach to getting the best from their people,” he said. And as the latest addition to the Be the Business team of fellows, he is hoping to share these skills with SMEs in need of a helping hand.

“I was introduced to the fellows by Jenny Knott, who said I should be involved and that I’d enjoy it,” said Dev. “I looked into it and thought, ‘If I can bring my expertise then it that might really help’.”

One thing vital to a thriving workforce today is diversity and inclusion, added Dev – and he feels that the pandemic has actually given businesses a golden opportunity to broaden their horizons.

“I think with coronavirus and virtual working, business can go wherever they want to find the best talent,” he said. “If they’re based in the south of the UK, they can find someone in the north – and actually help other parts of the country in terms of sharing the workload. It also creates a more inclusive society if we’re more interconnected.”

In many ways, inclusivity comes back to leadership – Dev’s forte – as a company will always struggle to be diverse and inclusive without support and guidance from the top. Dev says that when it comes to leadership skills in general, though, many SMEs are on the back foot.

“Unfortunately,” he said, “it’s the people in larger organisations who end up getting more investment in terms of their leadership skills. For SMEs – where these skills actually make such a big difference to their profitability – there are hardly any options, or they can’t afford it, or it’s just not a priority.”

Be the Business, he feels, is well positioned to shake things up, and, perhaps, nudge SME leaders towards investing in what he calls an ‘education mindset’. “The number one asset a business leader has is their ability to think about problems and solutions,” he said.

Dev Modi is also the author of “The Inclusive Leader Scorecard – The Definitive Guide to Unlocking The Power of Diversity”.

Quick-fire questions

Who is or who was your business inspiration?

Levi Roots, the guy behind Reggae Reggae Sauce. He sends a message out that it’s never too late, because he went into the Dragons’ Den quite late in his career. He also went in there with something really creative and innovative and was just being himself. I like how he’s been able to use his success to become an ambassador for SMEs in general but also specifically to a segment of society that has maybe struggled the most in terms of business and building wealth over generations.

What is your personal productivity tip?

Be really clear on what your purpose is and focus on the things that will help you to achieve that first.

What business trends should all SMEs be on the lookout for?

ESG – I think this is key for SMEs because if you’re an SME, you have a part to play in creating a more sustainable, fairer society. Each SME leader should think about why their business exists and what contribution it is making to the world.

What is the best piece of business advice that somebody gave to you?

More valuable than investing in stocks and shares and property is investing in yourself. Invest in yourself because no one can ever take that away from you. That was said to me by a very clever friend of mine who I studied with at university who has since become an entrepreneur.

If you had taken a completely different career path, what would you like to have been?

Either a yoga teacher or a martial artist.