In 2024, visionary business leaders are at the forefront of innovation, shaping industries amid rapid change. Business Viewpoint Magazine showcases leadership across various sectors, including technology, finance, and healthcare. These leaders are driving transformative initiatives, promoting sustainability, and fostering inclusive workplaces, guiding the way toward a resilient and progressive future.
Manas Mehrotra, the founder of 315 Work Avenue, reflects on his leadership journey, acknowledging the many individuals who have shaped his development. With a clear vision, he aims to create a comprehensive work environment where individuals and businesses can thrive. Beyond being an entrepreneur, Manas considers himself a visionary dedicated to transforming the way people work.
Building Modern Workspaces
A significant milestone in Manas’s journey was growing his company from 100 seats in 2019 to 40,000 seats today, showcasing his entrepreneurial foresight. This transformation highlights the difference between theoretical knowledge and practical entrepreneurial experience. Manas takes pride in the tangible results of this growth, marking it as a defining moment in his career.
Manas’s entry into the coworking space industry was driven by his vision of creating modern work environments tailored to the needs of diverse clients. His goal is simple: to establish a space where both individuals and businesses can achieve their goals.
Over the past few years, Manas has guided the company from a modest beginning to becoming a significant player in the industry, adeptly meeting the varied needs of its customers. From the start, he understood the importance of customization to ensure the company’s long-term success. The company’s foundation rests on clear principles: delivering top-notch services to build lasting client relationships with a strong commitment to quality. Trust, dedication, and sustainability are the pillars upon which Manas has built the company.
Embracing Selflessness and Integrity
Manas Mehrotra envisions 315 Work Avenue, or 315WA, as the leading destination for coworking spaces nationwide, aiming to develop the next generation of coworking leaders. The company’s mission is to empower individuals to reach their goals and grow into mentors who can guide newcomers in the coworking industry. The team at 315WA upholds the company’s values, embracing selflessness and integrity as guiding principles in their daily work.
Following its launch, 315 Work Avenue faced its greatest challenge during the pandemic. Manas had to retain clients amid adverse conditions and a growing preference for remote work. Successfully convincing clients of the long-term benefits of continued partnership was crucial during this period, a feat achieved with his team’s support. The focus then shifted to sustaining the company’s growth, going beyond conventional targets to attract top-tier clients. This required careful attention to detail, ensuring the availability of optimal locations, ergonomic design, and advanced technology. Manas’s success in meeting these demands is evident in the company’s continued post-COVID success.
Each expansion undertaken by Manas Mehrotra and 315WA marked a significant milestone, reflecting their confidence and determination to explore new markets. Their numerous accolades, including recognition as a Great Place To Work, highlight their status as an innovative and forward-thinking company poised for continued success.
Beyond a One-Size-Fits-All Approach
315 Work Avenue distinguishes itself from competitors by providing top-tier workplace solutions that enhance the experience of setting up and operating within its spaces. The company’s value proposition revolves around two key elements: innovation and customization. Recognizing the diversity of workspace needs, 315WA prioritizes tailoring office environments to meet each client’s unique requirements. This commitment to customization ensures that professionals work in spaces optimized for their needs, boosting productivity and satisfaction. Innovation and customization are central to 315 Work Avenue’s client-centric vision for success.
Throughout his leadership journey, Manas Mehrotra has gained valuable insights. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining a balanced and honest view of one’s strengths and weaknesses. Self-awareness, he believes, enables individuals to engage with others openly and confidently. Manas argues that inspiring leadership stories come not just from decision-making and strategy but from a willingness to take risks and challenge the status quo. Such actions, he notes, often stem from a sense of purpose, compassion for others, or a strong belief in doing what is right.
Sustainability in Practice
Emphasizing a culture of innovation and creativity, the key lies in articulating a clear vision for business strategy development. According to Manas Mehrotra, this involves defining the organization’s goals, challenges, and opportunities, as well as establishing metrics for success. By effectively communicating these objectives to the team and aligning them with the company’s values and mission, individuals gain a deeper understanding of the strategy’s purpose and direction. This clarity motivates team members to actively contribute to the organization’s goals.
315 Work Avenue prioritizes Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), engaging in various initiatives to support communities in need. Their approach involves aligning CSR goals with core values and mission to ensure authenticity. They actively involve stakeholders in decision-making processes to address concerns effectively. Additionally, they assess the environmental and social impact of their operations, integrating responsible practices. Recognizing the importance of sustainability, they adapt practices to be eco-friendly, understanding the benefits for both the environment and business performance.
315WA is expanding its presence in the New Delhi & NCR and Hyderabad markets while strengthening its existing markets. With 2 million square feet of space across 40 prime locations in Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, and Pune, the company aims to be in 10-12 cities within two years. They plan to increase their presence in Bengaluru to over 50 centers and explore opportunities in mall spaces to accommodate the trend toward hybrid work arrangements.
Strategies for Leadership in Facing Challenges
In his leadership roles, Manas Mehrotra frequently encounters scenarios where his team must navigate significant obstacles, such as stringent deadlines, intricate issues, or demanding clients. To maintain his team’s motivation and engagement during these times, Manas employs several key strategies. First, he emphasizes the importance of clear communication by explaining the vision and purpose behind the challenge.
By clarifying why the task matters, what the expected outcomes are, and how it aligns with both the team’s and the organization’s goals, Manas helps his team understand the importance of their work. He also focuses on setting clear and achievable expectations. Manas ensures that each team member is aware of their roles and responsibilities, identifies crucial milestones and deliverables, and sets metrics for tracking progress and success. This clarity and direction enable his team to plan effectively, prioritize tasks, and reduce confusion or frustration.
The Impact of Visionary Leaders
Throughout his career, Manas Mehrotra has drawn inspiration from several leaders, with two standing out in particular. First, he greatly admires Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Facebook, for his innovation and perseverance. Zuckerberg’s journey from a college dropout to a tech giant exemplifies the power of vision and determination.
Manas relates to Zuckerberg’s focus on thinking big, taking risks, and embracing failure as part of the learning process, which has taught him crucial lessons in resilience and adaptability. Additionally, Manas is inspired by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, known as the “Missile Man of India,” who rose from modest beginnings to become the president of India through hard work and dedication. Kalam’s vision for a technologically advanced India and his commitment to empowering the youth closely resonate with Manas’s career goals, motivating him to strive for excellence.
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Manas Mehrotra offers guidance to aspiring entrepreneurs, encouraging them to reflect on their career goals and define what success means to them. He stresses the importance of self-assessment and regular check-ins to ensure alignment with personal objectives. While autonomy and financial success can be motivating factors during challenging times, Manas believes that having a deeper sense of purpose or mission is crucial.
Whether it’s improving healthcare, tackling climate change, or enhancing user experiences, having a mission helps entrepreneurs navigate challenges more effectively. A mission not only serves as a powerful motivator but also attracts support from others who share the vision of making a positive impact on the world.
Balancing Work and Personal Life
Manas Mehrotra underscores the significance of maintaining a work-life balance. He finds peace in engaging in activities he enjoys and commits himself to achieving his goals. Manas believes that hard work provides a unique sense of fulfillment that routine tasks cannot offer. He advocates for taking breaks from work to spend quality time with loved ones and recommends prioritizing activities that bring personal satisfaction.
Manas views his initial job role as the foundation for his subsequent career stages, with each phase contributing to the accumulation of wisdom essential for growth, innovation, and creating opportunities, both professionally and personally. He aims to leave a legacy of innovation that evolves with every new experience and untested idea he embraces. Manas sees each instance of implementing bold ideas and inspiring others to pursue their visions as crucial steps in building his legacy of innovation.
