Blog · 6 min read

First-Year Mistakes New GCC Leaders Make

By Anupam Tandon · June 2025

TL;DR

New site leaders often over-hire, under-manage HQ, and confuse activity with ownership. Here is what to avoid in year one.

First-year mistakes new GCC leaders make

The frequent ones

Hiring ahead of charter because headcount feels like progress.
Becoming a ticket broker between HQ teams instead of owning an outcome.
Ignoring manager quality while celebrating offer accepts.
Under-communicating to HQ until trust has already slipped.
Overbuilding office and brand before delivery proof.
Saying yes to every global requester and shredding focus.

Better defaults

Publish a one-page mandate and defend it
Keep a visible delivery metric
Spend time on the founding ten people
Visit or host HQ with a working agenda, not tourism

30 / 60 / 90

30: Personal operating priorities for the site lead.
60: Mandate defense conversation with sponsors.
90: Honest retrospective: what to stop doing next quarter.

Takeaway

Year one is for earning belief.

Activity is easy. Credibility is the job.

“Structure matters, but the first three or four hires decide whether your India team becomes a capability or an expensive supplier.”
— Anupam Tandon, ContextDelta

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