Hanif Lalani

Hanif Lalani is an executive and telecommunications expert based in the United Kingdom. Lalani contributed significantly to multinational corporations during his career holding key financial and managerial positions. Recognized internationally for his contributions during a pivotal period in telecommunications sector, Lalani has earned the 30th spot on the Institute of Asian Professionals’ “Muslim Power 100” list and was named “Finance Director of the Year” from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?

I follow the old adage “early to bed, early to rise.” I typically wake up at 5 a.m. and begin my morning with a brisk walk – I have found this to be even more stimulating than coffee. When I arrive back home I will get ready for the day, usually with BBC playing on the television in the background so I can catch snippets of the news before I begin work for the day in my office. While I am a self-professed news junkie, I have found that I am much more productive if I schedule myself time to read up on all my favorite publications rather than let the constant notifications pull my focus.

I typically have several different projects up in the air at any given time, so from here my day can vary greatly depending on how many and which are receiving the most focus. Lots of herbal tea keeps me centered throughout the day. I have found that whenever I have a steaming cup in front of me it signifies to my brain that now is the time to deeply focus.

For all of my healthy habits, I wish I could say that I also maintain a healthy balance in my work life and my personal life, but the truth is I’m so passionate about what I do that I don’t typically have a hard stopping point. In all likelihood you will find me in my bed typing away at my laptop at 9 p.m. However, I do like to make sure that at least my last 20 minutes or so before I go to sleep are spent with screens off, reading a good book.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I rely on a blend of strategic vision, hands-on goal-setting, and the experience I’ve gained through my work in the telecommunications industry. I’m passionate about translating concepts into actionable plans, drawing on my background in financial management and business transformation. My dedication truly comes through in diving into projects that connect people in emerging countries. I have a genuine passion for using my skills to tackle real-world issues like bridging the digital gap and boosting economic growth in communities. It’s no longer just a job in my career for me — it’s about making a meaningful impact where it counts.

Leading initiatives in fiber planning, 5G deployment, and broadband expansion allows me to personally contribute to solutions that make a tangible impact. Overall, it’s not just about expertise and leadership, it’s about a personal dedication to realizing projects. While I am in no way negating all of the work I did in my previous corporate career, which I maintain was highly effective, I do believe that having the personal passion has added a new element to my work that takes it to a higher level of innovation and creativity.

What’s one trend that excites you?

I’m very excited about the growing prevalence of digital literacy programs. As someone who is working on the infrastructural side of high-speed internet implementation, we bring the technology capabilities to these underserved regions. However, all of our efforts are rendered useless if the communities we bring them to fail to understand how to fully take advantage of them. For example, one of the many benefits of 5G and internet capabilities is its ability to broaden job opportunities, but if a user is unaware of or doesn’t know how to access employment or job search websites it is as if they don’t have the technology at all.

Thankfully, the more recognition the digital divide gets, the more it has become clear that a holistic approach to internet implementation is necessary. As we move forward, I anticipate the more comprehensive approach to trend upward.

What is one habit that helps you be productive?

Blocking out sections of time for certain objectives. I’ve read countless business and leadership books, and I understand that multitasking is a myth. The human brain isn’t able to focus on more than one thing at a time, meaning every time you attempt to do so you are actually splitting your brain’s attention and rendering yourself less productive in the long run. However, while the concept is clear in my head, it was always incredibly difficult for me to implement. I wanted to make the best use of every single minute of my day, and I couldn’t shake the habit of constantly checking and responding to emails or taking phone calls while drafting documents.

The game changer for me was time blocking. Now, I have an hour blocked off in the morning, afternoon, and evening to check and respond to my emails, and I know that anything more urgent than that would warrant a call. Creating specific times for me to complete tasks has released my brain from the pressure of fitting everything in during the day and allowed me to practice single-tasking better as a result.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Along the same vein as the previous question, I would tell myself to let ego go. It’s true what they say — young people see the world in black and white, and it is only as you age that you learn to recognize the shades of gray. I wish I had prioritized learning and growth over protecting my ego, and there are plenty of times I can look back on and recognize a decision I made was based on pride. My career really took off once I learned to recognize what I was doing for prestige — how others perceived me — and what I was doing because I was passionate and found fulfillment through it.

Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?

In a world driven by short-term gains, I believe that businesses should prioritize long-term sustainability over immediate profits. Focusing on environmental and social responsibility not only benefits society, but also ensures long-term business success. Executives need to realize that a sustainable business is sustainable in more ways than one – it benefits its stakeholders while also creating longevity as a brand for itself. While most of my colleagues would not agree with me on this point, I think it’s important to note that public sentiment increasingly is. Consumers want to know the businesses they patronize aren’t ultimately making the world a worse place to live in.

What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?

Self-reflection is something I seek to specifically block out time for, and I highly recommend that anybody and everybody do the same. It allows me to learn from my successes and failures, hone in on what strategies work best for me, and refrain from stagnancy. I believe that many of us think that we self-reflect, but there is a difference between giving pause in the middle of the day and taking the time to specifically write out your thoughts, sit with yourself and your decisions, and assess yourself as objectively as possible. As I’ve made clear, I understand more than anyone how few hours it feels we have in a day, but setting aside the time for this is something I have found to be invaluable.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?

Being strategic in who you partner with has been essential to growing my work. I now operate on a contractual basis, and I must be mindful of who I choose to work with. To be frank, my skill set, and experience have made me in high demand, and that means that unfortunately I cannot simply say yes to every project that comes my way. It may seem initially that taking on the most work is the best way to grow a business, but I have found that it is not the quantity of the accounts, but the quality of the relationship. In being particular and choosy about who I want to work with, I have actually created more business opportunities for myself as a result.

What is one failure in your career,  how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?

On one of my earliest connectivity projects, we were met with a number of community engagement challenges. We had been ineffective in our communication strategies, and that led to misconceptions and mistrust among the very population we were trying to help. We were bringing a tool that would help to uplift this community, but thanks to our poor communication skills we faced an uphill battle in terms of implementation. It took a lot more effort to regain the community’s trust than it would have to simply involve community members in the decision-making process in the first place and moving forward we have learned that doing so significantly decreases resistance and opposition.

What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?

Someone needs to invent an affordable remote monitoring device that people in remote areas can use to measure vital signs. Internet connectivity would allow the device to be integrated with mobile apps, and healthcare providers could monitor patients’ health remotely and intervene when necessary. In many underserved regions the primary obstacle to quality healthcare stems from their remote locations, but with the increasing availability of high-speed internet in these communities, the potential for telemedicine to significantly enhance the health outcomes of these populations is expanding.

What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?

Google Drive. As someone who spent much of their career pouring through file cabinets and color-coding file tabs, I am still in awe of the ability to organize an entire company digitally and have those files be accessible to anybody at any time. To be frank, it shocks me that we haven’t found a cure for cancer or solved sustainable energy with all of the time I feel is saved by not having analog filing systems.

Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?

“Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek. Even if those in your community aren’t C-suite executives, the odds are that at some point in their life they will have to lead a team of some kind. Whether this be in a managerial role or even just as a project lead, I believe everybody will be more prepared for the task if they read this book. It helps to reframe the concept of leadership from being in charge to having others in your charge. Your primary task as a leader is to protect and nurture those who you lead.

Key learnings

• Use time blocking to avoid multitasking.
• A business that is sustainable has longevity.
• Embrace self-reflection and let go of ego.