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Autopsy of a Leader – Next Orbit

When we stare deep into the malfunctioning of a leader…

Image courtesy ownapainting.com

 

“Hey Guys, I want each one of you to behave like a leader and face all the impending challenges.”

Doesn’t this sound very familiar to your ears?  Leadership is one of the most battered words in the corporate lexicon. Most slackly used for most nonchalantly made statements. For every occasion or an issue, we attribute this word as panacea to admonishing or rewarding an individual. The bigger question is: Do we understand what a real leader is like? What precisely makes a great leader?

There are many theories and heaps of literature accessible on this topic. The canvas is so large that one can easily trade from one conjecture to another to justify a point at any stage of discussion, whether in the cafeteria or the board room. Like fast food joints, there are dozens of leadership self-help books available over the counter. Everything under the header of leadership is justified. The concept has evolved right from the earlier focus on traits or qualities of leader (Gordon Allport), to more recent ones like situational (Paul Hersey &Ken Blanchard), and Transformational leadership (James Macgregor Burns). Quite often, it is difficult to grapple with the finery of the entire spectrum. Therefore, obstinately ignorant corporate masters echo this concept as one of the most frequently worn expressions.

Very recently, I asked a senior executive member of the apex leadership team of a company, “Sir, when you demand from your team to operate like a leader, what exactly does that mean to you”? Trust me; I was bombarded with frenzied monologue of fancy ornamental verbiage. I am positive that such experience will be true for most of the corporate population. I do not know whether we will ever be able to reposition the meaning of leadership in its true sense. It has become a lip service by many senior executives on corporate platforms. As if the word leadership is stimulating a sort of neuro-motor reflexes responsible for diarrhoea of related jargons.

In medical science, the essential purpose of an autopsy is to ascertain the cause of death.  I have used the word ‘autopsy’ as a metaphor to infer the most decisive aspects of leadership which are otherwise malformed and contaminated in such pseudo- leaders. I am neither challenging all what is written on leadership nor proposing a new theory. Nevertheless, if I have to weigh up and classify the cause of death of a leader, I would do it only because of the nonexistence of the following three distinct characteristics.

 Objectivity: Quality of being sovereign

For any leader ‘objectivity’ is the leading differentiator. Regrettably, This will be utterly defunct in a pseudo-leader. A leader is objective when he is beyond any personal prejudices, emotions, beliefs, and interpretations. Very similar to a ‘sthitpragya’- an individual who is gifted with unwavering mental stability.  A leader whose judgements are outside of his own predispositions. We are not talking about neutrality, but we are talking about fairness. Standing for truth in a given reality. It calls for sacrifices. It calls for quality of courage. Objectivity only breeds trust and loyalty in the team. It brings predictability in the system. Sadly, at workplace, leaders use objectivity at their convenience. It is selectively worn by these leaders to manipulate their team members. However, people see through such gimmicks. People are quick in observing inconsistencies. In the corporate world, very conveniently, policy and procedures are tweaked for selective purpose. Interpretations are altered for suitability and favours. Do you think such leaders will ever earn credibility? The answer is big ‘NO’. I often suggest to my senior colleagues that it is high time one should stop manipulating people’s intelligence.

Compassion: A principal leverage

A Chinese Taoist philosopher, Lao Tzu, once said, “I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion…”.So apt for a leader.  Compassion is a sense of concern for others. When ‘feelings’ play equally imperative role in leading a team. Compassion does not mean compromising sincerity and fairness. Many leaders habitually demonstrate their robotic side of the mind while engaging with the team. For them people are commodities or pawn in their generously proportioned egocentric pursuits. I have personally encountered leaders having absolutely programmed mode of relating with teams. In reality, a leader will be able to connect with his team only when he is leading by heart.  When he is what he is in front of them. No artificiality. When he is spontaneous and not masking his real intentions and motives behind his phony behaviour. Compassion is a state of mind and it can be cultivated provided we consciously invest in it.  Ironically, it is scarcely subsist in pseudo-leaders and people down the line have a very uncanny penchant to easily discern such pretensions.

Team Ownership: Indispensable obligation

As a leader ‘people-ownership’ is a role obligation. A Leader is accountable for all the consequences of the decisions irrespective of who has taken it in a team. It is not the current economic downturn responsible for us to feel insecure in corporate world. Insecurity is mental. It is within us. Most of the leaders feel insecure because they do not have trust in their own competencies. They display diabolic and murky political manipulations for the survival. The only way of survival for them is by eradicating relatively superior people around them. Such leaders are like a fine artist endowed with excellent theatrical proficiency to impress the decision makers. I call them ‘Emotionally Dwarf’ leaders. Do you think, by having such leaders around, any team member will have an opportunity to grow? For developing team members a leader has to invest his time and most of the leaders are in competition to prove that they have least of the time for their subordinates. Not only that, they hardly have a systematic plan based on competency assessments of team members for development. Increasingly, one thing is eradicating in leaders is the serenity of ‘listening’. We are blind to listening. Even the infrequent feedback on performance of their subordinates is either negative or non specific or broad. Feedbacks are subjective and judgemental. Development needs are far away from partnering. It needs courage to provide growth opportunities. True leadership demands empowering people to take risks, while all the time standing behind the people to shore up in any adverse consequences. A leader is one who is looked up to and valued by his followers.

In this cutting-edge competition only leadership is a defining energy for any organisation to endure and grow. You may be a towering personality but if you do not have objectivity, compassion and yearning to be the owner of your subordinates, you will never be able to win over your people. Moreover, as a leader you need to first fight with your own arrogance.

As a leader you have to be like an ocean –extensive, deep, but usually steady.

Image courtesy truelife.comIt is hard to put Leadership into a definition that would truly represent the concept. Once you Google on this topic, you will find many important dimensions of Leadership. The magnitude is unbelievable. In this post, I have deliberately picked-up three essential qualities which I believe as must for a true leader. In any hypothetical leadership autopsy, if these three basic characters are malfunctioning or absent, I would rather pronounce that individual as… a dead leader.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate World

CompassionleadershipObjectivityTeam.

17 Comments

  • Fantastically thought and well crafted thought provoking engaging blog.
    Many takeaways from the blog however existence of basic three mentioned characteristics in a leader will make him/her ” A leader, one who is looked up to and valued by his followers”

    Keep writting…more power to you 🙂

    Regards,
    Abdullah

  • Hi, very interesting blog… Thought provoking…for me a leader is who can manage change…and use the right set of values appropriate to the change environment….and move on successfully from one frame to the other…. What do you say….

  • Hi yagnik… Thanks for your note… Also amongst a lot of my researcher colleague we keep discussing on the challenges that the New generation faces in shaping up as leaders. One if the challenges is being associated with a mentor who himself/ herself has that inner drive to groom you as a leader. Unfortunately, today’s leaders do not have the time or bandwidth to do that because they are so occupied in strategic operations of the company. Also, many leader’s get so sucked up in operational work, that 1- they do not even figure out the budding leaders in the team. 2- they themselves lack the depth of knowledge and are not up to date, hence feel insecure. 3- sometimes, people become selfish and expect some benefit from the organization, if they are mentoring a set if people. I think, developing leaders should be something, which should come from within an individual, who wishes to develop similar leaders like himself….

    • Very true dear Nile,
      In my blog post “sincerity does matter”, I have touched what you have expressed.
      The larger issue is: ” does our corporate environment today right for developing leaders?” or we are largely grooming individuals who work very hard to manipulate to reach at senior positions. Today an individual’s character as a leader is highly vulnerable to corporate politics and justifying self existence.
      Where is time for developing subordinates?
      For me, true leadership is nothing but “sacrifices”.
      Thanks for your comments.
      Regards,
      Yagnik

  • Dear Yagnik,

    I completely agree on your thoughts on prerequisites of a leader. In any form, for a leader the concept of Organisation First should be the basic philosophy followed by the Team and Me at the bottom…………. In general, are these leaders are born with these traits or is it acquired/developed… How to differentiate between the both…. May a subject for next Blog.

    Regards
    Jagannath Shetty

    • Dear Jagannath,
      Thanks for your inputs.
      Lots of work is happening in the area of leadership. Particularly, acquired leadership.
      I will definitely try and bring critical aspects of leadership in my subsequent blogs.
      Thanks.

  • A leader, as the word implies, is someone who is in the front with his team—good times or bad times. He is the anchor and the fall guy, he carries the can and that ensures that his team will give their lives for him. If you read the biographies of leader’s like Alexander and Genghis Khan, you will appreciate how they rules the world …….

  • And this blog made me smile. I liked the horror of assosiations. Nice way to make the reader remember. I wrote one sometime back on ” even the umblical chord is biased “…its about how love is based on Need and Want and even a mother changes her best muffin based on which child serves the purpose and gives what she needs and wants. Cynical but crazy like true too 🙂
    Likewise moving from the title – the autopsy of a leader can in fact really apply only after his / her time. And that’s what’s interesting – you’d have to live and deal with their fallacies and failings until they are stripped off their power. The chair is the center of this stage and the leader the one big performer. Like most shows the audience can give reviews only after …..the show is over. Rare cases when the autopsy is done when alive or the reviews happen while the show is on. The only such time is when the leader makes the blunder of the decade -compromises on integrity and washes away his image. Perceptions if well managed allow even the most mediocre of leaders to keep their chairs and the other will still bow. Funny this nai ?

    • .Dear Seema,
      Very well said!
      I feel if a leader is not performing his obligations towards team, he is as good as a “lifeless” leader. You know , what has influenced me most when it comes to expressing leadership: Lao Tzu
      He has summarized leadership so well, “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves”.
      Thanks for your comments.
      I would love to read more on ” even the umbilical cord is biased “.
      Nice connecting with you.
      Personal regards,
      Yagnik

  • Dear Bhagwat,

    I just want to say…….Thank you..!!!

    Every letter and every content in this runs in each and everyone’s mind.

    I believe everyone is born leaders, it only depends on how they mold themselves. A person who draws a right set of rules and values ( follows his/her set of rules and values) and create a healthy work environment for himself/herself and their members.

    Regards
    Navaneetha

    • Dear Navaneetha,
      It is unfortunate that leadership is one of the most abused word.
      Many Senior Professionals, claverley take shelter behind this concept, to accommodated their convenience.
      So nice of you to provide your feedback.

  • Good article on leaders.
    However, Sacrifice is not the way of leadership. It is more of directing team by example and vision..embibing and influencing mind. ..this involves lots of maturity, compassion and patience as you have very rightly said..its a cool task ..provided the leader is in sinc with his pupil.

  • I do love the manner in which you have framed this particular situation plus it really does provide us a lot of fodder for consideration. Nonetheless, because of just what I have witnessed, I simply just hope as the actual commentary pile on that men and women continue to be on issue and don’t get started on a tirade regarding some other news of the day. Yet, thank you for this excellent point and while I do not agree with it in totality, I regard the point of view.

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