The Insulated Leaders…

Even today, that gusty winter evening is vividly imprinted deep in my conscious…

Far away as the moon was rising above the panoramic mountains, viewing from the patio of the restaurant over a hot mug of coffee, after an exhaustive day, I learnt for the first time about the concept of Insulated Leader.

“It is really appalling that many of our corporate leaders are not only incarcerated in their self image but also prefer to remain completely insulated at work”, said late Prof. Sumantra Ghoshal as he gave a steady meditative look and further added, “A leader needs to be closer to realities of the organisation and it is possible only by weeding out sycophants”.

I was too naive to value the profundity of his assertion at that time but unwittingly it engraved in my young professional mind forever.

Later on, I witnessed it so narrowly right through my professional passage that often insecure leaders inherit some sort of narcissistic tendencies. Unreservedly infatuated and self focused even at the cost of organisation priorities. Such leaders breed only undesired assemblage of subservient obsequious sycophants to foster their insatiable ego. In turn, subservient cronies not only get undue position-stature but also are surreptitiously showered with personalized goodies. I have experienced that the sycophants would never censure or put across their constructive dissonance to the superiors because their stakes are so high. In fact, both inventively co-exist in a symbiotic bond.

Even now the concept of Insulated leader is an enigma for me. Scarcely crediting my senses, the phenomenon baffles me.

In Scandinavian folklore there is description of a living sentient being called Vitter (plural Vittra). They are obsessed creatures, reside underground, are habitually imperceptible and have their own treasured cattle. Most of the time, Vittra are rather secluded and do not want to be meddled by others. One can keep them pleased only by performing certain rituals. Otherwise, they are formidable. If you fluster them or their cattle, they can make your life very distressed. (Wikipedia)

Do we not often observe such Vittra (CXOs/ Leaders) and cattle (Sycophants/ Flatterers) in our corporate life too? Oblivious to realities, cocooned with favoured clique and almost severed from the voice of people.

I have worked with several corporate apex functional leaders and few of the business
owners, who believed that they have nothing more to learn in life. Asserting their justified claim on the given role, enormously swollen with position pride and illusively suffering from “I know all” syndrome, they did not see any value in regular connect with competent professionals or the common employees. They were insulated by the blind allegiance of sycophants and open to merely selective inputs by such associates. Over a period of time, they absolutely rambled away from the grass-root legitimacies of the operations. They felt endangered even with a wild contemplation of being disentangled from the surroundings of ‘Yes-Men’.

As a result, the organisation suffered. Decisions were compromised and the possibilities of inadvertence were compounded. Flawed postulations were promoted and short term transitory benefits were encouraged over robust methodical evaluative approach…and by the time realisation shored-up; it was too late for a corrective U-turn.

To my utter revelation, such tendencies to create own sovereignty and fiefdom were notably higher in CXOs of foreign origins then the locals.

 Psychologically, insulated leaders are not only self obsessed but their world revolves just around “I, Me, and Mine”. They demonstrate high-headed, dominating, and ostentatiously rancorous behaviour. Their sense of resolution is possibly much invigorated by constant pampering by self serving obligeant accomodants. Sensitive to criticism, low on self esteem, they are often intolerant and allergic to any kind of righteous dissent. They love listening to their own voice, allowing very diminutive participation from others and making unrealistic lingering discourses. The paradox is that such leaders abundantly poised as campaigner for team work but unconsciously promote internal antagonism to the hilt. Swinging between lust for earning accolades and trouncing fear of failure, they thrust sense of urgency and demand unwavering attention of people. Unsurprisingly, professionals with objective approach do feel utterly out placed in such milieu.

At times, nurturing sycophants becomes a conscious compulsion for certain leaders. There are situations where a leader is surrounded by associates who were with him since the formative stage of the organisation. Despite high growth and increased complexities, he feels morally and emotionally obliged to continue with such people even when they are no more functional after the advancement of the enterprise. Unfortunately, such people occupy critical positions and decorative designations in the system. Consequently, mediocrity flourishes under their regime and bright professionals suffocate. Moreover, the superior also gets bad name for their conduct. He has to put on blinkers, ignore their idiosyncrasies and continuously mediate at all the levels to make things happen. Nevertheless, in this process organisation becomes dysfunctional over a period of time.

It is not that all leaders love sycophants.

I am privileged to work with few very commendable and judiciously objective leaders during my career. I have associated with one such successful and dynamic entrepreneur who took certain creative steps during the early stage of the organisation building. In a structured manner and very respectfully, he out placed all such future liabilities to other lucrative alternative occupations to pave the way for the team of talented professionals to take empowered positions in the system. Transition was a bit mind-numbing but he did it. He effectively demonstrated to the organisation and to the industry, his quality of courage, by enforcing such radical restorative interventions to shield the organisational work culture

Therefore, in my view, a leader who has cerebral depth and poignant sensibility should be able to differentiate between earnest praise and disingenuous flattery. Ideally, he should not be concerned about either. It is hard… as we all care for praises and adulations to some extent, but it is not unattainable. One has to consciously attract and envelop himself with superior talent. Engendering people to be unreserved to convey the truth and take responsibility to do “what is right” for the enterprise.

A leader is liberated in true sense only when he is not insulated. He has to be transparent and approachable. Like a live wire. A man on the move, full of energy and life. Convincingly ambitious and who can promise the future to fiercely hungry young professionals.

 Leadership is all about making difficult choices…