"Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management.*"LESSONS-1 * *“Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off”. * Good leadership involves responsibility to the welfare of the group, which means th…
"Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management.
"LESSONS-1
"Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off".
Good leadership involves responsibility to the welfare of the group, which means that some people will get angry at your actions and decisions. It's inevitable , if you are honorable.Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity : you will avoid the tough decisions. You will avoid confronting the people who need to be confronted , and you will avoid offering differential rewards based on differential performance because some people might get upset.Ironically by procrastinating on the difficult choices , by trying not to get any one mad,and by treating everyone equally "nicely" regardless of their contributions, you will simply ensure that the only people you will wind up angering are the most creative and productive people in the organization".
Lesson-1 : A leader should be able to take tough decisions.
NOTE : Keep an eye on this discussion thread as we will continue with the whole spectrum of the leadership styles and it's implications.
Leadership lessons-2
"The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership".
If this were a litmus test , the majority of CEOs would fail.One,they build so many barriers to upward communication that the very idea of someone lower in the hierarchy looking upto the leader for help is ludicrous . Two, the corporate culture they foster often defines asking for help as weakness or failure, so people cover up their gaps, and the organization suffers accordingly. Real leaders makes themselves accessible and available.They show concern for the efforts and challenges faced by the underlings, even as they demand high standards. Accordingly, they are more likely to create an environment where problem analysis replaces blame.
Leadership lessons-2
"The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership".
If this were a litmus test , the majority of CEOs would fail.One,they build so many barriers to upward communication that the very idea of someone lower in the hierarchy looking upto the leader for help is ludicrous . Two, the corporate culture they foster often defines asking for help as weakness or failure, so people cover up their gaps, and the organization suffers accordingly. Real leaders makes themselves accessible and available.They show concern for the efforts and challenges faced by the underlings, even as they demand high standards. Accordingly, they are more likely to create an environment where problem analysis replaces blame.
Lessons-3
"Do not be buffaloed by experts and elites . Experts often possess more data than judgement . Elites can become so inbred that they produce hemophiliacs who bleed to death as soon as they are nicked by the real world".
Small companies and start-ups do not have the time for analytically detached experts.They do not have the money to subsidize lofty elites, either. The president answers the phone and drives the truck when necessary, everyone on the payroll visibly produces and contributes to bottom line results or they are history.But as companies get bigger , they often forget who "brought them to the dance floor" thinks like all-hands involvement, informality,market intimacy,daring,risk, speed,agility.Policies that emanate from ivory towers often have an adverse impact on the people out in the filed who are fighting the wars or bringing in the revenues. Real leaders are vigilant and combative , in the face of these trends .
ABBS-
Leadership Lesson-4 "Don't be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their own backyard" Learn from the Pros, observe them, seek them out as mentors and partners.But remember that even the Pros may have leveled out in terms of their learning and skills.Sometimes even the pros can become complacent and lazy. Leadership does not emerge from blind obedience to anyone. Xerox's Barry Rand was right on target when he warned his people that if you have a "yes-man" working for you , one of you is redundant. Good leadership encourages everyone's evolution.(www.acharyabbs.ac.in)
"Leadership " seems to be a mystery. Leadership lessons are only theoretical indications of building leadership qualities.
Some says he is "born" and others say he is "made".
Sometimes it comes to my mind if both the statements are true and everybody turns to be a
leader, what will happen to the world? But the reality lies somewhere else. Nature, the great
Master, programmes every of her creature including man (called as destiny, or found in Hindu
Custom it is said that when a baby is born a Goddess comes and writes something on the baby's
Forehead and surprisingly this is also stated in a book on Transactional Analysis,
but in a different fashion!). When a baby is born, it starts crying, the first sign of self- leadership! But
nature is clever and it distributes vital attributes appropriately among men. Some are born with
traces of leadership attributes who if properly cultivated , turn to be good leaders in such areas as social reformation, politics or in wealth creating activities. However, in case of some, the traces of obedience are more who turn to be followers.
There are a few more would like to be in isolation, away from the world and create something new, we call them
scientists, inventors who are fully immersed in the joy of finding something new, not bothering
about anything including status. There are many more who are passive, they enjoy the nature ,work for nature .
Now, man is tricky. He assumes leader (or king) is born, a hereditary phenomenon,
However, there are exceptions: Wilson Churchill was brought as Prime Minister of UK to win the war and he was not accepted during peace time!
In Dasbodha, written by Ramdas Swami, 400 years ago, there are more than 100 attributes of leadership are stated. One is leader begets leader from followers but never gives reigns in the hands of his next generation. The best examples are: Lord Shri Krishna and Mahatma Gandhi, who took care their kids and kiths will not be in power.
Thus leader has to play his/her role in building the society. Leadership is a great mastery. No one
catch it, in terms of theories or models though Robert Black has described five types of leaders: Improvised, Country club, Task master, Team master, middle road .
The arrival of leaders is path dependent; no one style can be fit in all sizes, but if this path passes through self vested interests; wrong persons are projected as leader doing irreparable damage to human existence. (www.acharyabbs.ac.in)
"Great leaders are almost always great simplifier, who can cut through
argument , debate and doubt,to offer a solution everybody can understand".
"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life"
Management Mantra from movie CHAK DE INDIA are:- Take a look on one statement Jo ho nahi sakta wohi to krna hai in the movie. As winning world cup for Indian women s hockey is like impossible.