I have always been fascinated by observing the number of people who want to create an impression. All of us at some point or the other want to make an impact that is a resounding statement to demonstrate that we are bigger and more important than we seem.
The quest for Leadership is not much different from this. However, the difference is the willingness to place the greater good ahead of our own personal impact. Therefore, is Leadership an altruistic occupation or an encompassing Passion?
I have seen that there are three primary types of Leaders who are motivated by different outcomes:
The Opportunistic Leader – This is the Leader who grabs opportunities for both themselves and the Organization. Most Leaders today fall into this category. To clarify, this is not a selfish Leader but a person who leverages opportunity to further his own cause along with that of the Organization. A variant of the “Opportunistic Leader” is the “Selfish Leader” who places personal success ahead of the Organization’s.
The Altruistic Leader – This is the do-gooder Leader who is constantly looking to change their environment for the greatest good. This type of Leader will go to a great lengths to try and run everybody’s life around self-sacrifice, and a vision of getting to a world of perfection. Organizations that have such Leaders in them typically feel full of lofty ideals – but do not necessarily deliver as advertised.
The Purposeful Leader – This is the kind of Leader who is driven by a sense of purpose in almost every thought and action. Typically, these Leaders are able to explain and convince others as to the rationale and Purpose. This Leader is grounded in the “greater good”, but is neither opportunistic nor altruistic. This Leader has clarity of Purpose and direction, and the humility to be adaptive, with the willingness to learn from all sources. Most of all, this is the Leader who understands completely the concept Positive change for all.
In my opinion and experience, I have seen a number of Type-1 Leaders – perhaps the majority; a few Type-2 and an extremely rare handful Type-3.
As a result, the Organizations led by each of these types of Leaders also have a difference of feel to them.
Opportunistic Leaders, typically foster Organizations that are highly responsive to environmental changes. The ability of such Organizations to absorb and respond to change is very rapid, with a result that many of these Organizations feel like they do not have clarity of Vision or a sense of Purpose.
Organizations which are led by such people thrive on reactions and the short-term response always seems the most appropriate. The Leaders themselves are spending much of their time responding to changing circumstances rather than positioning themselves to meet the Change.
Initiatives, rather than a Vision and Strategy drive decision-making. The goal is usually something not everyone understands. As a result, the environment engendered is one where perceptions and their management play a key role in defining individual and organizational success.
Such Organizations have a terrific sense of responsiveness. Closure is valued; execution and risk management become mandatory competencies. Process thinking usually comes up at times when too much change hits the Organization – and for a brief while, the Organization mobilizes around a few key initiatives. Once the crisis passes, opportunism comes to the fore again.
Such organizations are usually led by strong personalities who are charismatic and savvy. Much of the Organizations energy becomes attuned to reading and understanding the Leaders’ mood and current thinking. Innovations in such organizations are usually not a priority – rewards come to those who react fastest and manage perceptions best.
It is easy to see a number of such organizations and Leaders in today’s world chasing the mythical business Quarter which usually tends to go on ad-infinitum with minor variations.
Altruistic Leaders on the other hand build organizations that have a strong sense of Vision and Strategy. Such organizations are built around concepts that are also strong ideals. Mission statements in such organizations have a tendency to meld Business Goals with positive Social Impact. These organizations most of the time operate from a long-term Strategy perspective. Many of today’s startups have a similar feel.
The Leaders in these organizations have usually come together because of a shared sense of values and experiences. People have a tendency to mistake Idealism for naiveté. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have seen more than a few such organizations and interacted with many such Leaders and have usually come away with a sense that there is great clarity in these people combined with a tough savvy.
Usually though, what I have observed is that other than the few Leaders at the top who share such a strong bonding and congruence of Vision – the Managers below have a tendency to struggle with the same.
The Leaders in such organizations are usually not very inspiring – but have a strong belief in the goals of the organization and its direction that this translates itself down to the employees. Such organizations have a deep engagement with their employees and employees too respond to this clarity of direction.
All of this being said, I do believe that such organizations know and believe in their values so much that when it comes to interacting or conducting business, there is a tendency to sit on this ideological “high-horse” that gets in the way of a sound realism in driving decisions – or responding to changing needs in the marketplace.
I was introduced to a senior executive of a company a few years ago. This was a process of my own exploration into Indian businesses after a long stint overseas – preparing myself to set up a software unit for GE (General Electric). This executive came across as very open and passionate about many of the same things that I tend to be passionate about. When he started to tell me about his Company, I noticed that this person would lean forward in his seat to drive home to me the importance of what their Company was trying to accomplish. We had a long talk about the responsibility an organization has to its employees and society at large. How companies in India were not necessarily doing the right thing by paying lip-service to concepts such as civic responsibility, Employee and Community welfare.
I agreed to visit their offices – and throughout my visit(s), was deeply impressed by everybody’s energy around their belief that they were making a difference – and they were. I came away so impressed that I arranged to have my fledgling Leadership team meet with their Leaders to share experiences and best-practices.
That visit clearly demonstrated to me that these folks sure knew how to build software well and were serious about their processes which were in contrast to many of the other software businesses I had interacted with.
Following this meeting, I had a serious discussion with their CEO and COO about doing business with them. That is when I felt a distinct change. It almost felt like – “We will do business our way or no way”. The surprising or rather enlightening part of this was that I realized that it was exactly because of the Ideals that made it very near impossible to consider meeting someone halfway.
As this organization had some absolutely terrific people, I decided t continue working with them. What my experience has taught me since then is that, unless you are willing to accept the rules set down by such Organizations – everybody is better off not trying to work together. Usually in such organizations – it is an all or nothing sort of deal.
Such organizations usually have great people – thought and action leader – great processes too. But what happens is that these organizations become inflexible for exactly the reasons that made them attractive in the first place.
Purposeful Leaders may at first blush seem to be zealots. These Leaders are constantly passionate and at times may even burn. As you work with them and begin to understand their motivations, you begin to understand that they are people filled with a mission of making great positive changes to their Organizations.
Very high on balancing their Purpose with a great sense of Positive Change for People and Organizations they lead. Such Leaders are rare and also have a tendency to not necessarily carry along everybody in their quest for Positive Change. While they may seem at times seem to be very blinkered, they have a clarity of goals for the long-term that is usually unmatched. These Leaders are also adaptable and flexible in realigning their short-term tactics but yet maintain the focus on the goal. However, the bane of such Leaders is that they surround themselves with people of similar thoughts and experiences, leading to significant dynamics within diverse and large organizations.
Such Leaders are very charismatic and usually carry along people with their sheer passion, focus and energy.
I once worked in an organization where the Leader had clearly articulated a vision for the company that focused on delivering IT Solutions leveraging AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Expert Systems. The Leaders’ premise was that in every aspect of Business Operations there was a place to apply these technologies. A very exciting and novel concept to be sure... There were a few catches though that nobody seemed to have considered.
First, there were probably less than a handful of employees in the organizations who actually had real-world experience implementing Software Solutions – irrespective of scale.
Second, other than the Leader and one other person on his staff – nobody else had actually worked on any AI/Expert Systems implementations.
Third, the Technology available at the time was either very expensive or extremely simplistic.
Fourth, none of these Technologies had actually attempted to integrate with traditional technologies using large databases, or complex operating logic and many simply did not work with multi-tasking Operating Systems.
Last, but not the least – the Vision was to create a suite of products which would be so good that the “People would come” to buy it.
What made the organization tick were the energy, passion and Vision of the Leader. This person was extremely people-focused and was always there with the next great idea, the concept that he would float and expect his people to follow and deliver results on.
As a reasonably seasoned IT professional who had been around the block a couple of times – I made attempts to suggest that we probably needed to have a business strategy around developing our first product. Such as identifying our Customer-base, identifying a specific business need and then probably modeling it before attempting to get into full-blown development.
This was simply too arduous a process for such a fledgling organization. Instead, the Leader chose to define the concept of a product right there in the conference room. The idea was excellent – but could it be developed and would it make money?
The teams started to build with no process or methodology to speak of. With the handful of experienced personnel, the product was developed and even piloted at a few installations – but nowhere near profitable. One of the attributes of such Leaders I have observed is that it is their definition of success that further reinforces their energies and sense of Purpose.
This Leader was on a complete “high” from the success and saw this as a vindication of his Vision which then enabled him to leverage his Passion and charisma even further to reinforce it within the organization.
Objectivity is not a virtue with such Leaders and usually, when the context changes dramatically; such people have a difficult time reorienting themselves and by extension, their organizations. However, such Leaders when surrounded by strong tactical minds and diverse opinions make huge strides in making an organization stronger, better and faster.
Having talked about three broad types of Leaders, I have always thought about what the attributes would be of an Ideal Leader.
The key to this, I believe is that a Leader who is principled – has a strong sense of values, is purposeful – as in, deliberate about the Purpose and Passionate about it. If we could combine these ingredients in a further attribute of Strategic and Tactical flexibility – then I believe we would come close to the attributes of an Ideal Leaders’ mindset.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The Need for Leadership
I had a boss, who I asked once about Leadership. He asked me if I had ever heard about the “CIO Handbook” (He was/is a CIO – one of the best I know). Naïve as I was, I shook my head; and he said that when I got the book, to read pages 1 to 5 and I would get my answer.
Needless to say, there never was and probably never will be a handbook on Leadership. And yet, the world at large always looks for and to Leaders for guidance, counsel, and even direction. Why then are Leaders such a rare breed? I do not make a distinction between “Good” or “Bad” Leaders because by definition a Leader serves Positive Change and the management of the Energy that such change brings with it.
Leadership is always defined within a context. The outcomes of such Leadership may live beyond the context and such is Greatness. History is replete with such great Leaders. Mahatma Gandhi’s context was India’s struggle for Freedom, and his Leadership through those times is unquestionable. But Gandhiji’s greatness stemmed from the lessons and Leadership he gave all mankind in its continuous struggle to be freed from Hate.
Alexander the Great with his vision of One World, Martin Luther King Jr. and his dream of a world of Equality - through all of these, one continuous refrain throbs gently – Leadership. Leadership that is beyond contexts and situations that define how we think, and who we aspire to be.
At the core of Leadership is a very fundamental premise – “If they work for you, you work for them”. In a very fundamental way, a Leader always serves needs and aspirations greater than themselves. The context therefore is far broader than the narrow confines of the Corporate world and extends into daily living.
In every situation and circumstance there is always a need for positive change. Whether you are a Manager on the shop-floor responsible for making widgets, or a Politician wanting to change the world, or a Housewife responsible for running a family and household – the need for positive change which in management-speak is “Value-add” is a constant.
So, how do Leaders make that difference? Basically, a Leader has three core capabilities that are constantly evolving in their own minds:
1) People – part of the context they are in and a deep understanding of the positive change they desire.
2) Principles – A set of beliefs that the Leader holds uncompromisingly to, ensuring transparency to all People. Positive set of beliefs, earned from experience.
3) Performance – How the Leader goes about making the positive changes and a reckoning of the impact of such changes. A Leader does not flinch from accountability to their actions.
Surrounding these is a passion for positive change. In simple terms, the key to sound Leadership are two fundamental principles:
1) Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
2) Say what you do – Do what you say – and How you do what you say defines the positivism of the impact.
Through all this, a Leader requires sustenance to deal with the ups and downs through this process of change and the ebbs and flows of energy. They are sustained by a strong sense of Purpose; accompanied by a pride in what they do; held constant by their Passion and Perseverance through all odds. What I have observed is that Leaders usually create their own Purpose, which usually resonates with the People who they lead.
A colleague of mine took over a team that was in deep trouble – Morale was low, there was little sense of “Team”, operating efficiencies were going down, commitments were being missed. A no-win situation, you would say. And yet, this friend of mine, even before he took the job, was already working on one simple concept that he wanted his people to understand that – “Each one of you is valuable”.
When a Leader is willing to look to the needs of the people before his own, something in each of us responds positively to this.
Needless to say, this colleague is extremely successful at what he does – but more importantly, the Team feels that they are successful in what they do.
Contrast this with another situation where another colleague of mine took over a team in reasonably good shape, good team ethos, strong processes but lacking in Focus. This person really wanted to make her mark - and right at that point was her undoing. Instead of leveraging the fundamental principle of “If they work for you, You work for Them” – and in her anxiety to make a lasting impression – what came across to the People was exactly that.
I always say – People can smell a fake a mile away. If ever an aspiring Leader starts with the premise of “What’s in it for me?” – that is a sure recipe for disaster.
With both of these colleagues there was one common thread – both had the desire to create Positive Change. If ever there was truth to the aphorism “The Ends justify the Means” – it ends here. The Means are just as important and vital as the Ends. In Leadership it is always about BOTH the Means and the Ends. One took the path of valuing individuals, and through those means achieving the ends. The other started with the End of creating Focus and ignored the individual until it was too late.
You may very well ask if therefore the Means are more important than the Ends. The differentiator is the sense of Purpose. In one situation, the Purpose was to influence positive change for the People. In the other there was a desire for positive change for the People, but the Leader in their haste to demonstrate Positive Change ignored the People.
Primarily, we recognize Leaders by their desire to create Positive Change for People within the Context. Similarly, we also castigate Leaders (And I hesitate to call them this) by their desire for Change irrespective of People.
JFK Jr. said it absolutely right with – “Ask not what your Country can do for you; ask what you can do for your Country”. Replace “Country” with your own context – Boss, Team, Organization, Community, Group, State etc.
Needless to say, there never was and probably never will be a handbook on Leadership. And yet, the world at large always looks for and to Leaders for guidance, counsel, and even direction. Why then are Leaders such a rare breed? I do not make a distinction between “Good” or “Bad” Leaders because by definition a Leader serves Positive Change and the management of the Energy that such change brings with it.
Leadership is always defined within a context. The outcomes of such Leadership may live beyond the context and such is Greatness. History is replete with such great Leaders. Mahatma Gandhi’s context was India’s struggle for Freedom, and his Leadership through those times is unquestionable. But Gandhiji’s greatness stemmed from the lessons and Leadership he gave all mankind in its continuous struggle to be freed from Hate.
Alexander the Great with his vision of One World, Martin Luther King Jr. and his dream of a world of Equality - through all of these, one continuous refrain throbs gently – Leadership. Leadership that is beyond contexts and situations that define how we think, and who we aspire to be.
At the core of Leadership is a very fundamental premise – “If they work for you, you work for them”. In a very fundamental way, a Leader always serves needs and aspirations greater than themselves. The context therefore is far broader than the narrow confines of the Corporate world and extends into daily living.
In every situation and circumstance there is always a need for positive change. Whether you are a Manager on the shop-floor responsible for making widgets, or a Politician wanting to change the world, or a Housewife responsible for running a family and household – the need for positive change which in management-speak is “Value-add” is a constant.
So, how do Leaders make that difference? Basically, a Leader has three core capabilities that are constantly evolving in their own minds:
1) People – part of the context they are in and a deep understanding of the positive change they desire.
2) Principles – A set of beliefs that the Leader holds uncompromisingly to, ensuring transparency to all People. Positive set of beliefs, earned from experience.
3) Performance – How the Leader goes about making the positive changes and a reckoning of the impact of such changes. A Leader does not flinch from accountability to their actions.
Surrounding these is a passion for positive change. In simple terms, the key to sound Leadership are two fundamental principles:
1) Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
2) Say what you do – Do what you say – and How you do what you say defines the positivism of the impact.
Through all this, a Leader requires sustenance to deal with the ups and downs through this process of change and the ebbs and flows of energy. They are sustained by a strong sense of Purpose; accompanied by a pride in what they do; held constant by their Passion and Perseverance through all odds. What I have observed is that Leaders usually create their own Purpose, which usually resonates with the People who they lead.
A colleague of mine took over a team that was in deep trouble – Morale was low, there was little sense of “Team”, operating efficiencies were going down, commitments were being missed. A no-win situation, you would say. And yet, this friend of mine, even before he took the job, was already working on one simple concept that he wanted his people to understand that – “Each one of you is valuable”.When a Leader is willing to look to the needs of the people before his own, something in each of us responds positively to this.
Needless to say, this colleague is extremely successful at what he does – but more importantly, the Team feels that they are successful in what they do.
Contrast this with another situation where another colleague of mine took over a team in reasonably good shape, good team ethos, strong processes but lacking in Focus. This person really wanted to make her mark - and right at that point was her undoing. Instead of leveraging the fundamental principle of “If they work for you, You work for Them” – and in her anxiety to make a lasting impression – what came across to the People was exactly that.
I always say – People can smell a fake a mile away. If ever an aspiring Leader starts with the premise of “What’s in it for me?” – that is a sure recipe for disaster.
With both of these colleagues there was one common thread – both had the desire to create Positive Change. If ever there was truth to the aphorism “The Ends justify the Means” – it ends here. The Means are just as important and vital as the Ends. In Leadership it is always about BOTH the Means and the Ends. One took the path of valuing individuals, and through those means achieving the ends. The other started with the End of creating Focus and ignored the individual until it was too late.
You may very well ask if therefore the Means are more important than the Ends. The differentiator is the sense of Purpose. In one situation, the Purpose was to influence positive change for the People. In the other there was a desire for positive change for the People, but the Leader in their haste to demonstrate Positive Change ignored the People.
Primarily, we recognize Leaders by their desire to create Positive Change for People within the Context. Similarly, we also castigate Leaders (And I hesitate to call them this) by their desire for Change irrespective of People.
JFK Jr. said it absolutely right with – “Ask not what your Country can do for you; ask what you can do for your Country”. Replace “Country” with your own context – Boss, Team, Organization, Community, Group, State etc.
Response to some comments
Based on some comments I have seen on this Blog - Let me try and categorize them:
1) A comment was around whether Leaders need to be Charismatic - I would like to look at it from 2 perspectives - The Need for Leadership and Types of Leadership (That I have experienced).
2) Leadership and To Lead means a direction and therefore a movement. Towards this I would like to submit a Leadership model on this post that could help clarify. The subsequent 2 posts is my attempt to cover these topics.
1) A comment was around whether Leaders need to be Charismatic - I would like to look at it from 2 perspectives - The Need for Leadership and Types of Leadership (That I have experienced).
2) Leadership and To Lead means a direction and therefore a movement. Towards this I would like to submit a Leadership model on this post that could help clarify. The subsequent 2 posts is my attempt to cover these topics.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
What Leadership is about
Leadership is about positive change – initiating, managing or following. With Change, there is always Energy that is either gathered or dissipated. The management of this Energy is ultimately what Leadership is all about.
If anybody were to try and write a Job Description of a Leader, they would find themselves listing the positive attributes of a human being such as:
Courageous
Visionary
Honest
Influential
Change-agent etc. etc.
Therefore, we can safely conclude that Leadership is not a Job Title, but an attribute. And as with any attribute, you just have to Be it or simply Do it.
The mystique of Leadership primarily revolves around this vagueness, this squishiness. After all, most of us recognize Leadership in others, why then do we find this so challenging to find in ourselves?
The answer as always is simple – Self-awareness. Any of us are able to recognize attributes in others, outside of ourselves. This person is honest, this politician is courageous, and that lady is influential. Yet, when we turn that beacon on to ourselves, suddenly the clarity vanishes.
In my opinion, one of the key attributes/qualities of a Leader is the willingness and ability to constantly look into themselves – either on their own initiative or due to the ability to listen, reflect and act upon feedback from their environment.
The qualities required of a person on the quest for self-awareness are primarily – Humility, Listening, Reflection, Thought and Action. The primary quality though is Humility. For, this quality brings with it other positive attributes such as openness and honesty.
In this blog I will be taking on some of these topics head-on as I believe that the process of peeling the onion through the hindsight of experience is a great way to learn. What I have consistently found in my experiences is that there are essentially two ways to learn: One is to use a map and guideposts on the journey. The other is to forego the map and the markers – but to keep the goal in mind while experiencing.
Both are critical and both are rewarding. This book while providing some of the maps and markers will nonetheless use Questions that are meant for the traveler to explore by themselves.
Leadership, like Life is more about the journey and less about the destination. There may be material goals and other tangible results that a Leader on the journey may attain – but Leadership at its pinnacle is about the journey and the quest for learning - the growth through positive change.
1) Leadership is about initiating and actively participating in positive change.
2) Leadership is primarily about serving the greater and less about directing.
3) Managing is about maintaining through the change process.
4) Change is about the changes in Energy – Leadership is about managing Energy.
5) Leadership is a personal journey – not a professional destination.
6) Leadership is about Thinking and Doing – It is an attribute, not a job title.
If anybody were to try and write a Job Description of a Leader, they would find themselves listing the positive attributes of a human being such as:
Courageous
Visionary
Honest
Influential
Change-agent etc. etc.
Therefore, we can safely conclude that Leadership is not a Job Title, but an attribute. And as with any attribute, you just have to Be it or simply Do it.
The mystique of Leadership primarily revolves around this vagueness, this squishiness. After all, most of us recognize Leadership in others, why then do we find this so challenging to find in ourselves?
The answer as always is simple – Self-awareness. Any of us are able to recognize attributes in others, outside of ourselves. This person is honest, this politician is courageous, and that lady is influential. Yet, when we turn that beacon on to ourselves, suddenly the clarity vanishes.
In my opinion, one of the key attributes/qualities of a Leader is the willingness and ability to constantly look into themselves – either on their own initiative or due to the ability to listen, reflect and act upon feedback from their environment.
The qualities required of a person on the quest for self-awareness are primarily – Humility, Listening, Reflection, Thought and Action. The primary quality though is Humility. For, this quality brings with it other positive attributes such as openness and honesty.
In this blog I will be taking on some of these topics head-on as I believe that the process of peeling the onion through the hindsight of experience is a great way to learn. What I have consistently found in my experiences is that there are essentially two ways to learn: One is to use a map and guideposts on the journey. The other is to forego the map and the markers – but to keep the goal in mind while experiencing.
Both are critical and both are rewarding. This book while providing some of the maps and markers will nonetheless use Questions that are meant for the traveler to explore by themselves.
Leadership, like Life is more about the journey and less about the destination. There may be material goals and other tangible results that a Leader on the journey may attain – but Leadership at its pinnacle is about the journey and the quest for learning - the growth through positive change.
1) Leadership is about initiating and actively participating in positive change.
2) Leadership is primarily about serving the greater and less about directing.
3) Managing is about maintaining through the change process.
4) Change is about the changes in Energy – Leadership is about managing Energy.
5) Leadership is a personal journey – not a professional destination.
6) Leadership is about Thinking and Doing – It is an attribute, not a job title.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Leadership - Introduction to "The Grey Zone"
This blog is an attempt to put down my experiences and insights as an evolving Leader. I feel I have value to add on this – as I was not born or made into a Leader, but I just “DID” by deciding to become one.
What I believe is unique to this is that, firstly, it is a view from the ground - a perspective from somebody who has grown into this understanding. Secondly, the contents have been culled from my personal experiences and observations. And finally, I hope to keep the topics relevant and real-world and not based on theory.
I do not claim to be an expert, nor am I an academician steeped in research on the topic. Much has been written and discussed at length by both such groups. I hope to bring a more down-to-earth kind of Guidebook to Leaders who “would be” and “who are”.
Many a time in my career, I have longed for two things - a Mentor on Leadership and a Handbook of Leadership. I found neither. That is not to say that I did not come across Great and not-so-Great advice/guidance along the way. But I certainly missed having some sort of guideposts and mile-markers for me to then decide the route to take in my quest to become a Leader.
What I hope earnestly is that this blog and others like it become one of a set of guideposts along the path.
Leadership begins with the need for a very fundamental understanding…Situations in life are very rarely black or white. They are more likely to be a shade of Grey. The greater the acceptance of this fundamental principle, the sooner and easier it becomes to cope with the realities of Leadership.
The challenges this throws up from a Leadership perspective are very akin to the challenges of dealing with Life – which is very much about exercising judgment, being honest, being realistic and most important of all – Persevering with Patience.
In my personal experience what I have found consistently about Leadership is, you learn as much about the situations and people you interact with, as you learn about yourself as an individual. For those on the path of Leadership, be prepared to be exposed and very often quite vulnerable.
One of the keys to succeeding in this Grey Zone of ambiguity and even at times murkiness is a simple acceptance of such vagueness. It is only through an acceptance that directions which at first glance would seem impossible, come through to become a reality.
Further, Leadership is about Belief. Belief in yourself, in the people you work with, in the situations you are faced with and most of all – in an attitude that can at best be described as Positive.
It requires a commitment and willingness – almost an embracing of the concept of Change. But I would like to add a caveat to this – Positive Change.
Not all change is good and most certainly, most change is naturally hard to accept. The successful Leader is one who will embrace change and make it positive while others are still struggling to explain it.
I intend to approach this as a series of posts in this blog and welcome comments and debate. And I hope a great many of these topics will stay as burning issues much into the future – because the day some of these issues diminish, the world will have no need of Leaders and Oh what a dull world that would be.
What I believe is unique to this is that, firstly, it is a view from the ground - a perspective from somebody who has grown into this understanding. Secondly, the contents have been culled from my personal experiences and observations. And finally, I hope to keep the topics relevant and real-world and not based on theory.
I do not claim to be an expert, nor am I an academician steeped in research on the topic. Much has been written and discussed at length by both such groups. I hope to bring a more down-to-earth kind of Guidebook to Leaders who “would be” and “who are”.
Many a time in my career, I have longed for two things - a Mentor on Leadership and a Handbook of Leadership. I found neither. That is not to say that I did not come across Great and not-so-Great advice/guidance along the way. But I certainly missed having some sort of guideposts and mile-markers for me to then decide the route to take in my quest to become a Leader.
What I hope earnestly is that this blog and others like it become one of a set of guideposts along the path.
Leadership begins with the need for a very fundamental understanding…Situations in life are very rarely black or white. They are more likely to be a shade of Grey. The greater the acceptance of this fundamental principle, the sooner and easier it becomes to cope with the realities of Leadership.
The challenges this throws up from a Leadership perspective are very akin to the challenges of dealing with Life – which is very much about exercising judgment, being honest, being realistic and most important of all – Persevering with Patience.
In my personal experience what I have found consistently about Leadership is, you learn as much about the situations and people you interact with, as you learn about yourself as an individual. For those on the path of Leadership, be prepared to be exposed and very often quite vulnerable.
One of the keys to succeeding in this Grey Zone of ambiguity and even at times murkiness is a simple acceptance of such vagueness. It is only through an acceptance that directions which at first glance would seem impossible, come through to become a reality.
Further, Leadership is about Belief. Belief in yourself, in the people you work with, in the situations you are faced with and most of all – in an attitude that can at best be described as Positive.
It requires a commitment and willingness – almost an embracing of the concept of Change. But I would like to add a caveat to this – Positive Change.
Not all change is good and most certainly, most change is naturally hard to accept. The successful Leader is one who will embrace change and make it positive while others are still struggling to explain it.
I intend to approach this as a series of posts in this blog and welcome comments and debate. And I hope a great many of these topics will stay as burning issues much into the future – because the day some of these issues diminish, the world will have no need of Leaders and Oh what a dull world that would be.
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