LEADERSHIP

Leadership is the process through which a ‘Leader’ guides a group of individuals by setting examples and motivating each member of the group towards achieving a common goal, such that both the organisation and the individual achieve success. Some of the vital characteristics of a leader are :

Fostering unity – the real strength

One of the primary requirements of a true leader is to unite the team. If the spirit of many in body but one in mind prevails among the team members, they will achieve their goals. Whereas if one in body but different in mind, they can achieve nothing significant or remarkable. A happy unit or team can achieve wonders. It is said that TEAM stands for ‘Together Each Achieves More.”

Being a visionary and setting the goals

The first step in any challenge is to set clear goals. If the goals are vague, people will find them difficult to relate to and take on as a personal challenge. Consequently, they will not make any serious efforts to realize those goals. At the same time, one should avoid coercive leadership.  It is important to present the goals in such way that everyone can accept them and be enthusiastic about realizing them. To that end, the central figure or the leader must have the firm resolve to take personal responsibility to achieve the intended target. The passion and enthusiasm emanating from such leaders inspires others to give their best for the organisation.

Setting an example for others to follow

A true leader is a one who leads from the front. Setting an example is one of the best ways of winning the respect of the team. A team will do anything for such a leader if they know they won’t be asked to do anything that their leader himself will not do.

Doing ‘maximum good’ for ‘maximum’ people & Succession planning

A true leader always ensures, instead of one taking a hundred steps , a hundred people would advance a step forward. The key to victory lies in uncovering fresh talent within the team and pooling their abilities. Just as a leader wants to know how bright his future is, where he stands in the future, each of his men also have hopes and aspirations. One is not a genuine leader if one does not foster capable successors. The true worth of a leader rests on how many people he has fostered to carry the organisation’s vision forward; just like a single tall tree does not make a forest and unless other trees grow to the same height, we cannot have a grove.

Communication

Communication is one of the key attributes that a leader should possess. A leader must hold discussions at the group or unit level encouraging more of face-to-face dialogue. As it allows for warmer and more personal encounters, these smaller settings make it possible to properly address individual problems and concerns through one-to-one dialogue. Otherwise everyone freezes.

It is said that ‘Effective communication for a leader is about 50% Listening, 30% Talking, 10% Reading and 10% Writing. It is extremely important for any person who aspires to be a good leader to first and foremost listen to the opinions of the team members. Making comments and being judgmental are to be avoided, hence no one would be afraid to make suggestions in team meetings. Suggestions are to be taken in with an open mind.  It is true that for every thousand ideas that Edison had, only one was practicable. But that one practicable idea gave us telephone and another electric light.

Getting the best out of the team – the right mix of Empathy + Firmness

Members of the team are humans with emotions and need to be taken care of with utmost dedication. They are like tender saplings which need to be nursed diligently to help them grow into strong trees.

Merely ordering people about will not inspire them to action. This is even more so considering that people are emotional beings. If people feel put-upon and act only out of a sense of obligation, they are not going to display their true potential and power. A true leader must inspire each member of the team or group to take full responsibility for reaching a given goal.

As an ancient philosopher said, it is not the position that ennobles a person, but a person who ennobles the position.

For a good and genuine leader it is important to be patient, tactful and diplomatic, and yet firm. The key lies in softening the blow when team members make a mistake. Rather than judging a person as competent or incompetent, it is best to look for each person’s positive qualities, discovering and praising their inherent strengths and abilities. This is the ideal formula for getting the best out of the team.

Humility

Once a tree grows taller and starts bearing flowers and fruits; its trunk bends earthwards. Similarly, the higher the leadership position, the more humble and down-to-earth one must be. The leader must replace “I” with “We”. An example being, an inverted pyramid, though, the leader is at the top, he is not. No matter how great the achievements are, his attitude remains the same. It is not the job that dignifies the person but the person who dignifies the job. Similarly, it is the aspect of humility that sets apart the average leaders from the great leaders.

Accountability

He always encourages his team-members to make a number of suggestions and take plenty of initiatives. If a leader can take the responsibility upon himself for the failure of his team upon instead of blaming and punishing his team, the leader has gone a long way towards garnering the support of his teammates.

Our former president Dr. Abdul Kalam narrates his own experience in this context. When he was the project director of India’s satellite launch program SLV-3.  As the project director, Dr. Kalam was in charge of the control center for the launch of ‘Rohini’ into orbit. Just a few minutes before the satellite launch, the computer program put the launch on hold; the display showed that some control components were not in order. But though the computer raised an alarm, Dr. Kalam bypassed the computer, switched to manual mode, and went ahead with the launch. Unfortunately, a problem developed and the rocket plunged into the Bay of Bengal. That day, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, Prof. Satish Dhawan, had called a press conference at ISRO's satellite launch range in Sriharikota. Prof. Dhawan, the leader of the organization, conducted the press conference himself. He took responsibility for the failure -- he said that the team had worked very hard, but that it needed more technological support. He assured the media that in another year, the team would definitely succeed. Now, though Dr. Kalam was the project director, Prof. Dhawan took responsibility for the failure as chairman of the organization.

The next year, when the team again tried to launch the satellite, they succeeded. This time around, Prof. Dhawan gave the entire credit for the success to Dr. Kalam and made him address the press conference.

No fear of trying something new

When Plan A fails, a leader should be ready with a backup Plan B and should not be afraid to try it out. He/ she should never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built Noah’s Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

To sum up, it is best to believe that “Leadership is action and not merely position”.

Writer: Natasha Sengupta