Why True Leaders are 'Happy Feet'

Why True Leaders are ‘Happy Feet’ The Bible recounts the time when an argument breaks out between the disciples of Jesus about who is the greatest. In answer to the squabbling Jesus draws a little child close to His side and says : “Anyone who welcomes this child in My Name welcomes Me; and anyone who welcomes Me, welcomes the One who sent Me. The least among you all is the one who is the greatest.” Jesus’ role model for a Leader was a child – or a person with childlike values of innocence, humility, truthfulness and love ! One could enumerate other qualities that embody everything that’s lovable and true- qualities such as empathy, sincerity, selflessness and so on...... True leaders possess these qualities in abundance and that makes following them an engaging exercize . After all, isn’t human sensibility more attracted to those who mirror and live the innate goodness in us all ? Ironically, true leadership is considered a difficult journey – a crown of thorns and a painful walk on a bed of thorns ! Perhaps the imagery is painted by those who would rather not take the path and therefore proffer magnified difficulties as an excuse. After all, who would want to move from comfort zones and so – called ‘easy’ ways of living, dictated by a selfish pleasure principle, to a life which is other centred and value driven. Often such arguments are only a ruse to live a life of escapism - offering the line of least resistance to the perverse ways of the world. Living out a life enriched by the innate life values that we are created with is in reality a happy place to be. The plan and path are dictated by a moral compass embedded in each human heart and are the surest guarantor for a life lived in peace, happiness and contentment. Is it any wonder then, that true Leaders who live such exemplary lives have an aura around them, a glow that lights up the countenance and gladdens the heart. Imagine a life lived without the petty fears, envies, jealousies, bitterness and other base emotions that plague most of us. A true Leaders life is the very antithesis of all these negatives – fear is replaced by direction, purpose, faith; envy and jealousy with a calm acceptance, self – esteem; bitterness by a sense of hope, forgiveness, generosity.......All qualities that broaden the mind and expand the heart...... A Leader imbued with these qualities is therefore truly, the child- like role model, endorsed by Jesus Christ, the greatest Leader ! Such a Leader is truly ‘Happy Feet’ - journeying through life with purpose and passion and imprinting footsteps in the sands of time for ‘Happy Feet’ followers!

Why the Leader must have the broadest vision ?
Perhaps, that should read – why only people with the broadest vision can and should become Leaders !
In it’s most profound and by it’s most revered definition, Leadership is close to exercising power on behalf of the Divine. A very apt definition of parenthood says : “God couldn’t be everywhere, and so he created parents.” In a similar manner the Almighty , perhaps, prefers to empower certain privileged human beings with the wherewithal to perform some humane tasks – such as the development and amelioration of the human race.
Power, unbridled power, that persons in select positions enjoy, over several lesser others can only be justified if used to the maximum good. If power was meant for personal aggrandisement and the privilege of a few, wouldn’t the Almighty also not have abdicated the right of complete control over one’s fate on such fortunate individuals ? The Almighty thereby signals – selective power over others is yours but the ultimate power over you is mine ! Therefore, into positions of power is built the inherent capability, capacity and predilection to do good to others ; Power was never meant as Personal Power – rather –‘ Impersonal Power’ meant for the maximum good.
At the root of every human activity lies the seeds of advancement of the human race and the elite that control and direct such activity, as Leaders, therefore cannot but be blessed with the vision to see where such activity is headed and where it should. Surely, activity for it’s own sake or for the purpose of narrow economic or social gain is rather a petty world view for a Leader. As one in whom power is vested for the largest common good, a Leader must find meaning and purpose far beyond the balance sheet.
Leadership not attuned to a larger purpose than the product, the profit and the immediate public prize, betrays a poverty of mind not aligned to the Divine calling that Leadership is about. Product, profit and the instant prize are but inconsequential pit stops in the route map to an evolved race of humans, humans who are at the very least offered the dignity and respect due to the person supposedly created in the image and likeness of the Creator. In real terms a Leaders self – appraisal should revolve around - How many people attained purpose and potential ? How many were raised from poverty to abundance ? How many lives were salvaged ? How much social impact created ? How many dreams nurtured ?
Every true Leader must have a ‘mountain – top’ experience, where he is awed and humbled by a vision of the depth and breadth of his inheritance. As he plans and prepares in the loneliness endemic to his calling, he must keep that main purpose before his mind’s eye. Lesser mortals will grapple with the commerce, setting true direction and purpose and changing a corner of his world is truly the Leader’s vocation.
“The Human Experience makes a Leader Divine !”

Responsibility,Respect,Restraint,Resurgence – habits that can win you the world !

The search for the magic formula for success is never – ending. Tomes and tomes have been written and are being written on the subject and the views of experienced and wise people sought by those who believe that they are here to leave their mark. There are no dearth of ‘winning’ plans ranging from 7 day plans to 365 day plans. Many of these perhaps suffer from overkill and leave no room for even the most conscientious to embed them through prolonged practice. And practise is certainly the key for the journey of a 1000 miles – the journey of life.

Arguably linking desired habits to natural, instinctive behaviours is more likely to succeed. The four habits of Responsibility, Respect, Restraint and Resurgence may be closer to the inherent human spirit. Acquiring Responsibility is the first of these habits. It is inextricably bound to the attainment of maturity by a human being. He realises the importance of Responsibility, he understands the value and esteem gained from being responsible both for himself and for the world around him. It is much later when he is subject to negative influences that he falls away from an inherently habitual way of thinking to the more relaxed, easy – going mindset of irresponsibility.

Respect for self and others is the next dimension to Responsibility. When one is individually and socially responsible, respect for the personal and inter – personal space is a natural consequence. Self – esteem is a precursor for paying the tribute of esteem to persons one encounters in the external world. Being disrespectful is after all a violation of the personal space of the other. Respect basically means that I have a right to be here and the recognition that others have a right to be here as well and extends to respect not only of persons but thoughts, views and ideas the other represents.

Restraint is but one step behind. Flowing through in a natural thread from Responsibility and Respect, Restraint is the act of consciously holding back from the impulsive and certainly deliberate acts of unwelcome intrusion into the emotional, psychological and physical spheres of another’s world. Gossip, character – assassination, unjustified vilification, slander, malice – if these habits disappeared, or even reduced by a significant degree, imagine the peace and tranquillity that would result !

Finally, we come to the habit of resurgence – the spirit of passion - and Passion is veritably God’s energy ! Resurgence has within it all the elevating elements of the human spirit. Resurgence means a capacity to revitalise, re – invent, renew. It is the one habit that encapsulates everything that makes life worthwhile and living an exhilarating experience. Possessing the habit of resurgence is like having a powerful energy generator switched on all the time. It is the life – blood of winners, the fuel that makes a person pick himself up off the floor and aspire to touch the skies, irrespective of the nadir he has reached !

Responsibility, Respect, Restraint and Resurgence – habits to live for !

After all, every one of us deserves to live a better life and create a better world!

Why the next guy in line is more important

In organisations the focus of most of the efforts is the Leader. The spotlight is on the incumbent and his every need is met and satisfied. Some organisations might even be guilty of pampering the Leader. Little attention, if any, is ever paid to the second – in – commands, the ones who are the receipients and conduits of the ‘great man’s’ ideas and orders. And examined closely, this is the level where it can all come together or fall apart.
The next – in – commands, or the group of so – called followers are the most important persons in an organisation. The term ‘follower’ is practically a misnomer – he should not really be one in the strict connotation of the term. The next – in – command, if merely a conduit can seriously be underplaying his role, for he is expected to and should be challenging thought – processes that emerge from the ‘corner office’ and presenting the alternate view or better still alternate views. He should as often be in the garb of the Devil’s advocate. This rarely happens given organisational dynamics and is therefore a gap area that is a measure of organisational culture, structural balances as well as individual competencies.
Even in the role of the implementer, the second – in – command, has a hugely critical role. An enlightened Leader can spawn a million ideas and initiatives, but to what effect if the ideas do not result in effective action plans, accountabilities and follow – ups ? Given the fact that most Leaders are not and are not expected either, to be caught up in the messy intricacies of implementation, the army of next – in – lines are expected to fulfil that role effectively. Often the failure of a Leader can be traced to the failure of his followers. The saying : ‘Behind every successful man stands a woman’ can be paraphrased to say : ‘Behind every successful Leader stands an army of efficient followers.’
Modern organisations, caught up as they are in the instant demands of an ever – changing, volatile world, do pay a lot of attention to actions and implementation, hence the role of the next – in – commands in ‘getting things done’ is well understood and well defined, and there lies the rub. Most modern organisations may well be guilty of driving the follower in his implementatory role but paying little or no attention to him from the perspective of the followers’ role in the future. Caught up in the vortex of implementation, both man and management can lose sight of the future. A myopic vision of the developmental needs of the follower, holds the danger of translating into a myopic vision of the future of the organisation.
Given that organisations are built on the bedrock of a respectable past, they are also sustained on the dexterity of the present and the preparedness for the future. Organisations can ignore this perspective only at great peril.
Sense and sensibility both demand that while the Leader may have a larger glamour quotient, the follower be bestowed equal, if not arguably, a larger share of the organisational focus of developmental efforts, both to strengthen his current role requirements as well as in preparation for the future.
The ideal way forward is perhaps best illuminated by one focus light on the present and one spotlight on the future !

The Leader's journey

Poised at the first rung of the ladder every managerial aspirant looks upwards and dreams of reaching the top. The initial dreams are probably formless and vague. Somewhere along the way, presumably from observing the style and conduct of managers higher up in the hierarchy,the dreams translate to ideas of acquiring power, pelf and patronage. Though the attainment of these attractive,albeit misguided goals seem formidable challenges in themselves – the fears and uncertainties are more about impatient anticipation than about the difficulties of getting there; after all shortcuts are always more alluring and easily accessible.

Ironically, this is neither meant to be the Leader’s journey nor the Leader’s destination. The Leader’s journey is truly about the follower’s need to be led to the right destination. As has too often been said the Leader is about his followers – giving them the right dreams, direction and destination.
For an aspirant Leader who is tempted to follow ‘convenient’ role – models, it might be pertinent to consider – Am I playing out my own life or am I playing out to somebody else’s plan ? Set your goal to become an upright, principled, value – based Leader for what it can make of you when you achieve it. Do it to achieve your true Human destiny, to become the true Human Being you are created to be and expected to evolve into – You are created for love, peace, truth, justice and brotherhood.

Is this practical in the world of commerce ? It is not only practical, feasible and possible – it is also essential if the world is to be a better place and if every human beings deepest aspiration for love, peace, truth, justice and brotherhood is to be attained; after all commercial activity spans, engages and is the single biggest activity that dominates the collective consciousness of the world. If commercial activities shape politics, economies, policies, isn’t it time it influences and shapes human behaviour ?

An aspiring Leader should do it for the for the skills he would learn, for the knowledge he would gain – about the marketplace, about people he would lead. He should do it for the insights he gains into himself, for the tools to keep a rampant ego in check, to learn about charity and benevolence.

In a world that is slowly, but surely undertaking an inward quest it is imperative to tell the aspiring Leader – don’t sell out your principles, don’t compromise your values, don’t lose out on what you are born to become.......... the pain of discipline is always better than the pain of regret.

A Leader’s journey is perhaps, more a crown of thorns, than a bed of roses !

Leadership is increasingly about upliftment

Organizations have historically faced a perennial tussle to retain talent. But never more acute
ly than in the current Knowledge Age when Knowledge Workers are in great demand. The other side of the coin is about increasing expectations of people. The Knowledge revolution has resulted in increased awareness levels of people; they now, not only know the grass is greener on the other side but can see how much greener and by what shade of green. This has resulted in raising the expectations of people. Aspirations range from better standards of living for themselves and their loved ones to better careers and even better treatment at work.
It is not as if, these expectations are new – the human heart always aspired – the yearnings have only sharpened. Leaders today find the demands on them are expectedly huge. Even this is not new, considering that Leaders were always expected to uplift their people, the change is in terms of scale and immediacy of expectations.
The age of Leaders living in the world of self – aggrandizement are decidedly over – agitations in the political sphere are an indicator of the intensity and power of the driving forces of desire and ambition. Followers are about immediacy, they cannot wait and they will brook no delay.
These are grave, testing time for leadership in every sphere, the message that is rising up the ranks is deliver or disappear ! Leadership that cannot deliver is neither endearing nor enduring and are apt to land in the trashcan of history.
For business organizations, the surest smoke signals are the rising swirl of attrition. People leaving the organization can no more be considered a mere statistic covered by the ‘fig leaf’ of ‘leaving for better prospects.’ The rising percentage of attrition in an organization could be a sure indicator of a deeper malaise. There has never been a time when quality of leadership has been more directly and decidedly responsible for organizational success, nay survival. Good followers can still take an organization to giddy heights but the existential question is how to keep good followers engaged and involved.
Expectations are not necessarily monetary - which could most often easily met – but could be in more challenging areas such as reward and recognition, quality of work challenges, value addition, ambience, ethics, and respectful interactions. These expectations have huge emotive potential, huge enough to excite anarchy, if unfulfilled. Anarchic episodes in organizations even today are not unheard of but the concern is that they could grow in number and scale.
The challenge to Leadership is present and emergent !
The age of sophistication in selecting, appointing and training Leadership is very much here - and here to stay !

Why the leader must be trusted

That the leader must trust his people is the underlying motif behind the management processes that build his success story. But perhaps what is more critical is that first a leader must be trusted. It is common wisdom that every follower would pose certain questions to himself before he commits himself to a leader whether he voluntarily accepts the leader or has the leader thrust upon him. The crucial questions implicit in the relationship are around : Does he care about me ? Does he have my welfare at heart ? Can I trust him ? While blind trust in a leader happens, it is a rare commodity and occurs only when the cause is larger than the leader. Generally, followers want answers to their questions before they commit either effort or support. This is a foundational issue in organizations – one that can have far reaching consequences on productivity and performance.
Most managers are quick to attribute performance flaws to the quality and competence of their teams – the typical expression of this attribution is to say – after all I have inherited my team – implying that since they had no choice in the selection, they could not be held completely responsible for the results. Ergo, the practice of managers moving organizations with ‘ trusted’ subordinates in tow – a practice frowned upon and discouraged by many organizations since consequences of such wholesale buyouts could be demoralization in the ranks, bias, favoritism and consequent attrition. A more serious issue could be changes in the culture of the recruiting organization and unless such culture change is consciously desired or planned for could be game – changing in the long run, only hopefully on a positive scale.
The challenge therefore lies in managers establishing trust – relationships with their subordinates quickly and as seamlessly as possible. Gaining and getting trust is not unfortunately an easy or equal exchange and a manager would quickly discover that it is harder being trusted than to trust. The potential leader has more at stake than the potential follower and that is why it is a hard act to follow. That is why the aspiring leader is called upon to ‘model the way’. More than words and intentions it is the aspiring leaders’ behavior that can make or break a career and by extension a function, a department, an organization.
In the deep reserves of a followers heart lie the ultimate decisions – how much to commit, how much to withhold. To trust or not to trust – that is the question !