The Leadership Chronicle

I think a leader is someone whom people follow J

How about that!

A simple and effective gauge of a trait which many a management guru has defined using many more esoteric and exotic criteria.

But think about it. You are the leader in your organization. You have charted a clear way forward for where you want to take your enterprise. You are driving ahead with a passion to meet that vision. But when you look behind in enthusiastic anticipation, you find barren and deserted sand dunes. There is no one behind following your lead. Or maybe there are a few tormented souls, driven more by the chains of hierarchy as opposed to the call of their hearts.  If indeed that is the case my friend, then I would conjecture that the arc of your honeymoon period might be long but it will definitely and steadily bend towards failure.

So what does it take for a leader to be followed? Below are some of my favorite mantras on the art of leadership.

A bold vision is paramount. A pessimistic Leader perpetually content with the status quo, with a run of the mill mindset fits like a square in a circle of spiraling change, which underpins business today. Leaders need to carve out visions which catapult their enterprises far ahead of competition. They need to dovetail vision with the ability to take courageous, bold decisions in operations. Don’t just sit there and bask in the success of the status quo, dream big, embrace and drive change and strive for relentless continuous improvement.

The hero stories of the dominant, snooty, ‘I know it all and I will tell you what to do’ leader are ready to be confined to the annals of history. The information age demands a more inclusive and approachable style. I call this ‘benevolent leadership’. Not to be confused with being soft or being uninterested in driving profits for the stakeholders. That is not what I mean by benevolent. The keywords which come to mind in description are ‘genuine, humility, passionate, transparent, inclusive, relaxed persona’. Genuine deserves a special mention. Very often leaders give lip service to open door policies. Their doors are definitely open but minds firmly shut to feedback from the grass roots. And closed minds are openly visible to an increasingly savvy workforce. The days of the dominant boss are numbered if not already extinct. A relaxed and inclusive persona which promotes unhindered expression, open critique and contribution at all levels is the new mantra of the information age.  An age in which contribution more than credentials defines who you are and the fellowship you command.

Perhaps the most important mantra for the leader of this age is the ability to connect with and inspire people. Ability to command loyalty and respect. Ability to delegate and then hold accountable. Ability to create an environment where people bring their heart and souls to work and not just their minds. Some people naively translate all this into being nice and being weak! A leader in this age needs to be simultaneously tough and demanding as well as loved and respected. Today’s workforce is fully plugged in and switched on to reality. They understand that making profit on a sustainable basis requires a leader to act sharply on mediocrity and continuously strive for high performance from the workforce. However leaders get carried away with the demanding part of the equation and conveniently forget the loved and respected bit. A healthy balance in a Leader’s character is critical to take people along on a journey towards the vision. People is the glass ball that a leader is holding. If dropped it won’t bounce back and instead shatter into a thousand pieces, wrecking along with it any dreams of delivering the vision. Inspiring and engaging people is the prime role of the Leader, this is where the rubber hits the road. Add a multicultural workforce to the mix and this task becomes even more daunting. But then, anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm. Surmounting an agitated ocean of people challenges is what distinguishes the men from the boys, the true leaders from the ‘also rans’.

So are you looking to lead in the information age?

Where news and information in the social world moves much faster than you can click send on your corporate email. Where individuals feel fully empowered. Where power has firmly transcended from the masses to the individual. Where the world is truly everyone’s oyster. Where talent can vote with their feet to almost any part of the world. Where the landscape is competitive in real time. Where new business models are getting ready to threaten your vision even as you read this blog.

Well, if this is what you want to do then…

Look over your shoulder and make sure you are being followed by an enthusiastic bunch of inspired, passionate, multi-cultural and capable people, fully in tune with your melody.