BUSINESS MANDATE
fountainhead of excellence
1 FEB 2022
BUSINESS MANDATE
fountainhead of excellence
9 FEB 2022
History has taught us repeatedly that leadership need not be limited to only those with authority or position. The New Normal has gone a step further in removing the prejudices associated with traditional leadership traits and has shown us a new way forward. Dr V Anantha Nageswaran, Former Dean, IFMR Business School & KREA University, shares his insights on the traits of great leaders.
B
ased on my own experience, I came up with a
overarching broad purpose of the organization that is
simple definition for leadership: It is an
clear to everybody, but beyond that the specifics will
opportunity to shape and influence a group’s
be determined by having the right set of people. You
thoughts,
actions
(small
or
big
organisations,
simply have to make sure that they are motivated and
institutions, commercial or social, a nation or at the
have the framework to operate to the best of their
global level), attitudes and attributes for achieving
abilities; in fact, they already have the intrinsic
common/collective outcomes. You can also create a
motivation and ability, so don't have to treat them like
successful group and be a successful leader of activities
school children, guiding them and shaping their
that may not pass the ethical or moral test. We are not
behavior using positive and negative incentives and
considering them.
reinforcements. That's not necessary.
Who first, what next
Self‐awareness
Jim Collins, author of the book 'Good to Great,’ tells
Next, what are the key attributes of a leader? If I
us that one doesn't need to have a goal and then
have to summarise many attributes into one word, it
assemble the good people. Instead, you assemble the
would be self-awareness. You must be aware of who
right set of people and they will take the organization
you are, what you are doing and why you are doing. We
in the direction that is both feasible and desirable. So
are all very good at clinically dissecting other people's
the ‘who’ part comes before the ‘what’. That may sound
attributes, but we don't bring the same sort of rigour
counterintuitive.
have
to ourselves. If you are self-aware and understand your
succeeded make sure that they have the right people
words—including the unspoken ones—your thoughts,
to decide the right targets and goals. There will be an
your reactions to different people, then you can evolve
10
FEB 2022
Many
organizations
that
BUSINESS MANDATE
fountainhead of excellence
other attributes as well, such as confidence or
mission, your goals and their goals. Good leaders don't
commitment to a mission. Confidence also goes hand-
try to bury the differences under the carpet. They
in-hand with self-assurance and ability to take
confront them. They resolve them. So do not avoid
decisions. If you think you are a very self-confident and
conflicts. Somebody who brings up a conflicting
positive person, you don't need to learn from anybody.
thought into the open and be willing to discuss with
The more confident you are, the less insecure you will
you is far more trustworthy than one who simply
be about receiving and taking criticisms. It is an
avoids discussing conflicts to present an impression of
insecure mind that basically resists criticisms and
false harmony. In the ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective
reacts with negativity. Observe how your body reacts when you receive a criticism. Observe how your muscles tighten. Observe yourself. Then you will be able to modulate your reaction to the criticism. It is not
Self‐belief does not mean
as if successful leaders don't fail, they do. Failure is
excessive optimism. In fact, the
part and parcel of the journey. The important thing is
latter is not a pre‐requisite for
how you bounce back.
the former. People always think that it's good to be optimistic.
Embrace conflict Widen
your
circle
of
influence
by
turning
disagreements into collaboration. Good leaders embrace
Optimism should not mean denial of reality.
conflicts. They don't avoid or shun conflicts. A conflict situation enables you to clarify the organizational BUSINESS MANDATE
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11 FEB 2022
Optimism may delude you into overestimating your capabilities and underestimating the power of your opponents—be it in the corporate world or in a sporting context.
suggests that they are stronger than you are, take that into consideration and prepare. Optimism may delude you
into
overestimating
your
capabilities
and
underestimating the power of your opponents—be it in the corporate world or in a sporting context. Scottsdale, in his infinite wisdom, says: • Retain faith that you will prevail in the end regardless of the difficulties and at the same time confront the most brutal facts of your
People,’ Stephen Covey mentions that good leaders tackle the most difficult problems first. Resolving conflicts is one of them.
current reality, whatever they may be. • Being in denial is not a feature of successful or great leadership • Over-emphasis on positive thinking is harmful in the long-run and can lead to delusion,
Optimism and Scottsdale’s wisdom
despair, shock and depression, if things don't
What are the important caveats that we have to keep in mind? Self-belief does not mean excessive optimism. In fact, the latter is not a pre-requisite for the former. People always think that it's good to be optimistic. Optimism should not mean denial of reality. One of the biggest gains of modern era is emphasis on the power of positive thinking. Everything in life has to be in balance. Your optimistic thinking should be grounded in reality. That is the story of James Scottsdale, a Vietnam War prisoner, who survived immense torture. In fact, he inflicted torture on himself to avoid being interrogated by his captors. Yet, he was one of the very few who emerged alive from the Vietnam POW camps. When asked, "Who are the people who didn't survive the torture?" he said, "The optimists. Because they always expected that something would turn up next day and they would be freed from the prison. When that didn't materialize, they got deflated." In other words, optimism should not be in opposition to the realistic assessment of your odds. Optimism should not mean that you take your opponents lightly. If your opponents are formidable, if the form book 12
FEB 2022
materialize. It is a very important learning because of the difficult situations that we face today. For example, with the pandemic, accept the reality. We should continue to engage in interaction and do what we have to do, but accept the reality that we are facing great uncertainty than before. There are times when the uncertainty band is much wider and sometimes narrower. Incorporate that into planning. In a corporate setup, it would mean creating a greater slack for yourself and greater working capital requirements. You have to accept that there are times when you have to negotiate a rough period.
Obesity is a bigger pandemic Do not confuse positive thinking and the thinking that you shall eventually prevail. We all want India to become a very powerful economic nation, but we also have to understand that we face much greater challenges than other countries. Some of those countries became democratic after they became prosperous. We became democratic before we became
BUSINESS MANDATE
fountainhead of excellence
People think that investments, capital formation, productivity and people's literacy drive
humility: • Never being boastful or welcoming of public
economic growth. What about
praise
health? Throughout history,
• Working with calm determination
nations' evolutions have been
• Emphasizing a standard of excellence over ability to inspire through charisma
driven by pandemics.
• Using personal ambition to make the company great rather than aiming for personal success
prosperous. We all talk of the demographic boom in
• Looking inward when things go wrong instead
India. How many of you have taken the time to look at the national Family Health Survey number five that
of at others, external factors, or bad luck • Remember,
humble
leaders
are
more
came out recently? What is the biggest pandemic in
concerned with what is right than being right.’
India? Not the Coronavirus; Obesity is the biggest
• Being underestimated by others is no bad
pandemic! The proportion of people whose BMI is above 25 in India, both for women and men, is even higher than in developed countries and it is shocking!
thing! Bhagwat Gita says that you are only entitled to the duties but not to the fruits of the action. That is
We have to confront the reality of what it means
somewhat an incorrect interpretation of that sloka
for India's economic growth. The potential growth of a
because you don't undertake any action without having
country depends on the health and well-being of its
a purpose or an eventual goal in mind. What the Lord
population. People think that investments, capital
is telling Arjuna is to not associate one’s ego with the
formation, productivity and people's literacy drive
outcome. You should be motivated by the common
economic growth. What about health? Throughout
good, but detach yourself from the outcome. That is
history, nations' evolutions have been driven by
the message of that sloka.
pandemics. Obesity is a pandemic. We all have a goal that India has to become an economically prosperous nation, but we also need to be aware of the challenges and recognize them.
What is professional will? • Doing what must be done, no matter how difficult • Giving credit for your company’s success to
Level 5 leadership
others, to external factors, and to good luck,
Jim Collins talks about Level 5 leadership. He says that Level 5 leaders combine two important attributes —professional will and personal humility. When they want to attribute success, they look out of the window.
instead of your own actions • Generating
great managers who then progress to become great
in
the
company’s
outcomes • Taking actions to ensure that the company will endure beyond your tenure
When attributing responsibility for failures, they look into the mirror. That is one of the important traits of
excellence
A great leader eventually makes himself or herself dispensable.
leaders. Here are other aspects of their personal BUSINESS MANDATE
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If things work only when you are there and the
Great leaders do these small things right. They give
roof collapses after you leave the place, then you have
importance to the other
not been a great leader. Institutionalizing the changes and a culture that does well when you are around is the
person's priorities and anxieties.
hallmark of great leaders. They ensure that success is
It is a free world.
attributable to the culture and organizational ethos that they leave behind. personalize many things. The common cause is more
The Kohli Slip
important. So think about these small things in which
Communication must be firm, clear, total, truthful and prompt. We have stories of how Johnson & Johnson handled the Tylenol crisis. Very recently, we saw how BCCI handled poorly their dropping of Virat Kohli as the captain of the Indian one-day cricket team. While BCCI said that they communicated the decision, Kohli denied it. This is not something that characterizes professional organizations. BCCI has rights to change the captain but it is better to do so cleanly, correctly and communicate ex-ante, give the person a sense of importance, acknowledge his or her contribution to the cause until then and make them feel that they understand your decision. They may not accept it even then due to ego but, at least, they will be able to
we react; they will define whether you are a great leader or an ordinary person.
J&J and BP Stories The Tylenol experience of Johnson & Johnson is a case study in business schools in communicating very clearly and accepting responsibility upfront, rather than harking back on technicalities. They did not say, “We are not responsible. It is the packaging that went wrong. It is due to the storage processes or mishandling by our distributors.” They didn't go into any of this. They said, “It's our product that ultimately goes into people's body. Therefore, we will take responsibility. We will fix the issues later. Responsibility is ours.”
understand. Many times when an employee leaves an
This is an example of looking at the mirror when
organization, ask yourself, "How do you make them
things go wrong. The exact opposite is British
feel?" Do you make them feel very bad? Do you make
Petroleum’s handling of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. So
it tough for them to leave or do you make them feel in
you have two case studies. You have to read both. If
such a way that they are making the right decision in
you want to know how not to handle, how to
leaving the organization. Do not take their departure
prevaricate, how to deny, how to engage in lies and how
as a personal rejection or a slap on your ego.
to evade responsibility, then you look at the British
Great leaders do these small things right. They give importance to the other person's priorities and anxieties. It is a free world. A person leaving your
Petroleum case study of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. If you want to understand how to handle it the right way, read the Tylenol case of Johnson & Johnson.
organisation is just as somebody else leaving some
Of course, pharma companies are today earning a
other organization to come and join you. It works both
bad name considering the way the pandemic is being
ways. There's nothing personal about it. You are playing
handled.
a role; he or she is playing a role. That's all. Do not BUSINESS MANDATE
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15 FEB 2022
That's a different story. Even Johnson & Johnson's
When the fear of losing your power takes over the
culture may not have endured for 40 years. In today's
behavioural controls of your
context, we come across stories of clotting, etc., with J&J vaccines in the US. That shows how even great
leadership, you will stop being
organizations at some point lose the very culture that
a leader and start being a ruler.
got them a positive name.
Just in case
ancient Greek word that also includes taking pleasure
For taking responsibility and looking at the mirror,
out of humiliating others and even encompasses a
the best example is General Dwight Eisenhower. He
connotation of sexual conquest and exploitation.
ordered the Allied troops to land in Normandy coast
Hubris, according to the Greeks, is an insult to humility
and take on the Germans by surprise. The mission, of
and epitomizes insolence of the Gods.
course, became a spectacular success and eventually
There is a point at which all the special treatment
led to the end of the World War 2, but he also had
and pampering can contort and pervert your leadership.
prepared a letter, just in case the mission didn't
Left unchecked, it can inflate your ego to the point that
succeed. He had drafted the letter and wanted to
you shift from leading for the good of others to leading
announce to the country in case the mission failed. The
to acquire more for yourself. It is at this point that the
letter simply said, 'The troops, the Air Force and the
opportunity to apply an influence for the benefit of
Navy did all the bravery and devotion to duty could do.
others is eclipsed by the fear of losing all that you have
If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt, it is mine
gained for yourself, including all the special treatment
alone.' Thankfully for the world, he didn't have to use
that you get. When the fear of losing your power takes
it.
over the behavioural controls of your leadership, you will stop being a leader and start being a ruler. Both are
Defining hubris
two different things. The website gives a long list of
The opposite of great leadership is the word
14 symptoms of hubris, as if it's a medical condition.
‘hubris.’ There is a website called the Daedalus Trust. Daedalus and his son Icaraus are Greek mythological characters. Icarus flew very close to the Sun with the
Some of them are: • A messianic way of talking and a tendency to exaltation in speech and manner.
wings given by his father and got himself burnt. The website of the Daedalus Trust has now become
• A tendency to allow their ‘broad vision,’
thehubrishub.com. Daedalus Trust was started by Lord
especially their conviction about the moral
David Cohen, who is a psychiatrist by profession and
rectitude of a proposed course of action, to
who became the British government's foreign secretary.
obviate the need to consider other aspects of
He describes hubris not as a sort of an arrogant state
it, such as its practicality, cost and the
of mind but as a medical condition. What is hubris? The
possibility of unwanted outcomes.
simplest definition is dangerous overconfidence. The word has additional nuance complexities. It is an
Ask yourself in small groups: Do you go out and talk? Do you become progressively isolated?
BUSINESS MANDATE
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17 FEB 2022
How open is your cabin? How open are you to
complications. If you permit me, I suggest the following
meeting people and seeking feedback, either directly
things...” Now, think of the team leader sitting in the
or indirectly? How often do you cross check yourself
chair. Everybody else has said that your idea is
with others’ point of view? These are all the ways of
fantastic. And one person stands up and says that it
finding out if you are isolating yourself or keeping
could be problematic. Listening to such a message is
yourself open to others’ influences.
not easy either. Your body doesn't accept that. We are hard coded for conformity and to receive only
Leadership from Thirukural
affirmative messages. So that is why I said, you have to
Three couplets from the Tamil poetry ‘Thirukural’
have self-awareness. You have to go out of your way to
all convey the same meaning and they are very apt
encourage people to speak up in meetings and to be
leadership lessons.
able to receive such words.
• Somebody who is capable of surrounding himself with people who are better than himself (or herself), will be more powerful
The final denouement • The leader must be good at decision making under uncertainty and taking responsibility
than anybody else. If you have confidence in yourself, you will then surround yourself with people who are better than yourself. That gives you the greatest power. • If you are surrounded by people who can
for failures. • Manage by exception. Don't sweat the small stuff. Don't get into too much of details. • Do not be the only person who makes all the calls.
actually poke criticism at you, you can't be destroyed. • If you don't have such people (who can poke
Let others make the calls, make
mistakes and learn. • Empower and let good people get on with it. It creates a sense of ownership in the people
criticism at you) around you, you don't need
towards the common cause.
external enemies. You are your own enemy.
Make yourself dispensable in all this. When we say
This is the converse of the second one. You need to have Devil's Advocates. You need to have somebody who can point out to you what you're doing is wrong. Even among friends, you must have somebody who can talk to you and point out your wrongs. But these are not easy to do. Try speaking up in a room with everybody saying one point of view and
attribute success to others and failure to yourself, also, remember to attribute success to luck. We all attribute failures to bad luck, but we never attribute success to good luck. Chance plays a very important role in all of our lives. That's why we often say, ‘Success has many parents; failure is an orphan.’
you want to share a different point of view. Your body
To sum up, the traits of successful leaders are:
will resist. Because, we are social animals. We seek
self-awareness, commitment to a cause, personal
conformity. We want to belong to a group in a meeting.
humility, professional will and an ability to leave behind
Similarly, imagine if somebody stands up and says, in
an enduring cultural organization, eventually making
front of others, “Sir, the action that you're proposing
yourself dispensable.
may not work well.
It has got the following BUSINESS MANDATE
fountainhead of excellence
19 FEB 2022