One more time: what is Leadership?

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Arun Sarin, CEO of Vodafone would quip, ‘A brand is what a brand does’. In turn, leadership is what leadership does! Leadership is behaviour. It is not something that exists- it is an event - it is demonstrated, either by us or by those around us. There are leaders and then they are leaders, if you know what I mean.  

Beware of the false leader!

These leaders exist on account of the hierarchy, power, position, birth and by fortunate circumstances. Their primary objective is to stay in control. Leadership is the last thing they have on their mind. They are highly influenced by doctrines, stale beliefs, and stilted reason, which they have rationalised for everything they do. They quote verses and books of the past. They live in the language of dead universities of stale ideas, and display a lack of spontaneity and creativity. They live tightly within traditions and cast the shadow of the past quite regularly on the future. They seek subjugation of their followers. They define the ‘must’ and the must not’s of ritual, practice and behaviour. There is no limit to this prescription. Following such precepts, leads to even more intensity, and creates even more subjugation. They soon develop sound reason for their hegemony. It may be called the “death to the infidels’ or ‘war on terror’ or ‘justice and freedom for all’.  Whatever it maybe, these are leaders, who concoct rationale for their selfish action. Unfortunately, we see this kind of leadership everywhere. This leadership is about the battle for the mind: whose mind is it anyway – yours or theirs!  

Authentic leadership

I argue that leadership is not about leading others- it is guiding oneself. Leadership is about aligning the intellect, the hearts and energy of those around to create compelling action. Intellect is a dead thing. A leader creates and plays with energy: his own and those in the group. Leadership is not dynamic- it is in fact anchored and centred. It operates from the core of one’s being, and not from the periphery. However, leadership does not need to change in the ever changing world. The world is not changing; it is we who are changing all the time. We want things to change all the time. The change is within us. It is this change that seem so tumultuous, that needs to be recognised that it is within, not outside. Change comes from within. A leader writes his profile, sets his own boundaries.

Setting the course for others

A leader is not just one who leads others: foremost he leads himself. He is the first one who sets course, chartered on the clear conviction of the ‘north start’ – his purpose. He may be fortunate that he walks on a full moonlight, often the road ahead is filled with bramble, uncharted, and unmapped, and directionless. Through this, he is required to navigate, not just himself, but others. He is filled with commitment. He commits himself to a course of personal conviction. He rises above his own human foibles and greed: he rises above petty politics, greed and power and strives for the ‘height’ that he knows exist. It is this ‘height ‘that he knows awaits him, as sure as day follows night. He knows that all he can do is walk in the right path, a leader is guided to it, by instinct: he does not choose, he moves relentlessly to that path which is instinctive and intuitive to the correct path. He carries a conviction that beyond the closed door lays the answer, though he sees not what lies beyond. His conviction is contagious: it inspires others, it intensifies all those around, and energies the call for action. The energy is experienced by all – it is the same light of the candle, not more, not less, equal in incandescence. Yet, it burns brightly, and even when shared loses none of its own, no matter how much shared. In fact, with even more sharing it grows in energy. This kind of leader does not lead others: he inspires those around. This leadership is about bringing in light -To light up their own candle, to rise to their own potential, to spread the light. To be the potential of the seed there are. From being the mustard seed to the full blown mustard tree – that’s what a leader does. He shares himself in crisis- his deep vulnerabilities, his fears, his nightmares. Not for sympathy, not as a cunning ploy to emotionally blackmail, but to truly share: how the deck is stacked. It is the expression and sharing of our vulnerability, what may be a paradox that reveals our courage. Remember, the seat of our vulnerability is the womb of our personal growth and the height of our courage. To allow ourselves to become even more and more vulnerable is about leadership.

It comes from within

Leaders build leaders usually from within. Each leader built other leaders. The leadership was concerned with purpose and outcomes. They are not obsessed with ‘leading others’. Once they share their vision, they get out of the way. They give responsibility, and reward someone by giving even more responsibility. They help move others from managing themselves to managing others, to finally managing themselves while managing others. Such leaders set exacting standards: for themselves and others. With them you work in faith. Goals and challenges are taken in faith, not safe targets for earning financial rewards. Like a white water rafting, there is no time for post mortem, only time to navigate the next twenty yards. No time for fancy five year plans or elaborate processes. Faith, conviction energy, uncertainty, and never say die, symbolise the unique character.

Clarity is itself action

To have clarity on a matter is to propel action. Most of us do not act, as we are still in a stage of indecision: on the horns of dilemma. The leader, once he makes up his mind, once he decides: he decides. Then he begins to walk, he is committed. Then no one can stop him. Then he no longer doubts. Then he just walks, unconditionally. He knows that he has to walk this path, although it may be unchartered. He walks, even if no one follows him. He follows his own convictions. He knows that the path is not a formula, he knows the theory and case studies taught in school / college could at best explain the past, but it is not a formula for the future.  Sometimes, he has to retrace his step, sometimes move around aimlessly, till he finds the right dot, but he continues with commitment to join dots. It needs persistence, for it to succeed. The commitment has to be deeper.  There is no set pattern, he will fail many times, indeed he must fail, and several times more than many others, else he would not succeed. It is his constant failure that allows him to succeed. His commitment seeks an outlet, and a creation. It cannot be stopped. All his plans for each leg of the journey may need to be re-written up. Old maps thrown and new sketches made. Leaders fail when they hide behind clever Vision, Mission and Value Statements. It takes more than these placards adorning boardrooms to make a difference. To really make a difference, one cannot lead at the periphery. Leadership must emanate from the centre. The whole organization should be integrated, collaged. This means that apart from the vision, mission and key deliverables, there must be regular review, building supporting processes , appropriate designed structures intelligently built around functionality, enabling work systems, relevant recognition and rewards policies, clear alignment, empowerment and authority, etc., and most of all influencing the culture in the place. A leader has to be a conductor. No instrument can be out of tune off the score sheet. He balances the energy: a leader calms when energy is high and dissipates, when energy is low, He gives the clarion call for action. He is a counterpoint. Leaders do not talk in a strange language that people do not understand, they talk in the people’s own language. In this, they connect, not just to the head, but to the heart. 

Leadership is like working as in a stock exchange – you make your living daily, not in a day! You make a difference each day. You put a brick in the wall each day, the wall rises. The leader knows that performance is a journey, not a final destination. Challenging oneself all the time is the aim of the leader – he is concerned with continually seeking his own excellence. He is not focussed on the competitor. He knows the customer is all he needs to keep him in business – all else is periphery. He stays in the core. He is concerned with addressing the customer’s need. To him, ‘buy or build’ are peripheral decisions, not strategic.

Where does leadership come from?

Leadership does not come from poring over leadership journals, from following seminars or conference. It does not come from expensive retainer ship to the top five consulting firms. It does not come from expensive processes, TQM, Business Excellence, etc. It does not come from going back to executive management programmes. To me, over indulgence in this, often is a clear sign that leadership is bereft of ideas, unsure where it wishes to go – it lacks direction. It fails to listen to its own inner voice, thus that it calls others to support it to listen to its own voices.  True leadership listens, listens intensely: listens to all its stakeholders: its customers, it employees, its suppliers, the environment and interest group. It does not sit in boardrooms, true leadership operates from campsites, and true leaders operate virtually: use webinar, phones.

True leadership is being on the field, in front of the people. Hearing it as it is, not as it ought to be. True leadership, welcomes bad news, it knows that success can only come from dealing with the bad news first. True leaders know history will be kind to them, because as Winston Churchill said, they will help create it.

Asim Ghosh, ex CEO, Vodafone, India, used to always say, "trust your intuition, trust your experience, even if it is counter intuitive’. Trust you sensing, your awareness, your understanding of the emerging experience. Derive meaning from the here and now, not from what was past, what happened then. Leadership is about giving presence to the issue. It is about acknowledgement, it is about proper understanding. It is about deep listening and it about generating options. And finally it is about strategic choices: taking risks and making a judgement and willing to pay the price for the consequences, both intended an unintended".

 As John Maxwell, author of numerous books on leadership, said, “It’s been said that there are two kinds of people in life: those who make things happen and those who wonder what happened. Leaders have the ability to make things happen. People who don’t know how to make things happen for themselves won’t know how to make things happen for others.” He went on, “What you do with the future means the difference between leaving track record and leaving a legacy.”