Aspiring managers: How to be an effective leader

Whenever I am asked to write on leadership or give advice to young aspiring leaders, I get a bit nervous. I have neither followed any leadership model, nor have I read a particular book that shaped by thoughts or followed advice from any guru. For me, leadership has always been a state of mind and not a skill to be learnt. A state of mind of an experimenter, a researcher, an explorer for whom the unknown is a lot more exciting than the known. A state of mind that is not obsessed about getting to the top but excited about “how” to get there.

Leadership to me is, therefore, a state of mind that cares little about what others have to say and more about what you have to say about yourself when you stare at that mirror every morning and ask: “Do I feel good about myself ?” When a child is given his first toy, he tries very hard to break it. Then we teach that child to forget his natural instinct and do what is expected, that is, play with it. I was not surprised, therefore, to learn that the word ‘manager’ owes its origin to the French words ‘to manage’ which meant breaking a wild horse into submission! No wonder I have always disliked that word!

Unlearning what is learnt is thus a prerequisite in the journey to be a leader. We are so muddled up, with notions of success and failure, that we often forget our basic instincts. ‘Unlearn to learn’ is, however, not about revolting and being a ‘rebel without a cause’. It is about a journey of self-discovery and asking yourself what is your passion and what drives it. It is also about having the courage to ask, “why not?” If you are thinking that all this is easy to say and tough to do, you are right. But there are many youngsters who seem to be following their passion and instincts and asking the “why nots” more often than the previous generations. I come across and work with many such young bright sparks.

If you ask me if there is a common pattern, the answer is ‘yes’ and ‘no’. YES, because there are some common attributes I have observed and NO because leadership cannot be a factory model.

I remember the advice from a friend at the start of my journey: “The biggest myth of corporate success is that you can push yourself into the next rung. That never works. You have to be pulled up”. What he meant was that no matter how talented you are, you can never reach the top on your own. The people in the rung above and below have to support you and find you worthy of being “pulled up”.

So what makes a great ‘pull up’ choice? I don’t know for sure but let’s look closely at four questions that may help define the work style that hinges on collaboration, creativity, trust-transparency and disruption.

WHY DO IT ALONE?

People who collaborate and have a sense of community can reach a goal more quickly and easily because they are travelling on each other’s thrust. Though youngsters today have a natural affinity to collaboration in the e-world, it is at the workplace that this attribute needs to be most evident, as organisations become continents in their own right with employees of various nationalities, culture, gender, backgrounds, and expertise. Gone are the days of ‘me-my team-my manager’ islands. I believe, if your circle of influence does not impact at least three-four teams/units then you are yet to embark on your leadership journey.

WHY DON’T YOU IGNORE THE OBVIOUS?

We live in strange world. One creative idea can become the biggest business in just three years (aka Facebook), or a creative extension of a product can catapult a company into a cult. So if there is one thing that defines the premium of our times, it is creativity. A good point to start that process would be to ignore the obvious answers and see yourself as an explorer.

EVERYONE DOES KNOW

To be an effective leader, your colleagues must trust in you and need to be sold on your vision. In any organisation, a leader’s actions set the pace. This behaviour wins trust, loyalty, and ensures the organisation’s continued vitality. Most successful individuals I have watched have created their edifice of trust by pushing the envelope of transparency. So, proactively share information, foster open dialogues, encourage and provide access to plans and strategies...

DO YOU STRETCH AN IDEA FAR ENOUGH?

Back in the 1960s, a little known athlete called Dick Fosbury virtually ‘inverted’ the traditional technique of high jumping, sparking a new revolution in the sport. Before the 1968 Summer Games, athletes used the straddle method — clearing the bar with lead arm and leg and then the stomach. So when 21-year-old Dick Fosbury broke the Olympic high jump record by clearing the bar with his back to it, traditionalists were aghast. “The problem with something revolutionary like that was that most of the athletes had invested so much time in their technique and movements that they didn’t want to give it up, so they stuck with what they knew,” is how Fosbury explained the dilemma in a recent interview. He said it took a full decade before the Flop began to dominate the sport. The revolution came about from the kids who saw it and were willing to try something new, athletes who realised they had nothing to lose! ‘Nothing to lose’ – yes, that is the biggest strength of the youth and the biggest rope to stretch to create big impact! So develop courage for the untried, affinity for the unimagined and a mind of the unafraid.

If you have read this article so far and are still wondering how to put any of this in action, the truth is: I don’t know! However, how will you know unless you start somewhere, anywhere? Maybe the best piece of advice I can give you then is to put this newspaper down, ignore what I have said, walk to the mirror and ask yourself the most important question: What are you going to do with this bundle of talent you see in front of you and when?

Vice Chairman & CEO, HCL and author of ‘Employees First, Customers Second’