The Mirare

Leadership is the most talked about topic in today’s organisations. At the same time leadership seems to be the least practiced and understood by most in the organisation. Leadership and ownership needs to be practiced by everyone, at every level, irrespective of their roles, designations in the organisation.
Leadership is about getting things done and helping people achieve their personal goals thereby consolidating the efforts to attain success in organisation.

I must admit I have seen some of the great leadership in my career. It was incredible how we were given the able guidance and directions in our careers. Some of them were so serious about their work ethics, principles and teams, that at tough times, they have even risked their own jobs while standing by their teams. I have to salute & bow to such incredible leaderships.

Some of them were keen on developing next level leaders. Most importantly, they were open-minded & keen to listen to team members. I have worked with some good managers, who take time out of project work and have meetings, discussions exclusively to mentor, to give us guidance. They help us take up more responsibilities and guide us in executing them. Its sheer pleasure to work in such teams!!

But in the recent past, sadly, I have observed the other side as well in the very same organisation [thankfully didn't have to experience all of it]. Unfortunately some leaders fail to unleash the potential of the employees working with them. The reason being, they practice conservative and obsolete leadership styles. These are leaders who are atrocious and spoil the environment making it very unpleasant for the subordinates as well as the organisation.

They do not listen to other's opinions in making decisions, are egoistic & support unnecessary conflicts. Don't care about their actions that have serious impact on others.

They have not just played politics & showed blatant favoritism when it comes to awards, rewards, appraisals, promotions, placing team members in different projects, but sadly even when it came to someone’s job; someone’s bread & butter. One of the best developers; unanimously appreciated by every one in the team for his programming & problem solving skills was shown the door and a mediocre team member was kept back. Such ugly decisions did outrage each & everyone in the team. One starts to loose faith in the system and merit at such incidents.

Then there are some who become leaders by luck or chance; just because they are good friends of their seniors and do not know or have the ability to gauge the extent of damage they cause to the teammates.
They have no skills what so ever required for the job, lack in basic requirements such as good communication skills, yet get good roles via the “unofficial reservation” category and shamefully that’s the only way they have grown the corporate ladder ever in their lives. Needless to say, they are very insecure about their performance and their team member’s feedback about them. And naturally they are unprofessional make every effort to hinder their subordinate’s growth.

And the one extreme kind I have seen is the intolerable one. These are the one who think complete “control” over the team is leadership. They are absolutely chauvinistic, backward thinking, rigid & corrupt to the core. They weaken their co-workers who look forward for their guidance and support by scorning, making fun, being loud and mostly shameful of all, shouting at people in public, in meetings, getting furious at every conflict, walk in and out of meetings at their will. Some of them have even used awful languages for their team members. Wonder why those team mates didn't take it to HR, just can't understand such submissiveness.

During discussions with such people, one has no choice but to raise your own voice to be heard. One becomes sad, disillusioned and completely unable to function in company of such people and such extreme chaos. These people are so regressive in their thinking that female employees have even more issues working in such teams.

A good leader does not think he/she is superior to others but cares for the team members. We are made leaders to create more leaders and not blind followers and definitely not to suppress our subordinates. We need to replace our negative thoughts with positive ones to be an effective and efficient leader. Leadership should not be based on seniority and rank in the organisation.

It is purely the performance, actions, attitude, aptitude and competence that makes a successful leader. The key ingredients of leadership are to have a sense of purpose, vision and mission and to care for others. Superior leaders gain followers out of admiration and reverence and their knack to make people work together in achieving the purpose.

In my latest project, it’s back to good old days for me. I got to work with the manager/leader who is seen as one of the best in the organisation.
Who believes in giving opportunity to every team member to grow. Great relief to see such professionalism.

But it’s just that I had decided to move on, even before joining the new team and the decision remained intact.

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