PRACTICED LEADERSHIP -1 – IS ‘LEADERSHIP’ AND ‘PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS’ CONNECTED?

PRACTICED LEADERSHIP -1 – IS ‘LEADERSHIP’ AND ‘PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS’ CONNECTED?

Series of Practised Leadership will cover leadership as practiced in real world during work life where the cost of failure was self-decimation.

This article covers:

Is ‘Leadership’ and ‘Professional Success’ connected?

To be a ‘Good Leader’ a ‘Good Character’ is mandatory.

How do you select a ‘Role Model’ for Leadership.

Habits of Successful Leaders : Building Youth as Leaders.

YOUTH is the future : Must develop leadership within.

You Tube Channel

My Own Credibility

Is ‘Leadership’ and ‘Professional Success’ connected?

If ‘yes’ you will score 100% in a small test that follows. Here is a quick 60 seconds test. Take a paper and pen. No google. Do not cheat yourself. Total three questions, nine names in each, 60 seconds for each question, total three minutes. Nothing less than 9 names in each question will fetch full marks. Its either ‘0’ or ‘9’.

Q1. We start with Military ‘Leadership”. Write names of current Chiefs of Army, Navy and IAF. Now write names of two more Chiefs each of Army, Navy and Air Force of any vintage.

Q2. Repeat same for Political ‘Leadership”. Write names of current Home, Finance and Defence Ministers. Write two more names of Home, Finance and Defence ministers of any vintage.

Q3. Repeat same for Industry ‘Leadership”. Write names of three of current individuals who have built industrial / business empire of more than Rs 1000 Crs. Write six more names of any vintage.

How much did you score? You will have either 0, 9, 18 or 27. Write to me in comments box. Even if you do not write, take the test.

Our inability to complete even one question with nine names points to the fact that ‘Leadership’ and ‘Professional Success” are not connected. Our inability to name nine Chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force of our own country, nine Home, Defence and Finance ministers of our own country and nine industrialists of our own country again demolished the ‘leadership’ prefix attaches to Military Officers, Politicians and Industrialists. Their success in their own fields does not entitle them to become ‘leaders’.

When we want to name one military general, one industrialist and one politician of any age, country or gender who inspired you most, no two people can come with even one common name. Manekshaw and Ratan Tata have carried the burden for decades in life & (Manekshaw) in death too.

Why there are no military ‘leaders’ in military and no industry ‘leaders’ in industry and political ‘leaders’ in politics?

Politicians are not ‘leaders’ in strict terms. Politicians are as much about ‘power’, as is military about ‘ranks’ and industry about ‘money’. So far as the three achieve their respective ‘goals’, ‘means’ don’t matter. Can leadership qualities be Manipulation? Opportunism? Self Interest?

What does it prove? Leadership is independent of professional success. You need to develop yourself into a good leader. It is YOU who matters. YOU are distinct. YOU have your own beliefs and YOU cannot be guided by others.

It simply takes me to the next level. YOU ARE A LEADER “IF” YOU WANT TO BE ONE. Leaders are not born. Leaders are defined by ‘Character’ and not ‘Success’. Having scored out ‘success’ defining leaders let us now focus on character.

To be a ‘Good Leader’ a ‘Good Character’ is mandatory.

‘Good Character’ is a start point to be a good leader. This is taught to us from school but never taken seriously. How many people can you remember who you met in your life whose character you can vouch for? Your office colleagues? Boss? Chain of seniors? Peers? Why does it take so much time to recollect their names? Did you realise that soon as a name came you said it was success and not character of the person that strikes you.

Good character does not mean that one is inept. It does not mean you are not smart. Good Character simply means that regardless of situation, you do not operate below a line you drew for yourself, a minimum threshold level of character. “I will always tell truth” also means its ok if you do not reveal complete truth at that instant. You want the person to ask you. He doesn’t, fine, you did not tell. Honesty, Integrity, Truthfulness come at heavy price. Character means you do not compromise on these. Come what may.

How do you select a ‘Role Model’ for Leadership?

To learn ‘leadership’ one needs to have a role model with life experiences, who has undergone the grind, practised leadership, has not lived a dual life & has achievement to be proud of DESPITE sticking to values for decades. Look around. Scan your surroundings. Seen one?

To start, a leader must have Credibility. Whatever he says or writes must be ‘cross-checkable’. Let us not find a role model before establishing if a person fulfils the basic criteria of being a honest man. Do you want to deal with a man who lies? Manipulates? Is unfair? Is partial? You will imbibe most of his qualities if you follow him.

The Role Model must find ways to prove his credibility in this digital bit-byte world. Not being in physical touch makes things difficult as well as easy. It’s easy to establish CREDIBILITY. Let the leader give his pen picture, his honesty, integrity, handling of people, illegal wealth details, self-certified statements of character etc. on videos, available in public domain for ever. If a person can muster that much moral courage, you have your role model.

Habits of Successful Leaders : Building Youth as Leaders

I have spent 25 years in Army, 15yrs in industry and I have “practised” leadership to the last ‘t’. Today I look back 40 yrs. and say it with pride that whatever I write about being a good leader, is what I have followed in life.

Can you list out ‘habits’ of a good leader? Don’t search the net. There are none. Good Character is a habit. Practicing ‘Good Character” is a way of life. Implementing the habits is as easy and unnoticeable as breathing.

YOUTH is the future : Must develop leadership within.

Youth Leadership is the only hope for future. This youth will be workforce, entrepreneurs, politicians and be occupying the entire spectrum of activity in society. What are they learning? Politicised Military officers on TV? Industry leaders being extradited? Criminal politicians?

Leadership is not about compromises. Leader must be like a flawless diamond. Leaders would follow a self-set value system that the environment knows and sticks to it. Leadership is not the entitlement of military, in fact today military has a vacuum of leadership. How do you stick to values and still wade through cesspool of industry, politics, military, workplace, in fact LIFE? First and foremost- select a person from whom you want to learn. Selection of right person is key. Leadership cannot be taught from OHP ppt. It flows out from a person who has practised leadership throughout his life. A life open to scrutiny.

YouTube Channel

I will create a YouTube Channel and would upload small videos of 50 seconds each for on Leadership as I practiced it. Links to all videos will be available on my blog too. There is nothing today. Very soon, may be in 90 days, it will be populated. I have deliberately not uploaded it since I must FIRST establish my credibility. If I say leaders must have credibility AND they should have undergone the grind, I MUST first put my past and present in front of you. Establish credibility. Rank means nothing. To establish ‘credibility’ I must do novel things in this digital world. I am ashamed of my generation having failed to be beacons of next generation. I will take this topic ‘head on since I have ‘practiced’ leadership for last forty years. Nothing to hide.

My Own Credibility

I must open myself to public scrutiny. I invite everyone to go through my profile and ask me ANYTHING about my life, military and industry career here on my blog, openly on any platform on social media. Be blunt. Transparency is my strength.

Remember:

A) Leadership is about Credibility followed by Character. These are prerequisites. Commitment and Capability follow.

B) Biggest misconception with many people is that their position gives them entitlement to leadership. Its entitlement mindset. Entitlement of leadership. It is not.

C) Another misconception is that leadership in army and civilian domain are different. It is not so. Leadership is independent of profession. Military is bound together by strict laws. Leadership is demonstrated in ABSENCE of strict laws. I can say with pride that I was a successful leader in uniform and in industry too. Leadership is about Credibility, Character, Commitment & Capability.

I flaunt these today with pride. I will write regularly on leadership.

Col Sanjay Pande

© Copyright