MANAGMENT / LEADERSHIP SPECIAL..EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP

EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP

In today’s exigent times, in order to take your organisation to the desired level of success, only ‘good leadership’ won’t suffice. The need for exemplary leadership is examined and  ways through which the transformation from an average leader to exemplary one could be made is discussed

The success or failure of any organisation can largely be attributed to its leadership. Thus, to have the right kind of leadership that makes the organisation sail through good and bad times, is highly crucial. The last few years have been challenging enough but India Inc has tried hard to emerge almost unscathed. And the leadership of India Inc had a key role to play towards ensuring sustainability amidst a challenging economic scenario.
    Therefore, in today’s competitive times, one needs to identify what differentiates an average leader from a great one or a great leader from an exemplary one? So, who is an exemplary leader? Example is the first key that helps unlock leadership success. When you look at some exemplary leaders, the common thread connecting all these leaders is setting an example for others through their exemplary leadership. Nicolai Tillisch, founder of Dual Impact, a consulting and coaching firm based in Dubai and author of Effective Business in the Gulf: Mastering Leadership Skills for Greater Success explains, “He or she must achieve good results. You can, however, not become exemplary to others without integrity. You will not be truly admired over time just because of your success.”
    Prithvi Shergill, chief human resources officer, HCL Technologies avers, “An exemplary leader is one in whose presence the team feels lifted, tries things outside its zone of comfort and understands that there is a leader standing behind them encouraging, applauding and making the best effort. An exemplary leader puts a stake on the ground on certain core values, a vision for both the company and individuals and then has a honest dialogue on where do we stand on the value and vision.” Similarly, Professor MS Rao, an international leadership expert points out that effective leadership starts with ‘example’ and ends with ‘ethics’ and imbedded throughout this process are the factors of energy, enthusiasm, endurance, emotional intelligence, eloquence, empowerment, effectiveness, execution, and excellence. According to Radhakrishnan B Menon, managing director, LBW Consulting Pvt. Ltd, an exemplary leader is essentially a ‘growth leader’. They ‘think big’ and set themselves ambitious growth agendas, even during the slowdown. “They are strong on influencing skills and able to mobilise commitment from their teams. Such leaders have boundless energy and enthusiasm for their organisations, have a high degree of emotional intelligence and are action-oriented,” he asserts.
    Ketan Kapoor, CEO, Mettl describes an exemplary leader as one who creates standards of excellence; models the way for others to follow; inspires a shared vision for exciting possibilities; challenges the existing process and searches for new opportunities; empowers others to act to the vision and recognises individual contributions to encourage others to accomplish the extraordinary.
    Tillisch further states that a company, through exemplary leadership, does contribute towards economic development. “India has the equivalent of one million graduates reaching the workforce every single month for the foreseeable future. These young professionals need role models and somebody to learn from. Exemplary leaders do not only contribute to the economy through their own businesses, but also by helping shape the next generation of business leaders,” Tillisch adds.
    The role of a leader gets even more amplified during challenging times. In an exigent economic phase, how does an exemplary leader emerge as a successful example? Sakaar Anand, vice president, HR, CA Technologies, India answers, “Companies become leaders, when they tie their own economic growth to the overall economic development of the society. To achieve goals during tough times, leaders should maintain honesty while dealing with teams, enable and empower teams to act and encourage them.”
    According to Menon, for an exemplary
leader, driving growth is not all about getting bigger. “It’s about getting better, stronger, more agile, customer-centric and developing a sustainable business model. Consequently, getting bigger is a result and not necessarily an objective. Sowing seeds of an enduring business model can ride out tough market situations and encourage other businesses to emulate,” he states.
    Prof Rao feels that an exemplary leader must learn of ways to manage complexity and uncertainty. “He must harbour a local as well global mindset and equip himself/herself with crosscultural skills. Above all, he must be a situational leader who can shift from various leadership styles as per the changing situation to achieve organisational goals and objectives,” he says.
    Chandarkanth BN, co-founder and managing director at Theorem India states, “While challenges may vary, a leader should be able to hold on to his/her core beliefs. In my opinion, the answer lies somewhere in the middle - while staying true to the larger goal, leaders should be able to make minor course corrections, thus taking the organisation to the desired goal quickly.”
    Several leadership gurus have said emphatically that leadership is neither a designation nor title that goes either as a prefix or suffix along with their names. However, it goes with the people who do their best with their hearts and passion by demonstrating an example for others. These are the real ‘exemplars of success’!
HERE ARE A FEW TRAITS OF AN EXEMPLARY LEADER,
ACCORDING TO CHANDARKANTH BN, CO-FOUNDER AND MANAGING
DIRECTOR AT THEOREM INDIA
It’s all about people: If you’re someone who can lead and manage people with extraordinary human skills, you’re good to go! Think big, but stay grounded; Think global, but act local; Have a 50,000 feet view, but accept and work within the day-to-day realities, Be compassionate, but tough when required; Fight along with the troops from the frontline during a crisis (and keep them happy and motivated).

Yasmin Taj ETASC 30JAN13