The Hindu Business Line : Leadership is being, not doing

The crisis now raging on is not about competence but character, says Les T. Csorba in Trust: The one thing that makes or breaks a leader, from Pearson (www.pearson-books.com) . "Leadership primarily must be a moral endeavour," he insists. Leadership is, therefore, not a style to be perfected; "it is being, not doing."

There are three things that make leaders trustworthy. One, a track record of credibility and reliability. Two, not making `bad decisions wilfully or consciously'. And three, acting and leading with wisdom and integrity. "If a leader consistently makes bad calls or poor judgments, we wouldn't trust him to lead us, no matter how stellar and pure the integrity." What is worrying is the `real talent deficit' for `authentic leadership'. Leaders, followers, and goals make up `the three equally necessary supports for leadership', Gary Wills has said. To these three, Csorba adds a fourth leg, viz. `common humanity between leaders and followers'. What's that? `A shared view' as mortals - `an inner humility' or `an understanding of their mereness'.

Csorba is of the view that the most effective leaders are likely to be individuals who have no desire to lead or be out front, "but are compelled to lead by their times, circumstances, calling or character". They are the `mere leaders'; they are `ordinary characters with extraordinary determination'. You may not find them using slogans such as, `Change', `We can do better', or `Putting people first'. Paradoxically, `the absurdity of our time' is that despite being in dire need of moral leadership, `we are fearful of moral leaders' because of what they might require of us as followers! "Today, if a leader tries to distinguish between right and wrong, evil or good, truth or a lie, he runs the very real risk of being marginalised as intolerant."

The book lays down `the 7 principles of the trust', including these: handling privileges with great care, and being tenaciously focussed on objectives.

Forceful plea.

ManageMentor@TheHindu.co.in

D.Murali