The Hindu Business Line : Dare to dream

In a dynamic, networked and globalised corporate world, where change is the only constant, the people factor is becoming increasingly important. And when it comes to people, perhaps, no single factor assumes as much importance as leadership. Leaders are the ones who `dare to dream' and have the ability to inspire others in believing and fulfilling that collective dream.

Good leadership requires a `Head and Heart' approach. In today's work culture, which is more `knowledge-centric' than `power-centric' focus, a leader needs to function more like `orchestra conductors', bringing together and harmonising the best of individual talent at his command, into a symphony, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts! Good leaders make people feel that they're at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels that he or she makes a difference to the success of the organisation. When that happens, people feel centred and that gives their work meaning.

Good leaders must ignite passions, connect with their teams, unleash potential, recognise and reward performance, maximise synergies and create organisational momentum. They need to set the course with an ambition, followed through with well-defined objectives, a clearly articulated and consistent strategy and quantifiable, measurable targets. Once this foundation is in place, it is then vital to communicate the same throughout the company, so that all employees know exactly what the organisation stands for and where it is headed.

A key success factor is then to identify `drivers' and `enablers', empowering people, facilitating pluralistic leadership and ensuring a democratic, and decentralised organisation, where performance is the central driving force. At the same time, a good leader must inculcate strong value systems, integrity and transparency, leading `from the front' and inspiring them to walk the `extra mile'! After all, the true essence of leaders is reflected in the standards they set for themselves. This is perhaps aptly expressed in the following words of Mahatma Gandhi: "We must become the change we want to see!"

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