The Hindu Business Line : <I>Add wind to your sails </I>

It was during a tryingly low point in his life that Jack Myrick did what is most apt but oft forgotten: Take time off for reflection. And then he did return to put together the results of his inner exploration as a book: `The Shipbuilder,' from Jaico (www.jaicobooks.com) .

Stepping back and looking at his situation, Myrick realised he had two choices: `either quit and find a new career, or change'. He discovered that before the circumstances could change, he had to change. To the question, "What kind of leader could turn this situation around?" the answer came in the form of `some simple leadership principles'.

The author tells his tale through what Marcus goes through, as a shipbuilder in ancient Greece. "Labour shortages, caused by distant wars, made it extremely difficult to find and keep skilled workers." And the ship was only half-complete, though `weeks behind schedule'. No different from many projects of today?

Marcus has a reassuring discussion with his wife, Arayliss. She says, "We'll make it. We always do." Is there anyone who has solved the problem of labour shortages, and could possibly give Marcus some advice and guidance? Yes, there is Barnabas, who "gets all the large contracts in Athens and seems to have an endless supply of extraordinary workers."

The first tip that Barnabas, the master builder, offers to Marcus is, "Things are rarely as good as they seem or as bad as they seem." For Marcus' problems, solutions can be `surprisingly simple', feels Barnabas. However, "simple does not mean easy. It will require a change in heart and some very focused application," he alerts Marcus, before expounding five principles, which can be applied to any business.

"Your job as a leader is not to build ships but to build men," says Barnabas. "Ships are just the by-product of your effort." The number one principle is to make the workers feel appreciated. "If you can make each and every one of your crew feel appreciated and significant, you will go a long way to solving your worker shortage." Remember, though, that you can't fake this!

Heading back to the dock, Marcus wonders, "How could he appreciate these guys when half the time he felt like killing them?" Yet, he manages to break ice, with the help of a melon that he shares with his team, under a tree. That night, Marcus confesses to Arayliss that he had never thought about telling his men because he was so busy. "I just assumed they knew I appreciated them," he says.

Arayliss enlightens him, "Each night before we go to sleep, you tell me you love me. You don't have to do that, but it makes me feel good."

A book that can add wind to your sails.

http://BookPeek.blogspot.com

D. Murali