DATED – 15th December 2018
One of my good friend Pradeep was sharing a very interesting incident that happened with him while he was in the US couple of months ago. They were travelling domestic to meet some friends. His wife, a Finnish had taken the window seat, he took the middle one and the aisle was empty. One gentleman came and refused to sit near Pradeep. He asked him to take the window seat so that he could sit next to a fair skinned person and not a dark skinned person. Rightly, Pradeep didn’t budge. Finally, the airhostess found a solution and allotted him another seat.
This is one such incident that I have come across. There must be many more. We are hearing more of them since Donald Trump became the president of United States of America. He has been openly and proudly advocating more jobs and benefits to Americans, than outsiders. His thoughts are reflected in his speeches, policy decisions and tweets! He wants things his ways only. Either it is his way or no other way!
When the leader of the country is like that, it would automatically boil down to the hierarchy. Then, to me it is not a surprise that some American citizens would feel that what they think, speak and do is the right thing. They care a damn about others thoughts and feelings.
Such is the case with our organizations/ team too. The organization/ team is a reflection of the leader. The staff will operate, work, act and communicate the way they see their leader doing. They take a cue out of the leader! As a leader your role is extremely important. Your actions and thoughts will determine those of your sub-ordinates and staff, which will often create an impression about the organization to the outside world.
Here are some pointers on your ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES as a LEADER –
- Run the business profitability/ team efficiently
- Lead by example. Show results and staff will follow suit
- Respect the client, even if your thoughts and business styles don’t match
- Stay updated with the latest in your industry. Share the knowledge with your team too
- Always communicate in a language (choice of words) at your workplace, like you would communicate with your child. People are always watching you
- Elevate people from within organization, if they are capable rather than hiring outsiders. It will be a huge morale booster for other employees
- Create an environment of freedom, rather than stress. But without compromising on performance
- A mistake should always be handled gently. Fume and fury might lead to unwanted losses
Do review yourself as to what kind of a leader are you? How do you stand in terms of the above eight points?
