LEADERSHIP MATTERS

Why are
some people so fond of seeing their
names engraved on stones fixed on walls?
Why those
who once mastered the geographical distances and rode across the hills and
rivers now reduced to a stage where they try to assure themselves of their existence by engraving names on stone plaques? Why
trying to be satisfied with mere reflection of moon and not trying for the moon
itself?
Why we
can't run in the big boys league. Why
our loading targets hover around 1000 GMT when China talks of 10,000 GMT. Why are we happy and satisfied with commissioning
of few block sections when we should aim at least 2500KM in an year.
We need to
answer these 'whys' from the perspectives of few of the world top leadership
greats rather than giving the standard excuses of lack of funds ,bad working
conditions and above all the democracy .We have today what was not there hundred years ago; better machines ,superior
man power, higher production capacity, better communication and computational
capacities and to top it all we have a vibrant democracy where ' WILL' can be
comfortably created for development.
Let us see
what the world greats in management such as Peter Drucker have to say on this.
To
get some idea of Drucker’s feelings about leadership, Cohen compared his responses to each “ Universal Law of
Leadership” he worked upon in the year 1997.
1. Integrity First:
Drucker: “You are entirely
right and absolutely correct in listing this as your first law. A leader
can be well-liked and popular and even competent and that’s all well and good,
but if he lacks integrity of character he is not fit to be a leader.”
2. Know Your Stuff:
Drucker: "This seems obvious, but some managers do try to cut corners
rather than mastering the knowledge that they must have and that is essential
to the quality of their performance.”
3. Declare Your Expectations:
Drucker: “I’m uncertain what you mean by this. If you mean that a leader should
declare his objectives. His mission --- by all means.”
4. Show Uncommon Commitment:
Drucker: “The failure of many is because they show no commitment, or commitment
to the wrong goals. This gets back to your third law. Commitment comes from a
worthy mission and then strong commitment.”
5. Expect Positive Results:
Drucker: “There is a cautionary tale. One must not be a ‘Pollyanna.’ Still the
central thought is correct. One cannot be negative and succeed in
anything."
6. Take Care of Your People:
Drucker: “Many managers are failing to do this, and it will catch up with
them.”
7. Duty Before Self:
Drucker: “This should be the basis of all leadership. The leader cannot act in
one’s own interests. It must be in the interests of the customer and the
worker. This is the great weakness of American management today.”
8. Get Out in Front:
Drucker: “Very true where as junior leader or the CEO the leader must be where
the work is the most challenging. During World War I the losses among higher
ranking officers was rare compared with the losses they caused by their
incompetence. Too few generals were killed.”