Failure to launch - Overcoming leadership vacuum

"Leadership is an intriguing subject,“ said Varun, my young friend who had just completed two years in his first role with a large Indian company. An MBA graduate from a highly ranked business school, he had been a good student and it was great to see that his energy and passion had not dimmed at all!

However, his comment provoked an inquiry and I asked him as to what made him make that comment. He said that we learned so much about leadership principles and the behaviors associated with it but what we experience in our day to day life in organizations is so vastly different — it’s like the difference between chalk and cheese! 

“It’s the simple things that don’t get done or happen – forget the big lofty ideas and concepts of leadership” he said with a sense of frustration. “We live in the present — in the day-to-day task world, almost in private not wanting to connect in a human way with both our vulnerabilities and strengths” he continued and that got me interested further! So we continued to explore and Varun signed off saying, “Our leaders in the business seem to wear masks that hold them back; and I wish they could be real and human and get their basics right.”

As a student of human resources and leadership, in particular, this welcome interlude with a young mind got me to reflect. I initially came up with a list of what leaders should be like, should be doing or engaging with and so on but I quickly realized that there are about fifty thousand  and more books, leave alone the articles, on the subject of leadership  and perhaps I may not be adding great value if I went down that route. 

So I decided to take a contrary approach and engage in some research with employees across businesses, on why leaders fail? I asked each employee one single (and simple) question, “What would you like to see your leaders doing more of?” The bulk of my research was with people in not too senior roles, perhaps in middle management or even lower and the question was about their superiors – a leader in the sense that he/ she had a team of people working for him/her. I did of course, also met senior people across functions and businesses, including MNCs, and their answers were not very different.  

I received a variety of responses that I am summarizing as actions that leaders can take to succeed as leaders in their own capacities: 

Inspire

Everyone needs something that makes the adrenalin flow – an energizing goal: “We are going to be No.1”, “We are the world’s best”, “We are the most admired” – each one of these brings out the energy in us. Leaders need to be able to show the employees an aspirational future – a vision that is compelling, and not be boring and transactional – What are you?

Understand employee thoughts 

This is about valuing the team. Just say to your team that you understand them and see the sparkle in their eyes! It is amazing but true that a simple nod, connoting understanding can do so much. Your ability to understand and appreciate other’s perspective goes a long way in leadership even if you do not necessarily take decisions that have the say of everyone in it or has the stamp of their bidding.

Highlight the larger purpose

Employees want to feel that they are working for a purpose that is more than about making money. They want to feel that they are making a difference to the world.  Meaning in or of life, while working is an important reason for existence to every employee and hence the need to connect to a larger purpose.

Show a line of sight

One of the most important things a leader can and should do is to show employees how and what they can do to connect and contribute to the organization’s goals. This is vital for employees to feel connected and is also significant to the organization. This leads to engagement and higher productivity. Leaders, more often than not seem to be failing this test.

Listen and communicate

Managers who are good listeners are often the most inspiring leaders. Remember Gandhi! They pick up great ideas from their teams and respond to such ideas. They welcome bad news in order to take corrective actions and effectively influence thinking and actions because they are sensitive to the feelings of their teams.

Live the values of the organization 

Do you live the values of the organization? Often times, leaders don’t while they generously espouse them — it is important that we actually demonstrate those values through actions every day. For instance, “respect” as a value would mean amongst other things, supporting employees in their development. How many leaders can put their hands on their hearts and say, they genuinely engage in that?

Make employees feel important 

Employees who are valued, respected, cared for and developed are far more likely to be super performers – who deliver extraordinary results. Managers who inadvertently disrespect their staff, or who make them, knowingly or otherwise, feel threatened or unworthy, quickly demotivate their employees.

There is this ooft-repeatedinsight, “employees do not leave organizations but their managers”. This needs to be constantly kept in mind!  And ‘leaving’ here, not only refers to physical departures but the more dangerous psychological separations that we need to guard against. Many leaders don’t score much on this – but perhaps, it is time to reflect! 

I thought as I summarized the various responses, replies and observations from scores of employees who had no axe to grind, that this could be a useful checklist of behaviors and actions for every leader to think about and make it a part of their signature leadership. Not a very demanding list – is it?  And in its simplicity lies the answer to inspiring Varun and many like him!