Essentials of Leadership

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Even after ages of discussion the question as to what makes a great leader still needs an authentic answer. There has been a plethora of theories and reams have been written on the subject but the Leadership debate still remains inconclusive. As the world today finds itself in a crisis of sorts with countries at war with one another, the search for a prescription for the right kind of leadership may be quite appropriate. When research has not been able to provide answers, the search for the right action on the part of leaders can provide clues. Actions after all are the proof of leadership mettle. Actions that have withstood the test of time, actions that are not bound by regional and cultural boundaries, actions that are based on right decisions, actions that have universal appeal and approval. How leaders arrive at such decisions is the crux of the matter. Decisions based not just on intelligence alone, but a combination of two more additional attributes, that is, empathy and morality. It is the unique blend of these three attributes that gives a person that special faculty, the ability to discriminate, for which the Sanskrit equivalent is ‘Viveka’. It is difficult to find an exact English equivalent of the word ‘Viveka’.

Noted management thinker and writer Peter Drucker had said that Management is doing Right Things. But the question is how to decide what those right things are. We need to understand that the right things are not always rule based. What is right and what is wrong depends on a number of considerations. They are judgement based on deeper reasoning. Hence it is equally important to understand that leaders should also know when to break the rules and for whom.

The stories that follow attempt to provide the reader with an insight into what those right things are.

Compassion is the Essence

The story of Siddhartha (later known as Buddha) and his cousin Devdutt dates back to the 5th century and is widely quoted in ancient Indian literature. Siddhartha by Nature was compassionate while his brother was arrogant and aggressive. One day, as the two brothers were playing in the garden, Devdutt saw a swan flying above and shot at the bird with his bow and arrow. Hit by the arrow the bird fell down in front of Siddhartha. He picked the bird in his arms and nursed its injury. Devdutt seeing this came to him claiming that the bird belonged to him. Siddhartha vehemently denied saying that the bird did not belong to Devdutt who wanted to kill it. The controversy went to the court of king Suddodhan. The king was perplexed. Finally he gave a verdict that the bird be kept in the middle of the court and the two brothers standing on different sides would call the bird. Whosoever the bird would go will get it. The bird went to Siddhartha. That was a story from the 5th century. Compare this with a 19th century quote of Abraham Lincoln - I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. Call it compassion or consideration, the fact is that it works in all societies and at all times.

Judgement Matters

There is an interesting story from the life of US President Abraham Lincoln which is worth understanding. The story goes that during the civil war one of the most trusted aides of Lincoln was General Grant. The President would always listen to him. This made other senior officials envious of Grant. One day they ganged up and went to the President complaining that listening to Grant was dangerous as he was a drunkard. After thinking for a moment the President retorted- ‘is it? Tell me the brand that he drinks. I will send the same brand to all of you. Grant wins wars also.’ The message is clear. A leader has to know his people and not get carried away by others opinions about the competency of the people without careful analysis.

Leaders need to Empathize

The story of Maharaja Ranjit Singh is worth reading. Once the Maharaja was travelling through a village of his state on a warm summer afternoon. In order to take rest the king camped in the village fields surrounded by a large number of mango trees. As the king was resting a stone hit him on his right eye causing severe bleeding. Seeing this his men rushed to nurse him. Some of the soldiers ran to find out where the stone had come from. After sometime the soldiers came back holding a young boy who was responsible for the injury to the king. They wanted the boy to be severely punished. The king looked at the boy who was trembling with fear. He asked his men to leave the boy. He then softly questioned the boy why he was throwing the stones. The visibly shaken boy said that he was trying to get some mangoes by hitting them with stones. The king asked his men to arrange a basket full of mangoes for the boy saying that when a tree hit by a stone can give fruits how can Ranjit Singh, the Maharaja, give punishment for the same act. Leaders have to be lion-hearted and empathetic.

The stories are just suggestive and not exhaustive, the idea being to drive home the point that leadership is much more, and sometimes much else than what is being talked about today day in business schools and seminars. The essentials of leadership are compassion, judgement and empathy. It is a matter of head, heart and soul.