Hello friends here is an article on Leadership per kind courtesy my colleague Rajiv who teaches marketing to Final Semester MBA students. Rajiv has had some rich experience in the corporate world and now much in demand as a corporate trainer. Please read his short article.
Is it more disturbing or shocking could not make out? I am talking about the behaviour of the queen of jungle the lioness in Serengeti. When a new lion takes over the territory of an older one, there is fight in which either the challenger or the current leader of the pride has 
to retreat. In case the challenger wins the first task he does is to kill all the young ones. This is critical for the lionesses to bear young ones from the new leader faster. The lion’s behaviour though odd to us, the scientist have a logical observation, the culling of the cubs is the nature’s way of preserving the genes of the healthier lions which is critical for the survival of the pride. But what about the lionesses how could they live forget about bearing cubs with this murderer. Now I understand it metaphorically in painful way.
During the 2005 – 08 boom of the market. I was working in team of a very nice person Rohit, he had a team of 20 people reporting into him and was handling a very critical portfolio. Though we all knew that he was a good man, and we loved him for that, but was not a strong leader. Whenever he was pressurized for results, he would shout on us and demanded commitments to be fulfilled by the end of day (usual for sales people) but we knew this was a temporary phase and by the end of the day he would become normal so we would all go out and did what we wanted and return back, knowing fully well that by then all would be normal. Yet we had great admiration for this guy, as he had one great quality that in case on need both personal and professional he was always there for us. So when we all felt that the pressure is genuine or when he used to make an emotional pitch to us, we all used to put more than 100% for him and not for the company. Rohit’s bad luck was that these occasions were few.
Till the times were good all was hunky dowry, like bad times good times don’t last and the downturn of late 2008 was really bad for the business. Here we started lagging behind and a day came when Rohit was side tracked and that day we all felt bad for both him and the reason for which he was shifted, any child could make out that he was demoted on flimsy ground. We all decided that we would not obey the new boss not as a disrespect to him but as a mark of respect to our loved one.
The first day the new guy came, he called the Rohit’s coterie and asked them to meet the HR immediately. This created panic and we all internally decided that this guy meant business and we fell in line with the new boss within hours.
In the hindsight today it makes sense, whether it is the jungle or corporate world a strong leader is required and the followers automatically fall in line.
Thanks Rajiv for this thought provoking article. I am sure our readers may like to add their views.
Cheers!
Breath of Joy 
I 100% believe in a strong leader compared to an average leader who is a good guy.
I also think that there is a difference between lionesses and us. Most of us have gone to B-schools! And that should prompt us to think if “good guys” should be groomed before they can take on leadership roles. Cracking an entrance exam/getting an MBA doesn’t certify “leadership-inside”. It takes skills to manage even a grocery shop. But who is to say that good guys are wrong in the way they handle their teams? If you talk to them and point out the advantages of being tough, they say with utmost conviction that they don’t care how other managers behave. They are content with being nice to every one or trying to be so. Shouldn’t there be someone senior who can point out this, and tell them to maintain a balance between being good and being practical. Maybe HR should have programs in place, and assess them periodically. Many people learn from trial and error, however lot of trouble could be avoided for the manager and for his direct reportees, if this improvement area is identified when a manager is being hired or considered for promotion.
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Leadership and power are closely linked. People tend to follow those who are powerful. And because others follow, the person with power leads.But leaders have power for different reasons. Some are powerful because they alone have the ability to give you a bonus or a raise. Others are powerful because they can fire you, or assign you tasks you don’t like. Yet, while leaders of this type have formal, official power, their teams are unlikely to be enthusiastic about their approach to leadership, if these are all they rely on.
On the more positive side, leaders may have power because they’re experts in their fields, or because their team members admire them. People with these types of power don’t necessarily have formal leadership roles, but they influence others effectively because of their skills and personal qualities.
Regards,
Supriya Dhende
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Wow this is a brilliant take on leadership with respect to the sources of their power. And yes there are people in organizations who have powerful influence with no formal authority.
Supriya many thanks I am proud of you!
Regards!
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Before we get started, lets define leadership. Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. This definition is similar to Northouse’s (2007, p3) definition — Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.
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Hi Supriya,
What a coincidence I was just thinking its been long since I heard from you and your response just came 🙂
Your definition cannot be faulted but you will agree that leaders have to perform in a challenging and changing environment. So while to the definition speaks on the internal we need to take into account the external dimension too. What say you?
Kind regards & best wishes.
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Hello Sir,
It is indeed my pleasure to know this……
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Thank you sir for exemplary lesson to help us to excel us in life by facing the stiff competition in life with grace and dignity.
Regards
Girish kohli
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Hi Dilip,
In response to Rajiv’s interesting article.
Doe’s one have to give in to cruelty, in the corporate world? i am not too sure.
May be till you acquire the necessary strength to deal with it.
May be you need to learn to distinguish between ‘cruel’ & ‘strong’.
Following a cruel leader is helping him perpetuate cruelty.Would you like to be such a leader yourself. I would rather follow a strong leader than a cruel one.
One always has a choice to leave. Yes it will lead to hardship. Battles & wars are always won on hardship.
For a satisfied leader the route is as important as the goal. Specially for a leader of people. Can you be a successful leader of Industry w/o being a successful leader of people?
Well you all are thinking people & I LEAVE YOU WITH THESE THOUGHTS. R L S.
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Sure Roshan … following a strong leader rather than a cruel one will always be a natural outcome. As a leader of men in battle you are very well placed to highlight this aspect.
Even in the industry today being a leader of people is the only way. It does not mean that a leader has to appease his followers he has to inspire them and earn their trust and respect.
Thanks for rekindling the interest on this topic.
Cheers!
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Nice blog sir. really worth. I heard lot good about Mr.Rajiv sir from my friends from marketing. Thanks a lot sir.
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Hi Vinita welcome 🙂
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts and highlighting the importance of employee engagement. This is an interesting case-let that can generate some good discussion on change management and on the approach of the new manager – leader. I am sure we can have a small discussion on this.
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I would like to congratulate Mr. Vora for writing inspirational article based on getting business in this world of cut-throat competition. At the beginning stage the vibrant and significant example of New Lion entry creates lucrative interest in the reader’s mind. The touching words here for me are “But what about the lionesses how could they live forget about bearing cubs with this murderer”. It means sometimes, we have to make business deals with our rivals in positive manner, no matters how much cruel they are. We should have guts to deal with them.
The extraordinary point I could learnt for my dissertation topic is about employee engagement. In the article, the newly arrived leader did not pay attention that how much his coterie is engaged with the ideas and orders which were shot by him. I found him miserably failing in engaging others. Employees would blissfully take orders if leaders make a space in their heart….Ultimate truth is they are human not machine…Isn’t it!! Success is the next door for you all…Cheers!! 🙂
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Respected Mr. Rajiv and Mr. Naidu sir,
This is my luck and gods grace that, i am learning marketing from the best teacher Rajiv sir. He is just superb and always teach something that will required in today’s cut throat competition in the marketing field. He teaches us to think differently and logically, that builds strong foundation for marketing.
Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall- Stephen Covey
Leadership is all about leading from front in danger time and stay behind in the time of win. Leadership teaches us in company always say ‘WE’ did, not “I”. Boss say “Go” but leader says “LETS GO”, that’s attitude required to be a GREAT LEADER.
I really loved the example of lion and a way in which it connected to a leadership.
It was a treat for me to read this outstanding article given by Rajiv sir.
Regards,
Shrishailya Panchavishe
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Hi Sri, your Leadership mantra ‘Lets go rather than Go’ is quite right, But did you wonder why most leaders do not follow it? 🙂
Thanks and cheers!
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Respected sir,
You really right, that in today’s business leaders don’t follow this mantra. In my view, people are scared of doing so. May be it’s inside fear that may be people can do better than them and can be a threat for them in near future. Each person has its own perception about this issue. No one really find this answer yet. If I will become a leader in future, i will surely follow this mantra………..Leaders becomes great when, they give others opportunity to grow and create leaders for future.
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Yes Shri I am sure you will! Wish yo a great innings for the future 🙂
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