Leadership 101

The role of leaders is significant for the success and progress of industrial and commercial organizations. Some leaders may enhance a company’s performance and profitability through their business acumen and wisdom, following the best practices and keeping the employees happy and motivated. Other leaders may run the company in a manner detrimental to the latter’s interest, with disastrous consequences.

Capable leaders cast positive vibes on their subordinate managers, who may emulate them and be instrumental in not only the overall success of the company but also creating its commendable reputation in society. Those employees who follow the advice of such leaders will pave the way for their self-grooming and progress.

Kate Colbert, an acclaimed marketing and communications expert and bestselling author of two books, has written an essay ‘5 Leadership Lessons You Forgot You Learned in College’. It is a reminder to those in their first job, who may be finding work situations unfamiliar and stressful to manage.

She links the following five tools taught in college with familiar terms and molds them into work-life situations:

Negotiation is an opportunity. In your current role, there are likely opportunities to negotiate all around you, for example, better pay and benefits: In the workplace, people at all levels in the management hierarchy may be involved in a variety of negotiations.

The leaders may be negotiating business deals with their counterparts in other companies; marketing managers may be involved in negotiating the sale and pricing of company products with prospective buyers.

People in finance may be negotiating with banks and financial institutions for competitive terms of investment or for borrowing money. People in HR may be carrying out periodical negotiations with the union on the latter’s charter of demands for improvement in the terms and conditions of workers’ employment.

While one may have other options if negotiations with parties fail, in the case of negotiations with the union, no such option is available as the settlement must take place with the same party.

It is therefore essential for future leaders to be familiar with the art of negotiating with the following principle in mind: ‘A negotiation is not about winning. It is about both parties walking away feeling good about the outcome’.

In the British multinational company where I worked, my key responsibility was to reach amicable settlements with the unions at different sites and their federation once in two years. During one such negotiation, the chairperson of the company asked one of the senior managers, who was being groomed as a future leader, to sit in the negotiation as an observer and just watch the proceedings, which he did. He is presently the CEO of a large and reputable local company.

Collaboration makes the world go round. You need to find smart ways to share your workload with others: Some people are reluctant and even scared to delegate part of their work to their peers or subordinates, either assuming that the latter may not do it with perfection, or fearing losing control.

The business leader referenced above would keep his office free from papers, and yet he was quite successful in running the unit through delegation.

Those doing late sittings at work – while keeping the routine tasks to themselves – are exposed to stress and anxiety, which may affect their health adversely.

Always befriend the new kid: Even in progressive companies, quite senior people in the management hierarchy have the tendency to form groups of like-minded colleagues. They would confide only amongst themselves and not only criticize but also make fun of people outside the group.

The leadership lesson is “the more people who challenge you, the better you can lead and the more productively you can follow. Avoid playing favourites and getting into predictable habits when it comes to your go-to collaborators.”

Do not bite off more than you can chew: Employees should keep a work-life balance and after the day’s work, allow themselves sufficient time to get involved in activities that provide them with pleasure and recreation. They should be selective in preserving their energy for the moments that matter most. Kate Colbert says: “Biting off more than you can chew leads to a lot of misery”.

In one of the organizations where I worked, once a senior manager kept working almost the whole night on the presentation he was required to deliver to the board of directors the next day. He got sick in the morning and his presentation had to be put off, thus causing displeasure among the board members.

Practical experience eats theory for lunch: For people who are ambitious to become leaders, it is important to find opportunities to demonstrate their tactical abilities and display their expertise. In business, it is not enough for the managers to just roll out suggestions, they must exhibit practical skills to convert their ideas into reality. The lesson is: being a 'doer' alongside other doers creates trust, respect, and camaraderie.”

Business leaders may need many other traits to succeed. Still, the five above, linked by Kate Colbert with the academic learning of fresh entrants in the industry, are also pivotal to possess.

The writer is a consultant inhuman resources at the Aga Khan University Hospital. He can be reached at: parvez.rahim1947@gmail.com