Wrost Leaders - The Lessons

The 10 Most Common Failures of Bad Leaders

After scrutinizing 360-degree feedback data on over 11,000 leaders and evaluating the 10% considered the least effective, Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman found the 10 most common leadership shortcomings. These are ranked according to the size of the difference between successful and unsuccessful leaders' scores; successful and failed leaders differed most significantly in their energy and enthusiasm.

Lack energy and enthusiasm - They see new initiatives as a burden, rarely volunteer, and fear being overwhelmed। One such leader was described as having the ability to “suck all the energy out of any room.”

Accept their own mediocre performance - They overstate the difficulty of reaching targets so that they look good when they achieve them। They live by the mantra “Underpromise and overdeliver.”

Lack clear vision and direction - They believe their only job is to execute। Like a hiker who sticks close to the trail, they’re fine until they come to a fork.

Have poor judgments - They make decisions that colleagues and subordinates consider to be not in the organization’s best interests।

Don’t collaborate - They avoid peers, act independently, and view other leaders as competitors। As a result, they are set adrift by the very people whose insights and support they need.

Don’t walk the talk - They set standards of behavior or expectations of performance and then violate them। They’re perceived as lacking integrity.

Resist new ideas - They reject suggestions from subordinates and peers। Good ideas aren’t implemented, and the organization gets stuck.

Don’t learn from mistakes - They may make no more mistakes than their peers, but they fail to use setbacks as opportunities for improvement, hiding their errors and brooding about them instead।

Lack interpersonal skills - They make sins of both commission (they’re abrasive and bullying) and omission (they’re aloof, unavailable, and reluctant to praise)।

Fail to develop others - They focus on themselves to the exclusion of developing subordinates, causing individuals and teams to disengage.

Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman are the authors, with Scott K. Edinger, of The Inspiring Leader: Unlocking the Secrets of How Extraordinary Leaders Motivate (McGraw-Hill, 2009).

Source: Harvard Business Review, June 2009

Giving ??

Giving??

by Ankit Sinha (adapted from an article published in corporate dossier by Devdutt Patnaik)

Once upon a time there was a king was called Indradyumna and after a long reign he passed away and went to heaven, where he spent centuries, enjoying the rewards of his good deeds on earth। Then, one day, the gods told him, “Indradyumna, you have to go back to earth. You are no longer welcome in heaven.”

“Why?” asked a perplexed Indradyumna। “Because,” said the gods, “No one on earth remembers your good deeds.” “But how can that be?” wondered the king, “I spent all my life doing good deeds.” “If,” said the gods, “You can find at least one creature who remembers you for your good deeds then you can come back to heaven. Otherwise you will have to leave. That is the rule.”

Time flows differently on earth than in heaven। When Indradyumna reached earth, he realized that centuries had passed since his reign. The trees were different, the people were different, even his kingdom looked different. Who will remember me, he wondered. The buildings he built were all gone. The temples he built were no where to be seen. The people who were beneficiaries of his largesse were all dead. No one he met remembered any king called Indradyumna.

Disheartened, Indradyumna went in search of the oldest man on earth। He found Rishi Markandeya. But the Rishi did not remember him. “There is an owl who is older than me,” said the sage, “Go to him.” Markandeya did as advised. He found was owl and asked him, “Do remember King Indradyumna?” and the owl said, “No, I do not remember such a king but ask the stork who is older than me.” Even the stork did not remember. “But I know someone who is much older than me, who may know of King Indradyumna,” said the stork, “He is an old tortoise who lives in a lake.”

Indradyumna went to the tortoise who was very old and slow and tired. But, to Indradyumna’s great relief, he did remember a king called Indradyumna. “He built this lake,” said the tortoise.
“But I never built this lake,” said Indradyumna, rather bewildered by this piece of information। “This lake did not even exist when I was king.”

The tortoise explained, “My grandfather never lied। He told me that this king spent his entire life giving cows in charity, hundreds of thousands of cows?” Indradyumna recollected that he had. He had been told that gifting cows assures one a place in heaven. Yes, it had, but only for temporarily. Now, where were his cows? Where were the people who he gave the cows?

The tortoise continued, “As these cows left Indradyumna’s city, they kicked up so much dust it created in a depression in the ground; when the rains came water collected this depression and turned it into a lake। Now that lake provides sustenance to innumerable plants and animals and worms and weeds and fishes and turtles and birds. So we remember the great King Indradyuna, whose act of charity resulted in a lake which for generations has been our home.”

Indradyumna was pleased to hear what the tortoise had to say। So were the gods who welcomed him back. As Indradyumna rose to heaven, the irony did not escape him: he was remembered on earth for a lake that was unconsciously created, and not for the cows that was consciously given. He benefited not from things he did, but from the impact of things he did.

This story draws attention to the notion of legacy। In ancient India, the greatest good deed that outlived anyone was go-daan or gift of a cow. In modern times, most unfortunately, this is literally translated.

In a cattle-herding community, gifting cows was gift of a livelihood। But as society evolved, the phrase was carried forward to convey a different meaning. It came to mean “gift of an opportunity.”

The greatest gift a man can give another man is an opportunity that will enable the other to survive, to grow and to thrive। This could be education or a job or a loan to start a business. Gifting cows is about ‘teaching a man to fish’ as the proverb goes; it is not about ‘giving him fish’.

What are we missing out?

Perception, taste and priorities of people are today's quest

A man stood at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousand seven hundred people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace.. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world। He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theatre in Boston and the seats average $100.

This is a real story। Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organised by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people.

The outlines were:

“In a common place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Yes/no
“Do we stop to appreciate it? Yes/no
“Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context? Yes/no
One of the possible conclusions from above experience could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing in our life???

Worth sitting up and taking note of it

Think!!!

Source: Vivek Khare

Serving and Working

Serve Don't Work

One evening a Swamiji (holy man) was addressing the participants of an MNC company on the concept of work culture.

One of the participants asked the following question to the Swamiji: I am a senior manager of Materials Department and I joined an organization 25 years ago as a Trainee and over the last 25 years I have gone through every experience in the organization and I am now the senior manager looking after the material function independently.

During the initial part of my career, the job was very challenging and interesting. Every day was exciting and I looked forward to each day with lot of interest. However, all those exciting days are gone since I do not find my job any more interesting because there is nothing new in my job.

As I have seen and handled every conceivable situation there are no more challenges in my work. I am now feeling bored because I am doing a routine job.

However, Swamiji, I am living in the same house for over forty years, I am the son for the same parents for over forty five years, and I am the father for the same children for the past ten years and the husband for the same lady for the past twenty years.

In these personal roles I do not feel bored and the passage of time has not taken away the zeal from me. Please tell me why I am bored of the routine in the office and not in the house?

This was a very interesting question and we were all very anxious and curious to know what the Swamiji had to say. The response from him was very interesting and convincing.

He asked the executive the question: Please tell me for whom does your wife and the mother of children cook ?

The executive replied that obviously my wife cooks for all of us - the family.

Then the Swamiji said that because the wife 'Serves' others and because of this service mindedness, she is not feeling tired or bored. Similarly when you are at Home you do not perceive your role as the necessary work. But in an office, we 'Work' and not 'Serve'. Anything we consider, as service will not make us feel bored. That is difference between Serving and Working.

He asked the executive to consider his work as service and not merely a work....

Serve Don't Work

The Supreme Pilot

Positive Thinking: Confidence Level

This is a story told by a man which is most frightening yet thought-provoking experiences of his life.

He had been on a long flight. The first warning of the approaching problems came when the sign on the airplane flashed on: "Fasten your seat belts." Then, after a while, a calm voice said, "We shall not be serving the beverages at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please be sure your seat belt is fastened."

As he looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive. Later, the voice of the announcer said, "We are so sorry that we are unable to serve the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us."

And then the storm broke. The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightening lit up the darkening skies and within moments that great plane was like a cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the airplane was lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as if it were about to crash.

The man confessed that he shared the discomfort and fear of those around him. He said, "As I looked around the plane, I could see that nearly all the passengers were upset and alarmed. Some were praying.

The future seemed ominous and many were wondering if they would make it through the storm. And then, I suddenly saw a girl to whom the storm meant nothing. She had tucked her feet beneath her as she sat on her seat and was reading a book.

Everything within her small world was calm and orderly. Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would read again; then she would straighten her legs, but worry and fear were not in her world. When the plane was being buffeted by the terrible storm, when it lurched this way and that, as it rose and fell with frightening severity, when all the adults were scared half to death, that marvelous child was completely composed and unafraid."

The man could hardly believe his eyes. It was not surprising therefore, that when the plane finally reached its destination and all the passengers were hurrying to disembark, he lingered to speak to the girl whom he had watched for such a long time.

Having commented about the storm and behavior of the plane, he asked why she had not been afraid.

The sweet child replied,

"Sir, my Dad is the pilot and he is taking me home."

When you are sure of your self and your confident level is steady you will be able to do the things calmly and successfully.

Source: Unknown

Self Confidence

Building Confidence in Your Self


This is an old story about a business executive who was deep in debt and could see no way out. Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were also demanding payment.

He sat on the park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy.

Suddenly an old man appeared before him.

"I can see that something is troubling you," he said. After listening to the executive's woes, the old man said, "I believe I can help you."

He asked the man his name, wrote out a cheque, and pushed it into his hand saying, "Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time." Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.

The business executive saw in his hand a cheque for RM500, 000, signed by John D. Rockefeller, at that time one of the richest men in the world!

"I can erase my money worries in an instant!" he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the un-cashed check in his safe. Just knowing it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business, he thought.

With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment. He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again.

Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the un-cashed check.

At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared. But just as the executive was about to hand back the check and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man.

"I'm so glad I caught him!" she cried. "I hope he hasn't been bothering you. He's always escaping from the rest home and telling people he's John D. Rockefeller."

And she led the old man away by the arm.

The astonished executive just stood there, stunned. All year long he'd been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, convinced he had half a million dollars behind him.

Suddenly, he realized that it wasn't the money, real or imagined, that had turned his life around. It was his newfound self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after.


Think Positive and Have Faith in Your Self

Thinking From Others Point of View

Working with People: Thinking From Others Point of View

When I was in elementary school, I got into a major argument with a boy in my class। I have forgotten what the argument was about, but I have never forgotten the lesson I learned that day.

I was convinced that "I" was right and "he" was wrong - and he was just as convinced that "I" was wrong and "he" was right। The teacher decided to teach us a very important lesson. She brought us up to the front of the class and placed him on one side of her desk and me on the other. In the middle of her desk was a large, round object. I could clearly see that it was black. She asked the boy what color the object was. "White," he answered.

I couldn't believe he said the object was white, when it was obviously black! Another argument started between my classmate and me, this time about the color of the object। The teacher told me to go stand where the boy was standing and told him to come stand where I had been. We changed places, and now she asked me what the color of the object was. I had to answer, "White." It was an object with two differently colored sides, and from his viewpoint it was white. Only from my side was it black.

My teacher taught me a very important lesson that day; you must stand in the other person's shoes and look at the situation through their eyes in order to truly understand their perspective.

If you want to work with people (everyone has to work with or through people), you must first put yourself in their shoes and see the problem as they see it. Always visualize the results of your decision from the other person’s point of view. Consider all angles, only then you will arrive at a proper decision.

Source: M Peer Mohamed Sardhar