Business needs more leaders than Managers

The People’s Bank, Jaffna Zonal Office, recently organized a one-day seminar for its Managers and Asst. Managers on “Leadership Excellence and Managerial effectiveness”.

The program was conducted by CENLEAD, CEO Dr. K. Kuhathasan.

Here are excerpts from his address.

* Is Business Leadership a rare quality as assumed to be?

* Are Leadership qualities inborn in certain class of individuals?

* Can a Manager be trained to be successful leader?

These are some of the issues that are often discussed in several organizations.

Not born, but made

Leadership is always a matter of individual effort

Modern Management thinkers have proved beyond doubt that business leaders are “not born, but made”. They have also expressed that leadership consists of habits and skills, which are not inherited, but are acquired through constant practice. Leadership, is therefore, not a position one has by ‘divine right.’ It is the complete sum of all your efforts. “Leaders are made and made by themselves.” People who set out to work in an ambitious and enthusiastic manner become leaders all the way.

Leadership is always a matter of individual effort. One of the peculiarities of business leadership is the fact that it will never be found in those who have not acquired the habit of taking the initiative. Leadership is something that you must invite yourself and take the appropriate initiative.

The myth that “leaders are born and not made” has been exploded and disproved by several business leaders who have made themselves great by sheer will, determination, effort and enterprise.

Leadership, is therefore, not a matter of luck, birth, genius or accident. It is not a matter of favour or chance. It depends largely and basically on one’s effort, preparation, continued endurance and above all the will and the wish to lead and achieve. It is the result of continuous effort. Everyone has Leadership potential.

Leadership skills are not something that you inherited or otherwise bestowed upon you. You are as, smart as you choose to be.

You are the master of your fate, captain of your soul and maker of your destiny. You can develop and prove yourself as a capable, convincing, effective and a successful leader, if you are determined and prepared. If you believe in yourself fully, no activity is beyond your potential.

Can Leadership be taught?

Nothing human is alien to your. You can be anything you choose. You can be an effective business leader, if you have such goals.

There is ample evidence that leadership can be taught effectively and developed successfully. It does not appear that any one type of person hold monopoly on leadership.

Leadership opportunities should be offered to Executives, early in their careers, because it provides them with ample openings to build, drive, encourage a ‘can-do-spirit’ and inspire self-confidence.

Empowerment

Organizations must open opportunities to managers and other senior members of the staff to learn through experience in an environment that permits growth and change. Organizations tend to pay lip service to leadership development. This attitude must change

Today leaders must:

* Think strategically and invest in the future.

* Be entrepreneurial and take risks.

* Spend more time in communicating with employees and initiate new projects.

* Know every detail of the business - but delegate more responsibility to others.

* Become passionately delegated to the vision and committed to carrying them out. But, be flexible, responsive and able to change direction.

* Speak up. Be a Leader. Set the direction. Be participative. Listen well. Be cooperative.

* Throw yourself wholeheartedly into the entrepreneurial adventure.

Leaders should motivate, encourage and stimulate people around them. Leaders must know that people around them will change and grow. At the same time they must be realistic about expectations, their motto should be. “stretch but don’t strain.”

Challenges

Leader must come forward to resolve present day organizational dilemmas such as:

* How to develop a culture characterised by change, flexibility and continuous improvement?

* How to unleash the creativity, resourcefulness, talent and energy of the people?

* How to create a culture where management treats employees as internal customers?

* How to create team sprit and harmony among divisions and departments?

Discover your possibilities

From a study of personal factors associated with leadership, psychologists have expressed that an average person who occupies a position of leadership excels the average member of his team in these respects:

Intelligence; Scholarship; Dependability in exercising responsibilities; Social participation and adaptability. It is also expressed that the leader excels the average follower in sociability, initiative, persistence, knowing how to get things done, self-confidence, alertness to situations, co-operative, popularity, and adaptability. Leaders must be cheerful, pleasant and happy, they should be positive, optimistic and upbeat.

The first basic ingredient of a leader is to develop a guiding vision. A leader should have a clear idea of what he wants to accomplish and inspire people to achieve the desired results. A leader should create a compelling vision and translate the vision into organizational success.

Practical tips for effective leadership

Be a good team player

The most fundamental and elementary exercise to develop the art of leadership is to cultivate the habit of a good follower - a good co-operator - a good team player.

* All of us can be successful leaders most of the time if we learn to be good followers, good co-operators for some of the time.

Leaders acquire the right habits and rightful roles, just as we acquire the habit of speaking by constant effort and continuous practice.

* The habit of teamwork and co-operation, which are the basis of leadership are acquired mainly through team activities.

* There can be no progress, no achievement without sacrifice. One can only learn the skills of serving other by working with them and not remaining aloof.