When I talk 'Leadership' in class, it's like a walk in the park, because, I have a host of leaders to choose from. Leaders from industry, military and politics as well. However it recently struck me as to how appropriate is this? Can leadership be juxtaposed and expected to work?Can a country be run in a similar way to running a business? Does corporate leadership equate to political leadership? The point is debatable but the contextual difference is important to note when considering leadership in general.
A crucial difference in the two sectors is that the CEO must operate to the satisfaction of the shareholders, regardless of the humanistic and social agenda that he professes. A politician must serve for the benefit of the people, regardless of the political views held as this social obligation originates with the public office. Politicians have room to manoeuvre not given to CEO because not all the citizens subscribe to the same values. The more diverse a country, the better it is for a politician. In the corporate world there is a clearly visible commitment to the bottom line and at the end of the day, that is what matters the most. It is possibly the reason why, politicians in India can get away with almost anything, a luxury barely afforded to folks in industry.
In a different England, it seems that the newly elected coalition government is starting to prepare for a social capitalism – capitalism with a human edge. The path to economic restabilisation will be difficult and, according to the newspapers on 8 June 2010, the government is set to call on the services of the former CEO of BP, Lord John Browne.
Now it may be recalled, that Lord Browne, has been severely criticized in the past, for his policies in BP, to which are linked, many of the disasters, including the imbroglio in the Gulf of Mexico, which has the United States in a tizzy & President Obama peevishly asking ' Whose ass should I kick?'. I'm fairly certain, the American's will get their man, but it is unlikely to be Lord Browne's.
I think leadership is situational and it is being simplistic if we assume, that any leader would be a good fit in any position! In India too, there has been a trend to move industrialists, into Government. The move has been received with enormous media hype & joy, but I would advocate a little caution, before we uncork the champagne!
3 comments:
Good analysis. In India anyone with committment will succeed reasonably. I do not sunscribe to the view that we have political leadership at all when bills llike anti corruption do not get passed, Bhopal gas tragedy related compensation does not go through. There are people in positions of leadership but leaders are not there. Dr. Manmohan Singh showed tremendous leadwership in getting the country out of FE crisis. He could do that as there were a very few options. When we have many options we get into debates and waste time without action. This is not leadership, I mean the sum total of our political system is not ehading in the right direction at good enough speed. One can reason why we do not as well as many successful countries. Those reasons are to be overcome but not dished out as excuses for failing to achieve what we sat out to do.
I am of the view the current leadesrhsip as a first step should bring successful result driven Industry captains, set their goals and facilitate success. Industry leaders will make it happen. Theya re better leaders.
We can take comfort from the fact that India is far too diverse a country. But then let the industry captains communicate convincingly while the dirt politicians shut their mouth beyond a point.
Shankar
For me the topic is interesting...As you say, "To talk of Leadership" either in a class or on dias, is indeed a 'Walk in the park'.But how many really are able to "Walk Leadership" should be a matter of concern.
According to me if anything has ever worked in the past it definitely has been a Good - Leadership.The basic principle of Leadership whether corporate or political, is to work for / toward the general welfare of the masses ; for the betterment of the human race.To discuss such noble thoughts itself is considered absurd in the present,perhaps.Hence what is left for us is to uncork the bottle of hope before anything else.Do you agree, Sir ?
Hi,
Interesting thoughts & noble ideas.
However, I guess, you have answered your own question about leadership & how we view our eventual goal.
Unfortunately in today's Corporate World, the goal post shifts continually & when you have diverse value systems vying for place or competing, ethical leadership, as you have suggested, is a little difficult to come by.
Is the situation, then, hopeless? I don't think so.....
Cheers..
Nagaraj.
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