Effective Leadership and Time Management (ELTM)

8/11/2019 Effective Leadership and Time Management (ELTM)

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A six session course on

Effective Leadership and Time

Management and other seminars


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Compiled by: Radheshyam das

Vedic Oasis for Inspiration, Culture and Education (VOICE),ISKCON, 4, Tarapore Road, Pune Camp, Pune-1,

Ph: (020) 636 1855,[email protected]

To Live, Love, Learn, Leave a legacy

THE FIRE WITHIN

Social

Spiritual Mental

Physical
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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A six session course on

Effective Leadership and Time

Management and other seminars

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare HareHare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare


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PREFACE

Dear reader,

Hare Krishna.

Recently I was asked to give four lectures on Leadership and two on Time Management atIsquareIT, a famous Management Institute at Pune. We have been preaching in the fieldof engineering colleges and it is for the first time I had prepared some material for themanagement students. It personally helped me to apply these practical guidelines in myrole as a President of a ISKCON centre as well as to inspire the students of management,how the timeless scriptures like Bhagavad-Gita gita and Srimad Bhagavatam contain suchvaluable information that is so relevant to the modern man. As anticipated, many studentswere enlivened by the course with color slide shows and have become interested to knowmore about Krishna consciousness from the books of Srila Prabhupada.

The Part 2 of this booklet contains different topics, some of which could be taken as a

one time program in the colleges and others may be useful for personal learning. Manyof these articles may be relevant to preachers worldwide although some adjustment maybe needed according to time, place, circumstance, and audience to which you maypreach.

I would consider my attempts successful, if any of these articles comes to your help inpreaching to the college youth and bring them closer to Sri Krishna.

Your servant,Radheshyam das,

Director, VOICE,President, ISKCON, Pune.11

thFeb 2004, Appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur


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How to use Part 2 of this book ?

Part 2 contains some topics that can be taken in any college as a one time program to introducestudents to KC philosophy. The other seminars can help the Preacher to learn the art of

presentations or counselling or improving memory and concentration.

For any further clarifications, please write to:

Radheshyam das,ISKCON, 4, Tarapore Rd.,

Pune Camp, PUNE-1

[email protected]@vsnl.com
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Part 1 Effective Leadership & Time Management through Self Management

CONTENTS

** Session 0: ELTM through SM - An overview & Introduction

** Session 1: Eight Attitudes for Effective Leadership Part 1** Session 2: Eight Attitudes for Effective Leadership Part 2

** Session 3: Proactive Leadership Part 1

** Session 4: Proactive Leadership Part 2

** Session 5: Time management Part 1

** Session 6: Time management Part 2

Part 2 Miscellaneous Topics

** Session 7: Self managementSession 8: Art of Successful Delegation

Session 9: Character Backbone of a leader

** Session 10: Constructive Criticism How to give it, How to take it?

** Session 11: Positive Thinking (or) Positive Mental Attitude

** Session 12: Art of Mind Control

Session 13: Practical Tips to Mind Control

Session 14: Learning to give better Presentations

Session 15: Concentration and Memory

Session 16: Youth Counseling system at VOICE, ISKCON, Pune

** Slide shows available for the topic with two stars


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Book References used for compiling the material:

1. Bhagavad gita As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta swami Prabhupada

2. Srimad Bhagavatam by H.D.G. A.C. Bhaktivedanta swami Prabhupada

3. Seven Habits of Highly effective people by Stephen Covey

4. Leadership by Peter Burwash

5. Leadership for an age of Higher consciousness, 1 and 2 by B.T.Swami

6. Emotional Intelligence by Robert Cooper

7. Victory over Death by Radheshyam das

8. Art of Mind Control by Radheshyam das

9. Practical tips to mind control by Radheshyam das

10. Power Presentations by Peter urs bender11. Garden of Life by Radhika Krishnakumar

12. Putting First things First by Stephen Covey


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Session 0: Effective Leadership and Time Management through SM

- An overview & Introduction

Hints for remembrance

1) How will I benefit from this seminar?

- How to better manage the inner organization as a means for effective leadership of externalorganization

- How to motivate and inspire people based on a holistic self-managing approach

- Provide individuals with techniques of meditation to manage one self

- Realign and adjust with the changing environment with new attitudes, work style and behavior

- Learning Proactive behavior rather than reactive behavior for calm, clear and creative thinkingby studying the psychophysical natures of different people

- Learning the right attitudes for effective leadership

- Learning the nature and the roles of mind, intellect, senses and ultimately the self itself to bringout the innate qualities that are a integral part of ones being

- Learning the benefits of Character in Leadership

- Learning different generations of time management and the latest fourth generation timemanagement

- Learning the deficiencies of previous generations and the art of managing time effectively.

2) Learning new self-managing skills

Self-managing skills like intuition, flexibility, focus and tolerance are required for functioning in achanging environment.

Physical stress management, health, safety, nutrition etc

Mental - Mind power, Creativity, Innovation, intellectual development program

Social - Psychological assessment, Transactional analysis, Quality circles, Teamwork

Missing dimension: Spiritual aspect that is intimately connected with the being. Spirituality isconnected with our innate values, innate power, self-respect, enhancing our will power throughmeditation techniques and the power to apply spiritual insights practically.

3) Essential objectives

To learn how to have more control of your own thoughts, feeling and behavior

To become a better leader through better self understanding and practical application ofSpiritual knowledge and principles

To take more personal responsibility for your state of mind and emotions and stop blamingothers.

To learn how to communicate better with people


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To learn a principle-centered Time Management and write down vision, mission and goals forones own life

4) Self Management - Learning to manage ourselves before managing others

Organization cannot be changed without changing consciousness of individuals

How to gain the courage to manage myself before managing others?

Managing ones own sense organs, before taking up the responsibility of managing ones life,family or workplace and maintaining a balance in all the different areas of ones life


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Session 0: Effective Leadership and Time Management through SM

- An overview & Introduction (One hour)

In this first introductory session, we present a overview of all the different topics that they will learnas a part of this course. This is to create an inspiration to participate in the full course.

0.1. How will I benefit from this seminar?

This is a course for those who are facing major challenges in their life. For anyone changecrisis is a period of stress and uncertainty, but for those who have a responsibility for leadingothers through a period of chaos, the anxiety can be unbearable unless they have exceptionalself management skills.

Pressure at work puts unbearable strain on relationships at home; health deteriorates, self-confidence falls and stress level rises. Fear becomes the dominant motivator. Faced with this,many people give their endeavour to meet the stress as the leader to motivate and inspiresuch people.This is where SM training programme comes into play and can help.

It provides individuals with the personal skills and confidencenecessary to master changeand lead others through the present day chaos of transformational change. Naturally this willincrease his Capacity, Capability and ability to make more and even improve its quality. Theorganisations have slowly begun to realise that happier and fulfilled staff not only works better

but can contribute significantly to the achievement of their objectives.

It empowers the individual to realign and adjust with the changing environmentand thereby

develop greater self-esteem and self control in terms of new attitudes, work style and behaviour.It provides the tools to do this with relevant mental training and thereby change managementskills.

0.2. Aims of this course

0.2.1. How to better manage the inner organization as a means for more effective leadership of theexternal organization.

Traditional view of management is that if you could manage the external environment then youcould manage the change successfully. Now the emphasis has shifted from the external to theinternal that is towards managing our inner environment that is, harnessing our inner resources,which we have so far tended to neglect. We can consciously create our future on the basis ofguiding values and a focused vision of the future or we can sit back and be driven by the externalsituations and circumstances.

0.2.2. Learning adaptability in changing situations and to achieve a great mental presence, an alertstate of mind, a lot of creativity and also intuition to act at the right time in a world ofcutthroat competition.


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Modern mans life is like a navigator setting off into the unknown, without any maps, not aware ofthe turbulent times that he would have to go through, charting new territory, finding safe passagethrough storms and heavy seas, not even aware of the wild sea-creatures that might be after him,much less of the silently moving undercurrents of the ocean. The worst part is we do not even havea compass that can tell us whether we are moving in the right direction or not. Therefore we aretotally at the mercy of crisis. It is time to build up the personal resources which are required if we

want to do better than merely cope with contemporary life and do more than simply react to eventsas they unfold. The challenge is to re-define, re-invent and re-orient ourselves for the future.

Things are not going to go back to the stable patterns of the past. We see a world characterized byfierce global competition. Competition begins when a child starts going to school and he has tostruggle for survival in the highly competitive world till the last breath of his life. Revolutionarynew technologies are coming in a big way and it is becoming increasingly difficult for people andorganizations to cope and adapt to the changing technology.

In order to survive in this competition we need to have a great mental presence, an alert state of

mind, a lot of creativity and also intuition to act at the right time.

0.2.3. Learning to have a clear focus about individual and organizational vision, mission andvalues so as to steer through changing times as well as the purpose of life itself

If I am not aware of my personal mission, vision and values then I would be constantly experiencingstress, inner conflicts and a lot of confusion within my own self and it would be difficult tocontribute to the achievement of the organizational mission and vision.

When I use a tool for the actual purpose for which it is meant, then I get the benefit, happiness andcontentment. A farmer may use a Mercedes Benz that he achieved as a gift from a friend, for

ploughing his field. Similarly, I can spend my life in the way I want to, but is that the purpose oflife? When I spend my life on the basis of its real value with a clear focus and there is noconfusion, stress or anxiety about it, there is satisfaction in life and I lead a meaningful purposefullife also.

Therefore it is very essential to be aware of where I am heading to and what do I stand for and alignthe same with the organizational mission, vision and values so as to move with confidence and aclear focus.

0.3. Learning new self-managing skills

New and different capabilities are required to be effective in this changing environment. Theseare not just the technical or functional skills but they are the self-managing skills like intuition,flexibility, clear focus, tolerance etc.

In any management-training program, development of various aspects of human resources likethe physical, mental and emotional or social are taken care of, to tap the inner potential to themaximum.

For the development of the physical aspect, where the doing capacities are connected, there arevarious programmes relating to stress management, health, safety, nutrition, diet etc.


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Likewise, there are many programs for the development of ones mental capacities like:intellectual development program, mind power, creativity, innovation, learning, studying etc,which deal with our thinking abilities.

Because we are social beings, emotionally connected with each other, there are developmentprograms like Psychological assessment, Transactional analysis, Quality circles, Team work etc.

But we find that the missing dimension is Spiritual, which is intimately connected with thebeing. Spirituality is connected with our innate values, innate power, self-respect, enhancing thewill power through meditation and relaxation techniques and the power to apply spiritualinsights practically.

0.4. Management With Hands, Head And Heart

Productivity/ efficiency is got when the body and the mind are in perfect co-ordination

We cannot change the consciousness of the organization without changing the consciousness of the

people working within the organization. According to the need of time, the organizations managedon the basis of American system or Japanese system, used to move forward. But, today even thesesystems do not seem to work.

If we go to the history of management, the locomotive of economic change affecting everyorganization of the world was either America or Japan. Following the Second World War, most ofEurope was heavily devastated in one way or the other and it provided the opportunity to rebuildreconstruct. The Japanese economy and the Japanese industry were fattened and it gave Japan achance to start again.

In America, the situation was different. Its industry was fairly intact although it suffered a loss of

many lives. But in gearing up after the 2nd

But, after that period, the criteria for the world became exactly the opposite. Instability andrecession, particularly in the western countries, followed where the market stared contracting and sothey shifted the industries from West to East as the labour costs in the East were low. The sociallaws in the in the Eastern countries are without protection, without rules and regulation and it was

world war, industry went through a huge change. Whenthe American generals came back home they had two things with them. They had earned a lot ofmoney during the war and knew that after the war, there would not be another war immediately.

Secondly, they were literate people. It was the first time; an educated working class was emerging insetting up industries. The way in which the economic formula was used for growth anddevelopment was one, which encouraged the production and credit arrangements. The managementsystem adopted by them was more like military style where the commands and controls where intheir hands and as they would command the people down the line had to follow. As the people werenot literate, they asked the people to come with their hands to work.... They said, Come with your

hands and we shall use our heads. The two main criteria of that time were stability and growth asthe commands and controls were in the hands of one. This was the American system of managementwith the Taylorist approach, and was also known as the pyramid style a much-centraliseddecision making. It was perfect for stability and permanent growth. This system of managementsuccessfully went on for about 30 years.


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easy to get the product at cheaper rates without providing any social security resulting in socialdumping.

Twenty years back, the Total Quality Management concept emerged. This was the beginning of theJapanese system of management or networking based on the eastern culture, where there is a societyculture or where there is the culture of we consciousness. Hence, the Japanese realised the

creativity of every human mind and said, Why just come with your hands, bring your creative mindas well. So they said to the people that they needed their ideas, their creativity, proposals andsuggestions. Thus introducing the Kaizen system, they started taking the suggestions of their people.This is how they came out with Total Quality Management and within the short span of time they

became the leaders in the world. But, today, they are also finding problem... what is their problem?When too many heads get together, the ideas start contradicting and clashing. Due to ego, the bestmanagement system can fail.

So the organisational world is looking for another system of management which more than thehands and heads. And what are they looking for?

The organisational worlds want the hearts of the people, i.e. the organisation wants self-motivated,committed and responsible people. How do we get people motivated and committed? We need toidentify their values in order to get motivated, committed and responsible people. Therefore, thecultures with very deep spiritual roots like India have competitive advantage which is now beingrealised even by the present day management gurus who are trying to find some solutions to theorganisational problems from the Indian ethics and its spiritual wisdom.

Some five thousand years ago, India had an ancient cultural heritage of gurukul Sri Ram and SriKrishna also went for their education. What were they thought in this gurukul? Through the spiritualinsights the guru guided them to identify their value- system and function on the basis of those

values. They were thought the art of self-management so that when they take the reins of theirkingdom in their own hands, they rule the kingdom with responsibility, commitment and at sametime be motivated to lead and inspire their subjects through their own example.

This is what the organisational world is looking for a technique or a training module through whichthe HRD can tap the inner potentials of their people. The HRD is responsible for peoplesdevelopment in terms of relationships, communication, training, recruitment, assessment etc.Lakhs of rupees are being spent by the HRD organising training programmes to motivate people, toenable them to commit themselves & to make them capable of taking responsibilities. That is to

bring their heart into the workplace. But after the training programme is over very few people take

up the responsibility? Why? It is because motivation, commitment & responsibility cannot be taughtor brought about through trainings. The consciousness of the people has to be changed throughproper awareness.

Motivation cannot come from outside and it is for this reason that nobody can motivate anybodyelse. The motivation has to come from within; it cannot be taught. For example Take a personcoming to work. On Friday when he is about to leave, if you ask him how does he feel? You willfind that he is very enthusiastic & looking forward to the weekend with a feeling of in good moodand happiness. When the same person comes to work on Monday morning mood even after a hecticday, in the evening, we ask him how he feels. When he is aware that the whole week will be thesame, he feels tired, drained, exhausted & knows that he has to pull himself through the week. SO


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what was the basis of his motivation on Friday evening, which was not there on the Mondayevening? Nobody motivated him on Friday; the motivation was from within. There was noincentive or appreciation from anyone, which may be the basis of his motivation. On the contrary hemay have incurred more expenses to fulfil the demands of his family, but still he was happy. The

basis of his motivation was that his heart is at home. If he can bring the same heart to the work placehe will be enthusiastic and motivated. The same applies for the responsibility and commitment.

People willingly take up the responsibility of the family and are fully committed to them, becausethe heart is attached there. There is the feeling of belonging. But the people are unwilling and evenafraid to take up responsibilities and commit themselves at the work place because their heart is notthere.

How do we bring his heart at the work place or how do we bring the change

in his consciousness?

What do we need to start the wheel of self-motivation? The two key words are self confidenceand self satisfaction. Self confidence brings self motivation and there is job satisfaction. But

what are the roots of confidence. There is no confidence without will power. When we have the willpower we get the confidence to perform. But how do we get the will power? Knowledge is power,so knowledge or information about a particular subject generates the inner strength and confidence.Knowledge has to be digested well in order to get the strength. If the knowledge is mere informationin our heads and not digested and brought down to the level of understanding, and being then itremains theoretical. So when we have realised knowledge, we have the will power, and theconfidence. On the basis of the confidence, we have the courage to take initiative to do somethingand bring about a change. When we master that change, there is job satisfaction. Satisfaction is themost important factor for incentive and motivation. It enriches us with valuable experience whichadds to our understanding and enhances our knowledge which in turn gives us more power and hisis how the wheel f self motivation starts. This induces us to take up the responsibility and commit

ourselves. When people enjoy their activity, they spontaneously try to get more and moreinformation. But in the initial stage, if we lack in information, we dont have the requisite power,confidence and courage to take the initiative to bring about a change and then there is no jobsatisfaction as there is stagnancy. Thus, there is no feeling of progress and self-development. Themotivation is also affected and life becomes a mechanical process.

The practical problem in todays world is that people are not willing to part with completeinformation; that means that they do not want to give the power and so how can we expect people towork with responsibility without adequate information or knowledge, which results in resistanceand reactive focus is created.

But, when we take in information we have to be very selective and capable to filter that information,otherwise, instead of being motivated, we may get into a vicious cycle. We need to be self-empowered to take in the correct information to enhance our knowledge and understanding;otherwise we bring about a temporary change at the superficial level only. We are not able to bring a

permanent change from the consciousness level or at a deeper level.

There are various levels of change. The most superficial gross form of change is at the behaviourallevel, that is, to bring about change in our actions or activities. Sometimes we change at theintellectual level after understanding things in a different way, but it is pertaining to that situationonly, because we always expect others to change. As such, this change is also temporary. The third


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level of change is at the emotional level that is, bringing a change in our feelings. But all thesechanges are temporary.

At the root level, that is, bringing a change in the consciousness. Consciousness means the state ofmind. To change the consciousness means to change our thinking process. Think in a different way.How do we think in a different way? It is a cycle. Consciousness or the state of the mind is formed

on the basis of thought pattern. What stimulates the thinking? A circumstance, situations, desires,needs, environment all these are registered in the memory. It is from the memory that the mindgets the stimulation. Just as whatever we feed in the computer is stored in the memory, similarly,the human memory is alike whatever we perceive through the senses about the environment, thecircumstances, the needs or crisis everything is then registered in the memory. Then, according tothe time or need the thought process starts.

In the West, small children of 10 or 12 years age take guns in their pockets to school and shoot theirteachers and students when asked why they did this, their answer was that they did it for fun. Whatwas the fun? Normally we try to check the behaviour of the children, but the roots are deep down in

their memory. A research was done on their psychology. After the research; they found out thatthere are about 125 channels shown on the televisions in the west and in one day there about 18,000to 20,000 scenes of violence that are being shown. As the children are not much interested in theeducative programmes, those scenes of violence are being registered in their memory, so theirthought patterns are changing accordingly. They have begun to think in that way. Theirconsciousness is built on the basis of their thoughts. Their attitudes, and perceptions towards lifeand society have changed and also their behaviour. Ultimately, their complete personality haschanged. We can thus imagine how their future will be shaped? If we are not aware of the quality ofthe inputs absorbed by the memory, how can we change their behaviour and personality? When a

person gets into this vicious cycle, it is very difficult for him to mange himself and in the laterstages there is great frustration created and one even finds difficult to survive.

Where do we break this vicious cycle? We all know that without our conscious awareness thememory is absorbing maximum negative input. Where do we bring the change? According to

psychologists, human memory is so powerful in the early morning hours that it absorbs the inputslike a blotting paper. As such we have to be cautious of the quality of nourishment we are giving toour memory, because accordingly our entire system will function. When I nourish my mind withhealthy positive inputs, I empower my self. Spiritual dimension thus enables one to empower theself, which is the only source from where we get quality information or knowledge. Knowledgegenerates will power and we can thus take the focus of control in our own hands. Once we are self -empowered, we look at the problems and situations in a different way and instead of being

influenced and controlled by them; we can manage them in a better way so as to easily control them.We can maintain a positive attitude, a positive thinking process and deal accordingly. This is howwe manage our complete inner mechanism.

0.5. Self Management Learning to manage ourselves before managing others

We cannot change the consciousness of the organization without changing the consciousness of thepeople working within the organization.


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We always want to manage others, manage men, money, market, material, machines etc., but alwaysforget the man within and therefore it is said that the man is before the men. If I do not know howto manage myself, how can I manage others?

Just as we have the courage to direct others as to what they should be doing, why they should bedoing and how they should be doing, similarly, are we able to direct our sense organs with proper

understanding of these aspects.

For example, the tongue has no bones but it can break bones if not managed properly. On mostoccasions, the information slips through the tongue in the wrong place, at the wrong time, in front ofthe wrong person and one cannot avoid the consequences that arise. This is the difficulty inmanaging oneself. If I am not able to take the responsibility of managing my own sense organs,how can I take up the responsibility of managing my life, my family or my workplace and maintaina balance in all the different areas of my life? In short, therefore, we need the courage to manageour own selves.

We need the maturity when to manage, where to manage, how to manage, to what extent to manageand in which way we have to manage. If we do not have the maturity or understanding then itwould be difficult to survive, as we can easily become victims.

0.6. Need of a caring leader who gives care and concern instead of manipulation

and exploitation

When people feel cared for and empowered, they tend to be much more effective in all areas oflife. Without the loving protection of a Leader, systems and individuals may be stocked withresources, but the return will be mediocre or minimal.

When an environment is filled with love, compassion and selflessness and the peoples value

system is based on hard work, dignity and integrity, productivity will be high. These qualitiesare contagious. When other citizens enter such an environment, they will automatically be

positively influenced.

The converse is also true: when an environment is based on manipulation and exploitationnewcomers will not only be influenced by the atmosphere but will tend to enhance it with theirown negative energies.

Protection and Insecurity

Vedic scriptures say that the sign of a righteous and powerful government is that a woman can dressin fine cloth and garments and can sleep under a tree without fear of being harassed or abused. We

can see from this example how powerful the divine monarchs were. Under their rule, citizens wereafraid not only to steal but to abuse any other citizeneven if an opportunity seemed to presentitself.

In the past as well as in the present, leaders who cannot protect their dependents will rarely havestrong or serious followers. Many modern day corporations create a insecure atmosphere. They useemployees for production and do not care for them in any human way. Employees often findthemselves suddenly without jobs as their companies downsize or reconstruct. Of course, whenemployees are not cared for, they lose their sense of loyalty. They understand that they are not

protected because their leaders do not value them. Keeping talent loyal to a corporation has become

one of the greatest difficulties faced by many top companies in the Western world. It is a serious


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Session 1:Eight Attitudes for Effective Leadership Part 1 (80 min)

1.1. What makes a Leader different from a Manager?

Managers are fairly common; real leaders are extremely rare. Managers use people to make thingshappen; leaders make things happen for the people. The difference between a manager and a leaderis that the manager stays at the back and pushes people into the system, while a leader stands in thefront and pulls the people along with him. True leaders are associated with the four Cs:Character, Competence, Compassion and Courage. When we find a true leader, we will find astrong performance in all these areas.

A True leader is interested in stewardship. He sees himself as a caretaker rather than as a proprietoror dictator. He has a passion to serve others. He does not become addicted to privilege. Rather, the

more assets and privilege he obtains, the more humble and responsible he becomes. He has ahealthy possession of power, which he uses to increase his responsibility and to facilitate theachievement of his goals. The more influence and facility he has, the more he uses them to give

back to the people. He is also aware of what is going on around him. He is empathic an constantlylooks for ways to bring healing and nurturing to all situations that appear broken or in conflict.He is persuasive, sharing his ideas with others and building stronger communities.

Corporation elicits feelings and images of authority, bureaucracy, competition, power, rigid rules,machines and military chain of command. Community evokes feelings of volunteers helpingothers out, co-operation, town meetings, democracy, personal responsibility, commitment,

teamwork, creative magic and fun. Community gives a richer, more involved sense of peopleopting to be part of the relationship to a large whole.

Management is a transactional paradigm of managing the mechanics of things. Leadership is atransformational paradigm of managing the interdependence and transformation of people.

Things Paradigm People Paradigm

Manager Leader

Administers and maintains Innovates and develops

Relies on systems Relies on people

Counts on controls Counts on peoples trust

Enables things to be done right Does the right things through inspiration

Efficiency Effectiveness

Structure Spontaneity

Control Empowerment

Expenditure Investment

Administrative efficiency Customer service

Techniques Principles

Compromise Synergy


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Organizational world demands leaders not just managers. Who is a true leader? One who neverreacts, but observes, understands, analyses and then acts decisively. He would not reactimmediately on small things because he has some powerful, charismatic qualities.

1.1.1. Efficient Management and Effective Leadership

Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. Management is efficiencyin climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against theright wall.

You can quickly grasp the important difference between the two if you envision a group ofproducers cutting their way through the jungle with machetes. They are the producers, the problemsolvers. Theyre cutting through the undergrowth, clearing it out.

The managers are behind them, sharpening their machetes, writing policy and procedure manuals,holding muscle development programs, bringing in improved technology and setting up working

schedules and compensation programs for machete wielders.

The leader is the one who climbs the tallest tree, surveys the entire situation, and yells, Wrongjungle!

But how do the busy, efficient producers and managers often respond? Shut up! Were makingprogress.

As individuals, groups, and business, were often so busy cutting through the undergrowth we donteven realize were in the wrong jungle. And the rapidly changing environment in which we livemakes effective leadership more critical than it has ever been-in every aspect of independent andinterdependent life.

We are more in need of a vision or destination and a compass (a set of principles or directions) andless in need of a road map. We often dont know what the terrain ahead will be like or what we willneed to go through it; much will depend on our judgment at the time. But an inner compass willalways give us direction.

Effectiveness- often even survival- doesnt depend solely on how much effort we expend, but onwhether or not the effort we expend is in the right jungle. And the metamorphosis that is taking

place in almost every industry and profession today first demands leadership and then management.

Efficient management without effective leadership is like straightening deck chairs on the Titanic.No management success can compensate for failure in leadership. But leadership is hard becausewere often caught in a management paradigm.

1.1.2. Three types of power

1.1.2.1. Coercive power

To compel by force or intimidation by exploiting fear and anxiety


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E.g. bullying them with meaningless catch phrases, derision or anger.

Authoritarianism

Hierarchical authoritarian organizations: The lower levels needs clear-cut orders (which cannotalways consider necessary tactics). Otherwise they cannot take initiative because they will beconsidered insubordinate or neglectful. Creativity is diminished, as it is not welcomed. Ability

to function according to the recommended formula of time, place and circumstance is seriouslyimpeded.

Hierarchical authoritarian organizations hinder members learning from their experiences. Thoseresponsible do not admit failure or incompetence, but rationalize, deny or find scapegoats.Because they do not admit mistakes, they do not learn from them, and failures tend to reoccur.

Hierarchical authoritarian organizations can absolve the individual from being hampered byguilt, carrying out orders sanctioned by authority.

For some reason many leaders have the mentality that it is their role and duty to catch people doingthings wrong. Once this kind of mentality permeates the culture of an organisation, the employees

become fearful.

A sword-wielding leader will never get the best from his employees. People may respond shortterm to this approach, but in the long term, they move on to another job. Those who manage byfear:

Dread that sub-ordinates may do better and usurp their position and power

Believe that subordinates enjoy working for them when in fact, the fear they instill simplyfosters hate or disgust

Catch people doing things wrong

Feel appreciation is not necessary

Feel that since they give a pay check to their people, therefore appreciation is not necessary andexpect the job will always be done well

The leaders should avoid making statements that:

Blame (if you were not gloomy, I wouldnt be stressed)

Instil guilt (youre focussed on yourself)

Make charges of incompetency or inadequacy (only an idiot would act that way)

Threaten abandonment (I am sick of this I am ready to quit and never come back)On the contrary show a deep sense of appreciation to make great individuals by catching peopledoing things right. People look for recognition, appreciation, creative freedom and opportunity forsuggestion and participation.

1.1.2.2. Expedient power

A mutual agreement, or trade off based on self-interest.E.g. If you just keep going for another year, well send you to Japan

Such promises should not be only for the sake of getting the job done, but should be fulfilled intime, else they will break the trust.

Offering short-term incentives, as in this expedient power may not always work without inspiration

and motivation from within.


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1.1.2.3. Legitimate power

Based on spontaneous attraction to an exemplary authority that commands respect through hisqualities and example.

Organisations often experience problems because their employees are either not qualified or have

little propensity for the positions in which they are employed. They may have no desire to work inthe ways in which they are being asked.

A servant leader values everyone according to who they are. From that position, he is able to findthe means to help them work in a complementary way or to find them appropriate engagements oremployment elsewhere. The Srimad Bhagavatam explains how King Prithu oversaw his citizens asa father cares for his children. The Manu Samhita mentions that a leader should know his people

just as a mother knows her children and should care for them with the same affection. A servantleader who does not build a strong culture of trust will not be able to engage his dependentseffectively.

There was a president of a university business school who could understand his studentspropensities. He found an interesting way to encourage them in their budding careers. When thestudents graduated, he gave each of them a $10,000 grant toward the founding of their new

businesses. As years passed by, many of his students became successful businessmen. Theyremembered the start they were given by their old professor and because they felt like valued sons,donated literally millions of dollars to the school they had attended. This university president wasobviously both a clever and caring servant-leader, who understood process of loving reciprocation.

A servant leader who engages people according to their propensities understands how to satisfy theirneeds. A servant leader strives to satisfy needs rather than wants. The fulfilment of needs will

satisfy people; the fulfilment of wants will not.

People Want People Need

Sympathy EmpathyRiches FulfilmentFame AppreciationPower Support and opportunityDomination ProtectionPrestige Recognition and appreciationFreedom Good guidance and facility

Intoxication Altered awareness and self actualisation

A servant leader will constantly address others needs, especially their need for self-actualisationand realisation thus helping people to become greater than they could have ever dreamed.

1.2. The Eight attitudes that enhance the Effectiveness of a Leader:

Leadership means taking responsibility. Leaders are obliged to provide momentum, to keep peopleexcited and challenged. The real key to leadership is to maintain a childlike enthusiasm when weare doing the same thing over and over again or when we have trials and tribulations in our life.


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It is very important to realize that, before becoming a great leader, you must learn to be a greatfollower. The best leaders are those who have served many apprenticeships. Leader truly meansultimate servant. The measure of a man is not how many servants he has but how many people heserves.

The leader is effective and efficient due to eight main attitudes or inner powers that he exercises atthe appropriate time and right place. There are some core values connected with these abilities and

powers and when he becomes aware of them and practices living those values, then the abilities andpowers are naturally developed.

The Eight Attitudes

Power to listen - Patience

Availability - Humility

Tolerance - Love

Adaptability - Maturity Discrimination - Knowledge

Decision Making - Clarity of Mind

Ability to Respond - Courage

Team Spirit - Co-operation

1.2.1.Power to listen

The first ability that a leader needs to have is the listening ability or the power to withdraw. Thegreater his ability to be a detached observer in what one is trying to say or from the disturbinginfluences of information, and the great his ability to remain stable in any conditions, the greater ishis ability to manage the paradox. In Bhagavad gita Lord Sri Krishna speaks about how a devotee isfree from the dualities like heat/cold, honor/dishonor, happiness/distress. One should practicetolerance through chanting and meditation and conquer these dualities (BG 2.14,15). If he does nothave the ability to pull back and observe he will immediately react, judge and assume what the otherone is saying on the basis of his very first impression. Before the other one has had the chance tocomplete what he is trying to say, he colors it with his own feelings and references. This is verydangerous, as leaders for correct decisions, are very much dependent on the information they

receive. In order to enhance the listening ability one needs to have patience when someone issharing something with him.

Once Alfred Sloan, head of General Motors was in a board meeting, about to make a importantdecision. He said, I take it that everyone is in basic agreement with this decision. And everyonenodded their heads in assent. Sloan looked around and said, Then I suggest we postpone thedecision. Until we have some disagreement, we dont understand the problem. He was ready tolisten to his people although they were keeping things to themselves.


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On the contrary there are leaders who cannot pay any heed to their employees words. To suchleaders who are only accustomed to giving orders and chastising subordinates and constantlysurrounded by yes men, we can ask, Have you learned lessons only of those who admired you,and were tender with you, and stood aside for you? Have you not learned lessons from those who

brace themselves against you, and dispute the passage with you?

1.2.1.1. How does one lose Patience?

One way to erode patience and tolerance is by failing to consider the position of another person,recognizing only ones own motivations and desires. Although someone may be able to tolerateanother out of a sense of duty or magnanimity, the underlying attitude in such a situation is one ofintolerance that considers the other as a nuisance whose opinion has little merit. Oftentimes peoplehave such high regard for their own insights and realizations that they are reluctant or evenunwilling to consider another persons perspective.

To behave in this way is to deny anothers individuality and humanity and to minimize that personscontributions. Therefore instead of thinking, I will tolerate this situation it might be more helpfulto think, I will try to understand this situation and respond appropriately without overreacting orminimizing its significance.

Those who are satisfied with a superficial evaluation of behavior will have difficulty being patientand tolerant in this way. People who lack compassion for others cannot be tolerant. People whothink in terms of being co-workers with God, but refuse to recognize His supremacy in all things,assume the unfortunate position of trying to control everything themselves. Anyone who thinks andacts in this irresponsible way eventually becomes an instrument of chaos. They view themselves ascenters around which all things revolve for their personal pleasure.

Highly mechanized impersonal structure of modern society leads to more impatience andintolerance. People risk becoming impersonal, insensitive, and intolerant in such circumstances.Modern weapons can end hundreds of lives in a flash, or a small problem in a electrical grid caninstantly cause power failure for millions. Computer linking businesses, banking systems,government agencies can crash, causing instantaneous problems for those dependent upon them.With such tools at everyones disposal, the importance of patience and tolerance cannot beoverestimated.

1.2.1.2. Creating a Favorable Debate Culture

True leaders will encourage people to accept inevitability of disagreements and discontent and learnnew ways to tap creative energies when we give up having to be in agreement. Look around: howoften do some people before they even hear what you have to say, get defensive, even hostile, andvoice their disapproval and doubts, skepticism and criticism? "Whatever it is, I am against it.Paradoxically, most attempts to overcome resistance end up making it worse.

Leaders of future are advancing in the opposite direction. They extend respect and trust. They stayopen curious, empathetic and constantly learning in the face of resistance and criticism.


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Because of this many managers are exploring ways to legitimize healthy conflict. Motorola hasDebate culture.

Discontent can prove to be a hotbed of creative ideas and opportunities to build deepened trust andconnection. If human frustrations are ignored or unresolved so often they block or underminesuccess.

Constructive value of discontent:

Awareness: Discontent helps to recognize what really matters to you and other people and whatyou and they care about, are sensitive about and are willing to fight for.

Problem exposure: Dialogue about areas of frustration and irritation can identify relationshipblocks, injustices, poor quality, and under efficient projects and processes.

Applied empathy: The feeling of empathy has meaning only when it is applied and in times ofconflict and difficulty at work our sense of empathy is put to test. Can you stretch to understand thevalue of diversity and difference in others, and draw upon this as an aid rather than feel it as adetriment to progress?

Trust, inclusion, participation, empowerment and partnership: Discontent can be a catalyst forsparking, shaping, reflecting on, and advancing new ideas, especially when people begin to realizethat they can be open and trusting, that their leaders are actively encouraging them to take a stand, tospeak up, and to be involved.

Learning in action: Mark Twain joked, The person who grabs the cat by tail learns about 44%faster than the one just watching.

Challenge and engagement and even fun: Brains alertness is raised by a sense of passionateinvolvement. Creates genuine interest rather than the routine. People are more enlivened and happythat your ideas and input are helping to shape something worthwhile.

Saves time, increases opportunity for doing real work: Many managers spend more time andenergy attempting to smooth over differences. When guided and valued, constructive discontentreduces the time wasted by destructive arguing, hidden agenda, office politics, backstabbing,

erroneous assumptions, ambiguous behavior, misunderstanding etc.

In many organizations, managements avoidance of disagreement is based on :

- Lack of experience in handling heated dialogue

- Worry that wemanagers and professionals will lose control if opposition becomes vocal andconversation intense.

If for someones new idea you get angry, thats a useless idea, you may never get another idea.Ask: In what way you feel this idea would be profitable to the company? And then, help the

person with the idea to determine the answer. You might offer to provide resources or contact of


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someone in R & D. With this approach, you help preserve, and even enhance, the feelings of prideand enthusiasm that are so vital if you want yourself, and others who work with you, to keep comingup with new ideas.

Philips

Town meetings held at plants where managers must stand before the employees and answerquestions posed

Pasting of blank paper throughout office and factory for people to write comment, criticism, ideasetc.

Honda

- Listen, ask and speak up culture.

- Company wide Idea contests, open to all employees held regularly and most promising receiveorganization support, time and funding.

- Young engineers are given exceptional levels of responsibility and are encouraged to question

their superiors in debate or dialogue. One start level engineer came up with a innovationfollowed by a heated debate that superior to water-cooled engines would be a air-cooledengines. His idea was earlier rejected. Later Mr.Honda reconsidered and observed the validityof the innovation and called him back. Today the same boy, Tadashi Kume is Hondas CEO.

1.2.1.3. Developing Patience and Tolerance as a growing Leader

One serious problem is the temptation for leaders to become autocratic or to act solely on the basisof their own desires, aspirations and perceptions. Instead, leaders can view their role as one ofcoordinating the activities of those for whom they are responsible. To do so properly requires the

constant awareness of being a servant to others. Being a servant entails keeping abreast of thepeoples problems, needs and goals in order to be in a position to stimulate growth and developuseful projects that enhance the quality of life.

A second pitfall for leaders is the elitist syndrome, the tendency to take the benefits of leadership forgranted, forgetting that most people do not share in the blessings and privileges inherent in such a

position. One way to counteract this complacent attitude is to visit institutions of the less fortunatelike hospitals, prisons, orphanages etc. Seeing such suffering can greatly increase your desire tohelp others.

A third pitfall is the temptation to be bored, unenthusiastic and even depressed at times. Those whofeel this way, forget the extent to which their lives are being guided, controlled and assisted by theLord, whether they know it or not. Although some may not accept the existence of a God, it is afact that higher forces do act upon every persons life. Leaders can overcome some of thesenegative feelings by reflecting on the many wonderful situations God has arranged for them, incontrast to the experiences of the average person. Such thoughts can bring immediate relief, or evenexhilaration, as these many blessings become apparent.

You might notice that certain spiritual people with few material possessions seem to have a greatwealth of inner happiness, peace and love. In contrast, as you look a your surroundings, you can


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notice how many superficial commodities have become part of your daily environment. Indeed, anyconfusion, tension, or disappointment you experience may result from having overly complicatedyour life.

When you are the apparent controllerwhich, as a leader, you generally are any small decisionmay seem insignificant to you. But the people affected by that decision might experience extremeanxiety, especially if they perceive that their survival is being threatened.

For example, the ultimate example of lack of appreciation and concern is the abrupt termination ofemployees who have given 15 to 20 years of their life in good service to a company. Good leaderscare about their employees, not just as workers but as human beings. Loyalty should start from thetop; when it does, it permeates through all employees.

1.2.2. Availability

The responsibility of a leader is to be present whenever and wherever he is needed. The listeningability and availability are deeply connected. Whenever he is called upon, he needs to pack up allother thoughts, and pull out from whichever engagement his mind is busy in order to be fullyavailable for the next. He needs to be available to those for whom he is responsible.

Availability does not only mean physical availability, a leader has to be mentally available to hispeople. It means you have all means available to you to be able to delegate well to other competentpersons for those jobs. If you cant delegate you will be very busy and therefore not available. Hemay be too busy in doing a lot of other things, which are not that important but very urgent or

because he is not well organized.

One top busy executive said, I have no time to greet everyone I see or for real dialogue. I wantto. Yet what you observe with such leaders is a man drowning in paperwork and struggling withthe ongoing misunderstandings that came from his avoidance of genuine dialogue with his people.It is a vicious cycle. His staff and customers complained about relationships disintegrating.Through it all, he felt powerless to do anything about it.

A leader needs humility to be available to all his associates to gain the trust of his people. In thebest companies, employees see their leader everyday. Management By Moving Around (MBMA) isthe formula of such successful leaders. Visible leaders boost up the enthusiasm of employees while

the leaders who do not like to interact with people and do not care about the employees soon losethem.

Often busy leaders fear giving time to others and try to hide from others. Such busy leaders can stillmake the time spent with them FEEL longer and more valuable by adopting the following methods:

Practice the habit of good listening

Sit down while you are interacting with people. Think about standing beside someone who ispoised to flee and trying to have a brief conversation with him. No matter what words arespoken, what does it feel like? Devaluing? Rejection?


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Dont make any Time-urgent movements such as watch watching that indicate that you areoverly concerned about how much time has passed. Dont say, I have only 10 minutes. Say,I have 10 minutes to spend with you.

1.2.3.Tolerance

All the uncertainties, complexities and contradictions require a lot of tolerance. A leader has highlevel of tolerance. Tolerance is the ability to work in very demanding situations, when there is a lotof turbulence and high pressure. A leader has to handle many different situations simultaneouslyand to accept considerable feedback. He has to take major decisions and take the responsibility forthose decisions. He has to be able to take criticism without reacting or even feeling it as a burden.As soon as a leader loses his tolerance power, his goodwill is lost. Others will not want to followhim.

In the 6th chapter of BG 6.9 Lord Sri Krishna says, suhrt mitra ari udasina. how a learned

person should treat his well wishers, friends, indifferent people, neutral people, envious, relative,saintly person, sinful person all alike. If a leader has this type of tolerance, he will never hesitateto learn good things from various quarters.

In Srimad Bhagavatam Krishna cites the example of a tree, how it gives shelter to birds, squirrels,ants, snakes and human beings. Even when a human being cuts the branches of the tree it does not

protest. Thus, Titiksha the quality of a devotee is the most difficult quality to be achieved. Wemay not resist an evil, but at the same time we may feel very miserable. A man may say very harshthings to me, and I may not outwardly hate him for it, may not answer him back, and may restrainmyself from apparently getting angry, but anger and hatred may be in my mind, and I may feel very

bad towards that man. This is not Titiksha. I should be without any feeling of hatred or anger,without any thought of resistance; my mind must be as calm as if nothing has happened.

The jnanis and yogis bear tremendous heat and cold to attain this tolerance; but a devotee of God,like the great king Ambarisha achieve it easily by absorption in remembrance of the Lord andserving Him. King Ambarish even when his life was put to threat by Durvasa muni by a fierydemon, did not protest or defend himself as he had developed complete faith in the Lord. Suchtolerance naturally begets great respect for every living being in Gods creation seeing everyone as a

part-and-parcel of God.

Tolerance is developed through love. Through love, a leader empowers people and the people inreturn are available to him when he needs them. All are in the same boat so that he let them crossthe stream together. It is said in Srimad Bhagavatam, If the kings mind is fully controlled, all hisfamily members and governmental officers are subordinate to him. His provincial governors

present taxes on time, without resistance, and what to speak of lesser servants? [SB.6.14.20]


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Session 2:Eight Attitudes for Effective Leadership Part 2 (80 min)

2.1. Adaptability

Flexibility and the ability to adapt is the strength that helps the leader to reach his goals. A riverfinds its way through the landscape and reaches the ocean despite many obstacles along the way. Inthe same way, flexibility in a leader is the ability to adjust to many different personalities andsituations he or she faces in the process of reaching his goal. He needs maturity to give way toothers, to bend and to tolerate. The more flexible the leader, the better will be his capability toaccept pressure.

Employees believe they have the knowledge, the understanding and, in most cases, the answers.

But they cant get the management to listen. The frustration is eating them up. When a companybecomes impersonal, employees talk negatively about management and the company then the wholecompany break apart quickly.

2.1.1. Dont fear change, welcome it

Change adopted in a systematic method according to the need of the hour brings enthusiasm andnewness. We find wherever people get together, what do they talk to one another? The theme oftheir talk is generally change. Sometimes people talk about change in the government, its policies,in society, young generations, traditions, rituals or customs, cultures adopted or change in total

environment. Thus everyone wants everything else to change except his own self. He does notwish to become role model for others and take up an initiative to lead others through the changeprocess and when one does not want to change himself, no change can ever take place. A Leaderwith a high talent of adaptability is ready to implement a change similar to a trapeze artist whoswing from one rod and go to the other rod, and let go off the first rod as they catch hold of theother rod. They have this art of changing from one and jumping to the other. It is this skill ofchanging that entertains people. Similarly a leader should not be stuck in the old ways of thinkingand doing things, but be ready to adapt himself to switch over and catch hold of something new, toadopt new ways of thinking and functioning.

2.1.2. Be flexible to consider and apply employees suggestions

There has never been a day in a restaurant when a waitress did not get a special request to do upsomething different than what was on the menu. Managers complain about high turnover rates withwaiters and waitresses, but would you want to stay in a job if all you were asked to do was carryfood from the kitchen to the table with little opportunity to use your brain cells?

A leader needs to have the maturity as to where to adapt, how to adapt, to what extent to adapt andwhen to adapt. Surprisingly many automobiles today have been designed without the input ofmechanics, the individuals who ultimately have to service the car. Saturn Corporation, offshoot ofGeneral Motors has a great policy. Employees sit in on the design planning of the car. Getting


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employees involved at all levels and giving them a sense of family and participation and remainingflexible to analyze and accept suggestions and improvement all this will satisfy the employees asalmost everybody know what are at the top of employees wish-list : recognition, appreciation andcreative freedom.

2.1.3. Employees need some degree of flexibility to not run to authority for every small thing

Look back at how inflexible you were and how guilty your employees made the customer feel whenthey dared stray from exactly what was on the menu. Each and every employee when they have aface-to-face encounter with a customer is truly facing a moment of truth. And it is thesethousands of moments of truth every day that ultimately make or break a company.

Flexibility is very important in dealing with customer complaints. To face those moments mosteffectively, employees must be given some degree of flexibility. Obviously there have to beguidelines, but the most important guideline is that the employee can be flexible enough to ensurethat the customer receives the best service possible.

Once in a flight trip, the flight attendant asked me what I would like to drink with dinner and Ireplied, Milk. In a very abrupt voice she said, Milk is for children. What else do you want?

Now I have no idea if this is the airlines policy or if this particular flight attendant was just havinga bad day, but it definitely did illustrate a lack of flexibility.

When companies or employees are not flexible, what they are actually saying is, we do not wantyour business. A tree that bends with the wind does not break.

2.2. Discrimination

A leader has a very powerful ability to discriminate right from wrong, truth from falsehood, realityfrom illusion and benefit from harm. This ability is absolutely crucial for a leader who is takingdecision for so many others to follow. If he lacks discrimination power and chooses the wrong path,the consequences may be hard hit. It requires a powerful management information system forselecting, analyzing, synthesizing, prioritizing, assessing, appraising and evaluating information.Discrimination power means that you build up a very good assessment system. Knowledge enablesone to have accurate discrimination.

Can a leader commit mistakes? Great leaders do not worry about their mistakesthey learn fromthem. You can win tomorrow, if you know why you lost today. We learn much more when welose. Most of us would learn from our mistakes if we werent so busy denying that we actuallymade them.

Great leaders are experimenters. They stick their necks out and therefore inevitably make lots ofmistakes. People like this have the courage to take action where others hesitate. Leaders whosucceed in life do not worry about the mistakes they have made. They know that mistakes are goingto happen and they are willing to live with the consequences of their decisions.


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2.2.1. Leader-subordinate relationship when leader makes mistakes

To err is human. We can tolerate a leaders mistakes as long as the leader has his dependents wellbeing in mind. That is, we can tolerate a leaders honest mistakes if his motives are correct. Thisdoes not mean that we should deny the mistake, but we can help the leader learn from the mistake.Otherwise, we can use the leaders mistake to cloud our relationship with him and to take away hisinfluence. It is different when the dependents feel that the mistake was not so honest, or that theleader does not have their best interests in mind.

In modern society, leaders make many mistakes. This is not such a problem. The real problem iswhen a leader makes a mistake and tries to cover it up, or when the mistake is part of a general sortof deviance, lack of integrity, lack of ethics or morality, or is done secretively. Such leadersobviously do not have the highest interest of their dependents.

When a leader tries to act as if he is free of mistakes, it is worse than if he merely makes mistakes.This is so because it reveals his arrogance and lack of honesty, which will cause his dependents tolose faith in him.

The worst, however, is when a mistake is made by a leader, denied or not denied, and it is based onself-centered interest rather than on the interest of his constituents welfare. When there is properleadership, then mistakes can be fixed because of the leaders honesty. His constituents can helphim face the crisis caused by his mistake and, together, they can correct it.

Great leaders know that mistakes and failures are simply opportunities to understand what isnecessary to become successful. Thomas Edison made over a thousand errors in his pursuit ofdeveloping the light bulb. Rather than becoming discouraged, he saw each mistake as bringing himcloser to success. In that sense, mistakes are not mistakes. In any case, we should not be overlydisturbed if we see that our leader makes a mistake.

When people lack culture, they tend to overreact. If a leader has made a mistake, a reaction isnatural. But to go so far as to insult a good person for his mistake is an overreaction. That peopleinsult their leaders over mistakes is also a sign that they do not see their connection with the leaderor with the issue over which the mistake was committed.

Leaders should therefore build team ship. Building a team means building a culture of trust. Then,

if there is a mistake (or even an apparent mistake), they will want to help solve the problem itcreates rather than denigrate the person who committed it. In a culture of envy, people hope theirleaders will make mistakes so that they can tear them down in an attempt to regain their so-calledindependence.

Bhagavatam mentions that King Vena was cursed because his sinful activities were grievous. Thisindicates that Vena did not have good intentions toward his citizens. Rather, he was a self-centeredleaderabusive and exploitative. Therefore, the sages took it upon themselves to try to rectify him,and when that didnt seem to work, they resolved to remove him, to bring about his demise. Theytook his life by simply chanting mantras. The sages had such power and purity that simply bychanting mantras, they were able to force his soul out of his physical body. This is Vedic culture :


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The king has great power, but the sages have greater power based on their purity, their performanceof austerity and their knowledge of scriptures. Therefore, it was their duty to monitor the king andto be sure he always practiced stewardship toward the people.

2.3. Decision-making

One of the major tasks of a leader is to take decisions. He is constantly in situations where he has tojudge, where to go next. The power of decision is not only to discriminate between right andwrong, but further to judge which of the several options in hand would be the best choice. Afterusing imagination, vision and creativity the power of decision is required to commit to a powerfulcourse of action for the future.

King Soloman had to make a decision to which of the two mothers the child should be handed over,although both mothers claimed the child to be their own. He ordered the soldier to cut the child intotwo halves and give one piece to each mother. The real mother broke down to tears and told the

king to hand over the child to the other mother, so that the child will be protected. Thus intelligentSoloman concluded who the actual mother is. This type of ability to investigate, analyze and finallymake decision is required by the leader.

King Bali was about to offer oblations of water to Lord Vamanadev, while his guru Sukracaryastopped him saying that this child is none other than Vishnu. Bali asked if the child was Vishnu,then why should there be hesitation to offer everything to Him; after all everything comes fromHim. In this way, Bali realized that Sukracarya was attached to his post and the profits and facilitiesoffered by that post. Sukracarya thought, what will happen to me and my family if the king

becomes bankrupt? Seeing these ulterior motives on one hand and realizing what dharma is, Balioffered oblations of water. Although apparently he was defeated by Lord Vamanadev, he wasreinstated at Sutala loka, which is more opulent than heaven and Lord Vamanadev out of love forhis devotee, Bali became a doorkeeper. He promised Bali that he would be made the future Indra.Thus one, who offers everything to the Lord, never loses; he only stands to gain. Such momentslike this in the life of Bali give us a clue that a leader can be put into severe tests in making the rightdecision.

To decide is to cut off other alternatives. Making correct choice is often difficult as it means torenounce other options. Decisions often have to be made on the spot and therefore his power to

judge needs great clarity. A leader needs to investigate, analyze, synthesize and understand first,and only then take decision after considering all pros and cons of the matter. not to take decisions

first and then understand, he needs to have a great clarity of mind to take bold decisions.

One is mode of passion and ignorance makes hasty decisions in illusion and regrets later like theBhasmasur or Vrkasura who kept his hand on his own head and cracked his head to pieces. Clarityof mind is achieved only in the mode of goodness.

2.4. Ability to respond (Responsibility)

The leader has to have the power to face as he carries the main responsibility. The implication of

decision-making is to take up the responsibility. This ability is similar to courage. He needs the


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courage to face the effects of his own decisions, which may sometimes be unpleasant. That means,he has to be trustworthy and responsible. When a leader is involved in the process of makingdecisions, he has to become responsible. The power to face is the ability to anticipate barriers,

problems and contradictions and face them when he goes wrong. Honesty increases his power toface.

Courage emboldens such capabilities as

Willingness to take a stand

To raise your voice

To face pain and rejection

To act with honor and grace under pressure

To maintain your values in the face of opposition and fear

Healthy fear of risking failure, making and admitting mistakes, asking for help, acknowledgingthat you dont know something and go learn it.

When His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta swami Prabhupada went to the West in his ripe old ageof 70 years in the cargo ship, Jaladhuta, he got two severe heart attacks. Although many suggestedhim to return to India and better peacefully live in Vrindavan, he was determined to follow the orderof his guru in taking the message of Bhagavad gita to the people of the West. He went with justRs.40/- with no friends or well-wishers to greet him in America. He foresaw the future that thereare going to be temples, devotees, nama sankirtan, books printed and published and courageouslytook the steps forward though alone.

Most managers are, by tradition and training, experts at caution, which in many situations is indeedan asset. We are skilled critics and cynics, trained to go after every weakness and we can shoot

holes in virtually any idea or initiative and have fun doing it. But what enables us to create asuccessful future is courage, not caution.

Courage also means, reaching for stars by breaking out daily routines, stretching ourselves,accepting the challenge to grow and excel in new ways and thereby generating Transformationallearning, not just repeating past habits, but effectively changing who you are as you create thefuture.

It requires Courage to patiently hear someone criticizing you out of pure concern, to let it in yourheart as well as your head and try to learn from it. No one expects a leader to be perfectonly

genuine and honest. These men have the courage to:

find themselves,

to tell the truth who they are,

the mistakes they have made,

the dreams they hold and what they are most concerned about and excited about in growing thebusiness or life.

This is the bedrock for open dialogue and trust.


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Courageous speech is indeed one mark of a leader and it has long held people in awe, not likepoliticians. Men with authentic presence are as comfortable with silence as they are with speaking.And when they speak, they have something worth saying and they say it in a voice that emergesfrom deep inside of them. It represents their inner world and convictions.

2.5. Team spirit

A leader should have the ability to create a team spirit and the power to co-operate. A leader needsto be able to inspire co-operation in others and he can do so only when he himself is able to co-operate well with others. The ability to co-operate with each other is becoming more and moreimportant as lot of time, money and energy are at stake. Co-operation comes from a common

purpose and in seeing the specialty of each member of the team, an appreciation of the distinctivecontribution that each one can make.

Team spirit means that people are strongly connected in the same value system. It is a power, which

is able to make huge tasks easy and enjoyable as well. Creating a team-spirit means to get peoplecommitted to take up the responsibility collectively in a team.

A true leader is attuned to peoples needs and the resolution of conflicts. In Sanskrit this is referredto as sarve janah sukhino bhavantu. This also means he skillfully deflects misfortune. We shouldnote how important it is for the people in modern society to feel happy, secure, protected and loved.With globalization of markets and the increase of technological capacities, it is becoming more andmore important for leaders, managers, and CEOs to produce things inexpensively, quickly and withgreater quality. The competition between companies is so intense that what often determinescorporate survival is a corporations ability to empower its employees in teamplaying.Empowering employees and creating healthy teams is based almost entirely on people feeling goodabout themselves, about others, about the institutions or corporations for which they work, about theleaders of those institutions and especially about the mission and vision associated with both theirleaders and the institutions for which they work.

2.5.1. Effect of positive and negative emotions on Physical health

The hypothalamus is a gland that regulates such things as sleep patterns, body temperature and therelease of hormones from the pituitary gland. In many ways, the hypothalamus affects the health ofthe entire body. When someone is feeling good about himself or herself, the hypothalamus

regulates the body in a healthy way; when they are not feeling good about themselves or theirenvironment, and are feeling anxious, then the hypothalamus responds by stimulating the body innegative ways. Mental anxiety is often channeled by neurotransmitters and delivered to various

parts of the body. It can be said that the mind is actually attacking the body. Every physical illnesshas a mental counterpart.

Love and positive emotions release endorphins in the blood. Endorphins are the bodys naturalpainkillers and they strengthen the immune system. Conversely negative emotions, worry, anger,depression etc dump high levels of adrenaline into the blood. Adrenaline constricts blood vesselsand raises blood pressure. So the more we have gratitude, feel love, etc the more endorphins and


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less adrenaline we deposit in our bodies. As we count our blessings we literally bathe ourselves ingood hormones.

Peter R.Schemm in his book entitled, Love: Impact on Physical and Mental Health explains thatpeople who live in relationships in which they do not feel loved, protected, happy or secure are tentimes more susceptible to chronic disease and five time more susceptible to mental illness. Alsostudies prove that love heals diseases. People can avoid illness, heal better from illnesses theyalready have and become more productive in all areas of their lives if they feel loved, secure andhappy about themselves and their environment.

A good leader understands that community is based on sharing and concern for one another. Hewill not allow social and personal disintegration, but will implement policies that engender a senseof community, security and protection.

2.5.2. Closer relationships, greater success

In his book Coaching for Leadership, Marshall Goldsmith explains that when someone assumes anew leadership role today, he or she has a 40% chance of demonstrating disappointing performance,voluntarily leaving or being fired within 12 to 18 months. Not only will we have wasted time andmoney in training such a person, but we also may be eliminating our pool of potential candidates asthe dissatisfied trainee complains about us to others. Why do these people fail? 82% of them fail to

build teamwork relationships with subordinates and peers; 58% are confused about what is expectedof them; and 50% lack the required skills and knowledge to be able to be successful. Thus we seehow important it is that each person feels properly valued so that they can stay in the organizationand use what they have learned for the ultimate success of the enterprise.

In the early 1990s, the American government began to study why Japanese businesses were so muchsuccessful than American businesses, even though Americans had better schools and more facility.Stanford University spent millions of dollars to study this phenomenon. The researchers discoveredthat it had more to do with the Japanese mentality than American ingenuity. The Japanese havemore of a family culture. Even in the business world, employers and managers work together

better, communicate better, and tend to understand the inside workings of things better thanAmericans. Their success was based on closer relationships. The Japanese companies were builton team ship, relationship, and especially character. American business schools now teach thatmanagement success is about 20% technique and 80% relationship. Relationship, of course, means

understanding peoples needs and being able to lead more from the inside outfrom a platform ofstrong character.

The best service companies have a very simple philosophy. They do whatever is necessary toensure that their customers have an excellent experience and are served beyond their expectations.One of the concepts that helps make this happen is that of lateral service where serving fellowemployees is given as much importance and emphasis as serving the customer. Lateral service isoften known as espirit de corps or team work. It can range from helping out a fellow employee introuble to doing someone elses job to ensure it gets done. Lateral service is the art of making goodon somebody elses mistakes. And it translates into a much better experience for the customer.


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In the Vedic times, the Kings were particularly trained to become saintly and to have no concernbeyond the welfare of their citizens. This mentality is the qualification of a divine monarch. Themonarch was trained systematically to care for his citizens needs. Some of the duties of a divinemonarch are :

Tosana : to see that there is sufficient food to feed all of the citizens Prinama : distributing gifts to satisfy them

Upalalana : calling meetings and speaking sweet thoughtful words in order to satisfy the people

Anusasana : giving instructions on how to become good citizens

In Vedic times, a king, a father, a spiritual mentor as well as any head of any project are consideredto be leaders who give shelter to people and responsible for managing them, keeping in mind theirlong-term security and overall welfare. Such gestures from the leader bring about co-operationamongst team members, discipline and most importantly giving their heart for the work.

2.5.3. Celebrating Diversity and Interdependence for team spirit

When there is a forced conformity, there will never be true unity; when there is simply diversitywithout any attempt at unity, this is anarchy. The leaders duty is to engage the people accordingtheir individual natures and responsibilities toward the central goal of developing a balancedsociety.

Synergy literally means that the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual elements. Oneplus one equals more than two. The ability to synergise a group comes from celebrating diversityamong ones team members and then holding them accountable to fulfil both personal and the

project goals. It does not result from either dependent or independent members, but from those whorecognise their interdependence. Recognizing interdependence also results in the formation ofsymbiotic relationships. That is, relationships based on mutual need. When the leader honoursunity in diversity, it allows for symbiotic relationships among the team members wherein all

benefit.

Diversity experts realise that by celebrating diversity, we can avoid four cancers that aredetrimental to the achievement of synergy. These are: Criticism, Complaint, Comparison, andCompetition. Without celebrating diversity, we may exist, but will we flourish? In such acondition, we will not optimise our potential. Unless we learn to cooperate, we will onlycompromise.

While too much dependence impedes peoples creativity and initiative and leads them to dullness,too much independence destabilises an institution or community because it produces anarchy.

Only a leader who:

wants to share the success with his people,

realises the contribution of every individual member of the team and values it,

feels that he needs them and they need him

can put aside the ulterior motive to gain fame and credit all alone

can put aside his false ego and treat his people as humans and not machines


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has controlled his own mind and senses

can celebrate diversity of his team mates and overlook deficiencies

is capable of involving everyone in the achievement of the final goal

can be a good team player.

In the ancient gurukulas, children from all background would render menial services to gurutogether. A classical example is of Krishna and Sudama. They studied together, for a long time, inthe same ashram. Their backgrounds were diverse; Lord Krishna hailed from a royal family andSudama from a poor Brahmana family. They immensely enjoyed each others company anddeveloped deep bonds of friendship.

Emotional bonds develop with long association, and through sharing of common living conditions,joys and adversities. In an organisation special efforts must be made to develop emotional bondsamongst people, in a compressed period of time.

2.6. Connection between the eight attitudes of a Effective Leader

There is a deep proactivity and interactivity between all these abilities.

To listen we need to be available and to be available, we need to have interest in listening toothers.

To be available, we need to be strong, which means to have tolerance. If our level of toleranceis low, we will not make ourselves available. Even if we are physically present our mind will beoccupied with so many others things and we shall not listen, so we shall miss the information.

To have tolerance we need the ability to adapt. The one who is rigid breaks easily.

Again information increases our understanding that enhances the level of tolerance and we areable to adapt at the right time, in the right plac

Effective Leadership and Time Management (ELTM)

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