Thursday, March 7, 2013

Leadership is all about taking risks!

How many times have you heard the whine, "Too many bosses, too few leaders"?
Many times, right?
Think of the last time, this came to your mind..What happened? What all incident/s cross your mind? Any people?

Rajeev Peshavaria wrote the book by this title Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders (Free Press), Rajeev Peshawaria, CEO of ICLIF, former chief learning officer at Morgan Stanley and a veteran of dozens of blue chip companies.

I read this book. anecdotal and more of summary of experiences that Rajeev had with Morgan Stanley and Am-ex. Most of his career has been there.
Though I did not find it an interesting read, as it lacked original thinking and it is absolutely my personal opinion. It appears like a Coffee-table book, more of summary of what all Rajeev found and did in those big companies, when he donned Big Title Positions.
Though the book is just OK, the title is worth giving your 20 Cent thought, if not more.

We all know we have very few leaders as most of people w came across in corporate life are employees. The same sick, tired, insecure, politicking, frustrated or politically-stung. Those who are happy and so called "thriving" are lucky ones and they do not care about, what you call, "leadership", "creating share-holder value", building competing and leading-edge technology or "world-class teams", "being accountable and making others accountable", "brought in changes, maybe how unpopular, that helped bring turn-around", "made tangible difference to the way business was done and people were treated", and finally "driven by values and remaining integral till 6 ft under grave".

But, if you have ever cared about or did something about above mentioned "Crazyness", you must pat your back! You are a leader!

If you ever have been agent of such shaking way of working or change, you would be hated for disturbing the ecological balance of the "world of orgasmic inertia". You just disturbed a long, embracing beautiful sleep. You will be called "running over people, being rude, a bully.

Now, would you care about the virtues of being a leader or whines of those 'orgasmic-inertia group'?

Natural instinct says, people like to be successful, being recognized and rewarded, being respected and valued. Ever thought, that we built the huge pool of 'orgasmic-inertia group' as we never acted as a leader. 
BTW, on a random note, "not everyone who thinks, he is a leader is a leader". Leader is not self-fulfilling prophesy like, you dreamed, you expected and you got it. Does this thought sound familiar? Yes, it is called 'orgasmic-inertia', you talked about.
Leadership is action, leadership is being visible and remaining available as leader, as a worker, as an order-taker, as anything that is call of the hour. Leader cares about success and holds himself accountable for failure equally as for success. Leadership is the risk of being "shot-down" with fist sign of failure. All others have guns aimed at you! As a leader, you do "tight-rope walking". Good thing about tight-rope walkers is that everyone, looks up to them! even if they are aiming to shoot the moment, you slip!

"Johnny-Walker's tagline, "keep walking" inspires me!

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