Lessons from the 'Top of the heART'

2011 has set into the pages of history and a new dawn has arrived in 2012. Personally, 2011 was a year of great learnings. The early part of 2011 marked the culmination of an exciting chapter of my life, as a student of MBA, and everything that came with it. Intending to summarize some of the lessons I have learnt being at the top of a team, an opportunity I had, to work with some great people.

• The carrot is usually more effective than the stick, in a professional set up. When you are leading a group of people, you should be a good motivator. Different things motivate different people. Some are motivated by rewards and awards; some by recognition and limelight. Some are motivated just by the time you spend with them and some by the work itself and the prospects it has in it for them. Some people motivate themselves, while for others, a little bit of pushing is required. Identify what motivates whom, and do just that. You can make a big difference just by your words and actions.

• It is very important to have a proper plan for the future. The performance of the successor he leaves behind is an important parameter on which a leader’s tenure will be assessed. Whatever be the means, towards your end, you need to ensure that the one who succeeds you is groomed well enough to take on the responsibility and prepared for it. You should want him to be better than you and take your legacy to newer heights. As a leader, you also should wish that your people and team succeed. Waiting for them to make mistakes and pounce on them is a very bad idea. You can never be a winner, as long as each and every member of your team doesn’t win!

• You may be used to doing things a certain way, but you have to be open to different ways of doing it. There may be better ways of doing things, and you need to realize that. When you entrust someone to do something, trust that person fully. Encourage making and learning from mistakes. The moment, the fear of failure and its consequences is out of the mind, one can work wonders!

• As a leader or a manager, your job is not to do things, but to get things done. You might be capable and competent to work single handedly, but that is not what a team is there for. By taking things on yourself, you are making two big mistakes. You are forcing your way of working and thinking on others and curtailing creativity. Secondly, you are keeping people ill prepared for the bigger picture, when you will no longer be there.

• A thing is done, only when it is completely done and you see it! Lots of equations keep changing every now and then. Dark horses come out of places least expected. It’s like those magic birthday candles that keep lighting up themselves when you blow them off. Your job is over only when you see all the candles are blown off and none of them is lighting up again!

• Talking to the other person is the best mode of communication. Face to face or otherwise, it helps you to gauge how the person is reacting to whatever you say and enables you to change if need be. Emails and SMSs may leave a long trail of messages and a proof of your communication, but if you need proof of something like this, it only means that you do not trust your people. If your intention is to make a safe passage out for yourself first, you will never be a good ‘leader’

• The most important however, is to be prepared to take the blame of failure on oneself and not passing anything on. When someone from your team is in the line of fire, in front of the larger community you will have to protect him/her. You are also significantly responsible for the failure, because somewhere, you have not led well. It is important to admonish your team / members in private, but it is more important that you appreciate them in public. It is after all, your team! You need to be very sensitive about what people have to say about your people! You can be a good leader only when you are possessive about your team!