By Charu Bahri

The Ingredients of a Great Leader
A people’s person: A good leader genuinely loves people and enjoys being amidst them. According to Rajeev Karwal, CEO and founder director, Milagrow, a venture catalyst that focuses on filling the ‘management capital’ needs of micro, small and medium enterprises, “It does not matter what leadership style you practise, you will only be able to bring results when you develop a genuine interest in the progress of the people you’re responsible for.”

In practice, this interest translates into taking effective steps to empower your people. “Leadership is not only about who you are for yourself, but who you are for others,” says executive leadership coach Ashu Khanna. Leadership is, first and foremost, the ability to take responsibility for your life—your choices and their consequences. Only then, can you focus on developing a second rank of leaders from the multitude of worker bees! This involves tapping into the talent pool of your team and encouraging them to attend training programmes or courses that will sharpen their skills and raise their confidence in handling new tasks.

There is another benefit from focusing on your people. “After a point, people get their greatest kick from learning and being creative, not just from money,” feels Khanna. Empowering your people is a powerful way to create a motivated, high-performing team.

Listen attentively: “A good leader really listens and practices appreciative inquiry,” says Gopal Shrikanth, a coach for chief executives. What this simply means is you give your people full attention when they have something to say, instead of listening half-heartedly because you’re mentally planning what to say next!

Listening also means that as far as possible, you ask for ideas instead of telling people what to do. Put differently, good leaders give their followers a voice. “Nothing stifles energy and creativity more than telling people exactly what to do and how to do, and making them excessively dependent on you,” cautions GD. Even when you have to fix the targets, focus your energy on clearly outlining the aims and objects, and then sit back and allow your team to figure out how to get the work done. In short, good leaders do not micromanage.

Appreciate and acknowledge: Money as a motivating factor does not work for everyone. Even when it does, it may not always be valued as highly. After a point, employees need to feel their worth in the organisation they belong to. That is why good leaders inculcate a sense of belonging and worth in their followers by acknowledging their presence and contribution. Khanna suggests converting this into practice by giving people their due credit for their contribution (especially in front of clients or seniors), setting in place reward and award systems, issuing letters of recognition, offering suitable development and training options, enhancing job descriptions and providing challenging career opportunities. Remember, the most effective praise is specific, and directly reflects the employees’ actual achievement. In most cases, team members are acutely aware of what they have done well and take pride in it. Receiving praise that diminishes or sidesteps that achievement can be worse than receiving no praise at all.

A Leader is as a Leader does
Invest in yourself: A good leader is passionate about leading people and willing to do whatever it takes to do so. A good leader, points out Karwal, never stops in his quest to acquire more knowledge. “A good leader has a vision; he is a dealer of hope and optimism, and this quality is an outcome of investing in yourself, of staying relevant and abreast of changing scenarios over a long period of time. Trends, technologies and techniques are rapidly changing. As a leader, you should be able to foresee which of these trends and technologies are likely to prevail in the near future. Remember–the more you grow, the more people around you will grow.”

Focus on feedback: If you are genuinely interested in the progress of your people, do not postpone the process of giving feedback. Says Shrikanth: “If you’re looking to fix the problem, you will give your followers timely feedback. If you’re looking to fix the person, you will wait until the annual appraisal is due!” Feedback should be given consistently, whenever you feel that there is room for improvement, and in a positive manner. This also calls for excellent communication skills. Good leaders use the right language and tone in an appropriate environment.

There is another angle to leaders focusing on feedback, and that is, good leaders are always open to learning and innovation. “Leaders who consciously or sub-consciously carry the thought ‘I am right’ often end up being surrounded by an army of ‘yes’ men, since nodding in consent is the best way to deal with dominating authority,” Khanna points out.

Create an open environment: “A good leader nurtures risk-taking abilities that are critical to creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship by not ‘punishing’ failure,” says GD. When employees fear failure, they start feeling vulnerable. The instant tendency is to hole up in the comfort zone, wherein the performance delivered is nothing beyond what is expected of them. In contrast, if your followers do not fear being punished for failing to achieve targets, they are likely to get more involved with their job and stretch the envelope. An open environment that accepts failure as a part and parcel of moving forward is both healthier and cheerful.

Improvise your leadership skills
You don’t have to be born with the “good leader” gene. Rashmi Bansal, media entrepreneur and author of Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish, believes that people can mould themselves into becoming good leaders. “Leadership is about carrying people along with you by capturing their hearts and minds, and not being stuck in yourself. More than particular skills or aptitude, it requires an inner reserve and intangible people-friendly qualities. These qualities may be cultivated by attending workshops, reading books, and working on yourself,” she says.

According to Meena Ganesh, CEO and MD, Manipal K12 Education, a company that offers a 360-degree school management programme, every individual has a certain style and temperament. As a leader, it is important to introspect and evaluate what would work best in a particular situation, and adjust yourself accordingly. A strong mentor may help this process to a certain extent, but at the end of the day, leaders get better at their task when they reflect and grow within.

Consider yourself to be on the right track, if you are able see a little more in your people and the process of delegating responsibility has become a tad bit easier. Emani also suggests exposing yourself to managerial cadres outside your organisation. Business networking or engaging with successful leaders is a good way to go about this. Getting a coach on the job might also help you hone your leadership skills. An expert can teach you about techniques related to situational leadership so that you adapt well to changing circumstances. Emani concludes with a personal experience, “It’s lonely at the top. An experienced coach makes a good confidante and relieves you of the stress that sits as a blockage on the route to being a good leader.”

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