Being a leader is more about winning and sustaining the trust of people. In olden days, kings enjoyed such loyalty that their soldiers laid down their lives for the king without a second thought. Today, while business or organizational leaders don’t require their team-members to lay down their lives, they do need them to donate their most important resource: time.
The two questions always associated with leadership are: how to develop leadership skills and how to retain the support, trust and loyalty of your team members on a consistent, on-going basis. Much has been written on either of the two questions, but I feel the latter question has received a little less attention than it really deserves.
In the modern history of India, we have seen numerous examples of eminent leadership in various fields: Swami Vivekananda in spiritual matters, J R D Tata, Aditya Birla and Dhirubhai Ambani in the corporate field, Gandhiji, Sardar Patel, B R Ambedkar and Jahawar Lal Nehru during the freedom struggle… the list is endless.
What can we all learn from great leaders and apply it in our personal and professional lives? I’d like to focus on three traits that consolidate your image as a leader.
Strong faith in one’s ability to effect change
When you talk to the common people, for instance, you often hear complaints about the state of affairs and how helpless all of us are. Common people express their inability to change. They come across as a mere tool in some mysterious hand, having no volition, no control over things around them.
A leader is different: Instead of appearing meek or helpless, she appears firmly in charge of things around. She sends out a strong message that she believes she can make the change required, no matter how difficult the challenge.
When you’re training to be a leader, no matter in what surroundings, your language must convey a firmness in the belief that you are indeed confident and capable of whatever task is at hand.
Your juniors, your team-members and everybody else who looks upon you for direction and guidance must feel assured that they are the right leader.
Person of action and not words
The 1989 American film Dead Poets Society immortalized the Latin phrase carpe diem. It translates into seizing the day which Robin Williams’ character, school-teacher John Keating, uses it to help his students break the shackles, question undue authority, live unapologetically and ‘make their lives extraordinary’. The brilliant movie is about how action and individuality – and not just blind rat race – will make one’s life more meaningful. Keating leads by example by being unique. As a teacher, he uses completely unorthodox teaching methods that first confuse the students. Soon, however, the students begin loving him and are able to see the message of the need to be unique individuals.
Leaders are heavily biased towards action. If you’re an aspiring leader, your outlook must be geared towards decisive action and not what’s called paralysis-analysis (a situation where over intellectualizing matters keeps delaying decisions and concrete actions indefinitely).
More importantly, the leader should be able to project the image of being a person of action.
Narendra Modi’s work style has convinced people he means business – not even his harshest critics deny the fact that Modi inspires action. That’s because Modi has been able to showcase successfully that he is heavily biased towards action. He is known to be an efficient workaholic and his staff, associates and colleagues agree he galvanizes others into doing something because he himself is so hardworking.
Giuseppe Garibaldi, one of the chief architects of modern Italy and considered one of the greatest generals of modern times, once remarked: “Necessity does not submit to debate.” If something is really necessary and must be done, there’s no point debating it – just go ahead and do it.
Consistency in beliefs, words and actions
Gandhiji preached simplicity and austerity. But he began by practising it himself: he easily switched from suits during his early barrister days to a simple dhoti till he died. The British press was both awestruck and moved when Gandhiji went for a meeting with the British Queen in a dhoti and a khaadi shawl! Such was his resolve!
A leader can neither become nor appear to become fickle. Her determination and commitment to the tasks she undertakes must inspire confidence. And how can this be done?
By avoiding being tentative.
Leaders never talk in uncertain terms. For instance, when you hear Sonia Gandhi talk to the press or the common populace, you never hear her using phrases like, “Perhaps,” “Maybe”, “I’m not sure”. All you hear from her is steely words like, “We’re capable of doing this”, “This will improve our economy” and so on. At a subtle level, using such language makes people trust their leaders because leaders appear to be in charge of things.
Using definitive phrases has many additional benefits too. It tells the followers what the leader is so passionate about. For instance, three simple words stamped Barack Obama’s image as a firm leader when he, during his famous November 2008 speech, said, “Yes, we can.” Those three words cemented his image as a man who was simple in speech but unrelenting in his pursuit of what he had set out to achieve for his country.
When leaders speak from their heart, the words that come out are dipped in the values they believe in. Their way of looking at the entire humanity is so different it touches every human. Who can forget the reverberating impact Swami Vivekanand’s opening words “Sisters and brothers of America”? This was enough to make the now-famous Chicago address one of the most adored speeches in the history of mankind.
Conclusion
As clarified at the beginning of this article, leaders need to inspire their team. For this inspiration to work, they must be able to project that positive image about themselves. It’s not about faking something or being insincere – it’s all about being transparent. If you’re a leader who lays a lot of stress on, say, physical fitness, you must begin by being physically fit yourself.
The point of this post is to reiterate the fact that leaders must look their part. An unconvincing leader is not a successful leader. To win the trust of your team, you, as a leader should be able to project the right image – the leadership image.
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