COOL IS THE NEW RULE

@KeepUpWithKaustubh

The road not taken in HR corridors

If youngsters of today can teach their bosses how to go digital like a native, bosses too can teach them a thing or two about living it up – the cool way. Let me ask you, how do you picture your boss? A C-suited, well-heeled person with a stiff upper lip, or an easy-to-approach CXO hurtling down dirt tracks while biking, or off -roading in Humvees? The latter is increasingly becoming the norm.

No one quite knows when the C-suite went from being ‘C’ for cold to ‘C’ for cool, but modern-day bosses ooze all kinds of charm and suavity – leaving the 20-somethings drooling! Boss, your boss can be ‘as cool as it gets’, so perhaps we shouldn’t judge our bosses by their glass cabins. Maybe she is the lead singer in a fusion band over the weekend, or he harvests pomegranates in his orchards during winters? Most of them do have a ‘cool’ side to them. Here are two of the latest:

Captain Cool:

You can’t talk of cool bosses without picturing MS Dhoni. Actually Lieutenant Colonel MS Dhoni, my idea of a real life Dabangg leader. An ace cricketer, star batsman and wicket keeper, he is the veteran player of one of India’s best cricketing teams. But there’s also a totally different side to him – he’s simultaneously a high-ranking soldier in the Indian Army! He is currently with the paramilitary regiment in the Indian Army as a part of the Victor Force and is working with the 106 Territorial Army Battalion (Para). Imagine your boss, unfurling the Indian flag on Independence Day in Kashmir, even amidst the political turmoil, and fulfilling his National Duty. Or polishing his own shoes like Dhoni did, with the confidence and humility that has come to become his trademark. Today he gives the definition of ‘captain cool’ a whole new meaning! Who says the boss stops being a boss outside work?

The Go Green Boss:

The ultimate boss – who creates as much buzz around his sartorial choices as his international policy, is our respected PM. He never stops wowing us with his moves. Imagine seeing your country’s boss - the PM, in a new avatar, one fine day. One morning, he is signing political treaties and the next day you see him trekking and building spears in a tiger reserve on a global channel.

When the trailer of the upcoming episode of Man Vs Wild on Discovery hit the media, it took me by surprise, albeit a pleasant one. To see the PM of your nation in real action amidst the wild, speaking about environment conservation and non-violence, does strike a chord. India’s topmost honcho, usually attired in his signature jacket and kurta pyjama, can be seen in cargo pants and military cap, revealing a ‘wilder’ side of him.

What Bear had to say about him also revealed a cooler side of the PM. He said ‘Even amidst crisis during the shoot, he remained calm and humble. So also, when there is crises in India, he stays calm”. That, according to me, is the mark of a cool boss. One who stays calm in any situation, leads the way humbly and thinks out of the box.

The Boss Lady:

From a frock-donning farm girl born in a small town cattle rancher family, to being the President and CEO (now-ex) of one of the world’s most popular intimate apparel brands - Victoria’s Secret, Sharen Jester Turney, has impressed me much. After a decade of a rocking career, within which the sales of VS skyrocketed by 70%, she stepped down from her role, citing family priorities as a reason. And now she is on her way to join another mighty fashion brand, if the media houses have it right.

Working women are often expected to balance their balance sheets and family life, since she is the primary caregiver. But it takes more than courage to change gears in a flourishing career with the same ease with which she must have changed diapers. Hats off to the mother who handles her career like a boss. How cool is that?

After over two decades of observing corporate cabins and glass ceilings, my reading is that new-age bosses are beyond their suitcase and stats. They have come of age and have evolved personalities which are multi-dimensional and different. And the coolness quotient is not measured in terms of P&L statements produced by their CXO efforts, but who they are as people and how unique a lifestyle they follow. Their variegated interests, hobbies, management styles, people skills are all parameters which can make them bosses in the true sense.

Here are some of my own parameters which make a cool new-age boss .For instance:

The Socially Sensitive Boss

A boss who is inclusive in terms of the social fabric, one who believes in LGBQT rights, gender equality and all important social issues. One who does not mind striding down a different path and turn the tide when called for.

The Twitter Topper

A lot of CXOs are tweeting it out in style nowadays, and emerging as influential thought-leaders. That in itself is pretty cool, I say, to keep up and be in step with the times. But some of them top the Twitter timeline and go beyond the call of status updates.

These and a lot other parameters define a boss as ‘cool’. Humour, team playing, humane, varied interests, talent, reading lists – all these can go a long way in defining a leader and a good boss. I have known top honchos to be authors or poets. Or some go surfing and win awards. Some are into marathons and others like bike trips. In all, there is always a cool side to these people who break their backs in cabins all day, otherwise.

In truth, today’s bosses deliver performance in more ways than one! They churn out the numbers, respect people’s time, dress to kill, unabashedly make real emotional connections with their teams, and display talents with equal élan. Before you charge ahead on your journey, ask yourself – are you cool enough to be the boss?