A Leaders Ego!
Capt. A. Nagaraj Subbarao, PhD
Author | Professor of Strategy & Leadership | Dean | Case Study Evangelist | Navigator & Sea Captain | Entrepreneur | Food Blogger | Amateur Historian | Intrepid Walker
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Abraham Lincoln - Gettysburg Address November 19, 1863
Leadership is a complex area, particularly in a difficult situation akin to a crisis. While the world is still deep in the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic, business leaders are busy repairing their operations and looking forward to a post-pandemic world. They frequently find themselves torn between two opposite poles: a bias for action and the need for patience and prudence in the face of uncertainty.?
In March 1861, as Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as president, the United States faced its greatest crisis: its sudden and unexpected dissolution.?Seven of the then 31 states had already voted to secede?from the Union. President Lincoln found himself and his country in a difficult situation. After desperately trying to avoid a Civil War over slavery and the collapse of his federation, he was looking for a good leader for his reasonably disorganized army. He was predisposed to General George McClellan, a brilliant General but a challenging person to get along with. The General was a star and had proven himself during the American - Mexican war. However, General McClellan looked down upon President Lincoln, who he thought was his social inferior!
When a President was made to wait!?An anecdote from the time is indicative of Lincoln's focus, sense of purpose and mindset. President Lincoln, with his secretary John Hay and Secretary of State William Seward, made an evening call at new Army chief George B. McClellan's townhouse a few blocks from the White House on an important matter. McClellan was attending a wedding but was expected to return shortly, so the group waited. When the General came in, he made his way upstairs unnoticed and then sent word that he had retired for the night and that the President of the United States could return the following day. Hoping for military success, Lincoln endured such arrogance as he felt that the General would bring him the much-needed victory in the war. Despite great pressure he tolerated the General as he felt that his best chance of winning the war was with having Gen. McClellan at the helm. ?
https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/lincoln/lincoln-as-commander-in-chief.html
The time has passed when a set of leadership skills is enough to steer an organization into the future through myriad issues. Leadership in the present context is about leading depending upon the prevailing contingency. The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us that leaders who are self-aware, keep their ego in check and can pivot will survive the course far better than those who can do a few things very well. Thus, organizations need leaders who can shift along with the environment in which they operate. Leadership requires a continual progression of self-awareness, situational and emotional intelligence, and behavioural experimentation to broaden the range of many approaches. Leaders need to experiment with different behaviours and strategies, learning which ones are right for a given context and amassing new behavioural experiences that can be brought to the fore when required. The old command and control style that was written off has made a spectacular return in a world ridden by crises and uncertainty. Organizations seem to clamour for leaders who are decisive and impactful.
People who aspire to lead must ask themselves the following questions:
President Abraham Lincoln fired General McClellan a year later, showing who was in charge of events. He also went on to win the American Civil War, ending slavery and keeping the United States from imploding. It had little to do with glamour or power! Leadership is about building relationships, setting a vision and navigating uncertain terrain under great pressure.
Professor and Management Consultant
2 年An excellently conceived and written article. I enjoyed reading.
Adjunct Professor at IIT Bombay - Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management Dayananda Sagar University
2 年Very interesting example to illustrate the key points. Excellent post. ??
Founder: Vadamoola Productivity Solutions (P) Ltd. Adjunct faculty : School of Commerce & Mgt. Studies, Dayanand Sagar Univt. Visiting :Cadeto India.
2 年Leadership indeed is keeping at bay the 'ego'. There's a personal anecdote I'd like to share. I was on deputation to ICG, flying a chopper from aboard an Indian Coast Guard vessel. One was young and fresh with the rules of the air. Lot of adrenaline by way of the fact that the bird doesn't fly unless one is sure. There was a mission to be met and the 'flying stations' were piped. In simple words, the ship was getting ready to launch the helicopter. In the exuberance of youth and newly acquired deck qualification I chose to challenge the Captain's decision to launch since the rules did not permit. He acceded calling me a "bloody sea lawyer". Years later, after the icing of maturity covered inexperience of the youthful cake did I realise 'rules and egos' are meant for preventing action. I flew from almost all decks IN Ships had before good fortune calling it a day for my flying career. I respectfully owe it to the Commanding Officer who called me a 'Sea Lawyer' that I never surrendered to the bounds of the rules on the face of a commitment after that. 'Leadership, like L&D is what alters behaviour permanently'. Thank you for your very lucid narrative which brings alive memories of growing up in uncertain environments. Jai Bharat.