The Banyan Tree

Leadership Lessons Series #3

Leadership lesson on how leaders should avoid become like a banyan tree, as its a hindrance to the growth of their team and the organisation

The banyan is a great tree. It spreads its branches, drops air-roots, grows secondary trunks, covers the land and survives for hundreds of years. A full grown banyan tree may cover a lot of land. In fact, the largest known banyan tree is in the island of Hawaii and captures almost two acres of land. Banyan tree is the mark of strength and longevity; animals, birds, and people find shelter under the tree’s shade, but nothing grows under its dense foliage, and when it dies, the ground beneath lies barren and scorched.

This old Indian proverb speaks of leadership styles. It is often said that leaders, whether they are team leaders, firm leaders, practice leaders or group leaders - if they do not encourage others to participate or inform their leadership, if they do not encourage and prepare others to become leaders, if they do not provide others space to shine, if they do not highlight the work of their teammates or if they do not allow them to lead, then the team and the organisation may become like the ground beneath the banyan tree once the leader is gone - barren and lifeless.

The majority of this banyan tree leaders protect and shield their people but nothing grows under them. This type of leaders possess a positive intention, but the outcome is generally detrimental for the teams and the organisation. Such style of leadership always demonstrate decision superiority and lacks innovation. Most of the time, this type of leaders distrust the judgement and capabilities of others. So, if you are a protective savior or a godfather type of a leader, you indirectly condition your people to be dependent, which decreases ownership, pro-activeness, initiative taking within your organisation. Such leaders, at times create great legacy and people speak highly about them too, but if you see in the long run, people don't grow under them nor does the organisation shine in the long term.

Reasons why leaders tend to become a banyan tree and behavioral symptoms

• When the leader wants to be liked by his or her own people and wants to feed his or her self-importance, and the ego
• When he wants things done in his or her way and operates in a control oriented leadership approach
• When the leader has a need of being seen as "right" all the time
• The behavior of such leaders are mostly impatient and self-oriented

My experiential findings and strong belief about how leaders must prevent from becoming a banyan tree by simply following these guidelines:

• Step back physically and keep reminding yourself to get out of the way of your team
• Be a giver and not a taker and empower your people to make decisions & work as a coaching-type of leader
• Remove the barriers that block the growth of intelligence and capabilities in your people
• Take people with you and give them space for exposure, without expecting self-glory.
• Give them opportunities to fail and help them to learn from it. Guide them in the course
• It is best to create an environment where everyone may grow and flourish
• Proactively ask them not to mark copy to you in operational details. Intentionally decentralize the decision-making process and never expect everything should route thru you
• Create a successor within the team, assign a vice chair; a de-facto leader, a deputy or an associate to be the next in line.
• Seek advice & suggestion from the team and thank them for providing guidance in your decision making process.
• Ask them about their view of the group, individual's approach and behavior within the group and internal relationship, from their neutral view-point. You don't need to act on everything but it is essential to have a clear understanding how people within the group are thinking and their state of being.
• Ask the customers and clients about their goals and try to collaborate to help them reach their goals. Encourage the team to be partners with customers and not just transaction interface

If you seek to lead, your ability will ultimately be measured in the successes of those around you. A person can only be a leader, when he is fearless and at least not desperate to be successful as an individual. If we see history, all great leaders were passionate about the journey and were never afraid to sacrifice their own life for the team. That moral courage & selfless thoughts can make great leaders and in order, build great teams. Therefore, it is essential to let the sunshine and the rain fall onto your people in order to grow and thrive and don't end up becoming a banyan tree.