For Whom Is The Leader?

http://devdutt.com/topics/leadership/for-whom-is-the-king.html

Devdutt Pattanaik has been one of my favorite authors for the past couple of years. He combines my two favorite loves: Hinduism and Leadership.

It’s a short article. My previous post has talked about the ‘why’ of an organization but this one talks about the ‘why’ of a leader. The article encourages you to reflect on your motivation for being a leader in your organization. Are you a leader in X for your own sake or is it for the sake of the members you are working for? I know there is a politically correct answer but this question is rhetorical so no need to be PC. 

I was moved by this reflection at a time of conflict in my organization. It gave me clarity at a time of need. When asked to complete a task I would instinctively, out of habit, respond with the amount of time I could contribute to that task rather than remembering that I was in a fortunate position to complete that task. The choice of words here set a standard, a culture for generations to come. It is a very altruistic stance to take: always thinking of the populace and not self but I think with practice it helps me stay focused on the goals at hand.

Leaders are instruments to carry out the vision and mission laid out in that organization. It is important to remember that the cause is more important than the individual leader. Without this ideology in practice, I’m sure we are all capable of being good managers but do we become leaders?

I was encouraged that day to take the first step to emulate Bhagwan Ram of Ayodhya, I hope you are as well. Let's fulfill our duties and complete our tasks. Let's lead the way we want to be led. Let's treat our position as a privilege and not as a burden. Let's inspire people to take our place soon. 

Favorite line: “There are kings who exist for the kingdom, and there are kingdoms that exist to prop up a king”.

Why?

Ted Talk by Simon Sinek -- How great leaders inspire action

Watch at least the first five minutes before you read the following.

After watching this video, I asked myself “Why HSA?” (non-profit org) and “Why Cyberonics?” (work place)

I realized immediately that my success or the organization’s success relies on the alignment of my ‘why’ with that of the leadership and the organization.

I think it is common to come up with personalized answers or answers related to projects/events we are a part of but it is important to consider if the answer reflects the ‘why’ of the organization. The ‘why’ of the organization should be more important than the why of any individual in that institution. Individuals in an organization are tools to accomplish the goals of the organization at different levels.

By removing the factor of an individual’s ‘why’ we give the position more importance. We start to align with the position and the goals of that position rather than the person holding that position. At the end of the day, that’s why that position was created. With this, the position and the division of labor gain a new respect and standard.

(As Simon describes in the video) While individuals in the organizations may not always see eye-to-eye on how things are done, the ‘why’ should still stay the same. We can work on our differences in how we do things but it's a problem if our "why" is different. 

At every major milestone, it is important to question ourselves if the following has been accomplished:

Have I inspired anyone new to align with the goals of the organization?

Has someone inspired me in how they accomplish their goals?

Are the initiatives/events aligned with the goal of the organization?

Have I created a leader?

Did I come up with any new initiatives or processes to accomplish the goals?

This is how individuals become leaders; by spending more time on the ‘why’ rather than the ‘what’ or the ‘how’.

Focusing on the 'why' differentiates Apple from HP. Focusing on the 'why' differentiates a person that inspires leaders from a person that manages people.