Symbolic leadership

"The quote by Napoleon Bonaparte, 'A leader is the dealer in hope,' succinctly captures the essence of organizational dynamics.

 An organization significantly reflects the character of its leader. To ensure continuous expansion, leaders within an organization must undergo continual growth. Each leader, through their distinctive style of leadership, shapes a culture that establishes the standards for individuals, processes, products, and practices including permissions and injunctions.  

Leadership can be succinctly or can be encapsulated in a single word – 'Influence”. As such, leadership represents a profound responsibility to exert a positive influence on both individuals and outcomes.

Symbolic Leadership The Concept

Symbolic leadership is a compelling concept that underscores the positive impact leaders have on an organization or team through their own actions, consistent behaviours, and expressions, sculpting its culture and values. Contrary to its name, symbolic leadership is not about mere symbolism; rather, it involves becoming a symbol of certain principles.

This is achieved in reality through consistent adherence to specific values and effective communication. Leaders, by consistently embodying certain behaviours, establish unwritten yet widely understood codes of conduct relentlessly, within their teams – a phenomenon simply known as "Symbolic Leadership."

Understanding Symbolic Leadership

General Sam Manekshaw, also known as Sam Bahadur, was a renowned military leader whose career exemplified symbolic leadership. General Sam Manekshaw, stands as a paragon of symbolic leadership in Indian history. His strategic brilliance during the Indo-Pakistani War 1971 displayed not only military prowess but also his ability to influence. 

A pivotal moment occurred on meeting Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he confidently declared, "I assure you, I am not going to be defeated." This unwavering determination became a symbol of his leadership, imparting confidence in his troops. His legacy continues to inspire future generations of military leaders and soldiers across nations.  

R. Thyagarajan, the Founder of the Shriram Group is another great example of a leader demonstrating effectiveness through their actions, their words, and the environment they cultivate around themselves. Shriram Group. R. Thyagarajan's decision to distribute a significant sum of 6,000 crores to his employees while not allocating shares to his sons is a clear demonstration of his commitment to meritocracy, recognition of outstanding contributions, and his philosophy of inclusive leadership along with succession planning. 

His strong belief in rewarding talent, dedication, and high performance, regardless of familial connections underscores his ability to foster a culture of fairness, meritocracy and equal opportunities. A combination of remarkable factors that define his leadership style such as action, words and environment

Subhash Chandra Bose stands out as an iconic leader, symbolizing remarkable qualities such as bravery, unwavering determination, and profound patriotism. His legacy serves as a source of inspiration, resonating across generations and leaving an indelible mark on the ideals of courage, resilience, and love for one's country. 

Bose's leadership during pivotal moments in history, coupled with his commitment to freedom and justice, establishes him as a symbol of valor and national pride, influencing and motivating people for years to come.

T N Seshan personifies unyielding integrity, professionalism, and audacity in his leadership approach, leaving an enduring legacy of electoral reforms and upholding the highest standards of ethics.

Similarly E Sreedharan, often referred to as the "Metro Man," symbolizes professionalism, meritocracy, and effective execution, setting a standard for excellence in infrastructure development. Their leadership exemplifies steadfast commitment, influencing and guiding others to emulate principles of integrity, professionalism, and excellence in their respective domains.

N. R. Narayana Murthy is widely recognized for his unwavering commitment to work ethics. He exemplifies diligence, dedication, and a strong sense of responsibility in his approach to work. His leadership underscores the importance of maintaining high standards of professionalism, dignity and integrity in all his business endeavours.

Humility, determination, and integrity collectively contribute to Ratan Tata's leadership legacy, making him a revered symbol not only within the business world but also as a philanthropic figure committed to making a positive impact on society. 

Each of these leaders, known to you and me, embody a unique perception in the eyes of the people, shaping the narrative of true symbolic leadership .

Influence through Authenticity: Symbolic Leadership 

Symbolic leadership reaches its pinnacle when a leader's actions align authentically with their words. Followers keenly observe and respond positively to leaders whose behaviours consistently mirror their communicated values, establishing an environment built on mutual trust and alignment. 

In leadership, good communication isn't just about words; it includes the powerful language of actions. Symbolic leaders, who are smart and perceptive, understand the strong messages in their choices, how they interact with others, and how they handle challenges. These leaders skilfully shape the understanding and commitment of their followers toward the organization's goals.

Conclusion 

As a leader, consider the symbolism you embody. Recognize as you shape a culture of shared purpose and commitment within your team. Contemplate the behaviours you actively and consciously encourage. 

Ask yourself:

• What values do you hold that are most significant for you and are they evident in your daily conduct?  
• How do you choose to acknowledge and reward your team members for their positive actions?
• Additionally, are there specific behaviours that you find unacceptable, and do you hold yourself to the same standards that you expect from others, regardless of the circumstances? 
• What do you symbolise? 
• What symbol defines you? 

Think about it!

Entrepreneurship

I was recently going through a news item quoting the Economic Survey of 2022 that the number of recognized startups has increased to 14000 in 2021-22 from a meagre 733 in 2016-17. India has become the third largest startup eco-system in the world after US and China, it said. A record 44 Indian startups achieved unicorn status in 2021 alone, taking the overall tally of startup unicorns to 83. 

 

This is no mean feat by any standards given that out of 6 years that the data showed, at-least 2 have been marred by Covid19 pandemic where the normal life was affected adversely. 

 

This led my mind to thinking the mindset of the entrepreneurs who are behind these startups and other successful businesses and what exactly is entrepreneurship? Is it about doing your own business and making money? Is it only for those who perhaps were not good in studies or not good enough for a job or something else?

 

I know most of you are familiar with above questions and are pretty clear about the answers as well. Let me share my perspective; hope it might resonate with your thoughts. But before that, let us spend some time to understand the origin of “entrepreneurship”. 

 

Joseph Schumpeter was an Austrian born political economist, who even served as Finance Minister of German-Austria and later migrated to USA to become a Professor in Harvard University. He introduced the concept of entrepreneurship in 1930. As per him “an entrepreneur is a person who is willing and able to convert a new idea or invention into a successful innovation”.

 

I entirely agree to this great economist’s definition and feel it is still valid after almost a century. However, based on my own experience of last 25 years of working closely with a large pool of highly successful entrepreneurs, allow me to describe my thoughts… 

   

Who is an entrepreneur?

To me, an entrepreneur is a problem solver and opportunity provider. He/she is a person with curious mind and intense desire to create some opportunity for larger good. Sounds familiar? Well, this is what I think of!

 

What is entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurship is a journey which starts with restlessness, confusion, pain followed by ideation, collaboration, creation and culminates in an organized way of fulfilling needs/wants/expectations/requirements of the society. Profit is the reward an entrepreneur gets to take risk and keeping his/her neck out. 

 

Why entrepreneurship?

Wherever you are sitting/lying/standing right now, you are surrounded by solutions to the problems or fulfillment of our needs/wants. Isn’t it? Starting from this magazine, paper, printing, chair, bed, lights, fan, AC, coolers, cupboards etc., everything around us is because of some entrepreneur somewhere, who thought of all these. Like farmer, there can’t be any life without entrepreneurs. Therefore, it is not just about making money, it is also about fulfilling needs/wants and solving problems. Entrepreneurship was, is and will remain the driving wheel of any country. 

 

What are the traits of an entrepreneur?

 

Dreamer: Thinks about the problems and their solutions. How can I solve it? How can I create that need? How can I provide it better than others? Who can help me? How do I sustain the productivity and profitability? All these questions require the ability to think deeper, think ahead and think solutions. Dreamers always have an intense burning desire to travel the untraveled path. “Yes, it is possible” is the mantra of entrepreneurs which helps them to crack tough problems. Every problem feels like an opportunity to an entrepreneur.    

 

Believer: Thinking is easy but believing in idea, persisting with it, working hard to convert a dream into reality is something only a believer can do. That is the reason they are willing to put all their resources and even borrow resources to make it happen. They walk that extra mile because they believe. Handling ambiguity is something which can only be done if you have that feeling of belief in your idea, product or services. It is this belief that makes others believes in entrepreneur’s idea. They borrow the entrepreneurs’ belief initially. 

 

Executor: Thinking big is easy if someone else has to execute. Isn’t it? In some cases the idea may not be thought of by the entrepreneur but it is he/she who will execute it in a way that leads to business. Boeing didn’t invent planes, Wright Brothers did. But the devil is in execution and making it happen on ground. Making it work is more crucial than thinking on paper. An entrepreneur is someone who will not rest till it is done. They persist until it is done. Unlike others who are interested only if it is convenient. Follow up and follow through is something which differentiates an entrepreneur from others. 

 

I don’t need to remind you that most of the employment generation is done by entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are wealth generators, employment generators, contributors in economy, tax givers and above all problem solvers. They not just earn their own bread, they help others too. 

 

We must salute these entrepreneurs who are bracing all kinds of hardships in terms of uncertainty, ambiguity, social unrest, unreasonable taxes, restrictions, unreasonable rules, inflation and above all negative publicity. Still they are contributing in nation building consistently. 

 

In a nutshell entrepreneurship is the need of the hour, which can create better solutions, handle competitions, generate employment and improve quality of our lives as well as prosperity of country.  Jai Jawan, Jai Vyapar. 

Do you have more time to live than you have already lived?

I know it is an awkward question for some of us who have experienced 45+ Diwali/Christmas/Eid etc. Still it is worth asking. If the answer is “No” please keep reading further else please stop and keep doing what you were doing before.

Now that you are still reading I assume either your answer is “No” or you have become curious. In either case you are welcome to read (as if I had a choice). Why have I asked this question? Well, frankly I have been thinking about it for three years now and it has helped me to get clarity. Especially after experience of Covid19 pandemic my perspective towards life and its priorities has transformed a lot. 

When I know I have less and limited time on this planet, I cannot waste any of it rather I want to make the best use of it. Now, I don’t go to every movie unless I am sure it suits my taste. Earlier I used to watch movies for time pass and then later waste time in criticizing/appreciating the cast and crew. I have made my peace with the fact that I am incapable or incompetent for many things and stopped worrying or justifying them.

I don’t waste time in judging people anymore. I have stopped claiming and believing that I understand people and their psychology. I have accepted the fact that people are different, with different needs, different temperament, and different talent and of course different goals. This has helped me to save an amazing amount of headache. I don’t have time to pursue certain types of people or ego pleasures.

I don’t have time for selecting or critiquing or appreciating cricket team or its results. I don’t have time to argue with people on their political affiliations and least bothered about them changing sides. I don’t have time to expect people to change their habits, behaviour, attitude, style or nature. I don’t have time to worry about international or domestic politics or climate condition. I don’t have time to solve world’s problems. I do not have time for worrying, arguing, convincing, pleasing, pleading or waiting.

Since I have realised all this, now I have hell lot of energy, time and happiness. Yes, I feel younger, lighter, happier, peaceful and liberated. How?

I have all the time to focus on myself, my knowledge, my skills, my health, my people (whom I like and who reciprocate)  and above all pursuing what I want not what I have to. I don’t fear to be judged or misunderstood anymore. Who has time for caring that much now? I have time to “DO NOTHING”. Yes, doing nothing is highly productive state of being. You produce better results in this state. Are you feeling confused or disagree? It’s alright and understandable. Ask me for details, I may share (not guaranteed).   

Now I don’t pursue my dreams, I pursue my feelings. Now I have one unique advantage. I have time to LISTEN. Yes, first time in my life I have actually and really started listening. Once we listen, we learn and whenever we learn we become wiser. Every wise person lives peacefully.

“Speak Less; Communicate More, Hoard Less; Share More, Judge Less, Understand More.”

Once we accept and adapt with reality, every day is a birthday, every activity becomes fulfilling and every interaction becomes learning. Once we realise we start living a FULFILLING life. Thanks for reading. You are awesome!

Yours blissfully,

Suresh Mohan Semwal

HR Warriors Are Also Humans

HR Department and HR Professionals like any other professionals have undergone unprecedented challenges and continue to suffer the after effects of pandemic. HR has the responsibility to again Hire, Train and Retain employees with high morale and productivity so that organizational goals are met.

During the pandemic many organizations had to take some unpleasant, unpopular and ruthless measures to ensure survival of organization. HR being the face of such initiatives faced lot of brunt and lost some sheen.

Now that the businesses are coming back to normalcy it has become very difficult to establish that connect and camaraderie due to unpleasant experiences in the times of need. People have become skeptic and reluctant. Asking people to join offices full time has become hell of a task.

People are willing to work at lesser amount but unwilling to work in office. Lot of people have moved on to pursue different streams of income rather than doing a job. This has put lot of pressure on HR to reestablish that trust and enthusiasm towards organizational goals. As a result HR Resignations is the next big challenge industry experts are worried about.

As per a recent survey published in Economic Times (1/8/22); 53% of HR people are feeling burnt out and 14% don’t feel supported at all. 

HR position today is similar to a housewife. She is most important yet neglected and abused at times. A housewife takes pleasure in helping every family member to achieve their goals and feels satisfaction in their happiness and success. A housewife is especially present in downtime and provides unconditional support. Yet, seldom they are thanked or appreciated. She still continues her work with smile and sincerity.

Similarly, KRA of HR is to help all departments and individuals to achieve their respective goals. A HR person is generally behind the camera and is busy making others look presentable. They pose a calm, confident and helpful demeanor but it does not mean that they don’t need support. If current industry trend is any indication HR Resignations can be a lethal blow to companies. 

Let us together provide acknowledgement, appreciation and assistance to our HR Warriors in these challenging times. Send them “Thank You” notes, go to their desks (not with problems and complaints all the time) with a question, “How are you doing today? How can I help you today? Do let me know if I can be of any assistance.” I can assure you that our little appreciation and acknowledgment will give lot of energy and encouragement to our HR Warriors to handle current challenging times. Support the Wall Which Has Been Protecting You. Thank You!

Suresh Mohan Semwal

Krishna: A Beyond Boundary Bonding

Krishna, one of the many Gods we Hindus worship is also our most famous God internationally. Krishna also has huge international fan following or devotees. What makes him so special? Well, as per my opinion, following can be some of the reasons:

1. Krishna’s whole life, since birth till the very end has many fascinating, interesting stories and achievements. He is loved equally by all age group, genders and intellectual capacity people. My children have always celebrated Janmashtmi with more excitement than any other festival. 

2. Krishna’s life is full of challenges and he kept challenging the orthodox wisdom of those times emphatically and above all conquered over them successfully.

3. Krishna’s methods and approaches are yet debatable by some but results were guaranteed. One may not truly understand or comprehend his methodology but his intentions are beyond any doubts. Krishna also attracts people because of his unpredictability yet predictability of results. A rule bender or breaker may be, but never a deal breaker. 

4. The only smiling, playful and dancing God, which looks so friendly and amenable. 

5. A God with flute and Sudarshan Chakra (deadliest weapon of his times). 

6. Krishna’s Detached Karma philosophy is till today the basis of many renowned philosophers or psychologist, who are of course yet to experience the depths of it. 

7. Krishna’s teachings in Shrimad Bhagwad Gita is till today a subject of intellectual and spiritual discourses. These learning despite of so many years of scrutiny, debate, interpretations, court cases and documentaries are still relevant and as fresh as ever. 

8. I of course, can’t claim to know or have experienced the depths yet I know the immensity and profoundness of it. There is so much more to learn but whatever little I could understand has transformed my life for better. 

I am absolutely OK if some people don’t wish to treat Krishna as a God because then that makes him more respectable and loved across religions. Till the time we are implementing his learning and making ourselves better it does not matter, how we perceive him. 

I am personally fascinated by his practice of intense involvement in life, detached Karma, equanimity and pleasant & playful way of fulfilling responsibilities. I wish I could practice 1% of it. Well, I am working on it. 

Happy Janmashtmi to all my dear Krishna Lovers or Devotees.    

Which files do you maintain?

I watched a movie The Last Castle, which is based on a true story of a special prison for soldiers. Yes, the movie was fascinating and I liked it. 

One dialogue of the warden triggered an idea, which I would like to share with you. He said, “Whenever I start becoming a little emotional or lenient towards any inmate, I immediately take out his file in which his history & description of crime is written. That reading helps me to maintain my balance and ruthlessness.” Well, as a warden to a prison where prisoners, who have committed heinous crimes, you are supposed to maintain a certain protocol to ensure discipline. That warden character in the movie commits extreme brutalities in order to punish the inmates for their crimes. I would like to leave it to experts to comment on it, whether this thinking or style of a prison warden is justified or not. I am not capable enough to comment on such complicated issues.

There was a marine who had served 10 years as a fantastic soldier but in one 10 second lapse in judgment he committed a murder and was treated as a criminal for next 20 years in the prison. He is kept with same hardened criminals who have always broken law of the land. Is it justified? You decide. Should we be judged by our deviations or consistent behavior? I am sure in legal system there must be some provisions to differentiate it. I am certainly not talking about extreme criminal mistakes. My point of view in this article is restricted to ordinary people with ordinary day to day mistakes of anger, jealousy, envy, arrogance, insecurity, superiority, procrastination, laziness etc. 

The question that propped in my mind was, “Do I also keep such files in my mind for people around me?” I am not dealing with criminals; I am surrounded by ordinary people like me, who are neither white nor black. We are all black & white. We are all work-in-progress. Do I also behave like that warden in my conduct? Do I also maintain a mistakes file of some people, who I have decided to hate, punish or isolate? Do I conveniently discard the achievement file of same people? Which file do I maintain more? Do I ever forget to make a new entry in mistakes file? Do I maintain the achievement file of the same person with same precision? Well, I know my answers and am not disclosing here for obvious reasons.

People around me are not perfect, so am I. I am sure if somebody wants, can maintain a similar file on me too. I have also committed hundreds of mistakes in behavior (will be making more for sure) and can easily be remembered for them too. At the same time I also have done few fantastic things in life. Which number is more? Well, you can guess. 

Do I prefer to be treated by my mistake file or achievement file? How will I behave with a person who always treats me on the basis of my mistakes file? Will I be more productive around such person? Would I like to be around that person at all?

What do you do with these files? Are you keeping any such files in your mind about people around you? How does it impact your life? Should we be judged by our deviations or consistent behavior? Should we be judged by our mistakes (ad-hoc/unintentional)? What about others?  

I have been thinking a lot on these questions and have gotten a bit clarity about what I should be doing and have already started working on it. What about you? I would not like to suggest anything more here, you decide. I would love to hear your reflections on this article. How does it resonate with you? 

Think about it.

Money invariably finds its way back to same pockets

Out of total 2755 total billionaires worldwide 86% are richer than they were a year ago with $5 trillion increase in wealth in 2020.

One person’s loss is another person’s gain. You have heard, I know. Would you be surprised if I tell you that the ‘one’ person who loses and the ‘other’ person who gains are generally the same? People who were poor before pandemic are still poor and people who were wealthy have become wealthier. Wealth might shift from one wealthy person to another but it remains in the same pool. Funny, isn’t it?

Jezz Bezos lost his No.1 richest man’s title recently to Bernanrd Arnault. In the most recent article (2/8/21) Katherine Wiles has stated that the French Tycoon Bernard Arnault has claimed the No.1 spot of the ultra-wealthy from Jeff Bezos whose net worth tumbled by $13.9 billion in one day due to less-than-anticipated second quarter growth.

We assumed that a global pandemic and economic recession would set the luxury goods market back a bit, but Arnault remarkably grew his wealth by nearly $100 billion during first year of pandemic. Arnault’s net worth sat at $195.8 Billion as of Monday, while Bezos’ hovered at $192.6 billion. Bezos is the first person ever to be worth $200 billion, as Amazon enjoyed big gains from pandemic lockdowns.

Out of total 2755 total billionaires worldwide 86% are richer than they were a year ago with $5 trillion increase in wealth in 2020. 

“Whatever the circumstances, one is losing and other is gaining.” The real question is where do we belong?

If we divided all the money in the world equally, in a short time the rich would be rich again, and the poor would be poor. Many people think that if they could just get their hands on a large sum of money, they would be set for the rest of their lives. Money invariably finds its way back to same pockets.