………..always over
the hearts and the subjects would happily do all that the kings desire.
One rules only
with the heart and keeps the mind safely tucked away as that is how a
successful reign would always be. And this advice is not only for the real
kings, but for all those who command men and through them need to give results.
This holds good
for all sectors, governmental and private.
Yes, as Gandhi
said, it would always remain a mystery as to how someone could belittle his
subordinates and feel good about it; practice this belittling daily and thereby
achieving perfection in the art of disseminating unhappiness all around. You
see such practitioners every day, cutting across sectors and state boundaries, practicing
this art to the chagrin of many, and fortunately or unfortunately being easily
identified by unhappy faces all around. They are mere bosses, not kings, and do
not realize that bosses, people detest and kings they love.
Even a raised
eyebrow of a boss hurts, whereas a raised sword of someone we regard as king is
calmly accepted, for the king rules from the heart and the boss, bosses from
the mind. The heart is always superior to the mind, yet very few of us realize this
fundamental and pass our lives in a state of perpetual unhappiness.
Life is to be
led to its fullest and to its fullest it can be led only with happiness all
around. Only a king lives this way and one need not be born to a royal family
to be a king. He only needs to have a heart that he invariably turns to for
advice and rules with, with the mind generally remaining oblivious to whatever
is happening in the environment all around.
The quest of
heart over mind shall continue and one who places the mind over the heart shall
generally remain an unhappy soul, creating more unhappy souls whenever and
wherever he interacts with others.
The finest and
the most successful top guns have been those who have genuine love and
affection for the men working under them. Such officials treat their men as
their own men, with respect and compassion. The vagaries of rank are not
allowed to come up in their relationship that they really cherish and would not
allow to be wasted on petty issues. Ego is farthest from their persona, yet
they can take a stand on the right issue, a stand that they would never
compromise even at the cost of all that they cherish and hold dear. And they
take full responsibility for all that is happening in their domain, without
making any attempt to pass even an iota of responsibility to those who work for
them. Such officials are kings in the real sense, their domain remains their
kingdom.
Bosses invariably
fret over mundane issues, while the kings never miss the larger picture, even
while appearing to be engrossed in the routine. And the perpetual attempt of the
bosses to please their masters shall never be the style of a king for while a
king may have a superior but never a master, nor does he regard someone as one.
How we miss
kings in the environment we work, for it is there that we need them the most.
The rank inability to get the best out of our men is a situation created by a
lineage of bosses, who never had the gumption to be kings. Bosses, who aspired
for a position for that is all that identified them, and who only regarded a
position as a means of bringing about a positive change in their lives as well
as that of their families, not the organization they work for and for whom a
position was not a means to an end, but was an end in itself.
How we miss
kings who can take a stand for what is right and not acquiesce to unholy
demands just to avoid a fleeting inconvenience. How we miss kings who would not
sell their soul for petty personal gains and realize that such deals are not
really worth it. And how we miss kings who always flaunt their pen and never
their tongue, a phenomenon witnessed far more often than desirable.
Where have we
gone wrong, perhaps in the grooming of the youngsters in general and our own
men in particular. We need to course correct and put value systems and the need
to place the heart over mind at the forefront of the norms of the society and
organizations.
It is time that
the thoughts and deeds of great men like Vivekananda and Gandhi are widely
disseminated so that they can be imbibed by a large section of the society.
Bringing such
changes takes the toil and patience of decades. Are we ready, yes we have to be, for
we need our officials to be kings, not a mere instrument for bossing over
subordinates.
Greetings to you and my sincere welcome as you take the helm of Air India. I agree with you, bosses fret over mundane issues, but Leaders do not. Leaders always do the right things while management do things right. That is the sure footed path to success.
ReplyDeleteAir India as I have noted in the last 8 years of my association, can make profits by 2020/2021. There is an 8 point plan that needs to be in the airline at least 4 months before start of a new financial year. That is the way for Air India. By 2023, India will be the third largest aviation market in the world after China and USA with Indonesia being 4th. So, in essence 3 of the 4 top markets are in Asia. AS we say in airlines, Goals Top-Down and Plans Bottom-Up. Thank you sir for coming back to the airline.
It is not only well conceived blog but also personnally conducted practices by you. It was evident that the employee firstffactor is evident in all your endeavours.
ReplyDeleteDear Sir....Welcome back...am eagerly awaiting reply to my email addressed to uou at ashwani.lohani@gmail.com reg #childcareleave...sincerely request your suggestion...
ReplyDeleteRegret inconvenience caused..