“Revenue Didn’t Increase Because We Sold More. It Increased Because We Redesigned the Way We Reached the Market.“
From Shop Floor to Market Leadership:
For more than two decades, my professional life revolved around manufacturing.
Like many manufacturing professionals, I believed that if we produced high-quality products efficiently, sales would naturally follow.
After all, great products should sell themselves.
At least, that’s what I thought.
Then one assignment completely changed my understanding of business growth.
It wasn’t on the factory floor.
It wasn’t inside a production department.
It wasn’t even about manufacturing.
It was a Go-To-Market (GTM) transformation project.
That project taught me something I have never forgotten.
Revenue doesn’t begin inside the factory. Revenue begins in the marketplace.
Factories manufacture products.
Customers create revenue.
The bridge connecting the two is called Go-To-Market Strategy.
Until that project, I had looked at the business from inside the factory.
This assignment forced me to look at the business from the customer’s perspective.
That shift changed the way I think about growth, strategy, and leadership.
The Business Looked Healthy—But Something Was Missing
The business was already well established.
We operated in the domestic textile industry.
The brand was trusted.
The products were respected.
Manufacturing capabilities were strong.
Supply chain systems were mature.
Yet one uncomfortable question continued to appear during business reviews.
If everything inside the company was working reasonably well, why wasn’t the market growing at the expected pace?
The answer wasn’t inside our factories.
It wasn’t inside our warehouses.
It wasn’t even inside our sales reports.
The answer was waiting in the market.
Looking Beyond Sales Numbers
When organizations experience slow growth, the first reaction is usually predictable.
Increase advertising.
Launch new products.
Offer bigger discounts.
Push the sales team harder.
While these actions may provide temporary results, they rarely address the real issue.
Our leadership team chose a different path.
Instead of asking,
“How do we sell more?”
we asked,
“How does our product actually reach the customer?”
That simple question became the turning point.
Because between manufacturing and the customer existed an entire ecosystem.
Wholesalers.
Retailers.
Sales representatives.
Technology.
Inventory.
Replenishment.
Relationship management.
Every small gap in this chain represented a lost sales opportunity.
We were not facing a product problem.
We were facing a Go-To-Market challenge.
A Small Pilot with a Big Vision
Rather than redesigning the entire country at once, we adopted a principle I continue to recommend today:
Think Big. Start Small. Scale Fast.
A pilot market was selected in Karnataka.
The objective was not simply to increase sales.
The objective was to understand whether redesigning our Go-To-Market process could create sustainable business growth.
If successful, the model would be expanded across Karnataka and later replicated in other states.
Looking back, this decision was one of the smartest aspects of the entire transformation.
Pilots reduce risk.
Pilots reveal hidden problems.
Pilots build confidence before scale.
Every transformation should begin with learning—not assumptions.
What We Found in the Market
Our first task was not selling.
Our first task was listening.
We visited markets.
We met wholesalers.
We interacted with retailers.
We observed buying behaviour.
We studied ordering patterns.
We analysed secondary sales.
We mapped product availability.
Very quickly, a pattern emerged.
Many retailers who were successfully selling competing suiting fabrics were not part of our network.
Some retailers carried only a limited selection of our products.
Others had stopped ordering because replenishment was inconsistent.
Some found the ordering process cumbersome.
Many decisions relied on experience rather than real-time information.
Every conversation reinforced one truth.
The market wasn’t rejecting our products.
The market simply wasn’t being served consistently.
That realization changed the entire direction of our project.
Redefining the Meaning of Go-To-Market
Most people think Go-To-Market is about launching products.
I no longer see it that way.
Today, I define Go-To-Market differently.
Go-To-Market is the discipline of ensuring that the right product reaches the right customer, through the right channel, at the right time, supported by the right data and the right experience.
When any one of those elements is weak, growth slows.
When they work together, growth accelerates.
This became the philosophy behind every decision we made.
The Real Objective Was Never Revenue
If someone asks me today,
“What was the objective of your GTM project?”
My answer would surprise them.
It was not increasing sales.
Revenue was never our starting point.
Our objectives were much more fundamental.
Expand market reach.
Increase product range at the retail level.
Improve retailer engagement.
Simplify order booking.
Improve product availability.
Enable faster replenishment.
Create visibility across the supply chain.
Strengthen relationships with channel partners.
Build a repeatable GTM process.
Revenue became the natural consequence of improving these fundamentals.
That experience permanently changed my understanding of business transformation.
Companies don’t become market leaders because they push products harder.
They become market leaders because they design better systems that make it easier for customers to buy, retailers to sell, and channel partners to succeed.
That realization became the foundation for everything that followed. Below process design followed while implementing GTM strategy
Most manufacturing leaders worry about machine breakdowns, quality defects, or delivery delays. However, one of the biggest profit killers often goes unnoticed—low capacity utilization.
When customer demand declines, many factories simply reduce production. While output falls, fixed costs such as salaries, depreciation, building maintenance, insurance, and utilities continue almost unchanged.
The result is a silent financial drain.
Imagine running a 50-seater bus with only 20 passengers. The driver, fuel, maintenance, insurance, and permits still cost nearly the same. The cost per passenger rises dramatically.
Manufacturing behaves in exactly the same way.
When a production line operates at only 70% capacity, every kilogram produced carries a higher share of fixed cost. Profit margins shrink even if product quality remains unchanged.
During my manufacturing career, I realized that improving capacity utilization was not only an operational objective—it was a strategic business decision.
The challenge was clear:
We could not control market demand.
We could not lay off permanent employees.
We could not immediately replace every old machine.
We had to improve business performance using the resources already available.
This required a change in mindset.
Instead of asking, “How can we reduce costs?”, we started asking, “How can we use every available resource more intelligently?”
That single question changed everything.
The Six-Step Improvement Framework That Changed Our Department
Every successful transformation begins with a structured approach rather than isolated actions.
Below is the framework that guided our journey.
Step 1: Understand the Facts Before Taking Action
Our first responsibility was to understand the real problem.
We collected and analyzed data on:
Machine utilization
Production volume
Capacity utilization
Utility consumption
Labour deployment
Overtime
Incentive payouts
Product quality
Downtime
The analysis revealed something surprising.
The biggest issue was not productivity.
The biggest issue was underutilization.
Once we understood this, our improvement efforts became focused instead of reactive.
Leadership Lesson: Data replaces assumptions with clarity.
Step 2: Upgrade Technology Where It Matters Most
Replacing an entire factory is rarely practical.
Instead, we identified specific machines that were limiting output.
Targeted technological upgrades helped us:
Increase machine speed
Improve process stability
Reduce manual intervention
Improve energy efficiency
Enhance product consistency
Rather than making large investments, we concentrated on improvements that delivered the highest return.
Small technological improvements often create surprisingly large business benefits.
Step 3: Build Trust Before Driving Change
Technology alone never transforms an organization.
People do.
Some operators initially resisted additional responsibilities.
Their concerns were understandable.
They worried about:
Increased workload
Job security
Unfair expectations
Loss of familiar routines
Instead of forcing change, we spent time explaining the business situation.
Union representatives became partners rather than opponents.
We discussed facts openly.
We demonstrated how higher productivity could increase incentive earnings.
Gradually, resistance turned into participation.
One important lesson became very clear:
People rarely resist change. They resist uncertainty.
Step 4: Optimize Production Scheduling
One of our most effective decisions was surprisingly simple.
Instead of operating seven days with partially loaded production lines, we consolidated production into six days.
This enabled us to:
Load machines closer to full capacity
Increase production continuity
Reduce repeated start-stop operations
Shut down machines completely on the weekly off day
Switch off the humidification plant
Reduce electricity consumption
Lower maintenance requirements
Sometimes the smartest improvement is not working more—it is working smarter.
Step 5: Maximize Existing Capacity
We carefully reviewed every process.
Machine speeds were increased within safe operating limits.
Production lines were balanced.
Idle capacity was redistributed.
Operators were trained to handle multiple activities.
Departments became more flexible.
Gradually, productivity increased without adding manpower.
This proved an important principle:
Capacity already exists inside most factories. The challenge is learning how to unlock it.
Step 6: Sustain the Improvements
Many improvement projects fail after initial success.
We focused on sustainability.
Regular reviews were conducted.
KPIs were monitored.
Employee feedback was encouraged.
Small improvements continued every month.
Continuous improvement became part of the department’s culture rather than a one-time project.
A Real Manufacturing Case Study
The improvement journey did not begin with a million-dollar investment.
It began with a simple observation.
Machines were waiting.
People were waiting.
Capacity was waiting.
Meanwhile, costs continued to rise.
Instead of accepting the situation, we redesigned the way the department operated. Within months, several measurable improvements became visible
Perhaps the most satisfying outcome was not the numbers.
It was the confidence.
Employees became proud of their achievements.
Management gained confidence in the team’s ability to solve complex business problems.
A culture of collaboration replaced hesitation.
KPIs Every Manufacturing Leader Should Monitor
If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it.
The following KPIs proved especially valuable during our transformation.
KPI
Why It Matters
Review Frequency
Capacity Utilization (%)
Measures how effectively installed capacity is used
Daily
Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
Tracks equipment performance
Daily
Production per Employee
Indicates labour productivity
Weekly
Utility Cost per MT
Measures energy efficiency
Monthly
Overtime Hours
Indicates planning effectiveness
Weekly
Machine Downtime
Highlights maintenance issues
Daily
Incentive Earnings
Reflects employee motivation
Monthly
Cost per Kilogram
Measures financial performance
Monthly
First Pass Yield
Tracks quality performance
Daily
Schedule Adherence
Ensures production discipline
Daily
Common Mistakes Manufacturing Leaders Should Avoid
Looking back, I believe our journey also highlighted several important mistakes that others can avoid.
❌ Taking Decisions Based on Assumptions
Always validate opinions with data.
❌ Ignoring Employee Emotions
Even technically correct decisions can fail if people do not understand the reason behind them.
❌ Depending Only on New Machines
Technology supports improvement.
It does not replace good leadership.
❌ Treating Labour Unions as Opponents
Respectful dialogue often achieves more than confrontation.
❌ Pursuing Short-Term Savings
Lasting improvements come from better systems—not temporary cost-cutting.
❌ Failing to Celebrate Success
Recognizing employee contributions builds momentum for future improvements.
Best Practices That Delivered Sustainable Results
After reflecting on this experience, I believe these principles are universally applicable.
✅ Make decisions using data, not perceptions.
✅ Focus on process improvement before increasing investment.
✅ Involve employees from the beginning.
✅ Build trust through transparent communication.
✅ Create win-win solutions for management and employees.
✅ Monitor KPIs consistently.
✅ Invest in multi-skilling.
✅ Never stop improving.
Operational excellence is not a destination.
It is a continuous journey of learning, adapting, and improving.
The smallest improvement made today may become tomorrow’s competitive advantage.
The biggest improvements rarely come from the biggest investments. They come from hundreds of small decisions made consistently, supported by data, trust, and teamwork.
For many years, I believed that the biggest improvements in manufacturing required massive investments—new machines, larger buildings, additional manpower, or breakthrough technology.
Experience proved me wrong.
One of the most valuable lessons from my two decades in manufacturing came during a period when our biggest challenge wasn’t poor efficiency or machine breakdowns.
Our biggest challenge was low demand.
At first glance, low demand may not sound like a manufacturing problem.
After all, production follows market demand.
If customers buy less, factories naturally produce less.
Simple.
Or so it seems.
What many people fail to realize is that while production volume decreases, most manufacturing costs do not.
Permanent employees continue to receive salaries.
Machines still consume maintenance resources.
Buildings still require electricity and upkeep.
Supervisors still report to work.
The humidification plant still needs to operate.
Depreciation continues every single day.
The factory becomes like a large aircraft flying with only half its seats occupied.
The journey costs almost the same.
Only the cost per passenger increases dramatically.
That was exactly the situation we faced.
The Day That Changed My Thinking
I still remember walking through the department one morning.
Some machines were running.
Others stood silent.
Operators waited for work.
Production boards displayed numbers well below the department’s installed capacity.
Everyone was busy.
Yet very little value was actually being created.
The financial reports painted an even more concerning picture.
Because production volume had dropped significantly, our cost per kilogram of production had increased sharply.
Capacity utilization hovered around 70%, leaving expensive assets underused while fixed costs remained unchanged.
The problem extended beyond cost.
Our older machines required more operators, delivered lower output, consumed more electricity, and demanded frequent maintenance.
Intermittent production schedules led to repeated start-stop operations, introducing unnecessary variation into the process and affecting product quality.
Meanwhile, employee incentives declined because incentive earnings depended on production.
Ironically, the workforce was earning less—not because of poor performance, but because market demand had fallen.
Morale began to weaken.
The atmosphere on the shop floor gradually shifted from confidence to uncertainty.
Many organizations respond to such situations by reducing manpower or waiting for market demand to improve.
Neither option was practical for us.
And that is where our real journey began.
Why This Challenge Was More Complex Than It Appeared
Manufacturing leaders often say,
“Increase production.”
“Reduce cost.”
“Improve productivity.”
These statements sound simple inside a boardroom.
Reality on the shop floor is very different.
Our installed capacity had been designed to support peak market demand.
Unfortunately, the market no longer required that level of production.
Unlike machines, market demand cannot be switched on by pressing a button.
Adding to the complexity, almost our entire workforce consisted of permanent employees protected through established labour agreements.
Reducing manpower was neither practical nor desirable.
Transferring employees between departments met understandable resistance.
Workers feared that additional responsibilities would increase workload without corresponding benefits.
Older equipment required more manual intervention, limiting productivity improvements through conventional methods.
Every proposed change carried operational, financial, and human implications.
This was no longer a production issue.
It had become a leadership challenge.
Looking Beyond Cost Cutting
Many organizations treat low demand as a signal to cut expenses.
Our team chose a different path.
Instead of asking,
“How can we reduce people?”
we asked,
“How can we better utilize the capacity we already have?”
That single shift in thinking changed every subsequent decision.
Rather than focusing on limitations, we focused on opportunities hidden within existing processes.
Could machines operate more efficiently?
Could production schedules be redesigned?
Could maintenance activities be better aligned?
Could operators become multi-skilled?
Could idle time become productive time?
Could small operational improvements collectively create significant business impact?
These questions became the foundation of our transformation journey.
The answers did not emerge overnight.
They came through careful observation, data analysis, collaborative discussions, difficult conversations, and countless small improvements.
None of those improvements looked revolutionary in isolation. Together, however, they reshaped the entire department.
The Beginning of a Different Leadership Journey
This experience transformed my understanding of operational excellence.
I realized that sustainable improvement rarely begins with expensive technology.
It begins with asking better questions.
It begins with respecting people while challenging existing processes.
It begins with making decisions based on facts rather than assumptions.
Most importantly, it begins with believing that small process improvements, when implemented consistently, can create extraordinary business results.
The lessons from this journey continue to influence how I approach manufacturing, supply chain, digital transformation, warehouse management, SAP implementation, and business excellence today.
This article is based on our practical experience & strategies that helped us improve capacity utilization, reduce operating costs, increase workforce morale, eliminate unnecessary overtime, and build a more cohesive manufacturing team—all without waiting for market demand to improve.
Because sometimes, the greatest transformation doesn’t start with a multimillion-dollar investment.
It starts with one small process improvement.My firm belief is
“Operational excellence isn’t achieved by working harder. It’s achieved by designing smarter processes.”
What has been the single most impactful process improvement you accomplished.I’d love to hear your thoughts .
In today’s competitive environment, effective leadership style is need of the hour.Effective leadership styles is the only way to accomplish herculean organizational goal.
If we analyze historical evidences, great leaders have emerged with particular leadership styles in providing direction, implementing plans and motivating people.Leadership styles has direct impact on effect the performance and productivity.
Fortunately, business people and psychologists have developed useful frameworks that describe the main ways that people lead.In today’s world, you can find success stories about any kind of leader.Whether they were political, financial, philosophical, or managerial, each of these leaders has his or her style. That doesn’t mean one is better than the other — it all depends on what you want to accomplish.
Leadership style is the way a managerial leader applies his influence in getting work done through his subordinates in order to achieve the organizational objectives.These can be broadly grouped into different categories.In this blog, we’ll explain some of the most effective leadership styles,its advantages & disadvantages.
Leadership style
1.Charismatic
Charisma has different sources and any attempt to pin it down to a specific set of human qualities would be useless. And charisma is not only about words, ideals and getting elected. It can get things done and it is good for business.The charismatic leader is visionary and works by infusing high amount of energy and enthusiasm in his team. He sets as role model for his team and drive others to show high level of performance.
The presence of charismatic leader works as a boost for rest of the employees and therefore such type of leader should be committed to the organization for the long run.Charismatic leadership may pose as a risk to the organization if he decided to leave to explore new opportunities .In such instance, organization has to take lots of efforts to win the confidence of the employees.
Max Weber defines charismatic leader as:
” A certain quality of an individual personality by virtue of which he or she is set apart from ordinary people and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities”.
Advantage
Establishes process & get results
Provides opportunities to think differently
Creates shared Identity
Sets clear goal & metrics
Creates emotional appeal
Disadvantage
Harms long term morale
can be used for selfish ambition
Restricts ideas
Disregards individual follower
2.Autocratic
Autocratic leaders make decisions and issue orders over his followers for complete control. He centralizes all power in himself and does not delegate any authority to them and tactfully provide clear direction but leave no doubt about what is expected or who makes the final decisions. He loves power and dominates his group by coercion and command.
This type of leaders become all in all in this style of leadership style. Rewards and penalties are used in this leadership style. Some people tend to think of this style as a vehicle for yelling, using demeaning language, and leading by threats. Therefore, this leadership is also called negative style and is also not recognized a rational style.
Some of the appropriate conditions to use this style is when you have all the information to solve the problem, you are short of time, and your followers are well motivated. Autocratic style should normally be used on rare occasions. If you have the time and want to gain more commitment and motivation from your employees, then you should use the democratic style.
Advantage
Takes faster decisions
Thrives under consistency
Removes pressure
Accomplishes goal quickly
Keeps team members on tasks
Disadvantage
Create unwelcome culture
Discourage creativity
Joyless experience for team
Allows abuse of power
3.Laissez-Fare
Contrary to autocratic leadership style,in this leadership style the leader depends entirely on his followers to establish their own goals and to make their own decisions. He lets them plan, organize and proceed. Once the policies, programmes and limitations for action are determined by the leader, the entire process is left to followers. He is there to guide his followers if they are in need & provide resources to accomplish the goals. This kind of leadership is desirable in mainly professional organizations and where the employees are self-motivated. Leader works here just as a member of the team and encourages good teamwork and creative collaboration among team members.
Laissez-Fare style promotes to develop independent personality. The role of leader in this style is almost neglected. Being the minimum role of leader this style is not suitable for business organizations.
Advantage
Encourages creativity & new ideas
Allows faster decision making
Encourages personal growth
Provide occupational freedom
Promotes employee self rule
Disadvantage
Lack of role clarity
Fosters potential poor time management
Passivity
Lacks of accountability
4.Visionary
Visionary leadership was first devised by Daniel Goleman in 2002. Goleman defines visionary leadership as “the ability to take charge and inspire with a compelling vision” and postulates that this type of leadership is best used when changes require a new vision or when a clear direction is needed. This style is also authoritative, but rather than simply telling people what to do, these leaders gain support by expressing clearly their challenges and responsibilities in the organization’s overall strategy.
This makes goals clear & concise, increases commitment and energizes a team. It is best used by people with a high personalized power drive under low-stress situations and people with a high socialized-power drive when stress is high
Advantage
Inspire unity in teams
Foresee challenges
Creates emotional appeal
Places high value
Helps other to see goal & stay there.
Disadvantage
Less emphasis on small issues
Less accountable team members
Loses sight of present problem
Often loses momentum to excite team members
5.Democratic
Democratic leaders believe team members should take part in the decision-making process. Their basis of decision making relies on consensus of the entire team members. They listen to suggestions, ideas, and problems of team members & involve them in decision making process. However, the leader maintains the final decision making authority. Using this style is not a sign of weakness; rather it is a sign of strengthening team members & developing them as a future leader of the organization. He does not take a unilateral decision and believes in decentralization of power in decision making.
This is normally used when you have part of the information, and your employees have other parts. Using this style is of mutual benefit – it allows them to become part of the team and allows you as a leader to make better decisions. It is otherwise called a participation style of leading a team & totally opposite to autocratic style of leadership.
Advantage
More efficiency & productivity
Creates high employee morale
Maximizes fairness
Less labour turnover
Creates positive work environment
Develops team strength
Disadvantage
Adversely impact performance
Leaving employee feeling direction & leaderless
ineffective during crisis situation
Encourages workplace procrastination
6.Transactional
To understand this leadership style in simple way is just to think like the leaders lead the organization and tell his/her followers what is their duty because they get salary for it. The roots of this leadership style are-reward, penalty, economic exchange, emotion, corporeal and other transactions between leaders & their followers. Center of attention of this leadership style is on the responsibility of administration, organization, and group performance.
Transactional leaders give lead to uphold the chain of rules and regulations, their approach is not looking to change the future. The followers are expected to obey the transactional leadership instructions because of the higher position and title that the leader holds.
It contrast, involves management by- exception, intervention, and punishing those who made errors. This approach would also require close monitoring of their followers, who would surely not like it. Followers who are self-motivated & work independently would feel suffocated under this type of leader. Transactional leaders are great for organizations or teams tasked with hitting specific goals such as sales and revenue, it’s not the best leadership style for driving creativity.
Advantage
Achieve short term goal quickly
Rewards & penalties are for team members
Clear Structure
Defines reward & punishment
Easy to implement & give direction
Disadvantage
Overemphasizes on set routines and methods
Sees the leader more reactive rather than proactive
Opposes changes
Doesn’t reward personal initiative
Discourages out of box thinkers
7.Transformational
The leaders who believe in redial change in the existing culture & system of the organizations are known as Transformational leaders. These leaders are typically self-aware,authentic and empathetic. Transformational leadership motivates & inspire through shared vision, expect best from each team member & held them accountable for their actions. Organizations that operate under this style shoot to be the first to do something major in their organization.
Transformational leadership encourages new ideas, promotes disciplined and free-thinking teams & driven by a commitment to the organization’s objectives. It demands a certain level of strategic vision and intellectual stimulation to initiate change in oneself and others in an organization.
Since these types of leaders spend much of their time on the big picture, this style of leadership is best suited to handle many delegated tasks without constant supervision.
Advantage
Reduces turnover cost
Accepts new ideas
Creates & manage change
Gives employees freedom to work
Motivates team leader
Disadvantage
Requires continuous feedback
Can be risky & disruptive
Conflicts with bureaucracy
Shows too big pictures
Lead employee burnout
8.Bureaucratic
This leadership style is very similar to Autocratic leadership in which followers are supposed to follow rule & procedure exactly same as directed. The main difference between autocratic & bureaucratic is that, in later type of leadership, leaders might consult the team members for any viewpoint but the whole authority to take the final decision is in the hands of leader. Each employee has their fixed role & responsibility that they have to discharge.
People who have to go through those steps might refer to them as “red tape.” It is based on administrative needs of the organization. There is very less scope for any creativity & new ideas implementation in their workplace. It is highly effective and productive in department like security, hospital & finance.
Advantage
Creates strong level of job security
Offers upward scalability
Centralized duties of employees
Establishes repeatable & reliable systems
Operates under clear objectives & metrics
Disadvantage
Challenge to increase productivity
Disregards individual employee
Does not offer freedom of creativity
Harms long term morale
Delays in decision making
9.Coaching
Coaching leadership is a style that encompasses and facilitates the engagement of people and empathizing with their specific and individual motivations. It involves the executive in long-term professional development and mentoring of employees. A coaching leader is someone who can quickly recognize their team members’ strengths, weaknesses and motivations to help each individual improve their performance.
In today’s scenario when organization are adopting flatter structure, flexible work hour & remote working, old fashioned style of leadership becomes irrelevant & coaching leadership style is being accepted.
This type of leadership style often assists team members in setting smart goals and provides regular feedback to promote growth. The coach leadership style is one of the most advantageous for employers as well as for employees they manage.
Advantage
Improve results significantly
Individual feels valued
Develops sense of importance
Gets fast & constructive feedback
Develops future leader
Disadvantage
Too much time-consuming and resource draining
Does not work if leader is incompetent
Employee feels fearful of negative feedback
Does not work in stressful work-culture
10.Strategic
Strategic leadership talks about the leader’s potential or capability to express a strategic vision for the organization and to persuade them to pursue that vision by applying different strategic tools. This leadership style believes in empowerment & creates leaders who are well-trained and well-equipped to deal with unforeseen risks and threats.
Aim of strategic leadership always includes an aspect of transformation which helps organization to achieve their goals. It stimulates leadership to ensure that all of the organization’s efforts are moving the organization toward successfully achieving its vision.
Strategic leadership style is not a quick fix, as it requires the organization to look to the future whenever it is implementing a new strategy & making a decision.
Advantage
Clarity in decision making process
Provides organizational perspective
Develops structured & organized pathway
Builds commitment
Avoids competitive convergence
Disadvantage
Forecasting may leads to inaccurate results
Hinders short term profitability
Lacks flexibility
Can arcade growth of organization
11.Servant
Servant Leadership is a selfless leadership style that focuses on improving both employee and organizations. Primary objective of this leadership is to serve and meet the needs of the people in organization, Great servant leaders typically have good listening skills, lots of empathy, ability to develop others, good persuasion skills and big picture thinking abilities. Regardless of level, Servant leader leads simply by meeting the needs of the team. people who practice servant leadership focus on the people who made them a leader.
They foster a goal-driven community around them and they value that community on a personal level. Because of high integrity &generosity of servant leaders , follower blindly believe in & trust them. Servant leaders lead the team by setting example & create a positive work culture to help organization in achieving their goals
Advantage
Focuses on big picture
Enables others to lead themselves
Recognizes diversity in groups
Builds strong & focused teams
Removes ego in leadership
Disadvantage
Lack of authority
Depends heavily on trust & loyalty
Confusion regarding goals of leadership
Does not define roles
Conclusion
Leading an organization is a complex process. Organization varies in their size, culture, people & above all their values & vision. To deal with these variability, we need a leader who can understand all the variable factors & lead the organization to achieve the goal.
Because of the complex nature of leadership, a specific and widely accepted definition of leadership does not exist .Hence leader has to adopt different leading style as the situation demand. No any leadership style is good or bad, it is the context of the organization, suitable leadership style needs to be applied for its effectiveness.
Leadership skills are the tools, Behavior & capabilities that a leader possess to influence the people & provide directions to achieve their goals. It is important because it deals with both the internal and external stakeholders. It is said that the true leaders are those who drive people to achieve their own success. Some of the top powerful leadership skills we inherit from our culture we grow & many of these leading skills we learn & acquire only when we have eager to develop our leadership skill, open mind, patience & commitment to put what we learn to action.
Leaders are figureheads of an organization and for good reasons. Every leadership style has its own set of skills associated with it ; like a democratic leader is successful with his/her people skills and gets the job done. Learning and honing these skills and using them at the right time in the right place make the leader effective.
For a business to grow and remain healthy, we must master certain basic skills in leadership that will help organization to avoid the crisis situations. The basic skills include problem solving, Creativity, communications etc. Those basics are also the foundation from which to develop more advanced practices in management and leadership. Some of the topmost leadership skills that a leader must demonstrate are explained below.
1.Communication
“Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.” – William Butler Yeats
An effective Communication is the way of communicating others in a simple & concise way so that even a lay man can understand. Effective communication and effective leadership are closely intertwined. One of the most important skills of a leader is the ability to communicate effectively. While communication skills are important for everyone, leaders perhaps need them even more. Good communication skills is a fundamental requirement & backbone for a successful leader.
Have we ever seen an effective leaders who are poor communicator? Answer is of course not. Why?
Because this is one of the ways & means to connect people & builds a rapport quickly & effectively to develop strong relationship with them. Leaders need to think with clarity, express ideas, and share information with a multitude of followers. Successful leaders tend to be a good listener & show high level of assertiveness when communicating to their followers.
We can take an example of business leader Steve Jobs (former CEO of Apple INC.) who was very much instrumental in communicating to all their stakeholders. Similarly if we talk about political leaders in recent time, former US president Barak Obama & Indian prime Minister Narendra Modi are the most effective communicator. People listen them passionately & follow what they say. Passionate communication & appeal build a trustworthiness among the followers.
Communication is also set in a number of other leadership skills and competencies. As you move up the career ladder, it expands to behaviors such as building trust, conveying vision and strategic intent, and pulling people along with you.
2.Creativity
“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.”– — Mary Lou Cook
“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.”— Erich Fromm
In today’s fast-paced & uncertain World, creative vision and outside-the-box thinking is what leads businesses to success. To survive in such competitive environment, organizations need to be continuously creative and innovative. A leader must be creative and innovative which make the team stand out from the crowd & inspire team members to think differently to set a new benchmark for the organization.
A recent survey reports concludes that creativity is the single most important leadership skill in the world that is more volatile, more uncertain, and more complex than at any time before.
To cultivate a culture of creativity leaders should address feeling of queries of their team members by asking them questions. This will not only encourage team members to solve problems but also create a new work culture of innovation in organization. Every individual has a potential to be an innovator only thing that he/she has to change their way of thinking.
3.Transparency
“A lack of transparency results in distrust & a deep sense of insecurity”-Dalai Lama
“Transparency, honesty, kindness, good stewardship, even humor, work in businesses at all times”-John Gerzema
What does Transparency mean & why organization need a Transparent Leader?
Transparency in a simple terms is about wining trust of followers. It establishes trust, expand relationship & increase productivity of employee that is why organizations need a transparent leader. For a successful organization trust, respect, integrity & service have been a key values & behaviour to a Leader & team members.
A Leader should openly share information to its team members without being biased. Hiding or manipulating information by a leader in workplace can be detrimental for an organization & such leaders can’t win the trust of their team members. By giving visibility & transparency to followers, leader can buy in wholehearted support of their team which eventually result in achieving the goal. Above all, it gives followers clarity, autonomy and make them feel more empowered. & keep them engaged
4.Listening
“The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.”— Woodrow Wilson
“Listen twice as much as you talk and others will hear twice as much of what you say.” ― Nido R. Qubein
Listening skill of a leader is the ability to exactly receive and interpret messages in the communication process. To be an effective communicator, a leader must have active listening skill which establishes them to be understood properly by their followers & avoid any communication breakdown between them. Active listening shows how you care your people & engage them that builds a rapport &empathy between them.
Empathy & listening are entwined. It requires a leader to be more present, attentive, engaged, open and flexible. A successful leader is who first understand another person’s point of view before jumping into any conclusion.To be an active listener ,we must follow following steps
Step1: Pay your attention
Step2: show that you are listening
Step3: Give feedback
Step4: Defer Judgement
Step5: Respond Properly
5. Problem Solving
“Problems are only opportunities in work clothes.”—Henri Kaiser
“Until we have real conflict, we don’t fully understand the problem.”— Alfred Sloan
Problem is nothing but a gap between what we desire & result we get. Can we ever imaged a world where there is no problem? Of course not. It is all because everyone wants to grow, make progress & doesn’t want to be in same state & hence make changes. As a result of which they encounter problems then they resolve it to get into a new world. Once the new system establishes, as a human being we make our efforts to progress further which is never ending till we get setback. This cycle keeps on happening.
Similarly in business, problem occurs & we resolve it. This skill is known as problem solving skill. It is a key leadership skills that a leader must demonstrate. Being a successful leader doesn’t mean that you don’t have any problems. Rather, it means that you know how to solve problems effectively as & when they crop up. Those who encounters more problem gets is resolved are more confident & dynamic leader who can take organization to a new height. Organization likes those leaders who have solution with him not a problem creator. Top business leaders are able to quickly detect potential problems, carry out the necessary research and analysis, and then come to a decision. Following are steps to resolve the problem.
Step 1: Identify the Problem
Step 2:Define the problem
Step 3: Collect data.
Step 4: Analyse the data
Step 5: Determine root cause.
Step 6: Develop probable Solutions
Step 7: Take trial.
Step 8: Monitor & measure results
Step 9: Resolve probable resistance for change
Step 10: Implement changed system
Step 11: Keep follow up & review new system
Step 12: Standardize new change system
6.Patience
“Patience, persistence, and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.”–Napoleon Hill
“To lose patience is to lose the battle.” — Mahatma Gandhi
To be stayed ahead of competition, leaders have to be quick decision maker, who can get things done fast and get them done right. Else organization will fail to progress. This is very true. However, there are certain situation particularly when negotiation process is going on. It takes time to reach at a win- win situation otherwise it fails or might be disastrous for the organization in a long run if they want immediate result.
A leader must have the ability to be patient when the situation demands. As a leader, there is the need to briefly stop, pause, and think – especially in turbulent times. Additionally, because people in the team are not having same level of understanding .Some members are neither easily get along with the team nor they have same level of maturity.
When we talk about patience, it does not mean no action. It means proactive thinking, be focused, keep a glance on surrounding environment for strategic decision. Patience gives leader the permission and wisdom to take a slight necessary pause to think and reflect. A leader must imbibe patience as a first and foremost discipline to lead the team.
7.Resilience
“In order to succeed, people need a sense of self-efficacy, to struggle together with resilience to meet the inevitable obstacles and inequities of life.” —Albert Bandura
“I’m inspired by people that are marginal. I’m excited by their resilience. ” – Mira Nair
In this VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex & Ambiguous) world, it is very much require for an organization to be resilient for its survival. Whatsoever challenging situation may be ,a resilient leader not only overcome obstacles and challenges but also bouncing back – even thriving and getting ahead in such situation. Despite all adversity resilient leader find a way to remain positive & managing their stress & daily operations.
While most people are busy in complaining about the problems, great leaders always focus on solutions, not the problems. They also carry the responsibility for helping to protect the energy of the people in their teams. Leader who have faced all such odds & overcome become more confident & more popular in their respective areas whether it is society or organization.
Leader like Nelson Mandela is the best example of resilient leader. Who had spent more than 27 year of his young age in Jail & lead people against anti-apartheid revolution in South Africa & became resident of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.
8. Passion
“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious”–Albert Einstein
“Nothing is as important as passion. No matter what you want to do with your life, be passionate.” —Jon Bon Jovi
Passion is a key driver for a successful leader. A leader who has passion is driven forward from the energy & gets succeed. People who are successful and achieve great things have passion. It is important to find the areas you are passionate about then stay focused on them. Passion enables leader to focus their energies on the causes that resonate with the core of who they are. Also understand the passion of their team members so that task can be allocated to them which motivates them.
A passionate leaders have confidence in the work that they are doing and has an entrusted interest in how successful their business is.They understand how their contributions can help their business succeed and often work relentlessly to achieve their goals. Passion drives vision, raise influence &ignite team members to achieve their goal. Passionate leaders possess perseverance, eagerness & dedication to accomplish.
9.Vision
Vision without a task is only a dream. A task without a vision is but drudgery. But vision with a task is a dream fulfilled. – Anonymous
“Vision is the art of seeing the invisible” – Jonathan Swift
Vision is a mental imagination of future to see the invisible. This vision attracts and affects every employee who is engaged in living this set of actions, beliefs, values, and goals. It is within us & generates sense of purpose & future glimpses to improve. Vision must inspire enthusiasm, belief, commitment and excitement to members & change their belief that they are here for a bigger purpose. It provide us focus & inspire us to keep moving & overcome obstacle to achieve goals.
When leaders believe in vision & mission, team members follow this blindly because they have trust. Typically, when a visionary leader is sought out for their leadership and guidance, the company is either experiencing a transition or is set to move through challenging times. To create a vision for an organization, first we should develop vision statement, seek improvement & share vision across to each & every member of the team.
Visionary leaders like: Abraham Lincoln envisioned a united America, Martin Luther King, Jr., had a dream about equality & Steve Jobs imagined the iPod and iPhone.
10.Empathy
“Leaders with empathy do more than sympathize with people around them: they use their knowledge to improve their companies in subtle, but important ways.” ― Daniel Goleman
“Rather than seeing dreams as containing hidden messages, see dreams as experiences of empathy. Then use empathy with the dream to reconnect with the experience of dreaming itself”. ― Henry Reed
Understanding the problems of your followers and feeling their pain is the first step to become an empathetic leader. Emotional connect with the teams is very much needed whether you are a political or corporate leaders. If you emotionally connect with your team, you will be in their heart& mind & eventually build rapport & relationship & become an empathetic leader.
Empathy is the ability to experience and relate to the thoughts, emotions, or experience of other people. It enables leaders to understand and support others with compassion or sensitivity & encourages leaders to understand the root cause behind poor performance & help them to improve it. Top develop an empathy, a leader should pay attention be a good listener, non-judgemental.
11.Emotional Intelligence
“It is very important to understand that Emotional Intelligence,is not the opposite of Intelligence, it is not the triumph of heart over head. It is the unique intersection of both”— David Caruso
“As much as 80% of adult “success” comes from Emotional Intelligence”.— Daniel Goleman
Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, identify, evaluate and control emotions. Leaders who lack emotional intelligence are unable to gauge the expectation of their team members. Contrary to that a emotionally intelligent leader connect emotionally to their followers & influence them to accept what they say. It is used to examine behavior, interpersonal skills & style of working of the people. Emotional intelligence for leadership can consist of these five attributes: self-awareness, self-management, empathy, relationship management, and effective communication.
Goleman wrote on this personal website that the biggest surprise to him surrounding emotional intelligence is its impact in the business world. Emotional intelligence can control business success. Similarly if the leader doesn’t show this skill it will lead to failure. A leader must be emotionally intelligent because it helps in conflict resolution & ensure seamless communication to followers.
12. Integrity
“Integrity lies in, doing what one speaks; speaking what one does.”M. K. Soni
“Integrity is the seed for achievement. It is the principle that never fails.”Earl Nightingale
Integrity in leadership is a skill of having strong ethical value followed by a leader. It refers to being honest, trustworthy, and reliable. The leader who possess these traits are most trusted leader, People rely on such leader & follow their instructions without any doubt. Leaders with integrity practice what they preach to people, respect their word, take accountability of their failures, never blame others & doesn’t hide anything from their team members. Ideally, a strong leader should also possess the ability to deliver harder truths diplomatically so as not to estrange employees.
It has been observed that an organization which are having high integrity has increased workplace performance & can strengthen relationships with vendors and customers. One can develop or improve this skill by honouring their words, hold oneself to a high moral standard & take accountability for one’s own actions. Such leaders believes in lead by example principle.
13.Trust
“Trust your intuition, and let it lead you to new opportunities, while steering you away from time wasters and scams.” –Cathy Stucker
“Trust is a very important thing to grow in life. Be it in personal or professional life, you cannot live without trust.”— Nicole Smith
Successful organization builds trust & engage its employees to get outstanding performance at workplace. If an employee doesn’t trust a leader, there is less chance that they would like to work under such leader. Even if they work under such leader, they wouldn’t deliver their 100% or beyond to such organization. When leaders are seen as untrustworthy, employees are more likely to misinterpret the intent of their actions, most employees feel disengaged and show unproductive behavior. Eventually it becomes harder for a leader to get buy-in for your ideas, perform effectively and make progress of organization.Trust has three components:
Trust of character
Trust of communication
Trust of Capability
In a nutshell, we can say that trust building takes time to understand each other. The trust that leaders place in allows both the leader and her/his followers to perform to achieve the goal.
14.Motivation
“Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
Motivation is a mental process initiated by certain needs & wants & drives employee to enhance productivity, quality and speed of work. It impels an action by providing incentives to individual.
Why individual needs this incentive?
The reason behind is that at some point of time in organization employees become reluctant because of monotony in job & lack of challenging new task. That is why organization engage such employees in various motivational programme by providing higher education from reputed institute, launching voluntary health and wellness programs, special achievement award & recognition, mentoring new personnel in an engaging and supportive approach &family engagement programme.
The leader who inspires & motivate their employee most always demonstrate integrity, develop harmonious relation with their team members, treat them with respect & help them to achieve challenging task. All such programmes are nothing but to motivate employees to deliver more by taking extra efforts or do innovating thing to add value to systems. Ultimately organization gets benefited in terms of improved performance, low attrition & change in employees’ behavior.
15.Influencing
“Leadership calls for changing people’s behavior. Influencers are those leaders who understand how to create rapid, profound, and sustainable behavior change”— Joseph Grenny
“Influence and persuasion are two of the most powerful traits that can help you achieve your desired level of success”— Ian Berry
Influencing skill is nothing but an ability to bring others to your way of thinking without force or coercion .It is more than communication or negotiation. Sometime we misunderstand by having good communication or negotiation skill is all about influencing skill but it not. In real sense influencing is taking buy-in or winning heart & soul of others whether it is your employee, customers or any other stakeholders in business without any fear or force.
It is transferable skill & helps leader to communicate his/her vision or goals, align the efforts of others, and build commitment from people at all levels & gets things done and achieve desirable results. Influencing leadership requires being able to present logical and convincing arguments & focused more on achieving long-range objectives, inspiration, and motivation of employees.
Leaders who are most influential are those that, inspire confidence in others, professionally credible and are trustworthy. Strongest influencers are flexible enough to switch between appealing to the head and to the heart as the situation demands. Some of the following practices can improve your influencing skill
Solving others problem
Finding common ground for interaction
Mirroring the person
Use person’s name
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Leadership theories have been evolving since long. Earlier theories focus on character & personality of individual leaders. However, recent leadership theories focus on what the leaders actually do rather than their intrinsic qualities. Plethora of research has been done in this field which reveals different characteristics of elders & contradicts with each other. Practical knowledge of these theories are important to become an Amazing Leaders. It offers an insights of the leaders to change their behaviour.
1.Great Man Theory
What sets apart a great leaders from their other colleagues and make them to circumnavigate often on rowdy roads?
Great Man theory of leadership advocates that a great leaders are born, not made. According to this theory, Great leaders possess certain natural traits which enable them to lead & they arise when need for them is pronounced. It is not something that a leader can learn & lead the group of people.
Great Leaders are meant for facing all odds & set an example for their followers. Great man theory was evolved in 19th century by historian Thomas Carlyle who advocates that history is nothing but a collection of biographies of a great leader .Myth behind some of the world most eminent leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincon helped to create a belief that great leaders are born not made.
Biggest flaws of this theory is that if leadership depends on inborn quality of a person then all person who possess these necessary traits would eventually be in leadership position. Rather it is a complex subject & influenced by many factors
2.Contingency Theory
Decision making is a vital part when we deal with the people. It varies as the situation demands. Hence no one style of leadership can be applicable in different situation. There are many guiding forces in the form of various leadership theories. One of these theory is the Contingency Theory of Leadership.
This theory was coined by Fred E. Fiedler in 1960 which was based on studies of various group effectiveness & relation between leadership & organizational performance. Effective leadership depends on situational contingencies & is effected by following factors
1. Influencing power of leaders
2. Expectation of followers
3. Uncertainty or certainty of task &
4. Organizational complexity.
Handbook & Prospectus-PhD/MPhil
Contingency theory of leadership states that people with different skills & knowledge can perform better in their respective area of expertise.
3.Trait Theory
Success of any organization depends on how strong is the leadership team. As an amazing leader, it is vital to have your chosen leadership style must match with your competency & leadership traits that makes them stand out from the crowd. Trait theories of leadership ascertain the specific personality traits that distinguish successful leaders from non-leaders & used to predict leadership effectiveness.
There are certain leadership traits which are identified as predicting tool for a person’s leadership potential with an extent of maximum accuracy. That doesn’t mean presence of these traits in a person will guarantee them to become an amazing leader. In contrast, there are many examples of leaders who don’t have these qualities but still lead the team successfully. Some of key leadership traits which are identified & most common in a successful leaders are:
Communication & charisma
Creativity
Cognitive ability
Honesty and integrity
Perseverance
Adaptability
It provides a thorough knowledge and understanding of the leader component in the leadership development process. However, One of the key criticism of this trait theory is that it fails to take account of other factors like environment & situation that will affect the progress of a successful leader
4.Transactional Theory
Everyone knows that punishment and reward are two motivating factors which reinforce transactional leadership theories. Organization must define hierarchy so that everyone knows who the leader is and who are follower. If the understanding between leader & followers are transparent it becomes easier to achieve goal & objectives. The ability of transactional leaders originates from their recognized authority and responsibility. Followers are supposed to obey the instructions of the leader.
This theory was first described by Max Weber in 1947 and then by Bernard Bass in 1981.It is most controversial in that they improve hierarchical boundaries and are essentially undemocratic. This theory revolves around teamwork, organization, supervision & consider reward & punishment as a tool for leading a team. Transactional theory of leadership is most successful when problems are simple & well defined. In a crisis situation this type of leadership is most effective.
Transactional leadership theory is based on following assumptions:
1.Individual employee performs better when chain of command is well defined.
2.Team members have to follow the instruction of their seniors.
3. Rewards & punishment motivates employees
4.Close monitoring & control mechanism are required to get the work done.
5. Transformational Theory
Organizations need to continually make changes to meet the future challenges which are uncertain & nobody can predict it accurately. Changes should be fast paced & use innovation & latest technology to upbeat the changing global competitiveness.
Such changes not only stresses organizational changes but also from its employees & brings up transformation to be remain relevant in competition.
Transformational Leadership theory emphases on the relationship between the leaders and followers. This theory states that transformational leaders are inspirational, charismatic & encourages their followers to transform and achieve their goals. Such leaders are also inspirational, risk-takers, and great thinkers. To bring a significant change in organization, transformational leaders must exhibit following characteristics:
Inspire & motivate followers
Individualized consideration
Offer an intellectual challenge
Idealized Influence
6.Leadership Member Exchange (LMX)Theory
In a simple terms, Leader-Member Exchange Theory(LMX theory) explain the bonds that form between leaders and their team members. It is also known as Vertical Dyad Linkage(VDL theory). Theory believes that if the mutual relationship between a leader & their followers are strong, it helps to achieve goal smoothly. The quality of the relationship is mirrored by mutual trust, loyalty, support, respect, and obligation between them.
Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX) was bring together in the mid-1970s, refined in the 90s, and is now one of the most dominant approaches to understand leadership and its influence in organizations. Nothing like theories or principles that emphasis on the qualities of the leader, the Leader-Member Exchange Theory(LMX) sheens the spotlight on the most important part of leadership relationships.
The relationship between leaders and followers follows following three stages:
Role taking
Role making
Role routinization
In-group followers have a tendency to function as subordinates and have higher quality custom-made exchanges with the leader than do out-group followers. LMX Theory is an explanatory ,valid and practical in approach. However, It fails to explain how high-quality exchanges are created.
Tips to build strong relationship with team members
1. Pay attention on strength rather than weakness of team members
2. Interact on regular basis
3. Arrange informal one to one meeting
4. Raise your queries
5. Take feedback on regular basis
7.Likert’s Management system
Likert’s leadership theory was developed by Rensis Likert after studying the leadership pattern & style of leadership & developed a concept to understand the behaviour of leaders. It became possible to measure the results of the work done in the field of group dynamics. Four models are developed & assign it a number System1to System4 & termed as system of management.
Following are the four systems of management system recognised by Likert are:
System 1 – Exploitative Authoritative :
In this system, superior has no trust and confidence in subordinates & they don’t provide freedom to their subordinates to work independently rather decisions are imposed on them. Because of threat, subordinates don’t feel free to discuss their problem to their seniors. Hence distortion in communication & lack of teamwork is evident in this system.
System 2 – Benevolent Authoritative:
Here responsibility lies at senior levels but not at the lower levels of hierarchy. Relation between management & employees is like master & servant. Subordinates do not share & discuss their problem freely to their superiors .Benevolent Authoritative system lacks teamwork & communication .Source of motivation in this system is rewards.
System 3 – Consultative:
Goals are set in consultation with subordinates. All employees are aware of their responsibilities. The superior has considerable but not full confidence in their subordinates. There is a reasonable amount of teamwork and communication in the organization. Rewards and job involvement are two main source of motivation.
System 4 – Participative:
Subordinates are involved in goal setting & decision making. Responsibility for achieving the organizational goals is known to each & every employee in the organization. Senior has high level of assurance in his subordinates. Democratic or participative system has high level of teamwork, communication, and employee engagement. Relationship between superior & subordinates are cordial. This is most idealistic system.
Above mentioned four management systems have been compared with one another on the basis of following organizational variables:
Leadership
Motivational forces
Communication
Interaction-influence process
Decision-making process
Goal-setting &
Control processes
Finally Likert’s concluded that system 4 is best for any organization whereas system 1 is poor for achieving any goal of the organization. In a long run system 4 is best for organization to perform & getting full cooperation & commitment from its employees.
8.Behavioral Leadership Theory
Human behaviour is a very complex subject& influenced by culture, attitude, value, authority & emotions. Behavioural Theory of Leadership reflects the visible actions and reactions of leaders and their followers in a given situation. It is based upon the belief, values & interpersonal relationship of a leader with their followers.
This leadership theory believes that great leaders are made by acquiring specific behaviour pattern, not by born. It mainly focuses on action of the leader & contrast to the Trait & Great Man theory of leadership.
Leaders can acquire and adopt what actions they want to implement to become which type of leader they want to be. Also permits leaders to be flexible and adjust based on their situations .It doesn’t suggest how to behave in certain situation. There is no one right behaviour suitable for every situation.
Whatsoever behaviors you choose, the behavioural leadership theory assistance leaders focus on their actions and apply their decisions to be an Amazing leader.
9.Situational Leadership Theory
Name situational leadership theory is all about a leadership should vary their methodology/style based on the people they are leading and the situations that surround the task in progress. It varies according to circumstances, Maturity & knowledge of the leader. This leadership was developed by Hersey & Blanchard which talks about variable leadership according to the circumstances.The four leadership style that are offered in this theory are
Telling
Selling
Participating &
Delegating
Situational leadership also provide four maturity levels of team members.
1.Maturity Level 1(M1)-Least experience employees
2. Maturity Level 2 (M2)- Inexperienced but slightly more knowledge & skill compare to M1.
3. Maturity Level 3 (M3)-Employees encompass most of the skill & knowledge that require to accomplish the job & are willing to engage with the leader & need less direction.
4. Maturity Level 4 (M4)- Team members are fully skilled & are able to gets the job done without any support. They are at top of the scale of maturity & expect work independently.
Situational leadership theories inspires leaders to act by critically after analyzing the circumstances. It discusses that instead of following a single leadership approach, leaders should change leadership methodology based on the circumstances.
10. Action Centered Leadership Theory
Competing the demand of the business ,a leader has to tackle various task, problem & team members to achieve the goal. At times he/she has to ignore some action which is important & take specific action for the organizational success. The Action Centered Leadership theory can make this difficult specific act a little easier. It finds three key areas that leaders need to focus on, and deals a framework for balancing them.
This leadership Theory was developed by John Adair in year1960 challenging the Great Man theory& put up contrasting view that leadership can be taught and is a transferable skill. As per John Adair, leadership can’t be determined by the person’s characteristics, but is somewhat that can be acquired.
There are three parts of Adair’s Action-Centred Leadership Theory:
Achieving the Task
Managing the Team &
Developing Individuals
Followers expect that their leader should help them to achieve the shared task, build the cooperation of teamwork, and respond to individuals’ needs.
Adair recognizes eight leadership functions that all leaders need to be able to perform & continually developed. These are as follows:
1. Defining the task
2. Planning
3. Briefing
4. Controlling
5. Evaluating
6. Motivating
7. Organising
8. Setting an example
Successful implementation of Action centered Leadership theory will enable leaders to
– Accomplish strong results
– Improve work quality
– Develop strong teams
– Improve productivity
11.Blake-Mouton Managerial Grid Theory
The management of task orientation and people orientation as two separate dimensions was a major step in leadership studies.Blake-Mouton Managerial Grid (1960s) is a system that can be used to group like leaders into categories. Following two dimension of this grid recognises the priority of the leader.
Concern for people
Concern for Task
These axes giving four possible quadrant that a management style fall in. The plotted variables “concern for Task” and “concern for people” on a grid, the model supports leaders to think judgmentally of their own leadership style and correct their behaviour if required.
Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid identified following five kinds of leadership behaviour.
Improvise:-Leader is failing both task & the People
Country Club:-Followers are happy because they are being put foremost having their needs through the action of the leader.
Middle of the Road:-Leader implementing this behavioural approach try to address the needs of the task and their followers to some degree.
Produce or Perish:-Leaders using this style seek to control others. Motivation of employee is often tried through a threat of punishment.
Team Style:- Leader is successfully misrepresent the needs of the organization as a whole with the needs of the individual employees engaged.
This grid is used to help leaders analyze their own leadership styles through grid training.Theory ignores the importance of internal and external limits and scenario.
Covid 19 has changed the overall personal practice as well as work practice being followed by us. This Pandemic has not only disrupted the business environment but also our work culture both at our home & work place.
In one hand, Governments are mobilizing the resources to safeguard their citizen & making their efforts to restrict economic downfall of their respective country on the other hand Business leaders are making efforts to protect the interest of their stakeholders despite the devastating impact of this pandemic.
One should not forget that the mutual efforts of every citizen of the country, their government, Business leaders & Healthcare warrior etc. help the country to conquer this challenging time.
Unconventional leadership behaviour& practices
Listen & Empathize to team members
Leaders who listen to their employees & pay attention to their thoughts & feeling helps them to establish a productive relation, develop bonding & open endless communication channel. This in turn boost the morale & security among the team members that someone is safeguarding them & takes care of any exigency also allows them to focus on work without any worrisome.
This is very much inexorable particularly in this pandemic era. Listening with empathy allows the leaders to see the problem, understand the impact is having & most importantly find the solution. Understanding the problem from team member’s perspective is important for the leaders for future of work particularly when the team members are working remotely. In this uncertain, leaders have to be compassionate with their team members if they want support & result oriented work environment from employees.
2.Embrace Challenges with open heart
Volatility in ecosystem will remain be there quite some time even after this pandemic went off. Accepting this challenge with an open hart will help leaders to adjust their approach towards problem & people as well. Leaders have to accept this uncertainty as a new normal of ecosystem & be prepared for potential problem as an opportunities & capitalize it. They must adapt the changing environment & gets the result in order to thrive in Covid 19 era. Whatever best can be done in this changed scenario should be the top most priority for any leaders. Sooner we adapt & accept new challenges, faster we deliver the result.
3.Create positive environment:
Covid 19 has significantly disrupted the work environment of companies worldwide. Remote work is one of the reason for disruption & has changed the way employees were collaborated & communicated. Two ways communication between employee & company HR is the biggest challenge in this changed environment. However, in order to get out of this problem organizations need to plan business continuity.
Some of the key drivers to create positive work environment are:
Trust in leadership
Support of management
collaboration &
communication
4.Protect & promote talents
Talents are the back bone of any progressive organization to thrive. When talents feel a business’s activities purpose driven, they are likely to feel satisfied with their contributions and efforts. If the talents feel undervalued & unrewarding, they look for other employment.
Sensitive organizations are taking steps to introduce talent initiatives to turn the vicious cycle into a virtuous circle. In order to retain talent organization must make them valued, respected and valuable.
Some of the best practice an organization can adopt to retain talents are:
Permit flexible working & work life balance
Provide Financial wellness
Reinforcing talent assistance programme
Arrange talent competition
Inclusive fun@ work etc.
5.Lookout potential risk
Covid 19 pandemic which pretenses great stress on financial, operational & health risks are the new reality of the business. Only the Resilient organization can survive in this environment. Some the potential risk can be visualized as
Cyber fraud
Data security
Market abuse
Digital inequality
Erosion of social cohesion
At this crucial juncture a leader has to be pragmatic &market driven. Courageous leader choose to share their concerns & openly seek help from others. It is important for the leaders to keep an eye on potential risk which has short term & long term landscape & get ready to respond creatively & collaborate.
6.Engage all stakeholders
Engaging with all stakeholders is very crucial for the success of any business. Particularly in this crucial time when business is striving for their survival.
Engagement of all stakeholders not only helps in creating effective strategy but also in achieving goal, providing insight on product innovation & issues needs to be addressed to achieve competitive advantage in market place.
7.Drive cost mind-sets
Cost mind-sets is the need of the hour for any successful organizations. Instead of reducing one time cost, it looks for value on a continual basis. This shouldn’t be a top down approach but be a part of organizational culture where each & every members looks for cost & its impact on business before taking any decision.
In current pandemic circumstances, leaders in almost all organization are facing financial challenges. Hence it is imperative to incorporate cost factor in all financial decision process.
8. Promote digital technology
21st century is the era of digital technology. It would help the business in transforming in streamlining process, engaging employees, interacting with customers & enhancing their experience. Be it business, education, health services everywhere use of digital technology has enabled the process faster & contactless which has led to uninterrupted service even in this pandemic.
By the use of digital technology leaders can accelerate the pace of their business progress, reduce cost & above all collaborate with all stakeholders.
Digital technology has made it possible to work from home (WFH) else it could have been very difficult to collaborate with all stakeholder. Business leaders have already exiting from old ways of working & started adopting new technology to get a pace in development of their business, moreover pandemic has boosted the demand of use of digital technology for contactless service.
Way forward use of digital technology will be the most cost effective way of getting competitive advantage.
9.Build Trust & confidence
Covid 19 has been a jolt to our collective systems & has disrupted the way we have been working in our organization. Business exigency has forced the leaders to take tough decision for survival of business .However, it has led to Trust deficit & low confidence between leaders & their employees.
Recovery of business performance without the trust of the stakeholders rests on insecure ground. Trust fasten teams together and motivates individuals to deliver their best. Therefore task for a resilient leader is to drive the organization & all its stakeholders safely from this crisis.
In order to build trust & confidence among all stakeholders, it is required to focus mainly on these dimension of trust.
Physical
Emotional &
Financial
Leaders who build trust & confidence in their team will get more productivity whether it is employees, vendors or customers.
10. Determine opportunities in uncertainty
Covid 19 is an unprecedented health emergency which has led to economic stress globally .Presently no one is sure how long this lockdown will last & what will be the new consumer behaviour.
The business which are willing to look at the world from different lens & would ready to meet the new challenges will survive & thrive in a long run. The best way to convert these uncertainty into opportunities are as follows.
Embrace new reality
Develop flexibility in systems
Launch a risk management plan
Practice value based decision making
Promise to a direction &
Move forward with persuasion
In this VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty and Complexity & Ambiguity) world, uncertainty is dawning as a new reality of the life & critical for a leader to acknowledge & vision it & take help of all the stakeholders to succeed.
Problems don’t exist in our life to get suck, they exist to give us opportunities to grow & glow. Worrying about any problems is not going to resolve them. Looking at a problem in right perspective, overcoming these problems & finding a solution in a unique way is most desired strategy of anyone. Let’s learn process of problem solving which is an invaluable asset for everyone.
Every individual, group, team, society &organization face problem in their life cycle. Are there anyone in the universe who have not faced any problem? Obviously answer is no. Problem is a part & parcel of every human being. Whether we are a student or a professional in organization we face problem in every walk of our life. It is our approach which decides how to deal with the problem. Whether we sucked or paralyzed by it or make a control over it by taking corrective measures to get rid of it & grow. This is an endless story of every creature of the universe. First we face problem, we resolve it by taking corrective measures again we face different types of problem. This cycle remain continues.
What is problem solving?
Before understanding of problem solving, we should know what is problem? Problem is nothing but a gap between our desire & actual results. It can be seen as an opportunities for improvement or doing the things in different manner.
If the actual result is fulfil the desired results, we have no problem else problem persist. Problem can be complex or mundane but it is definitely worrisome for all of us.
It can be better understood by taking an example of organization who wish to enhance their sale revenue by 10% from 2000cr. to 2200 crs. However, despite taking all efforts they are able to achieve only 6% growth. Deficit of 4% must have some reasons which are obstacle to achieve the planned target. That gap is problem for this organization. It is not necessary that individual can solve all the problems that is why it is require to involve team members to get different viewpoints & resolve it. Even if problem is not getting resolved, take help of experts.
Problem solving is a source of innovation & continuous improvement in process. It is a process that involves identification, analysis & finding solution of a problem. It requires analytical & creative thinking skills which can be used based on the type of problem & requirements. Ultimate goal of problem solving is to provide solution of any problem & overcome obstacle in a systematic manner by following defined steps. Problem solving steps must answer following questions
What is the problem
What are the root cause of the problem?
What are the possible solutions?
Which are the most suitable solutions?
Why problem solving is important?
Problem solving is important because it enable us to:
a) Survive in continually changing environment
b) Improve our existing performance
c) Avoid potential risk
d) Identify new opportunities
11 Steps of Problem Solving
Step 1. Identify Problem
Step 2.Define the problem
Step 3. Set Goals
Step 4. Collect Data
Step 5. Analyze data
Step 6. Identify possible cause
Step 7. Determine Root Cause
Step 8.Identify possible solution
Step 9. Take trails
Step 10. Conduct Reverse Brainstorming
Step 11. Actual Implementation
Step 12. Keep follow up review
Step 1. Identify Problem:
Sometimes we have lots of problem to resolve it at Gemba. Prioritizing all the problems & identifying those which are having more impact on the results are given top most priority.
Problems can be categorized which are having impact on sales revenue, Cost saving, Safety & Environment etc. The problem which has significant impact on the organizational goals &objective has to be given top most preference while identifying as a priority problem.
Step 2.Define the problem:
Once the problem is identified, it is turn to define it well. It is said that a well-defined problem is half solved. While defining the problem one should ask following question to elaborate it properly.
What is the problem?
When it is happening?
What frequency it Is happening?
Where it is happening?
Why it is happening?
Breaking down of problem by asking above question provide clarity of direction to solve it.
Step 3. Set Goals:
Setting of goal keeps focus on problem solving & objectivity. It helps us in evaluating the progress & direction of problem to be resolved.
For example: If a Textile manufacturing company produces 6% of their total output as a defect leading to value loss. Setting a goal of reducing this defect by 50% would help that company to reduce the value loss.
Step 4. Collect Data:
Data collection is an important steps to know the gravity of the problem. Data can be collected from primary source i.e. first hand data directly from where is problem is happening or through secondary source i.e. from old records related with that problem. Clean & authenticated data is the key for analysis.
Step 5. Analysis of Data:
Data analysis is very much important to resolve any problem & exploring it into a meaningful ways. A simple data itself has no meaning, it is only a facts & figure. It is a process of converting primary or secondary data into meaning information for decision making. It is comprising of data organizing, interpreting, structuring & presenting it into useful information
Step 6. Identify possible cause:
Initially we are unknown to what is the actual cause of the problem. That is why it is important to identify as many as possible causes, taking into consideration of
1. Man
2. Machine
3. Material
4. Method
5. Environment etc which can have significant impact of the problem.
Multiple collected cause can significantly enhance the value of desired results.
Brainstorming & Fish bone diagram can be a helpful tools to collect all the probable causes. At this stage we should focus on collecting cause of problem not on any evaluation or conclusion.
Step 7. Determine Root Cause:
This is most crucial step to solving the problem. Once root cause is determined, it will be easier to solve the problem. Determining the root cause in most simplistic way can be done through Eliminating probable cause by adopting WHY-WHY analysis(5-why).
Purpose of Why-Why analysis is to explore cause & effect underlying in problem .It is most useful when we have insufficient data or we have to avoid hypothesis testing.
Step 8.Identify possible solution:
In this steps we adopt the same approach as in case of identifying probable causes. Brainstorming is the best method to gather all the possible solution.
Once the root cause is determined, identification of probable solution becomes easier. Each & every probable solution needs to be evaluated before implementation by considering its feasibility to implement & after affects.
Step 9. Take trails:
This step is required to validate the probable solution before implementation. Evaluation each solution before implementation avoid any adverse effect of post implementation .
Accordingly corrective measures can be taken. Trail also helps in confidence building & comparing before & after implementation results.
Step 10. Conduct Reverse Brainstorming:
Reverse brainstorming is done before actual implementation of the solution, considering all the possible hindrances.
This steps ensures smooth implementation of the solution because possibilities of what might be wrong is addressed much before the actual implementation of the solution.
Step 11. Actual implementation:
Implementation of most suitable solution after taking all the precaution would result in solving problem. In this stage we collect the results & compare it with the previous one.
Since most of the adverse impact has already been shorted out in trail stage, there is little chance of any adversity. However, in mass implementation we take corrective measures of any misshapen then & there for smooth flow of the process.
Step 12. Keep follow up review:
This is final steps of problem solving which ensures that the results are sustained & as per our plan. For sustenance of any system, it is required to monitor & measure the flow on regular basis. Standardization of changed & new solution is a part of this final steps for improved & sustained results.
For effectiveness, one can use checklist as a tool to monitor the system.
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