UPFRONT : Finding the leader within

For those who want to be effective leaders, first step is “eliminate the ego”.
That’s according to visiting Indian management mentor Madhav Mohan who says one of the reasons the contribution of leadership to organisational success isn’t always understood is that, at its core, it’s all about personal change and personal accountability for organisational change.
“Change has to happen from within – you have to re-tool and redesign yourself before you can become role model of leadership within the organisation.”
His recipe for achieving that involves drawing on the wisdom of India’s spiritual heritage – the ethos of non-attachment contained in Hindu sacred texts such as the Bhagavad Gita – as well as his own extensive business background.
“The challenge is how to integrate those spiritual teachings with modern management – that is the bridge I am trying to build.”
The corporate mentoring programme he runs for senior managers involves study-ing the teachings of current management gurus such as Peter Drucker and Warren Bennis as well as more ancient teachings on spiritual enlightenment.
“My role as mentor is to create an environment where people can talk about these things without inhibitions – that’s when learning happens. When you get 30 people discussing all these concepts in free, frank, supportive and respectful way, the environment in the room completely alters.”
Communication blocks are removed, relationships strengthen, people start developing greater ability to respect another’s viewpoint, to listen and to share, says Mohan. They also start to see how similar environment can be created in whatever they do within their organisation.
“It’s very exciting to see the cultural transformation that can happen within an organisation.”
But it won’t happen where people’s egos get in the way, says Mohan.
“I know people who, the more successful they become, the bigger their ego gets – soon it gets into the room full 10 hours before they arrive. What happens is that ego blind-sides you, you stop listening because you think you know all the answers and the performance graph starts going down.”
The path to personal growth is the stuff of constant practice rather than any magic bullet, but Mohan has come up with his own eight-point plan to build leadership.
1 Listening is communication – listen more than you talk and listen respectfully.
2 Integrity is inspiring – truly walking the talk eliminates the need for rank or hierarchy.
3 Selflessness above selfishness – putting other people first is the essence of leadership and the secret of great teamwork.
4 Spot and deploy talent – matching capabilities with role is key to motivation.
5 Clarify the vision – continually discuss, explain and make reference to where you’re headed and why because this creates involvement.
6 Define results and specify standards – be precise about what’s expected of people and how it is to be measured and reported.
7 Courage is the only choice – the entire future of the organisation rests on the foundation of ethical strength.
8 Create culture of encouragement – finding fault and laying blame are the easiest ways to corrode loyalty and motivation; eliminating the fear of failure creates the confidence to think and chase big dreams.
A leader, says Mohan, is one who has mastered these eight criteria to the point of instinctive application in every situation.
Mohan’s own background has included at least seven careers – ranging from professional tennis player and martial arts trainer to work in the finance industry (including six years on the State Bank of India’s board) and leading role in the promotion and development of IT training in India. personal health crisis prompted reassessment of his career and his own interest in personal and spiritual growth and he started his management mentoring consultancy in the mid-1990s.
Although it’s his first time in New Zealand, Mohan believes it has greater natural affinity with India in terms of business opportunities than with China.
“I think India offers lot more than is perhaps realised – not just in the obvious size of the Indian market. There are other benefits to be harvested on both sides.”
Including management wisdom, it seems.