CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE THRU 6 – E LEADERSHIP
Educate, Enable, Engage, Empower, Encourage, Endure
Emerging Global Business Scenario is both Challenging and Interesting. More than ever, New Power Dynamics have come to the fore through Re-alignments and Strengthening Existing Alignments. Maneuvering through these exciting times will call for Organizations to review their Leadership Strategies and the Pipeline.
An Organizational Leadership has many dimensions – Market Leadership, Technology Leadership, Cost Leadership, Profit Leadership, Supply Chain Leadership. What matters the most, the Driving Force for attaining each and every one of these is The People Leadership, which is latent and not visible to the Outside World, including that of Competition. Forward Looking Organizations easily recognize this and ensure People Leadership is sustained perpetually.
It starts with Organizational Structuring, including that of Career Development and Succession Planning, most of the times visible and sometimes, invisible. Gen – Zee bats for transparency, in a World wherein Loyalty is becoming a rarity. Quite naturally, Modern Organizations use a combination of Efficiency and Effectiveness to decide on Retention, Replacement and Retirement (3 Rs) strategies.
Professionals, Entrepreneurs and Leaders otherwise, have the Power to influence the lives of People, Businesses in particular and Society at large. The World as such, and Businesses are embracing Predictive Approach from that of Pro-active and Reactive. Its therefore, Leadership should progress from Traditional (Paternalistic), Transactional (Professional) to Transformational (Intrapreneurial). Leading from the front and by example, Transformation Leadership thrives on connected and well-integrated Teams, resulting in boosting Morale with Distributed Micro Leaders.
EDUCATE :
Tremendous changes in our Education System is aiding Society in many ways, Industrial Society in particular. Demographic dividend is getting skewed towards Choice-Based Society and hence, availability of critical Human Resources is not assured for many Industries, especially in the Hard-Core Sector.
Best Option resting with such Organizations is to Identify, Recruit and Educate them to suit specific needs. This is a dynamic process, and a Good Career Enhancement plan should be in place to leverage Human Expectations for meeting Organizational Goals.
ENABLE :
Modern Leadership is a combination of Authoritative and Participative style. This will vary based on various factors and mostly dependent on Organizational and People Maturity Levels, Market Factors apart. Given the Social Changes, Education level being on uptrend, there is a lot of potential to develop Self-Managed Work Forces. Line & Staff functions need to be re-looked from that of Supervisory Model to Facilitating Model. Leaders will then be the Enablers, instead of being Line Function Managers.
ENGAGE :
As aspirations abound, fulfilling them both as an Organization and as Leaders will be interesting. Individual expectations will mostly depend on Social Upbringing. Therefore, there is no one-fit-all solution and tailor made is not practical either. Channeling individualities to Organizational priorities will call for Engaging Human Resources in aspects of mutual values. Its end to end and cannot be activity based, to gain trust and involvement.
EMPOWER :
Growth is achieved only with Empowered Teams. It’s a little more than typical Delegation, which has a formal reporting structure and limited empowerment in sync with Authority and Responsibility. Whereas Empowered Teams work in Synergy as a Well-Integrated Team with Organizational Goals & Objectives, much ahead of their so-called delegated authorities and responsibilities. They create Futuristic Organizations, through Distributed Ownership.
ENCOURAGE :
Its foregone conclusion that Decisions taken don’t succeed always. Hit rates Globally are as low as 25%. However, Decisiveness is essential – both to know what Works and what does not. Timely Decision Making is an asset for a Good Leader. Leaders by design are to Add Value to Business Processes. Its pertinent that Leaders are Risk Takers and not Risk Averse. As much, the Team will be encouraged to take required risks and look for continuous betterment, paving way for a Culture of Innovation. Yet again resulting in a Futuristic Organization.
ENDURE :
Leadership is more dynamic that static, Transition planning is an essential part of Leadership, which ensures initiatives taken are sustained perennially, of course, always with scope for betterment. The Let-go attitude of Leaders helps develop the pipeline. 80:20 Axiom, though popularly known as per Pareto’s principle, TQM subscribes that Good Leaders focus 80% of the Time on Future and limit themselves 20% of the time to current. Its high up at Strategic Level more than Tactical and Operational Levels. This helps forward looking Organizations to Endure long term development of People related requirements.
As success is Never Final, Excellence is not Guaranteed unless its Gene – tised as DNA of the Leader and thus the Organization. People, Practices and Processes are required to reflect the Culture of Excellence in every activity by Creating Opportunities, Adopting Best Practices and Adapting to Changing Times. Transformational Leaders are then the Enablers of such a Culture. Products and Deliverables from such an Enterprise will naturally exceed consumer expectations and market needs, by offering unique, cherishable experiences. Emerging Demographics and Social Integration ensures a majority of People are Smart, Intelligent, Rational and Adoptive but may not want to be as Understanding as they would liked to be, challenging the premise of Leadership.
Most of us, even as Leaders, think that Learning is Limited and Discovering is pruned to proven ideologies and practices/ processes, reluctant to Question and then Change the fundamentals. A bulk of Transformation to be carried out is latent and usually beyond the obvious. The first thing to focus on is tearing the beliefs and experiences apart, to uncover newer Insights. Success is sustained and proportionate to what is uncovered, regularly.
In a successful Organization with a Growth Mindset, the Teams leverage and combine varied expertise and knowledge that every individual has to offer in the process of Transformation and Execution. Social expectations are moving from Mass to Class to now more of Individualization, offering both scope and challenge. Value Proposition, Unique and Emotional, is generated not by mere Sales but more through an Ecosystem of Engagement & Experience. Its therefore understanding specific customer needs and wants have become very critical for sustained Business Success.
This is possible only with People and Coherent Leadership.
Jai Hind.
About the Author :
Dr. NITHYANANDAN DEVARAAJ (NITHIN) BE., MBA., PhD
Chief Executive Officer – Voith Group
(Flow Link Systems (P) Ltd)
DSIF Division – Innovation and Technologies
Chairman – Shri Avinashiappar Trust
Vice President – Coimbatore Management Association
Past National Secretary – The Institute of Indian Foundrymen.
Dr. Nithin has about 35 + Years of Experience in Engineering Manufacturing organizations. He has worked for LMW Group, L&T, Hitachi & CRI Group. He is considered to be a Professional with a rare blend of Intrapreneurial Orientation, having been a Business Head across Engineering Manufacturing Organisations / Industries.
Dr. Nithin is a Member in Governing Council / Board Of Studies of Universities and Management Institutions as a Management Expert.
Dr. Nithin is part of various industrial associations and professional bodies; he is credited with playing a leading role in bringing land mark changes in Export Incentives, Classification of MSMEs, CPCB Norms, Waste & Disposal Management. He also plays a pivotal role in training and development of educated Youth seeking employment opportunities.
Dr. Nithin Leads a team that turned around a division and a Company, and in establishing large scale projects as bench marks in industry (This Business has won several awards at National & Regional Level which includes – Indian Foundry of the Year, Young Foundryman and Foundryman Awards, 4Star Award from CII, Green Award & Safety Award from Tamil Nadu Government & at National Level from IIF, First Indian Foundry in the segment to get OHSAS 18001 & ISO 50001 Certification and Many Kaizen awards.)
Dr. Nithin is a Managing Trustee of a Family Managed Trust involved in activities like rendering Food, Shelter, Education and Medicare. Noted for rendering services during Chennai, Kerala, Tanjore & Nilgiris Floods.
Dr. Nithin’s Academics:
- Ph.D in Management Sciences
- MBA in Finance & Marketing – Gold Medalist and University Topper
- BE Mechanical Engineer with Distinction
- An IRCA certified lead auditor and assessor for ISO 9001.
- A qualified auditor for EMS, OHSAS & EnMS
- L&T Future Leaders Training at IIM – C
Dr. Nithin’s Professional Associations:
- Member & Industry Nominee, Coimbatore Disaster Management Council
- A Guest Faculty to Premier Management Institutes & Was Visiting Faculty to IIM – Calicut
- An examiner for Management Qualifications & Assessor for Management Teachers
- An acknowledged management trainer and consultant
- Is a regular Business Column Writer.
Dr. Nithin is a Member of:
- Foundry Development Council, Ministry of Commerce & Industries, India.
- Institution of Engineers, All India and Coimbatore Management Association
- Board of Studies in Universities & Premier Management Institutes
Dr. Nithin is Winner of:
- The Outstanding Alumni & Distinguished Alumni Awards from PSG Institutions & Bharathiar University.
- The CMA Golden Jubilee Year Best Manager award for the region.
- The Best Management Student award and many accolades at National Level.
- The Mother Teresa Award of Excellence for Young Business Managers.
Dr. Nithin’s Management Interests:
- Management of Innovation, Corporate Strategic Planning and Manufacturing Management, Green Supply Chain
Dr. Nithin can be contacted at :
Mobile : +9194879 46900
E-mail : [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-nithyanandan-devaraaj-95612338/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/dr_n_devaraaj
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/drnithyanandan.devaraaj.7
Also read Dr. NITHYANANDAN DEVARAAJ’s earlier articles:
