Leadership That ‘Drives’: Big Lessons in Leadership Can Come in Small Gestures

Author Name(s): Dr. Smita Dabholkar Singh
Author Email: sdabholkar@imtnag.ac.in

Abstract

This article is about leadership and how leadership in small and big acts can have a profound impact on organizational behavior. It is inspired by G Sreekanth’s gesture, then collector of Akola in Maharashtra, who drove his driver on his last day of work. The purpose is to create a scope for reflections on our acts. Although the protagonist in this article, G Sreekanth is a collector and therefore in a powerful position but the author wants to drive home a point which is based on by Peter Senge’s concept of leadership which compels us to think and act as if we are on a leadership position of importance. The article is based on the secondary source of information, gathered from newspaper and online news channels.

Keywords Leadership, Emotional Intelligence and Mental Models

Introduction

John Adair, in his famous book titled, ‘Effective Motivation’, introduces us with two kinds of leaders. One, who are good leaders and the other who are for good. He further elaborates on the later category of leaders by stating that, “A leader for good is one who gives people an inner confidence in themselves and brings out the best in them. You may have experienced that inspirational touch yourself. Now it is your turn and your time to do the same for others. Remember, as John Buchan so memorably wrote, ‘The task of the leadership is not to put greatness into others but to draw it out, for the greatness is already there.’ Such leaders build into work what the early theorists called the ‘intrinsic motivation”. I have been in search of such leaders always and whenever I get to see them I make it a point to document them. For they are as rare as hen’s teeth. This article is about one such rare leader, G Sreekanth, then the collector of Akola in Maharashtra.

 

Conclusion

I was preparing a lecture on leadership and didn’t know where to begin. I want to thank Mr. Sreekanth in person someday for showing it in action. As an extension of this article I wish to come up with another one on his Mental model, his set of values and assumptions. What led to, will be worth finding, I believe. It is said, there is nobody who cannot vastly improve his powers of leadership by a little thought and practice, This mindful and emotionally intelligent act of leadership, I guess is one of the good examples to begin the discussion on Leadership. How, big lessons in leadership can come in small gestures. A good thought to start, practice needs to follow.

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