Can leaders create a new society?:

Leaders' challenge to empower their followers

by Gamini T Pandikorala

Volumes have been written about leaders of the present and the past. The qualities and the skills they should possess have been subject to in-depth analysis. The facts found and conclusions arrived at, may go into books and fill book shelves. Will they be capable of changing the traditional leaders? If not then what purpose will such books serve? The need of the hour is to produce more and more creative and effective leaders at all levels throughout the world at a faster rate than the growth of technical development in the physical world.

The problems in the rapidly changing world will be numerous. The leader has to be adequately strong to face them and help the individuals he leads.

It is an undisputed fact that a leader need not possess any variety of leadership gene. On the contrary, nature facilitates emergence of leaders as evidenced even among various insects and animals. The misuse of the power of intelligence, the greatest asset given to humans, seems to be the reason for the scarcity of effective leaders among human beings.

Any person who has a novel message for others should make sure that it is in no way unduly influenced by traditions or his individual greed. To find an assurance to be free from such influences, he will have to commence an inward journey to find out about the ‘self’, the doer, who dictates within.

This really has to be a continuous research. Mere decision to be engaged in this research would be adequate to make them feel that they are at the correct point and it is the true position to begin with.

However, as the problems of the world cannot wait till all individuals complete this research, any one performing a leadership role should use ‘I’ (self) only as a tool when performing the tasks in fulfilling their responsibilities. The inward research aims at exploring inner noise or silence. This ‘self’, as we know is always bias towards traditions and also unreasonable unless controlled by various forms of severe conditioning.

As the individual today is no longer tied down to his geographical environment only, a leaders’ responsibilities have widened greatly. External world is developing faster than the inward journey development of individuals creating tremendous problems. Isn’t this a very grave situation? The breaking out of the second world war in 1945 and dropping the nuclear bomb is the first massacre, which took place as a result in the recent history.

The most recent news of Edward Snowden (whistle-blower) is a classic example which proves how a discovery of technical experts in IT field has been misused.

This in a sense is seeing the minds of others for various criminal purposes such as political killings and dishonest acts to gain economic advantages. Such terrible misuse would not happen if leaders are on inward research journey. The world needs a large number of leaders to correct this disparity. The time has come to realise the importance and urgency of the matter to prevent future disasters.

Only a person on his inward journey can create the foundation for proper leadership preserving, the total freedom and creativity. What the visionary thinker Peter F Drucker saw with his knowledge worker concept, ‘forward looking and forward thinking ‘strategy for 21st century’ may bring marvels continuously in various fields but will fail to gain maximum benefits without achieving that higher mental state through the inner journey.

In such an environment free and creative ‘mind’ will see beyond any out dated material they encounter.

A leader of this calibre need not begin to read all the books in the world to function as a leader. He has only to absorb a reasonable knowledge.

His pure analytical power will find solutions to problems easily.

Even the common methods currently adopted for personal leadership development too can become highly effective instantaneously if leaders (specially business leaders) begin the inward research journey recommended above.

Some modern management specialists refer to this as ‘inner voice’ to find answers to the question ‘Who am I?’ They say to initiate a self-examination of one’s personal identity and to find the unique position.

They also use terms such as ‘voyage of discovery’ to realise your inner essence. They say that man’s ego acts as a knot dividing the individual from the world around, inner from the outer.

However what one sees during the inner journey is unique. With that state of mind he gets the ability to do anything perfectly well.

The world needs such inquiries for next inevitable paradigm shift to occur.

Modern leader is supposed to do a SWOT analysis as an important step to become effective. How can this be done by a person engaged in an inward journey? The great thing he achieves here is knowing his position as an individual. How illusory ‘self’ will intervene adversely.

How powerful will his position be as he identifies limitations and getting rid of them. He develops the ability to overcome all obstacles while on his inward journey.

He will find opportunities for human beings or to company he leads not for personally for himself unscrupulously. He will be a fearless person. So his power to see the future will be marvellous.

He will absorb the modern management philosophy and grasp the fundamental elements of leadership such as serving the people he leads etc.

As his base is powerful by knowing himself very well he will be humble enough to learn or ask for help from anybody when necessity demands. He can use the modern concept of mentoring for feedback, advice and guidance very effectively.

He will be a highly organised person. The greatest thing will be his desire to keep a balance with his inward development and external activities.

All ethics needed and appreciated for a leader today can be guaranteed only by continuously remaining on the inward journey.

Leadership styles are so many in the world. Whatever the definition attributed to a ‘leader’, enough examples can be found to prove any such definition from a wide range of leadership styles practiced by the leaders. Peter F Drucker who was fortunate enough to live a few years in the 21st century as well had this to say about individuals in his book Management Challenges for the 21st Century. This concluding chapter deals with the new demands on the individual.

They have to ask: Who Am I? What are my strengths? How do I Work? No leader can help his followers to find answers to these questions without resorting to self-inquiry through an inward journey.

Fortunately leaders are not born they are made. The challenge is open to all leaders living today whose responsibility is to strengthen individuals and face the unavoidable change in the future society.

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