Leadership: A different Paradigm

Leadership: A different Paradigm

 

 

eadership is a dynamic subject. It concludes to stay all

the time on the move trying to stay ahead of every new

problem and every new day. Therefore, no formula is final.

Its rules and principles never finite have to be looked at, re-looked at

and revised and re-learnt all the time.  What Jack Welch wrote about

corporate leadership was sent to Ms. Naheed by her father?

The learned   father thought it was more relevant and fruitful

for her. After seeing off Naheed Beti, her mother and father felt terribly lonely. Not only alone they felt helpless, friendless, and speechless and lost.  Naheed was the only daughter. She lived in with her husband. Dr.  Naheed was in-charge of a department at a hospital there.  Leadership is a game of many parties. Egoistic, self centered and introverts, howsoever successful, they are no leaders. They serve nothing but themselves. Leadership is doing together, harnessing all and achieving it together. Getting it done by all through everyone’s sweet will. And when the job is finished and objective accomplished, every one with his or her heart filled with joy says he or she did it.

or this brief effort the paradigm is very different. It is neither political leadership nor of men in uniform. It is neither about leading on the battlefield nor the playground. The focus is neither on crisis management nor on risk management. The scenario is simple. It is of a home and the episode is that of shifting of a house. Ms. Naheed came home to , after a long break.  She stayed longer this time, good seven weeks. For her parents were to shift to Lahore from Islamabad . They were moving from a rented house to their newly built house at Johar Town .   Having seen her off at Lahore Airport the elderly and lonely parents were in depression. Then father picked up the pen and   wrote to Naheed Beti as follows.

 “…This time you handled a team of four  servants, unfriendly to each other, parents, relatives,   friends strangers and a group from National Logistics Cell (NLC) to help us in loading and finally batches of carpenters,  electricians, plumbers, painters and laborers. Basically Pakistanis shirk hard work but you pushed every one to the limits and got the best from each. You just did not issue commands. You led them and that too by personal example. You soon learnt every ones capacity and tasked them accordingly. Your drive was backed by good administration, abundant supply of food and tea. They worked over-time. You were always encouraging, appreciating guiding, helping and smiling.  They worked for your approval, for your happiness. You spoke softly and kindly to them. No one was laid off. No one was humiliated. No one pinched or stole .You won everyone’s respect, loyalty, trust and confidence. You were Baji to all. What else is there to leadership? This time you were more calm and composed. You had better control over emotions and temper. You showed more compassion and understanding. There were fewer tantrums. You were less critical. You were more conceding, compromising and willing to grant more space to others. You are mellowing. You are showing willingness to listen others point of view; less demanding, more generous and more helpful.  Showed more respect to friends, relatives and the poor. As a person you stand taller than last time. God bless you.

 good leader finds his soul in a good and noble person. You of course yourself felt that friends, relatives and even strangers reposed more trust and confidence in you and your abilities as conciliator, arbitrator and a doctor and a trouble shooter. They sought your opinion and help on all kinds of problems, physical, emotional, personal, family, marital and extra marital. Great respect and love was                   showered on you. Their regard was spontaneous and genuine. They took opinion as gospel. How did it happen?  “The bounty is from Him. Thou exalted Thou will and Thou basest whom Thou will. In Thy hand is the good” Quran.

Then father prays for her and advises her. “Bow your head to Him as often as you can. Offer your prayers. Recite Holy Quran. Follow His commandments. He will bestow more.” Then father remembers. “We were able to raise three wonderful children, trained them to the level of good citizens. Shahid and Faisal left us too early. They would have carried the family flag with great aplomb. They were the noble scion of a very noble family. Responsibility now lies with you.”

 must not write any conclusion to this article. May o ur ladies, girls the home leaders or home leaders to be read it with greater interest? The title was one way to conclude it. You are leaders of great significance and consequences. May you know it? it only the paradigm which is different.