Leaders, Beware of the coterie you keep

Leadership is a demanding role. Often being truthful, equanimous, transparent, farsighted, pleasant and committed isn’t sufficient. The effectiveness of leaders also depends on people around them.

Leaders generally have to deal with four types of people.

The first type is the sycophant or the yes man, who only flatters and agrees with them all the time. These people are not truthful. They only tell what the leaders prefer to hear and generally have their own agenda. Surrounding oneself with such feel-good people has its own perils. It is important to safeguard oneself from the dangers of yesmen and giving them an unhealthy degree of power and influence.

The second type, are those who constantly question the actions and intentions of their leader. If the leader is caught up in defending himself or pleasing all kinds of people, his work would slow down to a crawl. He will not be able to function effectively.

The third type, cooperate and do what their leader says. However, they expect favors from him later. Such people could use emotional blackmail and make the leader feel obligated and trapped. It is important for a leader to be able to stay detached, think clearly and steer clear of emotional manipulation.

The fourth type is afraid to voice their ideas and opinions. They lack the openness to point out genuine issues and give feedback when required. This means that usually, a leader will become aware of a problem only when it has escalated into a crisis.

An effective leader needs a team, which not only stands by him and acts as a solid support system, but also has the openness to communicate and give feedback on critical issues.

The leadership dilemma pervades all spheres of personal and professional lives. While it is not necessary to give explanations to everyone for every action, a leader must not become deaf and blind to the reality around him.

Often, powerful leaders tend to shut out opinions of others or lead through fear. They may come across as ruthless, arrogant people carried away by their own ego and short sightedness. Such leaders spend a lot of time battling emergencies which could have been averted if they had given space to their team to express ideas and opinions.

On the other hand, leaders who are too sensitive and prone to explaining their actions and decisions end up being perceived as weak and are unable to do justice to the responsibilities entrusted to them.  If a leader tries too hard to please everyone, he is likely to lose his independence and ability to take the right decision. The groups a leader represents are not homogeneous and one cannot satisfy everybody. Being over-sensitive with undue focus on making people happy, pleasing them, or fulfilling all their wishes is not practical since people often have short-sighted needs.

The independence to take decisions on the basis of what they feel is right is very crucial for anyone to reach their true leadership potential.

A great leader walks the middle path. He is decisive and firm and doesn't worry too much about justifying to people around him. At the same time, he is in touch with the prevailing reality, listens to his team and remains flexible in his opinion and decisions. Such leaders are aware of the needs of their followers and attend to them without getting worn out with it.

This balance can come only when one is free of stress and has a centered and equanimous mind. Yoga, meditation and spiritual wisdom ensure this and act as a life jacket for a leader.

As much as leaders lead the followers, in turn, the outcome of their leadership is influenced by the followers. A leader and his team must invest some time every day in improving the quality of their minds. This ensures a fair and stress-free environment where people thrive and goals are met creatively and efficiently.