EMERGENCE OF LEADERSHIP EFFICACY IN ORGANIZATIONS

&
CORELATION OF LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS ON WORK
PERFORMANCE

By Ajay Bapi Gomes (Business Coach, Corporate Trainer and Motivation Speaker)

ABSTRACT

If there was a time when organizations needed real effective leaders (leadership intervention)
it is 'now'. The pandemic has thrown the whole world (people of the planet earth) into a
quandary - everything appearing to be in total chaos, confusion, uncertainty. Or as it has been
known in the corporate world as the VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguity)
world, along with Fear, Doubt and Expectations & Frustrations - permeating all across…
There is no single readymade answer…
In this context and backdrop we would like to define leadership efficacy on organizations and
its effectiveness on work performance as the level of belief in self and others, with regards to
knowledge-skills & competencies-Attitude and the corresponding actions one demonstrates…
The topic will be elaborated with modern thinking and its practical application - keeping in
mind the current environment prevalent in most organizations.
We will dwell upon six key elements on efficacy and effectiveness of leadership.
First, the Leadership attributes: how well one sees and creates a vision for the future and gets
alignments from all the stakeholders.
Second, Management attributes: how well one architects strategies , oversees daily
operations of teams and balances expectations of all the stakeholders - share holders, boards,
the market (customers, competition, industry, aligned and ancillary organizations), senior
managers, all employees, outside resources (vendors, suppliers, legal support etc.), the press,
Govt. entities etc.
Third, Decision Making & Problem-Solving attributes: how well and rapidly one resolves
issues or empowers his/her team to do the same - with agility.
Fourth, Communication attributes: how well one articulates his/her vision, team goals and
accountabilities & responsibilities etc. - with empathy.
Fifth, Money, Finance & Account attributes: how high is one's money vibration, learning
habits and practices?
Finally, General work attributes: how one approaches work from an emotional perspective,
with factors like integrity, humility, persistence and resilience.
The more the presence of these attributes, better the leadership efficacy and work
performance effectiveness will be in any organization.

Introduction
When someone writes the word 'leadership' on a browser and hit enter, this is what one gets:
about 2,64,00,00,000 results (in 0.57 seconds, as on 25/09/2020) Mind boggling, isn't it?
It's a subject as vast as the ocean and sometime it becomes difficult and even overwhelming
in implementing the concepts and methods.
However, our intention is not to add another concept or view on leadership but to show you
the reader, how to experience leadership - being and living leadership on a daily basis. Not a
positional view to achieve or go after, rather an experiential, action taking practical life to
fulfil. It’s a new Paradigm on Leadership for Ordinary People: being a leader as expressing
ones natural self - who one 'is' for one's self and for others… opposed to becoming like
someone else… trying to prove something, better than someone else, trying to go ahead,
trying to gain a position among other competitors or among some groups…
As a leader, I can tell someone what he/she should do and how to do something. Or I can also
create an environment and lead that person to think and figure out what he/she must do…
Again, I can do many things on my own more efficient way. Or I can find out who is the best
or mentor & coach and then get out of his/her way…I love putting on many hats and show to
the world to be great at multitasking or I can develop and grow a bunch of like minded clones
(who are aligned and equally capable of taking my place and execute the vision). There are
many directions from where we can look at leadership efficacy in organizations and how it
impacts work performance…
Therefore, what is vital for the result to take place is, the individual perception and the
organizational environment (the culture of the place) where leadership and performance is to
be affected… What it means is, for an individual to perform well under a particular leader
and for the emergence of leadership to show up, there has to be certain conditions (as pre-
requisite) which will empower and enable them to follow the instructions or the work they
are to perform. It is the necessary corollary to the concept that a leader must also have the
alignment and unquestionable backing of the owners (the board and share-holders) to
architect and execute the organizational objectives (innovation and adaptability culture).
And it is imperative for organizations or institutions to acknowledge and implement those
conditions (having clear written documents in detail, what's to be done, how's to be done,
who's to do what, when and why… along with "if this, then…what", or "if not that, then…
what/who/where/how" etc.) where leadership shows up at all levels of the organization
structure.
The leadership attributes

"Heroes are ordinary men and women who dare to see and meet the call of a possibility
bigger than themselves… Breakthroughs are created by such heroes, by men and women who
will stand for the result while it is only a possibility—people who will act to make possibility
real."
- Werner Erhard

The leader - followers separation: a new paradigm

Every time we talk about or think about leadership, it automatically leads us to associate with
followers - meaning, no followers, and no leaders. It's like the two sides of the same coin; one
does not exist without the other.
However, here we would like to extrapolate that and transcend this concept. In the new
paradigm leadership efficacy and its effectiveness on work performance shows up at every
level of the organization structure. It comes from a collective thinking which is from the
future as something that can be accomplished and there is a mindset that creates an emotional
state in which the future has already been achieved. There are no 'quid pro quo' actions or
performance by anyone, that is, "I will work for you if you pay me". Rather work
performance happens as a reverse engineering process - people are automatically pulled and
attracted to that future which calls for action (irrespective of the consequences). It's a belief
that everyone in the organization has towards that future which is so powerful and magnetic
in nature that everyone is a leader in their own capacity. It's the 'FUTURE' which contains in
the CHARTER and they have all a stake in it - each one sees his/her own future vividly
(explained in the next element).
Therefore, there is no one person who's responsible or accountable for things to happen. In
this context leadership is not a position to be acquired or filled. It's an attitude that is lived by
each and everyone towards fulfilling that future. The whole organization becomes truly one
organism - not as a concept but a living entity experientially. Leadership becomes a
distinction for everyone to live by and express themselves in all their actions, emotions,
feelings and thinking. The whole atmosphere is such leadership shows up in all interactions
by everyone in that organization. There is no separate distinction between who's giving the
instruction and who's following the same - things move like on auto-pilot.

The charter
In a world where the majority of the people are living constantly under the influence of Fear -
expressed and experienced by and through stress, worry, anxiety, uncertainty, doubt, anger,
frustration… fanned and fuelled by the frenzy media (supported, advocated, promoted by few
corporations and even by some state agencies) and mostly living impoverished lives (on real
count it would be more than 60% of the planet's population) like the sheep without the
shepherd…organizations need heroes to lift them up (given that most organizations exist to
better life conditions). And it begins with the vision, values and principles (non-negotiable)
articulated and expressed in all interactions - the charter.
There has been a lot spoken, written and debated about vision, values and principles.
However, in reality, these don't get articulated enough within the organizations, especially to
the lower ranks - although available and adorned on the walls of organizations. The reason
being, it had been formulated by few elites and then pressed down upon all the rest of the
organization to adhere to. There is hardly any alignment or participation by all the employees.
The way to do is to get the whole organization involved in making the charter having the
vision, values and principles from various levels (irrespective of rank and position). It's a
two way process which involves making of the organization charter along with
individual's personal charters (missed by most organizations). Then, it becomes their
own… they have a say in it… they have the ownership to make it happen. They believe that
it's the "North-Star" to guide them through the journey. Everyone believes and lives by the
charter knowing it's the reason why the organization exists - all other activities and actions
pivot around it. And it is also the reason for their own personal fulfilment of all aspirations,
dreams, desires and future. In this context work performance becomes The Tool to
accomplish and fulfil the vision using the values and principles. These are lived by each and
every person in the organization as their natural self-expression - not something they have to
remember or describe that's hanging on the walls.
An organization will thrive where the leaders are example of keeping the vision, values and
principles alive and their followers too doing the same. Each and every person in the
organization contributes to the fulfilment of the charter. This gives rise to a culture of
transparency, accountability & responsibility, innovation, empathy, heightened productivity,
caring service, ownership & compliance, resilience and trust - taking the organization to great
heights.

Alignment & Engagement:

Gone are the days of "Command and Control" to force or coerce work performance. The life
cycle of present day employee has come down to few months from (almost) lifelong service
in an organization. This means, instead of focusing on retention, leaders must develop the
competencies to engage employees. They must alter the paradigm of language - making
integrity as a way of life, showing empathy, being assertive using EQ (Emotional
Intelligence). In the practical world it would mean an instruction given by a leader to her/his
down-line must feel like an opportunity and automatically lead them to take action. The
instruction becomes a call to action - not as an order that makes them feel "I'm ordered upon"
but it's to be done because, "it's for my benefit". An appropriate example is, those soldiers
under Indian freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose did, answering to his call, "Give
me blood and I'll give you freedom". This then brings us to the point when we ask what was
it in Bose that made his followers obey him and fight with their lives. It was the beliefs of
Bose and his ability to empower and engage with his people and the big vision of a FREE
INDIA - people in the INA were all internally motivated to lay down their lives for the cause.
He was the embodiment of that future (Free India) and every person was aligned with it -
everything they did was consistent with that future.
The Cause (Reason) that makes one to cause (Make) things happen: an appropriate way to
describe it is the answer given by Einstein to the enquiry about his teaching ability, "I do not
teach my students, but create the environment where learning happens" - it is a natural
outcome. When applied, the above assertion, it looks like this: people perform because they
want to perform to the best of their abilities and when not satisfactorily, they learn and
upgrade…they go out of their way and find out how to make things happen. The reason
being, they believe in the vision (which is connected to their personal vision), they live by the
values and follow the principles as their natural self expressions. And what makes this
possible is that there is an environment created by the organization where there are ample
opportunities or rather every instance is an opportunity to be a leader and perform. Hence,
leadership effectiveness and work performance get naturally aligned and correlated - leaders
get to create more leaders under them and employees' work performance is at its highest
level.

Management attributes:

Just as the diamond requires three properties for its formation—carbon, heat, and pressure—
successful leaders require the interaction of three properties— character, knowledge, and application.
Like carbon to the diamond, character is the basic quality of the leader. But as carbon alone does not
create a diamond, neither can character alone create a leader. The diamond needs heat. Man needs
knowledge, study, and preparation. The third property, pressure—acting in conjunction with carbon
and heat—forms the diamond. Similarly, one’s character, attended by knowledge, blooms through
application to produce a leader…
- GEN Edward C. Meyer

"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things."

 - Peter F. Drucker, (1909 - 2005), Author and Teacher

We have all heard that people don't leave organizations, they leave their bosses. Well, it may
not be true for all organizations 100% but is significantly correlated to many. Hence, it's
important to look at how well leaders (managers) oversee daily operations of teams and
balances expectations of all the stakeholders - share holders, boards, the market (customers,
competition, industry, aligned and ancillary organizations), senior managers, all employees,
outside resources and entities.
Every manager or supervisor by virtue of his/her position is a leader. Hence, he/she builds
his/her work performance blue print and executes it being a leader. We will not compare a
Boss or a Manager with a Leader because there is no comparison in the new paradigm. There
is no comparison between a manager/boss and a leader. As it is obvious a manager is a
position in the hierarchy of organization's communication structure and because of that
position they are also leaders. Hence we have either a good manager/leader or a bad
manager/leader.
Therefore, first and foremost it is his/her priority to get work done following the SOPs. When
the SOP is followed meticulously work performance is bound to be at a high level. In order to
accomplish this he/she must have a complete knowledge about his JD (job description), skills
and competencies to execute them (knowing in detail every aspect of the industry,
organization objective and its culture). Second, he/she must have the right attitude while
executing his duty. What it means is, in the process of following the SOP he/she must take
into account the mindset of his/her team members and also acknowledge the existing
situation of the organization vis-à-vis the market. How he/she will bring in changes, resolve
conflict, negotiate with various situations and people, discard out-dated technology and adopt
/ introduce new ones in accordance and consultation with experts and alignment of all
stakeholders will depend on his/her attitude. It's the most crucial component of a true leader.
It's the way he/she perceives himself/herself, his/her work, people (employees, customers,
management etc.), situations and circumstances - communicating with empathy and being
assertive.
When the SOP is followed by a manager/supervisor along with his/her team, most of the
work can be accomplished error-less. This also means, the organization must have a well
crafted SOP. An effective leader does all that is necessary to get things done accordingly -
introducing changes (innovation, marketing, human resources, technology, finance etc.) as
and when and where required either doing it himself/herself or delegating appropriately . The
people working with this kind of managers/leaders thrive and prosper. They see the leader's
beliefs and actions as the model to be emulated - everyday is a new day they look forward to
come to work and perform at their highest potential, learning and contributing. A great
culture gets created where strategy and actions follow naturally.

Decision making & Problem-solving attributes

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists…when his work is done, his aim
fulfilled, they will all say: We did it ourselves.”
— Lao-Tzu, an ancient philosopher and founder of Taoism

Many years ago a New York fire department was asked, how they managed to solve such
precarious problems, to which one of them answered, "We do not look at them as problems to
be solved…They are situations that need to be handled". What it means is a change of
perception and perspective regarding decision making and problem-solving - creating a
different context for action (creative and innovation thinking). As the great physicist and
philosopher Albert Einstein had said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55
minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” Great leaders
don't jump into solving problems at the drop of a hat. They think (critical thinking) through
every 'pro & con' while dealing with people, situations and products & services (design
thinking). They are good at making and following systems (systems thinking) for smooth
operations.
It is important to note, as mentioned earlier, that emotional intelligence (EQ) practiced in the
form of empathy is unquestionable trait of an effective leader. However, when it comes to
problem solving and decision making emerging leaders take recourse, first, to rational
thinking (IQ). They focus more on the problems than solution… understanding it from numerous
dimensions and the root cause…they practice "Premeditatio Malorum" of ancient Greece (a Stoic
way of visualizing the worst case scenario). The purpose is h ow well and rapidly a leader thinks
ahead proactively and resolves issues or empowers his/her team to do the same with agility - doing it
himself/herself or delegating it to the right people.

Communication attributes

"Leadership is communicating people's worth and potential so clearly that they come to see it
themselves." 
- Stephen R. Covey (1932 - ), American Author

The most important tool that a leader needs to get things done to be effective is
communication. When a leader is competent to convey vision, team goals, responsibilities,
important values and a shared sense of purpose he/she becomes an inspirational influencer.
He's able to bring about a change in people's attitudes with empathy… people are moved by
his assertiveness and take inspired actions. He presents the future so confidently that it
becomes compelling for the people in that organization and naturally motivated to give their
very best. They believe that he/she will support them to develop as individuals (fully). He/
she will challenge old ways of thinking and stimulate and encourage them to have different
perspective (aligning with current environment). A true leader is a master communicator who
mentors his team and transforms the work place into an "I love my company" - it becomes a
formidable brand where each employee is its ambassador. There is no blame game played by
anyone at any situation because there is openness. The leader is candid in his conversation.
He creates the environment where mistakes are stepping stones for learning. He also
proactively trains and coaches his team how to be assertive and show empathy, how to create
win-win situations with fellow member (superiors and colleagues) and with customers. He\
she does not sugar quote or mislead with ambiguous terms any 'bad news' instead
acknowledges the reality and communicates it with confidence, courage, clarity, purpose and
intent to get alignment for resolution (organizational, individual, situational etc.).

Money, Finance & Account attributes

“Put all good eggs in one basket and then watch that basket.” 
– Andrew Carnegie

It is unfortunate even after so many financial crises and their catastrophic impact on millions
of lives there is very limited money education (nearly none in most) schools, colleges and
other institutions. Most people in general do not understand the dynamics of money.
In organization set up they say it is the bottom line - the profit. And when translated in reality
it is the amount of money that the company gets to keep (after all the deductions made).
It is so important for a leader to understand how money works, how finances are to be
managed along with the balance sheet of all transactions. And that requires huge commitment
to continuous learning.
A leader who understands money (having high frequency/vibrations regarding it), finance and
accounts makes better decisions. He knows it (either subconsciously) or consciously tries to
learn the intricacies of all transaction even though there could be a dedicated department with
experts handling it. It's not so much about his/her expertise but it's the acumen which is
important. The attributes of money and finance keep the wheel running and the existence of
the organization alive and healthy. The various elements, like, the cash flow, expenses,
inventory, various taxes, costs & prices, profit & loss, banking, investments, savings,
purchases & procurements etc. are clear to him/her understanding…
Apparently, it may not look very relevant for an overall leadership position (apart from the
finance and accounts department) to deal with money matters. However, this attribute creates
a huge impact on the efficacy of leadership and its effectiveness on work performance in an
organization. There are hoards of examples of companies going bankrupt because of lack of
this attribute. Therefore, it is expedient for leaders to hone their skills regarding money,
finance and accounts and communicate all matters (regarding it) with sharp clarity to all the
stake holders.
 General work attributes

“All Birds find shelter during a rain. But Eagle avoids rain by flying above the Clouds.”
- Dr APJ Abdul Kalam (late president of India)

In the era of 'the internet of things', the Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, 3D,
Robotics, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Block Chain Technology etc. one
is made to believe everything can be solved through technology (propagated by the concept
of 'singularity').
There is no denying that robots can solve many problems with super speed and precision.
However, organizations also need forward-future thinking leadership to lead the human
elements (employees) that use imagination and creativity to produce innovative solutions and
provide wow experience for customers in the fast changing world (of tomorrow)…Where
leaders are sources of inspiration for every person…And looking at the leader's confidence
and beliefs, exemplary ethics and transparency, is inspired to try out new things, challenge
their status quo - taking risk to innovate, knowing he/she has the leader's back…
It is the leadership capabilities to adapt to change, ability to focus energies and channel
resources where it is more imminent, stay competitive, improve business performance and
make a positive difference in the world - making the organization future-proof. In this context
creativity & innovation workshops for business provides leaders and their teams a language
and structure for developing creativity skills and managing the innovation process - creating
value for all the stakeholders.
It's a 'systems thinking' approach in leadership - the wheel and its spokes pivoted to roll
smoothly. In this kind of organization leadership is a way of life for all and work
performance is the manifestation of that way of life (leadership).
Hence, a leader's approach to work (from an emotional perspective) with factors like
humility, persistence and resilience will turn ordinary work into extra ordinary
accomplishment for everyone.
 Conclusion:

Leadership is a calling, a vocation to fulfil a compelling future… something that has been
created in the mind (as already been accomplished…) It's so vivid that it attracts the
individual so strongly, that she/he can feel it, experience it in the present moment (now) - all
the time. It's the reason behind everything else… to the ordinary people, sometimes, it seems
crazy, unattainable, risky, dangerous, and impossible. However, to the leader it's already been
accomplished. There's no doubt about it. Here's the caveat: can the venture fail or get derailed
and not be achieved? 100% yes. Hence, the ordinary people would commend, "why pursue it
then, if it's going to fail?" It's as good as buying a lottery ticket… this is where the difference
occurs between the leader and the ordinary person. The Leaders has her/his focus on the job
at hand keeping the result in mind (like the North Star) - as the guiding force. Because, that
future is where he/she comes from not where he/she has to reach. In her/his mind the result
has already happened and her/his whole being resonates with that reality - the feeling and
experience of achieving it. He does not focus on the limitations, rather he imbibes a mindset
that propels him/her to think, feel with the belief, "it's possible" and goes about making it
happen - he finds the resources, attracts like minded people. Therefore, even if it fails or
falters, it's not going to impact in her/his being. And there are other guiding stars he has as his
arsenal - The Principles (the laws of performance) he uses (knowingly or unknowingly). And
the organization needs to inculcate these Principles to coach, train, mentor or guide the
incumbent... a spirit of service, care, share, compassion... age old, but so relevant today…
There is no reason why this leadership will not bring forth growth and prosperity to the
organization.
If in all institutions and organizations LEADERSHIP is introduced as a Distinction the level
of work performance would have exponential growth… There are ample examples one can
find in the sporting world, telecom, technology, automobiles, engineering etc.
A leader must think in 'multi-dimensions' saying it herself/himself, "What's possible?' what's
next? How can I make it better? Who can help me? Who knows it better? Who is the expert?
How do I get the best person? And the answers to these questions make an organization
efficient and effective - the result of excellent-quality performance.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This deliberation has been inspired by the teaching of transformation guru Warner Erhard
(who has pioneered new concept on leadership and performance), Rev. John C. Maxwell,
Ken Blanchard, Jim Collins, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam (late president of India), Neta Ji Subhash
Chandra Bose, and Stoicism…

KEY WORDS:

WE ARE OPEN TO COLLABORATION TO IMPLEMENT THESE LEADERSHIP

CONCEPTS IN ANY ORGANIZATION.
Please contact us at email: enmcreations@gmail.com or ajay@ajaygomes.com