Twenty flights, mostly long haul and some less so, weaving in and out of airports some thirty odd times over a nine week period. That pretty much summed up my life this summer. My work, enjoyable as it was, had kept me on my toes and also up in the air.
So when I trudged into the Chennai office of Madura (http://www.maduramicrofinance.com/) a couple of days after returning from yet another grueling trip to US, I should have been a tired man. I was there for a Board meeting and to work with new members of the leadership team on their expansion plans. But the two days I spent there turned out to so energizing that fatigue evaporated even before it could set in. Some weeks have gone by since my visit but I still find myself smiling as I reflect on the conversations we had and the experiments we decided to enact.
My association with Madura began over a year ago. I had been looking for opportunities to work with people engaged in bridging the gap between those with education and access and those without. Madura was embarking on significant growth plans and wanted to have a person on the Board with experience of scaling an organisation. We found each other thanks to a helpful friend. Over the next few months, I made several visits and got an opportunity to see the impact of the organisation up close. Madura was preparing for the next phase of evolution with diligence and focus. They scouted for senior management professionals to complement the highly dedicated staff that had brought the organisation through its various phases of evolution. I participated as I could – joining in the selection process and decision making, sometimes in person and at other times over skype or phone, from whichever part of the world I happened to be in. In a surprisingly short time, new members of the management team had been recruited and they were ready and raring to go!
So the July meeting was of significance. The Board had shown up in full strength. The customary quarterly performance update was given and plans for the future were laid out. There were new ideas aplenty, confidently presented by a young and driven crop of managers. Their voices mingled with those of industry stalwarts who had spent their lifetimes building and nurturing some of the leading organisations in India. There were emotional moments. Senior Board members who had seen the organisation from its inception and deeply cared about the vision of its late founder were heartened to see the new generation propelling it forward with energy and conviction. By the end of the day, there was energy, optimism and warmth all around.
The day after the board meeting was all about people…what would our strategy be to grow the organisation? How would we preserve its culture as we grew manifold? A smaller group had gathered to deliberate on these matters. Still in the afterglow of the previous day's events, I had some nagging thoughts at the back of my mind. I was really trying to understand what made this organisation what it was…what was its secret sauce? How could I contribute to its future unless I really understood its DNA? So I decided to seek answers from people in the room. There was the Chairperson, Tara (check out http://physicsofpoverty.blogspot.com/ for some remarkable insights), Sandeep - Board member and Founder of Elevar (http://www.elevarequity.com/), and David, the new Executive Director (http://www.davidappasamy.blogspot.com/).
What happened thereafter was magical...
The picture of Madura that emerged was unique and paradoxical at the same time!
The company had been in the business of microfinance for the past fifteen years, operating within the villages of Tamil Nadu in south India. It had a long history of serving the rural poor. Over the years, the organisation had gone through difficult times as it changed hands, lost its revered founder, and rallied around to eventually emerge stronger. So much so that in 2007, Forbes ranked it as the world's most cost effective provider of microfinance. On any financial metric, Madura was off the industry charts for a company of that scale in India. Lowest rate of lending (by a significant margin compared to its nearest rivals), very low operating costs, excellent rate of loan repayment, high customer retention...
We had all been to the field and met frontline employees as well as customers. There was unanimity in our observations...never before had we met a more committed set of people who were so totally immersed in the mission of the organisation. Their emotional connect to the purpose was unparalleled. They had extreme cost sensitivity – not wanting to ever burden the poor. Employees went beyond the call of duty in serving their customers, who in turn regarded the field staff as one of their own. Several members of management had been with the organisation for decades in its earlier avatar as a bank. I had once witnessed a training session in progress and I couldn't believe how openly they embraced the new practices being propagated. Trust levels were obviously very high - not just between employees and management, but also how the borrowers looked upon the company. One defining, and unique, characteristic of Madura was blurring of the distinction between employee and customer...in many ways, they were practically the same! Several employees were women who had started out as borrowers, and over a period of time gained the means and skills to contribute. They imbibed the mission of helping others progress from poverty and eventually joined the company. As I learnt later, even senior functionaries had taken salary cuts to come on board.
Yet, in some aspects the way the company operated defied conventional management wisdom. Madura was not awash with a bevy of management practices...manuals, well documented role definitions, performance appraisal processes and the like. Until recently, they did not have formal heads for some of their key functional areas. The leadership team had not been driving 'top down' messages through the organisation. The obvious controls were financial and statutory in nature, with extensive use of mobile phone technology. Even field staff - the sales force - were not given set targets to perform to! They would simply go into the villages, form Self Help Groups (SHG) of women, mentor them in various aspects of entrepreneurship and provide useful information to enable them.
What then explains the results? How could this organisation outperform on every conceivable commercial parameter without embracing basic management practices?
We eventually agreed that it would be hard for us to understand till we ourselves unlearned…discarding the familiar so we could embrace the subtleties of this wonderful ecosystem. One decision was clear - until we knew any better, we would not impose upon it our myopic views and conditioned responses...in fact, we would do quite the opposite. The customers would decide and the employees would serve.
As for the Board and management, let’s just get out of the way!
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Saturday, August 22, 2009
A trip to South India
It is my second evening in the Austrian mountains and a new bottle of wine. Tonight it’s a Cuvee – a delicious and smooth blend of different grapes from the region. I don’t know much about wines...just that they have recently caught my fancy and I have decided to explore them during my week in Europe. It has been raining since afternoon and the alpine air is wonderfully invigorating.
And as I sit in the hotel lounge, I again reflect on the events of the past few weeks.
The high point for me this summer was undoubtedly my visit to Chennai and Madurai last month. A visit that gave me an opportunity to see the impact being made by a microfinance organisation that was deeply committed to serving the poor by providing rural women with the means to achieve economic independence. When I visited the villages where they operated, I saw first hand how they had provided people the skills and means to emerge from poverty and attain a sustainable livelihood.
This opportunity arose thanks to a dear friend with whom I have worked closely for several years. She has now moved beyond the security and comfort of a career in the corporate sector and embarked upon a new journey as a social entrepreneur. Recently, she was approached by an acquaintance, a private equity investor in the social sector, whose fund had invested in this company and where he was a board member. They were looking for an experienced HR professional to serve as a strategic advisor, poised as they are for significant growth in the near future and felt they needed to really get the people equation right. She suggested my name and a few phone calls later introductions were made, connections established, and off I was to see how I could be of assistance in their noble venture.
What I experienced over the course of the next two days left a lasting impression on me and I came away with deep appreciation both for the dedication of these people, as well for their creativity and innovation.
I was received in Chennai by their Chairperson, a woman of very impressive credentials, who took me to a charming old house which served as the company headquarters. The private equity investor also flew in and over the next few hours, we had a spirited and absorbing discussion as they brought me up to speed on the nature of their work. By the end of the day, and several copious notes later, I had received my initiation into the fascinating world of microfinance. As I would realize a day later, this was just my ‘theory’ lesson. The ‘practical’ was to take place the following day through a field visit to the villages.
The next morning we took a 7am flight to Madurai, a small town in the very south of India. I had visited Madurai twenty years ago with my parents while on a summer vacation trip across south India and remember seeing the grand Meenakshi temple, which has lent fame to this town as it attracts both pilgrims and tourists from far and wide. This time though, the day was spent touring villages and branch offices of the company in and around the town. I was accompanied by the Chairperson, who also played the role of translator for most of the day as conversations took place in the local lingo - Tamil. I met with Self Help Groups (SHG) – clusters of 15-20 women organized by the microfinance company for the purpose of providing loans – and saw how they were educated and empowered to take charge of their lives. For most of these women, the journey to self-reliance began with an enrolment into a SHG, an entity that would form the edifice for much of their future existence and the foundation for lasting relationships with others united by a common desire to achieve economic independence and well being for their families. Each SHG would undergo months of training in entrepreneurship and basic finance and accounts. When considered ready, they would receive their group loan…which they would utilize to start a business venture. Some would purchase cattle, others would start a tailoring business, or else make trinkets and toys for children. Each month, the loan installment would need to be repaid and the group would be collectively responsible for ensuring timely payouts. The organisation has a quarter of a million women customers across the state, and an astounding recovery rate which would be the envy of mainstream banks. Just goes to prove the transformational power of enlightened and determined women.
One of the truly remarkable aspects of this organisation was their conscious desire to employ people from the very strata they serviced. This serves a dual purpose…of building trusting relationships within their customer base by being deeply etched in their lives; and underscoring their commitment to improving the lives of people in the rural areas by providing gainful employment to deserving candidates. The results - strong trust based relationships, a stellar reputation and a lasting impact on society!
I came across some astounding tales of human accomplishment.
We were accompanied in our field visit by the regional manager, a middle aged lady who oversaw operations across several branches. She spoke to me of her humble beginnings, from the time she had been a beneficiary of microfinance from this company 15 years ago. Starting off from a meager background (her husband was a daily wage labourer with a low and inconsistent income stream), this lady not only found a means to livelihood for her family, she took greater initiative by first becoming an employee of the company and forming more SHG’s, and in parallel pursuing higher studies, eventually completing a Master’s degree in commerce. Her three sons were now based in countries in the Middle East – all gainfully employed, with the eldest enrolled into a Ph.D. programme! This woman has worked tirelessly and risen to the position of regional head with oversight of several of the company’s branch operations. Recently, she has bought a computer and an internet connection and is learning to operate it.
There were more such stories…
The other revelation was the creativity and innovation in the social sector. The network of SHG’s is an extremely effective distribution channel and can be used as a conduit for several other ‘products’ – basic mobile phones, insurance plans, education and healthcare being a few examples. As technological advancements take effect, some of these will have a significant effect on the fabric of rural society. Imagine the impact of people in remote villages with access to information on their fingertips, combined with the ability to transmit it real time anywhere across the world. I feel this can lay the ground for transformation at the grassroots level. Such technology gives power in the hands of people and can help expose corruption, lay bare inefficiencies, and fight injustice…instantly and without censorship from any governing body!
I witnessed one such innovation. We had reached one of their branch offices in a semi-urban area of Madurai. This was in the upper floor of a small house in a narrow street reachable only on foot. On the day I was there, there had been a load shedding – long hours of electricity shut down - in that part of town. As we looked across the office, I noticed a printer on a table…this was their ‘collections’ room where they kept records of loan disbursement and repayment. The standalone printer was unaccompanied by a computer, something one would naturally expect to see in an operation that dealt with finances. When I enquired about how they managed accounts, the answer left me stunned with amazement. The collections officer, a 30 year veteran of the company whipped out his mobile phone and activated an application. Upon punching in a password, the screen came alive with up-to-date information on every SHG supported by the branch and the current status of loan repayment of each individual member! This information was fed and refreshed at the company headquarters in Chennai and all that was needed was for him to jack up the phone to the printer, produce the latest records and issue receipts to the customers every month! In one fell sweep, this innovation had significantly reduced the need physical infrastructure, reliance on electricity, and also the risk of fraud by unscrupulous employees. Grassroots technology at its very best!
My trip was an eye opener. I came away energized and refreshed from my interactions with these wonderful people. I spent the next few days thinking about how this organisation could harness its human potential and further its impact on the society. My past experiences provided some answers, but more came from friends who have immersed themselves to such causes. Today I see capable and highly qualified people who have chosen to dedicate themselves to bringing about sustainable and equitable development, rather than pursue the path of purely personal gains.
The wheels...they are surely turning!
And as I sit in the hotel lounge, I again reflect on the events of the past few weeks.
The high point for me this summer was undoubtedly my visit to Chennai and Madurai last month. A visit that gave me an opportunity to see the impact being made by a microfinance organisation that was deeply committed to serving the poor by providing rural women with the means to achieve economic independence. When I visited the villages where they operated, I saw first hand how they had provided people the skills and means to emerge from poverty and attain a sustainable livelihood.
This opportunity arose thanks to a dear friend with whom I have worked closely for several years. She has now moved beyond the security and comfort of a career in the corporate sector and embarked upon a new journey as a social entrepreneur. Recently, she was approached by an acquaintance, a private equity investor in the social sector, whose fund had invested in this company and where he was a board member. They were looking for an experienced HR professional to serve as a strategic advisor, poised as they are for significant growth in the near future and felt they needed to really get the people equation right. She suggested my name and a few phone calls later introductions were made, connections established, and off I was to see how I could be of assistance in their noble venture.
What I experienced over the course of the next two days left a lasting impression on me and I came away with deep appreciation both for the dedication of these people, as well for their creativity and innovation.
I was received in Chennai by their Chairperson, a woman of very impressive credentials, who took me to a charming old house which served as the company headquarters. The private equity investor also flew in and over the next few hours, we had a spirited and absorbing discussion as they brought me up to speed on the nature of their work. By the end of the day, and several copious notes later, I had received my initiation into the fascinating world of microfinance. As I would realize a day later, this was just my ‘theory’ lesson. The ‘practical’ was to take place the following day through a field visit to the villages.
The next morning we took a 7am flight to Madurai, a small town in the very south of India. I had visited Madurai twenty years ago with my parents while on a summer vacation trip across south India and remember seeing the grand Meenakshi temple, which has lent fame to this town as it attracts both pilgrims and tourists from far and wide. This time though, the day was spent touring villages and branch offices of the company in and around the town. I was accompanied by the Chairperson, who also played the role of translator for most of the day as conversations took place in the local lingo - Tamil. I met with Self Help Groups (SHG) – clusters of 15-20 women organized by the microfinance company for the purpose of providing loans – and saw how they were educated and empowered to take charge of their lives. For most of these women, the journey to self-reliance began with an enrolment into a SHG, an entity that would form the edifice for much of their future existence and the foundation for lasting relationships with others united by a common desire to achieve economic independence and well being for their families. Each SHG would undergo months of training in entrepreneurship and basic finance and accounts. When considered ready, they would receive their group loan…which they would utilize to start a business venture. Some would purchase cattle, others would start a tailoring business, or else make trinkets and toys for children. Each month, the loan installment would need to be repaid and the group would be collectively responsible for ensuring timely payouts. The organisation has a quarter of a million women customers across the state, and an astounding recovery rate which would be the envy of mainstream banks. Just goes to prove the transformational power of enlightened and determined women.
One of the truly remarkable aspects of this organisation was their conscious desire to employ people from the very strata they serviced. This serves a dual purpose…of building trusting relationships within their customer base by being deeply etched in their lives; and underscoring their commitment to improving the lives of people in the rural areas by providing gainful employment to deserving candidates. The results - strong trust based relationships, a stellar reputation and a lasting impact on society!
I came across some astounding tales of human accomplishment.
We were accompanied in our field visit by the regional manager, a middle aged lady who oversaw operations across several branches. She spoke to me of her humble beginnings, from the time she had been a beneficiary of microfinance from this company 15 years ago. Starting off from a meager background (her husband was a daily wage labourer with a low and inconsistent income stream), this lady not only found a means to livelihood for her family, she took greater initiative by first becoming an employee of the company and forming more SHG’s, and in parallel pursuing higher studies, eventually completing a Master’s degree in commerce. Her three sons were now based in countries in the Middle East – all gainfully employed, with the eldest enrolled into a Ph.D. programme! This woman has worked tirelessly and risen to the position of regional head with oversight of several of the company’s branch operations. Recently, she has bought a computer and an internet connection and is learning to operate it.
There were more such stories…
The other revelation was the creativity and innovation in the social sector. The network of SHG’s is an extremely effective distribution channel and can be used as a conduit for several other ‘products’ – basic mobile phones, insurance plans, education and healthcare being a few examples. As technological advancements take effect, some of these will have a significant effect on the fabric of rural society. Imagine the impact of people in remote villages with access to information on their fingertips, combined with the ability to transmit it real time anywhere across the world. I feel this can lay the ground for transformation at the grassroots level. Such technology gives power in the hands of people and can help expose corruption, lay bare inefficiencies, and fight injustice…instantly and without censorship from any governing body!
I witnessed one such innovation. We had reached one of their branch offices in a semi-urban area of Madurai. This was in the upper floor of a small house in a narrow street reachable only on foot. On the day I was there, there had been a load shedding – long hours of electricity shut down - in that part of town. As we looked across the office, I noticed a printer on a table…this was their ‘collections’ room where they kept records of loan disbursement and repayment. The standalone printer was unaccompanied by a computer, something one would naturally expect to see in an operation that dealt with finances. When I enquired about how they managed accounts, the answer left me stunned with amazement. The collections officer, a 30 year veteran of the company whipped out his mobile phone and activated an application. Upon punching in a password, the screen came alive with up-to-date information on every SHG supported by the branch and the current status of loan repayment of each individual member! This information was fed and refreshed at the company headquarters in Chennai and all that was needed was for him to jack up the phone to the printer, produce the latest records and issue receipts to the customers every month! In one fell sweep, this innovation had significantly reduced the need physical infrastructure, reliance on electricity, and also the risk of fraud by unscrupulous employees. Grassroots technology at its very best!
My trip was an eye opener. I came away energized and refreshed from my interactions with these wonderful people. I spent the next few days thinking about how this organisation could harness its human potential and further its impact on the society. My past experiences provided some answers, but more came from friends who have immersed themselves to such causes. Today I see capable and highly qualified people who have chosen to dedicate themselves to bringing about sustainable and equitable development, rather than pursue the path of purely personal gains.
The wheels...they are surely turning!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
The 'demographic dividend' in India
It was fantastic to hear from an old friend and colleague some days ago, when she called me wanting to know if I wished to participate in efforts to help address the needs of skill development and training in India. She had recently returned to India along with her husband after spending a couple of years studying in an ivy league institution and pursuing her efforts in global healthcare and other related areas. She was concerned about the issues of youth employability in India and felt that urgent and concerted initiatives were required to help create employbility at scale for the youth of the country. Studies have indicated that India has a "demographic dividend" for the next 25 years or so - the 325 million people in the age group of 15 - 29 years - making India the country with the youngest workforce, with a median age well below that of China and other developed economies. Failure to reap this dividend, she felt, would have difficult consequences for the society over a period of time as unemployed and misguided youth would turn to other means for sustainance.
The conversation with her led to some further research on my part. I learnt how out of the 13 million new entrants to the workforce in India, currently no more than 20% receive skill training. And in our existing workforce, only 2% have skill training. In other developed countries, this figure ranges from 70% to over 90%. It appears that this is now becoming a key priority for the government and they are looking to make policy changes and encourage investment by the private sector as well. This is indeed encouraging. However, the overall picture still appears unclear in terms of concrete steps and action.
I have been privileged to work in an organisation and an indistry which has contributed towards employment of youth in a significant way, not only in India but in other countries around the world. My perspective (as a layman) is that for a country to progress, it requires the articulation of a clear and all encompassing vision which can then be executed by different nodes of the economy, working in conjunction and complemeting each other. An opportunity of this scale cannot be achieved unless various parties are galvanised into action - the government, civil services, educational institutions, not-for-profit organisations, as well as the private sector. The government ought to set the direction and policy, and take away bureacratic hurdles to the creation of new and collaborative models for skill development and employment; the private sector needs to be incented to participate with the promise of longer term benefits rather than immediate gains. Partnerships and helpful networks will lay the foundation of this progress...between each of these nodes. This is no different from how any corporation to operate...first by articulating its vision, and then aligning its various functions to execute to the vision.
But even doing all of that does not necessarily achieve sustainability. For that I continue to believe that in our next generation we need to focus on building Competence, Character and a Desire to Excel...which I consdier to be three pillars of sustainable all round development in society. Sustainability will necessarily require our people to discharge their obligations towards one another and to the society at large. And it is time we inculcated that in our people.
I was grateful to her for having thought of me and we ended the call with a resolve to think further about this and engage with some other like minded people. I hope to contribute in any small and humble way to this cause that I am capable of.
The will surely exists...now to find the way!
The conversation with her led to some further research on my part. I learnt how out of the 13 million new entrants to the workforce in India, currently no more than 20% receive skill training. And in our existing workforce, only 2% have skill training. In other developed countries, this figure ranges from 70% to over 90%. It appears that this is now becoming a key priority for the government and they are looking to make policy changes and encourage investment by the private sector as well. This is indeed encouraging. However, the overall picture still appears unclear in terms of concrete steps and action.
I have been privileged to work in an organisation and an indistry which has contributed towards employment of youth in a significant way, not only in India but in other countries around the world. My perspective (as a layman) is that for a country to progress, it requires the articulation of a clear and all encompassing vision which can then be executed by different nodes of the economy, working in conjunction and complemeting each other. An opportunity of this scale cannot be achieved unless various parties are galvanised into action - the government, civil services, educational institutions, not-for-profit organisations, as well as the private sector. The government ought to set the direction and policy, and take away bureacratic hurdles to the creation of new and collaborative models for skill development and employment; the private sector needs to be incented to participate with the promise of longer term benefits rather than immediate gains. Partnerships and helpful networks will lay the foundation of this progress...between each of these nodes. This is no different from how any corporation to operate...first by articulating its vision, and then aligning its various functions to execute to the vision.
But even doing all of that does not necessarily achieve sustainability. For that I continue to believe that in our next generation we need to focus on building Competence, Character and a Desire to Excel...which I consdier to be three pillars of sustainable all round development in society. Sustainability will necessarily require our people to discharge their obligations towards one another and to the society at large. And it is time we inculcated that in our people.
I was grateful to her for having thought of me and we ended the call with a resolve to think further about this and engage with some other like minded people. I hope to contribute in any small and humble way to this cause that I am capable of.
The will surely exists...now to find the way!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Competence, Character and a Desire to Excel
For a while now, my mind has been occupied by thoughts on the nature of leadership we need in society. Perhaps it has to do with my workplace which has given me an opportunity to interact with people from diverse backgrounds. Or my profession, which in essence is about helping unlock the inherent potential of people. Or, as is likely, it may be a deeper, latent desire to contribute to development of people in a setting in a broader sense than I have been able to do thus far. Whatever be the reason, I often find myself contemplating on this subject. And in an attempt to progress from thought to action, I have decided to put pen to paper and see where that leads me.
So here goes…
Leadership conjures up many different images, and there are literally millions of views out there about what it means and how it can be developed. There are theories which on the one end of the spectrum derive lessons from history and ancient scriptures, and on the other end offer instant ‘leader-in-a-minute’ solutions. I don’t intend to enter into any debate on the meaning or definition of leadership, nor propound new theories. In my simplistic mind, I think about leadership in a pretty wide ranging sense…from the political arena to the creative and the professional. My thoughts are about leadership that benefits the society and humanity…hence it encompasses a vast array of fields including government, politics, academics, science and technology, arts, sports, business, philanthropy and entrepreneurship.
The question that has been twirling around in my brain is – what traits should our next generation of leaders embody?
There are three that resonate most with me – Competence, Character and a Desire to Excel. Here is what I mean by each of these…
Competence is the culmination of skills, knowledge and aptitude. We commonly focus on helping people acquire skills and knowledge which are considered essential for them to be employable and productive. However, I feel this focus addresses only one dimension of the equation. By providing skills and knowledge to millions of people, we can create a society where individuals can be self-sufficient. And also self-serving. Skills and knowledge can be effectively imparted through education and experience. The other part of the equation is aptitude, i.e. the innate abilities that each human being on this planet possesses. If we are able to provide skills and knowledge to people in line with their aptitude, we get competence. As a society, we can create a generation of competent leaders if we are able to identify the aptitude of people early, and then power it with the right set of skills and knowledge.
Character is all about doing the right thing. And to do the right thing, one needs to know what is right, and also who it is right for. Contemporary institutions of learning (certainly several that I am familiar with) teach people to do the right thing for themselves. This is further reinforced when people enter the professional arena and learn the harsh realities of the real world, which incentivises and recognizes material individual success over all else. As to those less fortunate who do not have access even to basic education, such lofty questions don’t arise as they fight with fellow human beings every step of the way and for every morsel of food. However, building character in leaders is important for societies that want to progress. Character is about knowing and doing what is right for oneself, one’s immediate surroundings (family, friends, organization, etc.), as well as the community in which we grow up, live and work. Character is about knowing one’s obligations and discharging those obligations. Character has to do with achieving alignment between one’s beliefs, intentions and actions.
A Desire to Excel is a desire to continuously push the boundary of creativity and innovation. It is an innate need to surpass one’s own limitations and those set by others. It is borne out of an unrelenting focus and the application of one’s craft, and dedicating oneself to the creation of wonderful products and solutions. Inculcating in people the desire to excel is to get them to reject mediocrity and lethargy. For those that choose the pursuit of excellence, it means learning to accept challenges, roadblocks and rejection as a necessary and welcome part of the path to progress. Finally, a desire to excel can be stoked only once people learn to value the virtues of industriousness and perseverance, and the knowledge that that there is no quick and clear destination…but that the journey itself is significant and joyous.
Why do we need to have leaders with Competence, Character, and a Desire to Excel?
I have grown up in India, a country of over a billion people. A country which now prides itself as an emerging global power and is regularly making headlines around the world…as the world’s largest thriving democracy, for having a uniquely talented workforce with skills that are globally relevant, and now also as the home to some of the world’s richest and most powerful people. Yet, it is also a country of rampant corruption, a society lacking in basic civic sense, a land of extreme poverty and vast polarization between the rich and the poor.
There are many reasons for why India is the way it is, but one piece of the puzzle lies in how we educate people, the values we instill in them and how we define, recognize and reward achievement.
Over the past fifty years, we have made tremendous strides in emerging from subjugation into a global power. Today, India can produce two and a half million graduates every year and over ten million people enter the labour pool annually. We have clearly demonstrated the ability to produce a vast number of capable individuals…engineers, lawyers, technicians, academics, doctors, scientists, actors and sportspersons. We are blessed with having the youngest workers in the world at a time when most countries are dealing with issues of an ageing workforce. But as a society we have failed to be progressive. Our education system can produce masses of talented individuals, the values we inculcate in our children are about pursuing material individual gain, and what we recognize and reward are individual success stories. But we neither teach, nor value the role of individuals to act as a collective…thereby requiring the forthcoming generation to understand and discharge obligations as members of a society. We have been able to provide skills to our people and give them a livelihood, but we have not created vibrant and ethical citizens who can collectively propel a nation forward.
I believe it is possible to change this. It is possible for us to create the next generation of leaders who are talented and committed to a broader purpose and in a manner that is beneficial to the society and the country. And that this can be done in every arena – politics, government, judiciary, business, sciences, liberal arts, creative fields, as well as in sports.
I don’t have all the answers on how we can achieve this. I also don’t know whether this can be achieved at scale, or is a utopian concept which can only take root within a cocooned environment. But I do have some ideas which are slowly taking shape in my brain. These ideas have to do with helping build a new generation of leaders who will be Competent, have Character and a Desire to Excel.
I know there are people out there with similar intentions, and who may have taken many more strides in acting upon such ideas. I hope to find them so I can lend a helping hand. As I hope to progress my thinking into action…
So here goes…
Leadership conjures up many different images, and there are literally millions of views out there about what it means and how it can be developed. There are theories which on the one end of the spectrum derive lessons from history and ancient scriptures, and on the other end offer instant ‘leader-in-a-minute’ solutions. I don’t intend to enter into any debate on the meaning or definition of leadership, nor propound new theories. In my simplistic mind, I think about leadership in a pretty wide ranging sense…from the political arena to the creative and the professional. My thoughts are about leadership that benefits the society and humanity…hence it encompasses a vast array of fields including government, politics, academics, science and technology, arts, sports, business, philanthropy and entrepreneurship.
The question that has been twirling around in my brain is – what traits should our next generation of leaders embody?
There are three that resonate most with me – Competence, Character and a Desire to Excel. Here is what I mean by each of these…
Competence is the culmination of skills, knowledge and aptitude. We commonly focus on helping people acquire skills and knowledge which are considered essential for them to be employable and productive. However, I feel this focus addresses only one dimension of the equation. By providing skills and knowledge to millions of people, we can create a society where individuals can be self-sufficient. And also self-serving. Skills and knowledge can be effectively imparted through education and experience. The other part of the equation is aptitude, i.e. the innate abilities that each human being on this planet possesses. If we are able to provide skills and knowledge to people in line with their aptitude, we get competence. As a society, we can create a generation of competent leaders if we are able to identify the aptitude of people early, and then power it with the right set of skills and knowledge.
Character is all about doing the right thing. And to do the right thing, one needs to know what is right, and also who it is right for. Contemporary institutions of learning (certainly several that I am familiar with) teach people to do the right thing for themselves. This is further reinforced when people enter the professional arena and learn the harsh realities of the real world, which incentivises and recognizes material individual success over all else. As to those less fortunate who do not have access even to basic education, such lofty questions don’t arise as they fight with fellow human beings every step of the way and for every morsel of food. However, building character in leaders is important for societies that want to progress. Character is about knowing and doing what is right for oneself, one’s immediate surroundings (family, friends, organization, etc.), as well as the community in which we grow up, live and work. Character is about knowing one’s obligations and discharging those obligations. Character has to do with achieving alignment between one’s beliefs, intentions and actions.
A Desire to Excel is a desire to continuously push the boundary of creativity and innovation. It is an innate need to surpass one’s own limitations and those set by others. It is borne out of an unrelenting focus and the application of one’s craft, and dedicating oneself to the creation of wonderful products and solutions. Inculcating in people the desire to excel is to get them to reject mediocrity and lethargy. For those that choose the pursuit of excellence, it means learning to accept challenges, roadblocks and rejection as a necessary and welcome part of the path to progress. Finally, a desire to excel can be stoked only once people learn to value the virtues of industriousness and perseverance, and the knowledge that that there is no quick and clear destination…but that the journey itself is significant and joyous.
Why do we need to have leaders with Competence, Character, and a Desire to Excel?
I have grown up in India, a country of over a billion people. A country which now prides itself as an emerging global power and is regularly making headlines around the world…as the world’s largest thriving democracy, for having a uniquely talented workforce with skills that are globally relevant, and now also as the home to some of the world’s richest and most powerful people. Yet, it is also a country of rampant corruption, a society lacking in basic civic sense, a land of extreme poverty and vast polarization between the rich and the poor.
There are many reasons for why India is the way it is, but one piece of the puzzle lies in how we educate people, the values we instill in them and how we define, recognize and reward achievement.
Over the past fifty years, we have made tremendous strides in emerging from subjugation into a global power. Today, India can produce two and a half million graduates every year and over ten million people enter the labour pool annually. We have clearly demonstrated the ability to produce a vast number of capable individuals…engineers, lawyers, technicians, academics, doctors, scientists, actors and sportspersons. We are blessed with having the youngest workers in the world at a time when most countries are dealing with issues of an ageing workforce. But as a society we have failed to be progressive. Our education system can produce masses of talented individuals, the values we inculcate in our children are about pursuing material individual gain, and what we recognize and reward are individual success stories. But we neither teach, nor value the role of individuals to act as a collective…thereby requiring the forthcoming generation to understand and discharge obligations as members of a society. We have been able to provide skills to our people and give them a livelihood, but we have not created vibrant and ethical citizens who can collectively propel a nation forward.
I believe it is possible to change this. It is possible for us to create the next generation of leaders who are talented and committed to a broader purpose and in a manner that is beneficial to the society and the country. And that this can be done in every arena – politics, government, judiciary, business, sciences, liberal arts, creative fields, as well as in sports.
I don’t have all the answers on how we can achieve this. I also don’t know whether this can be achieved at scale, or is a utopian concept which can only take root within a cocooned environment. But I do have some ideas which are slowly taking shape in my brain. These ideas have to do with helping build a new generation of leaders who will be Competent, have Character and a Desire to Excel.
I know there are people out there with similar intentions, and who may have taken many more strides in acting upon such ideas. I hope to find them so I can lend a helping hand. As I hope to progress my thinking into action…
Thursday, April 30, 2009
A new generation of leaders?
I chanced upon something I found truly thought provoking and enlightening - building leaders of character and calibre.
This talk by Patrick Awuha is the story of one man's endeavour to build the next generation of leaders in Africa. As one listens to him, the issues he highlights are not isolated to his home country, Ghana. Much of this resonates with me given the part of the world that I come from. And his approach is simple, elegant and built on strong conviction. Couldn't help posting it here...http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/patrick_awuah_on_educating_leaders.html
This talk by Patrick Awuha is the story of one man's endeavour to build the next generation of leaders in Africa. As one listens to him, the issues he highlights are not isolated to his home country, Ghana. Much of this resonates with me given the part of the world that I come from. And his approach is simple, elegant and built on strong conviction. Couldn't help posting it here...http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/patrick_awuah_on_educating_leaders.html
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