LEADERSHIP

An introduction
What Is Leadership?

© 2003 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights

11–2
reserved.
Achyut Godbole
The man- the leader- the hero
Achyut Godbole
 Born on 15 th August 1950 at Amalner,
Maharashtra
 Education at Solapur – brought up in a
joint middle class family
 Developed interest in music, especially
classical music and reading at an early age
– a curious mind interested in many
things
Attitude towards education
 Education perceived as a beautiful process
of acquiring knowledge
 Stood 16st in the SSC exams and 1st in
the University
 Scored 100% marks in almost all the
exams in Mathematics from 1st std to IIT
 A Chemical Engineer from IIT
Mumbai
Education
 Faced challenges due to Marathi
background. Worked very hard to
improve English
 Came across a large number of talented,
weird people. Learned from them
 Cultivated interests in reading and music
by continuously being involved in both
Reading
 Voracious reader – read various writers –
fiction/non-fiction – various subjects like
science, history, sociology, politics,
economics, philosophy, psychology…
Achyut Godbole and anti-
establishment
 Kept himself abreast of anti-establishment
and leftist movements around the world
 Studied communism and capitalism with
equal interest
 Developed interest in problems of the
tribal people in Maharashtra
A twist in the tale
 Got attracted towards labour movement
fighting for justice and social equality
 Declined placement offered through
campus recruitment and dedicated
himself to the well-being of the Bhill
tribals in Shahada district of Maharashtra
 Worked for the cause- fighting and even
facing imprisonment
Life in Mumbai
 Finding himself inadequate to dedicate to
the cause, returned to Mumbai and led a
directionless, nomadic life
 Closely observed the life of people from
the lowest strata of the society
 Took a job as a supervisor for the night
shifts in a small plastic manufacturing
workshop
Career
 Took up a job in Tata Mills as a Computer
Programmer
 Shifted to IBM without any knowledge of
programming
 Realized the importance of learning logic
and programming and started acquiring
knowledge
 Emerged as a good programmer in IBM
Shipping Corporation of India
 Joined SCI as System Analyst after IBM
wound up its operations in India
 Worked as Manager with Hindustan Lever
 Decided to shift to Information
Technology, joining Systime , getting
involved in software export
Life at Systime
 Went to England to work on
Manufacturing Requirement Planning – a
part of Enterprise Resource Planning
(ERP) module
 Studied MRP in details, reading various
books, and mastered the same
 At the same time, the IT outsourcing
revolution started
Life at Patni Computers
 Joined as Head of Software Division after
Narayan Murthy left the job (and started
Infosys)
 Required to handle both System Software
and Application Software, but had no idea
about the former
 Realized that his subordinates were
technically more competent than himself,
hence faced a lot of problems
Turmoil in Personal Life
 Had become almost an alcoholic by then,
drinking even during the daytime. Was a
chain-smoker and also had other vices
like Paan, Tobacco and Guthka
 At the same time realized that his only
son was autistic – Went into depression-
Thought that was the end – Suicidal
thoughts in mind
The fightback
 Gave up all the vices in a moment of
realization
 Started studying computer science,
reading for 9-10 hours a day during
weekdays and for over 18 hours on
weekends!
 Fought back all the temptations, especially
alcohol – has remained free of them for
last 29 years!
Master of the game
 Became an expert in computer science –
passion for knowledge and ability to work
very hard helped- open mind and
willingness to learn at any cost
 Wrote a remarkable book on ‘Operating
Systems’ (more than 700 pages!) many
chapters of which were written more
than 10 times!
Operating Systems- the book
 The book became extremely popular
receiving appreciation from the world-
renowned personalities
 Subsequently wrote two more books –
Data Communication & Networking and
Web technologies – both these books
were also highly appreciated.
 Demystifying Computers – latest book on
that subject
Marketing for Patni Computers
 Travelled extensively all over the world,
marketing the software development
outsourcing activity of Patni Computers-
used several known and unknown
techniques for selling and marketing
 ‘Never Give Up’ – the mantra for success
Achyut Godbole – the leader
 Difficult project in upstate New York – software
developers met with a serious accident
 Achyut held an emergency meeting at 2 a.m.
caught the 9 a.m. flight to the US.
 Customer to be handled – parents of the
injured people to be taken care of
 The only conscious developer started training
people from India through conference calls
 Parents, many who did not know English were
flown to the US – Successfully completed the
task
Achyut Godbole – the leader
 Austria project- company was short-
listed- Final proposal was to be submitted
– the GM of the company suggested a
rate of 20$ per hour. Achyut finalized it at
26$ per hour – order went to the
competitor @ 21-22$/hour
 Achyut admitted his mistake in the
meeting with the staff and the chairmen
The case of Mohan
 Mohan- a peon – dropped an important
hardware part on the floor and broke it-
the cost was many times more than his
salary
 Achyut called Mohan to his cabin, offered
tea to him, enquired about his daughter
and then told him to be more careful. He
also informed Mohan of his next
increment!
The same Mohan
 Was found to be committing fraud in
company’s petty cash, using the money for
gambling
 Achyut warned him a couple of times, and
finally, finding no improvement sacked him,
not showing any mercy this time!
The case of Lata Sharma
 A teacher in a school- suffering from
harassment from greedy husband –
physical violence at home- cigarette burns
 Achyut thought of giving Lata an
opportunity in software industry- the
industry those days only employed B.Tech
or M.Tech candidates
 Tested Lata’s aptitude and logical
reasoning ability- finding it satisfactory,
offered her a job on contract basis
The case of Lata Sharma
 The salary was less than her previous job-
harassment at home became more
intense – Lata worked very hard on the
job- got confirmed in a year- was sent to
Singapore on an assignment- then to
England and the US- Came back, divorced
her husband- took up a job in the US,
remarried and is living a happy life today.
Development as a human being
 Development of rationalistic scientific
attitude through reading and independent
thinking
 Initial fascination towards United States –
subsequent realization of its futility
 32 years of experience in the Software
Companies in India, UK and USA
 He has traveled all over the globe
more than 150 times for IT business
 Contributed to the multifold growth of
Companies such as Patni, Syntel, L & T
Infotech, Apar and Disha etc while
working at the highest level
 Has written books on: ‘Operating
Systems’, ‘Data Communications
and Networks’, ‘Web Technologies’
and ‘Demystifying Computers’
published by McGraw-Hill. Used as
textbooks worldwide. Many are translated
in different languages like Chinese.
 He is an advisor to Mumbai University and
several IT publications.
 Has written popular books in Marathi:
‘Sanganakyug’ (computers), ‘Boardroom’
(Management), ‘Nadvedh’ (Music),
‘Kimayagar’ (Science), ‘Arthat’ (Economics)’
and ‘Gulam’ (slavery), ‘Thaiman
Changalvadache’ (Psychology), ‘Nanodaya’
(Nanotechnology), ‘Steve Jobs’ (Biography)
and ‘Manat’ (Psychology)
 Has written popular columns: ‘Zapoorza’ (English
literature), ‘Tantra-Mantra’ (technology), ‘Bakhar
Sangankachi’ (history of computers), ‘Udyache jag
(tomorrow’s world)’, ‘Vaidyakayan’ (history of
medicine), ‘Pranijagat’ (animals), ‘Vidnyanvad’
(science), ‘Musafir’ (Autobiography), Ganiti
(Mathematics), Canvas (Painting), Limelight (Cinema)
and many more…
 He was awarded a very prestigious
‘Distinguished Aluminus’ by IIT,
‘Udyogratna’ , twice by the prime
minister for excellent performance of his
company , ‘Kumar Gandharva Award' by
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi ,‘Sahyadri
Navratna’, ‘Indradhanu’ awards and ‘Dr.
Parnerkar Award’ for contribution to
Economics, prestigious Sonopant Dandekar
Award for contribution to Psychology by
Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad, Pune and
N. C. Kelkar Award for ‘Nanoday’
 Was President of Yuva-Natya Sahitya
Sammelan held in 2011
 He has contributed to building ‘Ashiana’
- a school in Mumbai for mentally
challenged children with about 40
autistic children
 He worked with Bhil adivasis at
Shahada Taluka, Dhulia District
 Currently, he is the Managing Director
of ‘Softexcel Consultancy Services
Key attributes of Achyut Godbole
 Childlike curiosity
 High energy levels
 Passion
 People skills
 ‘Never say die’ attitude
Management principles practiced by
Achyut Godbole
 Remembering names of people
 Humane aspect of management
 Quest for excellence
 Very high level of determination
 Sensitivity towards the society and the
world
What is Leadership?
 The process of influencing and supporting others to
work enthusiastically toward achieving objectives.
 The critical factor that helps an individual or a group to
identify its goals and then motivates and assists in
achieving the stated goals.
 Without leadership, an organization would be only a
confusion of people and machines.
Three important elements
Influence / Support

Voluntary effort

Goal achievement
Importance of Leadership
Motivating employees

Creating confidence

Building morale
Characteristics of Leadership
 There must be a group of followers.
 Leadership is a personal quality.
 Leadership is a reciprocal process.
 Leadership is a process of influencing.
 Leadership gives guidance.
 Leadership is a situational concept.
 Leadership is a shared function.
 Leadership is dynamic.
 Leaders must maintain separate identity.
Principles of Leadership
 Be technically proficient.
 Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your
actions.
 Make sound and timely decisions.
 Set the example.
 Know your people and look out for their well-being.
 Keep your workers informed.
 Develop a sense of responsibility in your workers.
 Contd….
 Ensure that tasks are understood, supervised and
accomplished.
 Train as a team.
 Use the full capabilities of your organization.
Techniques of Leadership
 Securing co-operation
 Use of power
 Co-ordination and command
 Maintaining Discipline
 Developing Group Morale
Essentials of Leadership
 Intelligence and technical competence.
 Sense of responsibility.
 Initiative.
 Common emotional feeling.
 Moral qualities.
 Ability to integrate and inspire.
BE KNOW DO
 BE a professional.
 BE a professional who posses good character.
 KNOW yourself.
 KNOW human nature.
 KNOW your job.
 KNOW your organization.
 DO provide direction.
 DO implement.
 DO motivate.
Types of Leadership
1. Autocratic Leadership
2. Democratic Leadership
3. Intellectual Leadership
4. Persuasive Leadership
5. Creative Leadership
Difference between
Management & Leadership
 Perspective :- Managers do things right, while
leaders do the right thing.
 Subordinate as a leader :- With small groups, it is
not the manager who emerges as the leader.
 Loyalty :- Groups are often more loyal to a leader
than a manager.
Contd…
 The leader is followed, the manager rules.
 Management knows how it works.

Thus the manager uses a formal, rational

method whilst the leader uses passion and
stirs emotions.
Theories of Leadership
 Trait theory : Traits play a central role in predicting
who would or would not be a leader.

 Behavioural theories : Leadership styles affect the

behaviour of followers.

 Contingency theories : There is no “one best way”

to lead in all situations.
Trait Theory
 Innate Traits
Honesty & Integrity
Personal drive & Desire
Desire to lead
Self-confidence
 Acquirable Traits
Emotional stability
Human relations
Empathy
Objectivity
Motivating skills
Technical skills
Communicative skills
Social skills
Some other traits
 High Energy: High stamina and stress tolerating
ability – ability to bounce back- do not get
frustrated easily
 However, not viewed as obnoxious or pushy
 High tolerance for frustration
 Strive to overcome obstacle through penetration
 Don’t like being told what to do
 Self- confidence: Self assured of the judgment,
decision making, capability and ideas – positively
related to effectiveness – not looked upon as
arrogant ‘know-it-all’s
Some other traits
 Locus of Control: Conviction that they can
control their destiny – Not fatalists – take
responsibility of their behaviour and performance
– stand accountable for the performance of their
unit- learn from their mistakes and avoid blaming
others or ‘Luck’
 Stability: In control of themselves, positive and
secure- Have good understanding of their
strengths and weaknesses- oriented towards self-
improvement rather than being defensive
 Integrity: Honesty, Ethical Standards and
Trustworthiness – truthfulness rather than
deception – ability to keep secrets
Some other traits
 Intelligence: Cognitive ability to think
critically, to solve problems and to make
decisions – development of intellectual
capital – Emotional intelligence: Four
dimensions of EI: self awareness, social
awareness, self management, relationship
management
 Flexibility: ability to work under changed
conditions , multitasking, ability (and
willingness ) to learn new things
 Sensitivity to others: Understanding
individual differences, empathy
Trait Theories

Leadership Traits:
• Ambition and energy
• The desire to lead
• Honesty and integrity
• Self-confidence
• Intelligence
• Job-relevant knowledge

© 2003 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights

11–52
reserved.
 Trait Theories

Limitations:
• No universal traits that predict leadership in all situations.
• Unclear evidence of the cause and effect of relationship of
leadership and traits.

© 2003 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights

11–53
reserved.
Why Trait Theory failed?
 These qualities are difficult to measure.

 No consistent set of traits emerged from

research studies.

 Those who did possess such characteristics

were not in leadership positions.
Path Goal Theory Of Leadership
 Recommends that the leader adjust his or her behaviour to
suit situational factor or contingencies.
 The leaders can exercise four different styles:-
 Directive Leadership
 Supportive Leadership
 Participative Leadership
 Achievement oriented Leadership
These four styles can be used effectively by the leader,
depending upon situational factors such as subordinate
characteristics and attributes of the work setting.
 Path – Goal Modal
Leader identifies Appropriate goals Leader connects
employee needs Are established Rewards with goals

Leader provides Employees become

Assistance on Satisfied and
Employee path motivated, and they
Toward goals accept the leader

Effective Both employees and

Performance organization are better
occurs able to reach their goals
Leadership Styles
Authoritarian Leadership
Democratic Leadership
Laissez-Faire Leadership
Bureaucratic or Institutional Rule-centered
Style
Manipulative Leadership
Expert or Intellectual Leadership Style
Case Exercise
 Assume that you are the chairperson of a
company in India.Your senior management
team reports to you. The average age of this
team is 50+. Of late, you have noticed that
some members of this team have become
complacent. Their energy levels are dropping,
their physical fitness has reduced and they
have, in general, become lethargic and lazy.
These members are important to you. What
measures will you take to motivate them?
What may work? What may not? Why?
 Leadership and Ethics
 Ethics: Standards of right & wrong that
influence behaviour. One’s perception of what
is right and what is wrong
 Ethical perceptions vary between countries
and between cultures
 Established positive relationship between
ethical behaviour and leadership effectiveness
 Generally, the public does not hold a very good
opinion about huge corporations.
 People open to new experiences and people
with high levels of integrity are more likely to
be ethical, against emotionally unstable people
with external locus of control
Being an Ethical Leader
 Courage: It is difficult to say ‘No’ when
most others are saying ‘Yes’. Doing the
right thing in spite of fear
 Understanding that the moral values are
important and that business is not only
about making money
 Slowing down the decisions that affect
various stakeholders
Doing the ‘right’ things
 Focusing on higher purpose
 Drawing strength from others
 Taking risks without the fear of failure
 Using your frustration and anger for good
Creating a motivating vision
 ‘I have a dream..’ Martin Luther King
 Creating a holistic vision for the organization –
helping the employees overcome myopia and
mediocrity – a long term enduring statement for
the purpose for the existence of the organization
 The vision should be both inspiring and
challenging – It should also give the employees a
sense of self-worth and self-esteem
 Next, a leader develops a mission for the
organization that enables all the stakeholders to
commit themselves to the survival of the
organization
Creating the vision for future
 Ask people to write about how they see
(and would like to see) the organization over
the next five years
 Ask them to write on what role do they see
playing in this transformation
 Use these inputs as a common springboard
for developing the organization’s future –
quantification may vary, but the direction will
be clearly identified- this would be the vision
of your organization
Developing a leadership agenda
 A set of priorities that are necessary for
the dream to come true
 A democratic way of defining the vision of
the organization
 What could be the problems in
developing the vision of the company by
this method? How should we overcome
them?
Case: The Struggle for Power at Ramsey Electronics
 Vice president’s position is open: Three candidates
are: Arnie Sander, Laura Prove, and Billy Evans.
 Arnie Sander, currently head of the research and
development division, worked his way up through
the engineering ranks. Of the three candidates, he
alone has a Ph.D. (in electrical engineering from
MIT), and he is the acknowledged genius behind
the company’s most innovative products. One of
the current vice presidents—Harley Learner,
himself an engineer has been pushing hard for
Sander’s case.
 Laura Prove spent five years on the road,
earning a reputation as an outstanding
salesperson of Ramsey products before
coming to company headquarters and
working her way up through the sales
division. She knows only enough about what
she calls the "guts" of Ramsey’s electronic
parts to get by, but she is very good at selling
them and at motivating the people who
work for her. Frank Barnwood, another
current vice president, has been filling the
Chief’s ear with praise for Prove.
 Of the three candidates, Billy Evans is the youngest
and has the least experience at Ramsey. Like the
Chief, he has an M.B.A. from Harvard Business
School and a very sharp mind for finances. The Chief
has credited him with turning the company’s financial
situation around, although others in the company
believe Sander’s products or Prove’s selling ability
really deserves the credit. Evans has no particular
champion among Ramsey’s top executives, but he is
the only other handball player the Chief has located
in the company, and the two play every Tuesday and
Thursday after work. Learner and Barnwood have
noticed that the company’s financial decisions often
get made during the cooling-off period following a
handball game.
 In the month preceding the Chief’s decision, the
two vice presidents have been busy. Learner, head
of a national engineering association, worked to
have Sander win an achievement award from the
association, and two weeks before the naming of
the new vice president, he threw the most lavish
banquet in the company’s history to announce
the award. When introducing Sander, Learner
made a long, impassioned speech detailing
Sander’s accomplishments and heralding him as
"the future of Ramsey Electronics."
 Frank Barnwood has moved more slowly
and subtly. The Chief had asked Barnwood
years before to keep him updated on "all
these gripes by women and minorities and
such," and Barnwood did so by giving the
Chief articles of particular interest. Recently
he gave the Chief one from a psychology
magazine about the cloning effect—the
tendency of powerful executives to choose
successors who are most like themselves.
 He also passed on to the Chief a Fortune article
arguing that many American corporations are
floundering because they are being run by financial
people rather than by people who really know the
company’s business. He also flooded bulletin
boards and the Chief’s desk with news clippings
about the value of having women and minorities at
the top levels of a company.
 Billy Evans has seemed indifferent to the
promotion. He spends his days on the phone and
in front of the computer screen, reporting to the
Chief every other week on the company’s latest
financial successes—and never missing a handball
game.
 Whom do you think the Chief will pick as
the new vice president? Why?
 Whom do you think should get the job?
Why?
 What role might impression management
play in the decision?