Because You Were There

Time passes, the world changes

I'm still the same old kid

And your jokes still bring me laughter

As if you still were here

And it hurts when I smile

'Cause my heart still remembers

When you were around

'Cause you were there

When no one was

Just when I thought nobody cared

You showed me love

'Cause you were my friend

You always told me

And I am still here

Because you were there

So precious, small treasures

A time when truth was innocent

True friendship was all we were after

A place where kids could still be kids

And it hurts but I'm glad

'Cause at least I was blessed

To have you as my friend

'Cause you were there

When no one was

Just when I thought nobody cared

You showed me love

'Cause you were my friend

You always told me

And I am still here

Because you were there

You're my best friend, yes, there are no accidents

God has a plan for everyone

And He brought you in my life

To show me what a good friendship was

'Cause you were there

When no one was

Just when I thought nobody cared

You showed me love

'Cause you were my friend

You always told me

And I am still here

Because you were there

You were there

You were there

You were there

Because you were there

Because you were there

Because you were there

Songwriters

EDMONDS, KENNETH

Published by

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

What About Shakuntala Devi?

Indian Mathematical Genius and child prodigy Shakuntala Devi passed away on April 21 2013.  The papers say “Hundreds of people, including relatives, friends and admirers were present at her last rites, which was performed in a southern suburb of Bangalore before sunset.”

Let us look at her notable achievements (Source: Wikipedia)

In 1977 in USA she competed with a computer to see who give the cube root of 188138517 faster, she won. At the Southern Methodist University she was asked to give the 23rd root of a 201-digit number; she answered in 50 seconds. Her answer—546,372,891—was confirmed by calculations done at the U.S. Bureau of Standards by the Univac 1101 computer, for which a special program had to be written to perform such a large calculation.

On June 18, 1980, she demonstrated the multiplication of two 13-digit numbers 7,686,369,774,870 x 2,465,099,745,779 picked at random by the Computer Department of Imperial College, London. She correctly answered 18,947,668,177,995,426,462,773,730 in 28 seconds. This event is mentioned in the 1982 Guinness Book of Records.

Holy Cow!  I cannot even remember these numbers in 28 seconds.  Anyway, where are our leaders and politicians at the time of her funeral?  Does India not owe something to Shakuntala Devi?  The lady put us on the limelight in the world when India was considered a backward and armpit of a country.  May be she should have created a scandal or a sensation to get everybody’s attention.

The above event just highlights the misplaced morality that stinks up in our parliamentarians.  There is no point in attending a funeral if there is no extensive media coverage, I guess.  She had a dream of creating a university for Mathematics.  We have politicians who tom-tom the need for education in this country and yet geniuses like Shakuntala Devi remained untapped potential citizens.

Anyway, I must pay my respects.  I have read all her books on number and mathematics while I was preparing for my entrance examinations.  She brought the joy back in to numbers.  I have also read her insightful book on astrology.

“Devi used very distinctive but offbeat techniques, which were not always based on theorem, but her methods were correct and gave results. Her capability to perform sophisticated computation, which could beat computers, gave her a stature of a computational wizard. Her death is a great loss to us all," said Professor Y. Narahari, chairman of the computer science department at the Indian Institute of Science.” (Source: ibtimes .com)

God Bless Her Soul!

I Told Ya!

The Honorable Supreme Court of India, on Feb 15 2013, decided to rid India of the scourge of VIP security.  Below is an excerpt from a report from Economic Times / India times.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has held that VIPs do not have the first right of way on public roads, while criticising the widely prevalent "red-light" culture in the country. A two-judge bench said beacons, sirens and security assigned to people other than constitutional heads and their state counterparts must go, terming the provision of these facilities to such a large number of people at state expense as "oppressive symbols of our democracy".

"Every citizen has a fundamental right to use public roads. Which is the power that says that X category has prior right to use roads, have precedence in traffic?" Justice GS Singhvi asked on Thursday. The remarks were made in response to a petition seeking to question the constitutional propriety of holding up traffic for VIPs. "Even if there is a power, is it to be used in an indiscriminate manner?"

These powers, Singhvi said, were "misused frequently to create havoc for ordinary citizens". None except emergency services and constitutional functionaries should get security without a genuine threat perception, he added. "What is the genesis of the red light culture? How many have lost their lives because they could not reach the hospital on time because of VIP movement? We have become indifferent and insensitive as a society. This is the worst crime in a democracy. Does anyone understand the value of life?"

Singhvi offered to lead the way by cutting down on judges' security. "Remove red lights. Allow entry (into courts) without stopping traffic," he said, adding, "Many may not like it, but it (the security) has become silly, ridiculous."

Both judges singled out P Chidambaram and George Fernandes for praise on this count. "A former HM went around without any security," Singhvi said. In this regard, Justice Gokhale pointed out that Fernandes did not have any security even as defence minister. Justice HL Gokhale said the large sums of money spent on the security of 1 per cent of the population could be used to improve the lot of the ordinary citizens.

"The police force seems to have become a private security force. Sometimes, those with criminal records get security in situations of their own making," he said. The court also asked states and Union Territories to furnish within four weeks details of expenses incurred in providing security to public functionaries and other individuals.

States were also asked to specify the kind and quantum of security assigned to such persons, details of security assigned to family and relatives, both inside and outside, security assigned to those facing criminal charges, details of those provided state security in lieu of payments, information about any review of threat perceptions, and rules that allow police to shut roads to facilitate movement of public functionaries.

With regards to security for VIPs, amicus curiae Harish Salve said, "If the streets are unsafe, they have to be unsafe for all. You can't give more security to a secretary. Needless security for an individual or a genre of individuals amounts to wasting of tax-payers' money and is also unreasonable, and hence, violative of the right to equality."

"Even the British were not as heartless as we are. They were a small power trying to rule a big country; they had to do it. But now we do it to ourselves. The mindset is shocking. Nothing has changed. We have just replaced one set of rulers with another," he added.

Read more news about the Supreme Court of India at

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/oppressive-symbols-of-our-democracy-supreme-court-slams-misuse-of-beacons-sirens-by-vips/articleshow/18508547.cms

Readers of this blog will recall my earlier blog on how there is only one institution in India that can save India.

However,  is it possible that the top leaders of the country have orchestrated this decision from the court so that they don’t have to worry about bringing this discipline from the parliament and compromising their political futures?

I don’t know... but the Supreme Court did it.  I told Ya!

© Nitesh Kotecha

I Am A Liar But Dont Call Me A Rascal: The Sins of Parents and Teachers

An elderly person and a father was lying to his daughter.  The daughter caught him lying.  The daughter called him a rascal.  The father says “I am a liar but don’t call me a rascal.  I am your father.”

Let us now analyze this a little bit.  This little anecdote highlights the irrational demands made by the elderly, the revered and other such sacred cows.

Calling names such as rascal etc is a one time event. Lying is a perpetual habit!  Which one is worse?  The father clearly is using his position as a parent to minimize the dangers of lying as if it is a borderline virtue !

A closer look at the above text will tell you that the elderly do not only demand respect but also demand pardon – from the young!

Hello?!  Should not this be the other way round?  Are not the elders supposed to be the embodiment of experience, grace, virtue and forgiveness?   This is the only reason why we are traditionally and ritually  “programmed” to respect them.

However, this brings to light many issues... what is the cut off age for an elderly person?  How do we define such a person?  For a child of age 5, the father at age 31 is an elder – however, people of such age are still treated as young people by society.  Why not have respect for all – young and elder people? Why not give respect purely because the person deserves it or has earned it irrespective of age?

Our ancient texts have glorified the devotions that one must pay to parents, teachers and guests.  These are absolute statements much like the directive principles of state policy that is highlighted in our constitution.  Do these postulates account for situational variables?  I believe they are absolutes and disregard the situation or the psychological framework of the person.

I have had bad teachers in my life – teachers who don’t have an iota of knowledge, not an ounce of moral fiber nor any shade of decency.  Why does one have to pay obeisance to such rot?

We don’t have to, I guess.  The only way out is to forgive these people.  They have no idea of their shortcomings.  They too are programmed, by virtue of their conditioning, that since they are of age or they have a position as parents or teachers – this fact alone automatically qualifies them to receive unconditional respect, obeisance and devotion.

Forgive them.  This is the price we pay for being compassionate and mindful of people's faults. But it is the only way out

© Nitesh Kotecha

Brother... Where You Bound?

A simple look at the latest developments in technology will give you an idea about a new paradigm coming up in our work environment – substitute technology and remove the human interface.

Researchers and Developers are creating digital actors – yes animated characters so real that one would not believe that the person you see on the screen is a digital creation.  Let’s face it; the dinosaurs have been looking real ever since Jurassic Park (1993) – it is about time we have digital characters who look every bit human.

Major Motor car companies are now incorporating bio-metric signals in the cars so as to assist the driver.  The car would signal a light representing coffee – meaning the driver’s skin is emitting signs of exhaustion or fatigue.  There are minor sensors in the steering wheel which will detect undesirable jerks in driving.  The cars will then automatically reduce their top speed and switch on side sensors which will assist the driver in ensuring his safety.

Stock brokers developed algorithmic trading and now have software in place for such trading.  The manned operations are discarded and the staff given the pink slip.

What is happening?  The above events are just a sample of how technology will soon substitute routine jobs.  New jobs will be created in place as the demand for such technology increases.  And soon those jobs will be replaced with technology and other new jobs will be created.

The above events summarize the need for people to understand that if they are in to traditional jobs, routine jobs, jobs that represent skills that machines can replicate – they need to re-evaluate the career paths they may have chosen for themselves.   Of course, certain jobs cannot be replaced – technology cannot replace a judge or a lawyer at a court.  Politics will not allow technology to replace a cricket umpire! Or an elected representative for that matter!

The current definitions of a business degree will need to undergo a metamorphosis in the sense that future business leaders will see pressure mounting on them as they meet the challenges of such changes in their business.  Curriculum focused only on the administrative side of businesses will need to be revised to accommodate for developing ability in spotting trends.

© Nitesh Kotecha

Not The End, My Friend

Dedicated to the soft and delicate one(s)

This is not the end, my friend,

Just a turn and not a dead end.

See how life gives its twists and turns?

The Protector hurts and gives heart burns!

The past is past,

It is the future we must fix,

Take the ashes of the heart burn

And rise like the phoenix!

For this is not the end, my friend,

Just a turn and not a dead end.

They say we must pay for all our sins,

For grief and pain caused to our kith and kin,

But it is not your time to go,

You are here to stay,

Rejoice as you will live,

To die another day!

For this is not the end, my friend,

Just a turn and not a dead end.

 © Nitesh Kotecha

Top Ten Ways To Eliminate Corruption in India

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© Nitesh Kotecha

Goodbye Mr. Finance Minister, Thank You For Nothing: Lessons From A Bad Leader

The past week saw a resignation from India’s Finance Minister.  In all honesty, let us begin with the positives concerning this man:

He is a highly learned man with a complete knowledge over law and governance.

He adorns an amiable nature and can reach out to any person including members of the opposition.

Let us now focus on the number one reason for his survival and dominance in politics – He was Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s most ardent devotee.  Pure and Simple.

India’s economic deterioration over the past three years can be solely attributed to him.  He was a complete failure and has left the country in a deep crisis.  Most of our economic indicators are worse than 1991 – corruption, inflation, current account deficit, fiscal deficit etc.  Every sector of the country is in crises – Agriculture, Industry and Services.

This is a blog about purity and prosperity.  Politics and Politicians have no permission to stink up this blog.  However, we will discuss this person without getting political.

He was never the leader.  This is because people know who the real leader is.  No, it is not the Prime Minister, which it should be - logically speaking.  It is the Chairperson of the Coalition Government.  The Chairperson does not understand finance or economics.  The primary task of the chairperson is to stabilize government and ensure the return to power.


Herein lays the conflict – good economics v/s the desire to remain in power.  (Have you  noticed that politicians want to come to power – they never want to come and govern!)

The leader is never concerned about hierarchical position – the only concern is about being effective.  The current prime minister was working under the finance minister in the 1980s as the Governor of The Reserve Bank.  The situation reversed in 2009 wherein the Governor became the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister was still the Finance Minister!  This fact created a communication logjam between the two people and so we had a finance minister working independent of the Prime Minister and India suffered as a result.  The FM must now surpass the PM and so the nomination for the President’s post.

The Finance Minister was a sour-puss and a bad loser.   Leaders cannot afford to have that kind of a reputation -they need to earn their respect.  The Government of India lost a prestigious taxation case against a telecom company.  The Supreme Court verdict was very clear.  The FM amended the law with retrospective effect from 1962 so that he could win the case.  What kind of a leader does that?  The PM had given an assurance to his counterpart in the United Kingdom that India would not collect any retrospective tax but here was his FM doing exactly that!

The President of India is a titular head with little powers.  No great leadership is required for this post.  I guess it suits fine for the FM.

It is rumored that when the chairperson of the coalition government announced the FM’s candidature, the person who clapped the loudest was the PM.

Let us celebrate to that!

©Nitesh Kotecha

Alone

My dear children

Whichever road you may choose

You could win or you could loose

Either way

You must learn to walk alone

This world is your playground

You could play or just go round n’ round

Either way

You must lean to run alone

You may have no room at all

You may have your back against the wall

Anyway

You must learn to crawl alone

I could go on and on

But its time that I move on

I will always be there for you

But, you must learn to think alone.

© Nitesh Kotecha

Lessons From Nokia – The Customer Cannot Be Damned!

What was the most successful European company of the 1990s?

Easy. The Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia Oyj.

And the most disappointing one of the 2000s?

Easy again. Nokia.

Nokia is in the news lately.  It is probably up for sale.  Samsung has given it the thumbs down and Microsoft is discreet about it.  However, this blog is a part of a series of articles on what we may learn from Nokia and how they brought about their downfall.

Nokia did not respond to the Market and the Customer.  This is a violation of everything we learnt in Marketing 101.

Nokia was so focused on sameness that it assumed that a Nokia user either calls people or sends a text message.  There is not much variation between the Nokia 6600 (2003-2004) and Nokia N8 (2010).  By variation, I mean not in terms of how the camera graduated or the processor evolved.  Look at the basic layout of the Symbian Operating System in both the cases.  There is nothing exciting about it.

Nokia cell phones did not have the ability to block a call or a text message.  One had to resort to expensive apps.  How could Nokia not have figured this out?

Well only one way – “The Customer be damned.  We are Nokia”.

Nokia had this huge range of cell phones that essentially did the same thing.  This is a con, on the consumer, who is now under the illusion that there is a wide range of the Nokia cell phones available as a choice.  Have we not heard before that “Less is More”.  Look how Apple is handling its range.  It is focused and concise.  Samsung is doing what Nokia did – throwing out this huge mindless range of cell phones where there is not much of a difference in what the cell phone does.

Nokia cell phones were expensive.  People paid top dollar for it.  Should the company not have focused on delivering value to the customer?

© Nitesh Kotecha

Alone We Fly

There was once a seagull

In search of food for his little one

The search took all day

So he took a deep breath to say

“Alone we fly, my dear son”

In the fine tradition of his people

He flew out with his little one

The lesson took all day

And he took a deep breath to say

“Alone we fly, my dear son”

Soon his health was a little dull

He sent a word out for his little one

The moment took all day

When he took a deep breath to say

“Alone we fly, my dear son”

Of course there is a moral

For a story as simple as this one

But I am not going to say

Will just take a deep breath to say

“Alone we fly, my dear son”

©Nitesh Kotecha

The Title Trauma

This incident happened to a friend of mine.  His production in-charge was due for a raise and review.  The manager insisted that irrespective of the rise in salary, he now wanted the post of “President - Operations”.

The fact of the matter is that he was the boss of the department.  He has two assistants and then there were the labor.  The fellow had joined my friend's  organization by retiring from the post of “Vice -President” and so he wanted to look good on the resume by an apparent "President" Title.

Here is the issue.  Why are these executives crazy about the post titles?  I am not planning to throw a Robin Sharma on you here with this question. I would like to approach it differently.

An executive is a person who, by virtue of his knowledge, skill, or capacity, contributes in such a way that he or she positively affects the capacity of the organization to perform and to obtain results.  In this sense, just about every person is potentially an executive.  There may be some who approach their task in a lackadaisical manner but let’s leave them aside.

A higher title in an organizational hierarchy must result into an enhanced potential for strategic decision making – and the person must be equipped to take those decisions better than anyone else suitable  for the job.  The higher title must have more latitude and be more empowering.  Under these conditions, a higher title is desirable and may be sought.

In sum and substance, a blue collar worker is an executive too.  The scope of his work and the latitude in decision making may be limited – but I don’t see this fellow any different from the CEO of a company.


The idea is to be effective and have an impact.  Nothing less.  Other than that, a title for namesake is a trip to fantasy land via the vehicle of self deception.

Copyright © Nitesh Kotecha

Move Beyond Personal Growth

A need for leaders in a group is to have the ability to move beyond personal growth.  What are the conditions that will not allow a person to embrace the ability to support others?

Insecurity – Insecurity can permeate any leader on any competitive point.  Insecure leaders put checks and controls on the team under clever disguises.  They complain about insubordination, prior approvals and the like.  Insecure people feel vulnerable and look inward - and this coerces them to restrict the development of the potential of his team.

Trust Issues – A leader, especially an inexperienced one, will have trust issues in a group.  The ability to foster a spirit of trust is the hallmark of a leader. Humans are naturally disposed to trust and our ability is marred by bad parenting, conditioning in schools and media related negativity.  Trust is integral to our area of influence while biases and prejudices developed from the social environment chip away at our ability to work and lead.

Commitment – The cultural messages that we get from our mythological stories stress the fact that small things done consistently carry more value than loud actions take sporadically.  The leader’s commitment to bringing out the best in the group requires consistency in thought and action.  The behavior and tone of the leader must demonstrate this commitment.

The leader has to commit to various leadership roles within an organization.  Bringing out the best in others will require a mindset that will allow, on one hand, the leader to assert his position in a group in, say, managing a subordinate’s behavior in the presence of the group while supplementing his own goals for growth and development.

Copyright © Nitesh Kotecha

Do You Collaborate?

Most of us, by nature do not collaborate.  However, I would like to qualify this assertion.

What is the probability of a group of people collaborating with each other on a train journey?  Or on a trip?  I would say that there is a good probability for a conspicuous amount of collaboration.  However, the collaboration that we normally exhibit in such situations takes a back seat in an organization.

Why is our employment in an organization not a journey?  Why do we not think of it as one?  Answers like organizational structure and dynamics are antique.  The change in the situation from a relatively riskless (and a fixed time frame) one to an ongoing and challenging one alters our behavior and approach.

The Bhagvad Gita extols steady wisdom in the Sankhya yoga.  Collaboration stems from a determination to work together towards a goal.  The determination to work together is rooted in the ability to remain steadfast.

Here are certain strategies that may be employed in order to enhance our collaborative nature:

1)       It is suggested that one be trained in the RIGHT skills.  Collaboration would entail reasonable command over people skills and the ability to manage your own behavior.

2)      Conflict can never be personal.  Every organization or every decision making hierarchical order may have at least one certified ignoramus who may have a personal or a hidden agenda.  The ability to steer the communication away from such agendas and refocusing on the issue at hand is a prerequisite for collaborative teams.

3)      The leader must assist the members in getting to know each other so that a deep collective determination develops as a part of the work environment.  People who know each other collaborate more.  The leader must invest time in social events and other forms of networking for his team.

4)      The leader must have the vision to manage and reinterpret the rewards that the team may receive.  This is the most vulnerable moment for any team.  Promises await those teams who can successfully handle success.

5)      Communication in the team must be purposeful.  Gossip and other trivial discussions create perceptions and these perceptions may interfere with our ability to know and relate to other people in the group.

6)      Mahatma Gandhi suggested that“be the change you want to see in the world”.  The leader must demonstrate his ability to collaborate and model that behavior across situations.

Copyright © Nitesh Kotecha

The Fox Will Kill The Lion

AltaVista was the world’s most popular search engine by 1998.  The site had recorded 80 million hits a day in 1997.  Yahoo! Inc, via Overture, bought over AltaVista.  AltaVista died and Yahoo! lived.  Google came in and as of today Yahoo! is up for sale.

What does all this mean?  AltaVista set up the multi threaded crawler – the ability to search more web pages than were believed to exist at that time.  What happened to AltaVista’s drive and ambition to remain at the top?  Why did Yahoo! take over and why is the same Yahoo! up for sale today?

Leadership of the fox kind is the key.  There is no way that a fox can fight the lion – certainly not in the traditional sense of jaws and paws.  It is only a dumb competitor who would fight the mighty with tools that yield a competitive advantage only to the mighty.  The fox would challenge the “institutional skills” of the lion and instead rely on his “strategic resources”.  This would necessarily include an opportunity where the lion displays a “weakness” and the inability to fight back.

The above allegory summarizes what happens when the young and the fresh challenge and take over those with power over them.   Failure to focus on strategic leadership and its eventual result of strengthening the competition is well documented in business history.

The question then is what prompts one to take advantage and make better use of an opportunity while the mighty sit back and look on?

The motivation to supersede and win, despite the presence of market heavyweights, along with dissatisfaction with the status quo seems to be the basis of this leadership.

This attitude influences creative output as one is suddenly focused into the task at hand.  There seems to be fireworks not just in our ability to concentrate but also in our capacity to take risks. 

Motivated individuals are able to override programmed modes of thought in order to reflect critically and positively on the situation at hand.  I am sure this also has a lot to do with the ability to find meaning in a task.

Google is the world’s number one search engine.  Google became number one as the promoters were interested in a search engine that ranked websites in terms of importance and quantity of pages rather than the number of times the search items appeared on the page.

Google knew why they had to do it before they knew how they would do it.  The entire motivation seems to stem from altering the status quo and creating new ways of handling resources.

To end the allegory –

a)      The fox does not worry about claws and paws

b)      The fox does not feel the need to fight the lion in the traditional sense

c)       The lion is the king of the jungle and is fixed in his methods

Google is the Lion today.  Here’s to Google – Have a foxy day!

Copyright © Nitesh Kotecha

Keep Going and Find Something Better to Do

David Packard, the co founder of Hewlett Packard always said that he was a human being first and CEO second.  He was a very quiet man and avoided publicity and limelight.  He is quoted as saying “You should not gloat about anything you have done; you ought to keep going and find something better to do”.

There are some lessons here.  Keep going means we cannot rest on our laurels.  This is a trap.  There are many celebrities who have ruined their lives only because they were too proud of their achievements.

Nature has shown that every great invention has been refined and improved upon.  There is nothing in this world that is so perfect that we cannot improve it (well maybe not with the Mona Lisa Smile – but you know what I am talking about).  Thus we may savor the moment of our success and glory but it would be prudent to heed the words of David and see if we can improve upon our last achievement – before our competition does!

Finding something better to do symbolizes that there is always a higher value that we can achieve and aspire to.  An author can write a book and enjoy his new found celebrity status.  However, finding something better to do would mean that the author must now go beyond his last work and once again challenge himself.  The same would apply to a sportsman, a student or a businessman.

There are many benefits to what David advised us.  It improves our relationships across all levels, reduces anxiety and stress, encourages an open approach and attitude – and as paradoxically as it may seem, it enhances one’s self-confidence.

Copyright – Nitesh Kotecha

Are You A Gentleman?

"You can see whether a person is a gentleman or not by seeing how he treats those who can be of absolutely no use to him" – as the saying goes.

We all know how we treat those whom we need or have use of.  Why does a person mistreat, ignore or be otherwise indifferent to those who can be of absolutely no use to him or her?  The root of the behaviour can be safely generalized to the absence of humility.

On a detached and spiritual level, humility as a quality allows us to consider our own defects, be modest in how we describe ourselves and be conscious of the higher powers that may be. If I were to define humility, I would say something like this - "Humility is the quality of being courteous and respectful to others."

This working definition of humility does not qualify what “others” means - and this lack of clarity seems to allow us to be selective about our humility and our disposition.

Indians are conditioned to a phrase - "Your Humble Servant". This is ridiculous. This is a hangover from the Princely and the British era where humility was confused with servility.  Humility is about maintaining our pride about who we are, what our accomplishments are, our self worth - but not about how superior we are to others.

I have always maintained that the higher a person rises in terms of knowledge, wealth, status, power, etc - the more humble a person must be.  Humility means that you are aware of your achievements that have given you knowledge, wealth, status, power, etc – but there is no arrogance.  We all admire people with these traits.  Our admiration for these people does not come from acknowleding their achievements but rather from the absence of arrogance.

There are mountains of materials on leadership.  Management text books go about describing leadership in all its managerial aspect.  However, to lead you must have someone to follow - and nobody follows arrogance.

Copyright - Nitesh Kotecha

Effective Managers Are Not Necessarily True Leaders

Effective Managers and True Leaders differ in their

a)    Management Style – Good Managers limit their concerns to the day to day complexities of an organization, while true leaders orchestrate important changes in the organization.  For example, true leadership goes beyond management’s responsibility of planning and budgeting routines, structuring the organization, staffing and monitoring activities by creating a vision for the firm and inspiring individuals to reach for that goal.

b)   Management Traits – A good leader posses a drive, that is, a high regard for achievement and are constantly striving for improvement.   Secondly the good leader exerts leadership motivation – they show interest and desire to lead individuals.  In addition, a good leader ins concerned with his or her integrity, shows self esteem and finally has a high level of knowledge about the industry or company he or she is working for.

c)    Management behavior – A good manager’s behavioral approach centers  on task performance (getting the job done) while good leaders also focus on group maintenance and the concern over their follower’s participation in decision making.  A good leader exhibits behavior that demonstrates concern towards a group as a whole and towards individuals on a personal level; they express concern over areas such as trust, open communication, mutual respect and royalty.

In order to succeed in establishing a positive atmosphere and a culture where employees are encouraged to thrive, it is essential that managers go beyond good management and become great leaders

Source: Bateman and Snell (2007)

True Empowerment

Empowerment has been the major thrust in management philosophy.  Empowerment at work is the availability of opportunities at the work place for the employees to be able to make their own decisions about their tasks at work.  Many business houses are practicing empowerment with their employees in order to offer better opportunities at work and to create an environment conducive to employee satisfaction.

Empowerment entails, amongst other things, some autonomy.  There are many theories and much research material on empowerment.  However, it believe that true empowerment lies is a superior’s ability to manage himself WHILE HIS SUBORDINATE is exercising autonomy.  The degree of autonomy may vary as per time, place and the situation – but autonomy remains at the core.

The “trust deficit” and the negative fantasies of “existential risk” in the superior’s mind strike at the heart of true empowerment.

The success of any organization depends on the ability of its organization structure and management to empower the lower hierarchy.  This is a given.  However, the flip side to this statement is that the success of any organization depends on the ability of its organization and management to

a)       Trust their own HR department about the quality of the employees that it offers positions to

b)      Trust the organizational structure and its systems of checks and balances

c)       Trust themselves and replace their insecurities and fears with a positive mindset

True empowerment fails when the above core ingredients are missing


Copyright - Nitesh Kotecha

Life Lessons From A Child’s Speech

My son Saatvick was campaigning for the post of the “Sports' Captain” for his house.  He was enthusiastic about his speech and its content.  When he came home this October, he brought me a copy of his speech.  It was intriguing.  Here is the speech:

“It is rightly said that action speaks louder than words”.  I, Saatvick Kotecha, am a candidate for the Sport’s Captain for this current academic year.  I have a manifesto and I hereby commit myself to everything mentioned therein.  I will not only encourage sports in the school; I resolve to enforce discipline and add sport to sports.”

“The frequently asked question here at school is what would my attitude be if I were to lose?  Here is my answer – I don’t believe I will lose.  In case I do, there is no problem.  I shall pursue my objectives as laid out in my manifesto.  The idea is that no one ever becomes a boss – there is always someone at the top or at the bottom.  There are no bosses – only helping hands.”

“My symbol is a traffic light.  The red color asks us to stop and think.  The yellow color signifies our preparedness.  The green is for “Go!”  This is the approach I will have in all I will do as your Sport’s Captain.”

“I hope you will make a precious contribution in my favour when you approach the vote box”

This is not exactly your “President of the United States of America” kind of speech.  However, there are many lessons that can come to light when we peep in to the workings of children.

1)       Why worry about being the boss?  The idea is to do work.  Robin Sharma talks about a leader with no title and I feel this is exactly what my son was talking about.  A leader is a person who sees a situation and takes charge.  He is not worried about getting some official title for himself

2)      Why worry about who gets the credit?  If you see a situation that needs a fix, you go about asserting yourself till its fixed.  It is typically the higher-ups who get credit for work.  However, a sincere worker does not need credit as he is comfortable with his self concept and self esteem.

3)      The words “add sport to sports” are very crucial here.  To me, this forms the crux of the speech and also gives me an insight into what my son was thinking.  The whole idea of “adding sport to sports” is about integrity and character.  Sportsmanship is the ability to play a sport competitively while respecting all the participants’ right to the number one position.  It’s about mutual respect.  It’s about learning to meet defeat for what it is and not who was instrumental for it.  It is the falling and rising and the falling and the rising – and assuming that all this falling and rising is in harmony with nature that builds sportsmanship - and eventually leadership and character.

Copyright – Nitesh Kotecha