CHAPTER 10
When Groups Search for Good Suzerains
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
- Realize that the search for good Suzerains is a subject in it self and individuals and organizations must give adequate thought to this.
- Not good/bad people but good/bad actions must form basis of judgement.
- Traditions must contain elements that elevate the right talents to positions of Suzerainty.
Organizations Want Good Suzerains
Before we answer the question ‘Who is a good suzerain?’ Let us look at the factors related to ‘the need of a good suzerain’. We need to take note that knowingly or unknowingly people are investing a lot in suzerainty and in leadership. The best of organizations do not lose sight of the importance of having the right suzerain. They try to identify the ‘best’ for a particular job and patronize them lavishly too … check out the following examples:
More or less, all armed forces across the world have elaborate systems for selecting officer candidates. Qualities that are desirable in suzerains have been thoroughly researched and listed and methods have been devised on how these qualities can be measured. Having done that, probable candidates are put through selection processes that may even take days to complete. Similarly, promotion systems include all kinds of screening and record keeping processes so that only the best can be elevated to higher levels.
Similarly, in the various business organizations the selection procedures are poor cousins of such military systems, but here too the systems for selection can be almost as elaborate. Here too the aim is to bring in people who have the right combination of traits and attitudes—besides the technical qualifications. And going by the kind of salaries they pay their suzerains, it is clear that they accord great importance to the role these people ought to play.
Similarly democracies: why go through these elaborate processes of canvassing, contesting, mobilizing voters and selecting suzerains and then repeat the same process every four to six years? Why not just allow the biological heir to a throne take over in one single ceremony and all that recurring pain and expenditure could be avoided for several decades even? It is because nations and democracies are willing to pay the cost to ensure that the suzerain must be chosen by the people out of the belief that choice would be better than someone hammered down their throats on the basis of inheritance.
Even parents go to great lengths to select suitable grooms or brides for their children. Where men are expected to be suzerains within families according to the requirements of the patriarchal systems, brides and their family members do put in great efforts at finding the ‘right’ match; scanning horoscopes, paying marriage brokers, spending countless hours before matrimonial columns … .
Clearly, from the above examples, it is evident that people do invest heavily in getting the right people to be suzerains. The question arises as to why go to such lengths to select suzerains? Why invest so heavily to nurture proper selection processes in organizations and groups?
Consciously or unconsciously people are aware that a good suzerain can make a huge difference to fortunes.
And the answer is that there is awareness that the quality of suzerains impacts the functioning of groups and organizations in a very significant way.
The Right Way to Say What is a Good Suzerain
Suzerains are known to constitute a complete spectrum, from the terrible to the fabulous. But it is important that it must not be said in a way so as to mean that they are ‘inherently’ bad or good people respectively. The ‘inherent’ evaluation of people and branding them as good and evil is a judgmental approach which is ill advised and can best be avoided. Rather, what is important is ‘what they do’; it is their ‘performance’ that must be assessed. Such evaluations must find out whether what the suzerains have ‘done’ is right for the organization and whether the organization has gained from such contribution. In other words, ‘good’ suzerains are ‘good’ because they ‘deliver’ good things.
Saying he is ‘bad/good’ is not a good approach. Focus must be on activities—good or bad actions.
So also, all attempts at identifying potential suzerains in selection processes are truly projections into the future about what the selected people could possibly end up doing … . the selection is an expression of hope that the persons with so-and-so qualities, who seem to show promise, will ‘deliver’ better things for the organization. Therefore, the two main concerns regarding this are:
- What is it, which is contained in a suzerain, which truly makes the difference?
Of the various qualities of suzerains, what are their relative importance and which one needs to be given top priority … . ?
Parents of Indian brides often end up selecting grooms and grooms’ families who are greedy for dowry. They shower the groom’s family with gifts thinking that they are doing well for their daughter and end up buying her a life of misery. What quality does a parent identify in the groom or the groom’s family which will ensure that the daughter will truly have a wonderful home … . and how? And just as parents want to get the best for their daughter out of deep affection for her, there are many who cherish their work places, their nations, their businesses … . how do they identify the right suzerain to be put in charge … ?
Among the attributes that need to be considered in appointing a suzerain, it is good to have a view on the significance of each attribute and decide which is indispensable.
Can we derive an answer to this before we come to the end of this book? Can we pin down that one factor which eludes definition which will critically determine the eligibility/suitability of a person for suzerainty … ? And we have already seen what that factor could possibly be—that person must be a true leader—he must be in sync with the Common Soul. One that is at harmony with the Common Soul would naturally represent each and every stake holder.
But, the mere mention of the Common Soul and its relation to the leader will not do much … just as Yogyathwa has a role in matters dealing with the Common Soul there are others too. One hopes that by then we deal with the ‘majestic leadership elephant’ in full we will have answered this question in its multifarious dimensions. But for the moment let us shift focus to the second question.
- How much importance should be given to the process of selection of suzerain?
The quality of the suzerains available in an organization has a direct impact on whether or not the agenda of that organization will be achieved; and even if it will be achieved the quality of the achievement will depend on the quality of the suzerain … .
Bad suzerainty could even lead to death and disaster; great tribes have disappeared, kingdoms have fallen, empires have split up, families have gone to ruin. History gives a lot of examples of ineffective suzerains who by their decisions, actions and attitude ran down great empires; and in contrast there were other outstanding ones who with very little resources achieved wonders.
If today’s corporate houses do not respond to the needs of the time, to the changing technology, the emerging competition and the ever changing socio-political-economic realities, they lose out. And the suzerain has a big role to play in all of this. The failure of the organization to read between the lines, failure to notice impending disaster, failure to steer clear of danger and failing to cash in on the opportunities can even lead to the demise of the organization.
In selection of Suzerains how much time resources and effort need to be invested?
If the suzerains are appropriate to the group task at hand then proportionate to that the group functions better; the probability that the group will achieve its objectives increases, greater are the chances of all stake holders finding fulfilment in the organization’s work. And all this applies to the entire spectrum of fields: education, politics, bureaucracy, military, religion, business—even in the field of sports and the arts. Even for the simple agenda of going out for a picnic together the outcome depends a lot on how those tasked to put it together do their job.
So, if one must say that for an organization to succeed, there are a total of X factors that can play a part. Out of these, ‘good suzerainty’ can definitely be considered a very important one of them. And this is not lost on organizations, the perks and privileges awarded to suzerains relative to others in an organization definitely show that the relative importance of this factor is rather high.
For example, we have recent cases of huge banks in the US and in Europe that crumbled—probably, only owing to bad decisions at the top—and when they got bail out packages the directors thought it properly that huge bonuses be paid to themselves and to others in the higher echelons. Do these bonuses give a reasonable measure of their importance? Are the salaries of suzerains, amounting nearly to twenty or thirty times the salary of the lowest wage earner in the organization, appropriate for a company?
Capitalism has its answer; that it is best left to market forces to determine as to what is appropriate. And the examples quoted above gives us a rough idea of what that value has turned out to be … That is, in the light of the dynamics of ‘supply and demand’ this clearly implies that suzerains are also considered to be ‘rare’ commodities.
Even so, one wonders at this point whether the quantum of importance that is given to suzerains and leaders has to do with the great amount of ‘intrigue’ and ‘mystique’ that is associated with the terms dealing with suzerainty and leadership. Can it be demystified through a clearer understanding of the Common Soul? And if it is demystified, then what would be its importance?
Selection of Good Suzerains Infused into Life Culture
The real test of good knowledge is in its application in the lives of the people. Merely, having knowledge about good suzerains is not enough; the next logical step is to infuse that idea into the culture and traditions of an organization/nation.
Conversely, if a group has imbibed a culture of propping up excellent men to man posts of great authority and power, it benefits greatly from it. Though Indians have been granted universal adult franchise, it cannot be said that they have developed proper discretion in exercising that franchise. For instance, votes are casted on the basis of factors like caste, style, fad, religion, tribe, trend, intimidation, bribe … . ultimately, it leads to less endowed people holding positions of responsibility as heads of state and as ministers. And this happens to be the story of democracies across the world.
Mere knowledge of good Suzerainty is not enough. The knowledge must be infused into the living culture.
Therefore, mere knowledge of what is a good suzerain is not enough; a proper culture of visualization of suzerains must be evolved. That culture must soak even the last person at the bottom of the pyramid. It is a challenge that must be addressed in communities by the respected wise and by gifted artists.
Case Studies
- Cases of successful and unsuccessful companies, governments, military campaigns can all be used to analyse the impact of suzerainty on each of these.
- Use comparison of two different cases describing company culture as derived from the guidance of the respective pioneers or suzerains of influence. Check the same for methods of transmission of ideas, difference in performance levels of the people, contentment and satisfaction levels.
- Pick up cases of ‘change of leadership’ that lead to transformation of teams and nations. For example, how the entry of Mahatma Gandhi transformed the Indian struggle into a mass struggle; and therefore the importance of suzerainty.
- Pick up cases of intellectual leaders who inspired military and political leaders to achieve great things for nations so as to discuss the importance of suzerainty.
Exercises
- Get the class to list out qualities that one can attribute to good leaders and those that would represent bad leaders. Separate the list into inherent characteristics on one hand and behaviours and outcomes on the other. Discuss the aspect of being judgmental. Can the class digest the statement that ‘even Hitler must not be called bad?’ Can the class objectively analyse his mistakes and good points and realize that an objective perspective gives eligibility to reward and punish effectively? (This is a deeply transformational topic; a non-judgmental and objective perspective is vital for one’s development as a leader)
- Play out a clipping of a mega serial that indulges in accusations and shouting or play out a clipping of a debate on TV where the speakers shout down each other and use it for discussions on the judgmental perspective. Compare it with the merits of the objective approach.
- Take a case of some group/company/team and find out what change in system, attitude and behaviour is likely to make them select good suzerains. Next, break into small groups and discuss how you will induce that change into the culture of that group (preferably choose large organizations or even nations). Have a presentation competition between various teams in the class.