Introduction

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Get a fair idea of the general thrust of the book. You would realize that leadership is a difficult subject to analyze because of Metaphysical content. The power wielded by transformational leaders emerges from this metaphysical dimension.

Why is the Phenomenon of Leadership Difficult to Understand?

Leadership as an academic discipline, is definitely known to be a science because it deals with material and human resources, their organization, their utilization, sourcing, quantification, deployment and so on … . On the other hand, it is also a craft as it involves hands-on application in the process of maximizing the qualitative and quantitative output of a team. An exponent who practices leadership (intentionally or by accident of fate) develops greater skill as he goes along; he develops familiarity, ease of application and effectiveness; all these indicate that leadership is a craft. And finally, it is also definitely an art because there is an aesthetic, inspirational, poetic component to it which of course is the most difficult to explain … . And in turn this ‘art’ dimension of leadership clearly places the phenomenon of leadership on the lap of the metaphysical—it is known and acknowledged that matters of art are deeply related to ‘the divinity present in man’.

So the truth is that leadership is an art, a craft and a science all rolled into one … and most importantly, it definitely has a metaphysical dimension to it … .

This being the case, can the phenomenon of leadership be truly understood in all its dimensions? Can it be explained like an infallible theorem of mathematics or an established law of physics?

The answer is ‘no’ because of the metaphysical component—the metaphysical is known not to yield itself to rational analysis. So it would be futile to attempt to comprehend the ‘art’ component of leadership in any certain terms.

Must it therefore be left at that—that it be treated as a skill which is imparted to a keen student? Or then worse, relegate it to be an inborn quality and maintain that grooming can happen only to a negligible extent?

Or as Warren Bennis puts it, claim that ‘To an extent, leadership is like beauty: it is hard to define, but you know it when you see it’, and leave it there?

Or drastically different from this approach, can it be seen as something that can be understood, learnt and mastered with focused practice?

Insights of Value from India’s Traditional Roots

While multifarious lines of approach have been taken to the issue by modern as well as ancient thinkers, one that comes from ancient India has an interesting twist to it and it seems to offer a line of approach which is so simple in its application though complex in its theoretical content.

The complex nature of this alternate view is best brought out in a claim made by it—that there is an ‘end to knowledge’.

The actual terminology used to denote this in the Indian tradition is ‘Vedanta’; or in other words, ‘Veda’-knowledge; ‘Antha’-end. Now this is close to blasphemy, in the language of science, and a man of science would say that one who claims he knows the end of knowledge must either be shunned or banished from rational circles—or then be considered a genius and listened to with great interest and involvement … .

There are reasons to believe that the end-of-knowledge is not a vain boast. First of all, this claim is not made in matters related to the physical world, but rather to the metaphysical in which Science honestly claims ignorance. Second, and more importantly, the authors of such a claim have established themselves in the civilization of India at a level that is comparable to ‘founding fathers of the Indian civilization’; and when it is a civilization that has sustained itself unbroken for over 3000 years in recorded history and probably for six millennia before that, then it makes sense to invest in what could possibly be a rewarding inquiry.

Warren Bennis^[1] says in the introduction to his book ‘On becoming a leader’:

‘On becoming a leader is based on the assumption that leaders are people who are able to express themselves fully. By this I meant that they know who they are, what are their strengths and weaknesses, and how to fully deploy their strengths and compensate for their weaknesses. They also know what they want, why they want it, and how to communicate that they want to others, in order to gain their cooperation and support. Finally, they know how to achieve their goals. The key to full self-expression is understanding one’s self and the world, and the key to understanding is learning from one’s own life and experience.’

Anyone who knows even a little about the ancient Indian thought process and culture will know that the ancient knowledge primarily deals with understanding one’s true self. This inward exploration was taken to great heights by the ancient masters, and if Warren Bennis was right about the fact that self-knowledge and knowledge of the world is the key to leadership, then it stands to reason that it is worth exploring the insights which the ancient Indian masters have gained on the inner self. In fact, they are reputed to have taken this knowledge to the idealistic best and there is no reason why we should not benefit from that knowledge.

Speaking of ideals, no ideal is worth spending time on, if it does not yield itself to use in practical life. And no theory is worth considering, if it does not help the knower gain better insight into that part of the universe it purports to describe … . In other words, this study of leadership, incorporating the perspective of the ancient Indian Sages, is of any worth at all only if it explains the nuances of leadership in a way that the reader can apply the findings in his day-to-day life. If it does not lead to one’s better understanding of leadership in a way that it will bring clarity in thought and if it does not point out practical ways to move forward—and successfully at that—then the book would not be worth it … .

The attempt is therefore to bring forth and resolve many issues related to the core of leadership in a way that one, having understood the nuances, is able to move forward being a more practical leader, benefiting from the ample blessings that true leadership carries.

Also an endeavor is being made to give exclusive students and teachers of leadership qualities enough references, pointers, caselets and exercises so that the deeper nuances can be thoroughly researched, so that teachers and trainers may gain greater grasp and authority and so that students can be guided through experiential methods.

The book will primarily focus on the reader imbibing skills to develop his leadership abilities in terms of it being an art and a craft; the science part of it is widely available in books relating to management and is not a point of focus of this book.

The Power of Leadership

One must realize at the outset that leadership is not about arbitrary egodriven herding of individuals at the command of whimsical dreamers. There are powerful forces within humans and true leaders bow down to it and thereby gain both humility and stature. There is a power behind leadership which is solid and inflexible to arbitrariness. The depth and immortality of its best explained through Shakespeare’s love sonnet 116;

—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

The egoist is the remover who wishes to remove, but love cannot be bent … . So, also leadership has the power to withstand. Leadership is not amenable to the mechanizations of the ego … it stands rock solid as true love does and one can but bow to its divine strength …

To be able to access that point of infinite strength and have the humility to be in sync with it, is the essence of true leadership …

References

1. On becoming a leader, 4th edition, Warren Bennis, 2009, Basic Books.