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One
of the best descriptions of transformational
leadership has been penned by Prof. Bernard
Bass, a renowned exponent of the idea. He
says succinctly,
"Leaders are truly transformational
when they increase awareness of what is
right, good, important and beautiful, when
they help to elevate followers' needs for
achievement and self-actualisation, when
they foster in followers high moral maturity,
and when they move followers to go beyond
their self-interests for the good of their
group, organisation or society."
In
a similar vein avers Mr. Kumar Mangalam
Birla, "Transformational leadership
to me means leadership in its highest form,
such that it transcends the trappings of
hierarchies, authority, power, as well as,
formal and informal systems of reward and
recognition — and in the political
sphere, votes."
In
the words of our Chairman, "Quintessentially,
transformational leadership is about taking
people on an all-together different plane.
At the same time though, few great leaders
follow a path deliberately designed to make
them popular. Nor do they promise easy times
ahead. On the contrary, they ask for sacrifice,
for 'blood, toil, tears and sweat'. Nor
do great leaders always score high on charisma,
as we normally think of it. And surprisingly,
many leaders don't even have a platform
that automatically leverages them with the
power and the authority. Rather, their influence
derives from their idea, their conviction,
the example they set, and their extraordinary
ability to mobilise people and make things
happen.
Transformational
leadership: why we need it?
Unfortunately though, as with most things
that we value, transformational leadership
is in short supply in our country. We need
much more of it, in every sphere, be it
government, business, education, the law,
or even non-profit organisations. Our slow
and halting progress seems even more conspicuous
when we look at the rapid growth many less-endowed
countries have achieved over the past two-three
decades. Take a look at just one indicator
— the Human Development Index ranks
India at 124, out of 173 countries, behind
countries such as Gabon, Nicaragua and Mongolia.
Given the talent and resources we possess,
obviously, things need not be this way.
Considering the gap that we have to bridge,
and the extent of our underperformance,
I believe that an incremental approach will
just not do. Our approach has to be deliberate
and urgent. That's true for India, as a
country. Either we make the leap, or we
risk being marginalised. We cannot wait
ten years for things to fall in place. Because
planning to cross an abyss in two leaps
is a recipe for disaster. Hence, the relevance
of transformational leadership in our context.
Rather than talk about transformational
leadership in merely abstract terms, I thought
I would share with you the examples of two
outstanding figures of our times, both of
whom, I find fascinating and who strike
me as being truly transformational leaders,
though in vastly different settings.
Transformational
leadership: Lee Kuan Yew
Let
me get to the first example, which concerns
the governance of a city-state. To me, Lee
Kuan Yew of Singapore stands out, in many
respects, as one of the great transformational
leaders of our times. Why? Because, through
a three-decade period, he shaped and drove
Singapore's development, catapulting the city-state
from a Third World backwater, to the front
ranks of the First World.
Of course, one could argue that while Singapore
was a tiny city-state, the powers that Lee
Kuan Yew wielded were large. However, I do
believe if you cut through to the core, the
issue is more about the quality of imagination,
courage, political will, and about exercising
power in a benign manner. Let's look at how
his leadership was demonstrated.
At
the time of its independence, Singapore's
prospects for survival looked bleak. It
had little land and no natural resources;
the neighbouring countries were hostile
to the idea of an independent Singapore.
The city was heavily dependent on subsidies
received from Britain. Poverty and corruption
were rampant. There was also the ever-present
tinderbox of ethnic strife, given the population
mix of Chinese, Malays and Indians. Most
observers did not give Singapore much of
a chance.
However, history has confounded the skeptics.
Between 1959 and 1990, Singapore achieved
what is widely regarded as a social and
economic miracle, without encountering any
major disruption along the way. And, Lee
Kuan Yew's extraordinary leadership and
statesmanship is acknowledged as the major
driver of the city-state's success. Let
me talk briefly about four of the many unique
aspects of his leadership.
First, in his role as a strategist,
he made periodic and sweeping transformations,
based on a perceptive reading of impending
trends and events. During his tenure, the
Singapore government successively pushed
through at least four radical directional
changes — from labour-intensive import
substitution, to labour-intensive, export-oriented
manufacturing, to moving the entire economy
up the value chain, and lastly, turning
the focus sharply to infrastructure, human
capital, and high technology. Implemented
deftly, this strategy kept Singapore's economy
on a relatively even keel. Countries that
had more rigid structures and could not
adapt as quickly, floundered. What is noteworthy
is that, at each stage, the leadership sought
the citizens' inputs, thus helping to strengthen
the people's sense of identity with the
vision set out by the leaders.
A second unique attribute of Lee
Kuan Yew was his aversion to strong ideologies.
He consistently discarded theory in favour
of what worked. If a policy worked, he would
continue with it; if it didn't work he would
drop it and try something else. For example,
what mattered most to him was not whether
Singapore Airlines was nationalised or privatised,
but rather, how the airline performed. While
his inclination was towards letting free
markets operate, he resorted extensively
to government intervention if the circumstances
called for it.
A third distinguishing feature of
Lee Kuan Yew's leadership was his accent
on meritocracy in government. His focus
on getting the best people was almost absolute.
Speaking in Parliament in 1994, he said,
"Singapore must get some of its best
in each year's crop of graduates into government.
When I say best,
I don't mean just academic results which
indicate only the power of analysis. You've
then got to assess him for his sense of
reality, his imagination, his quality of
leadership, his dynamism. But most of all,
his character and his motivation, because
the smarter a man is, the more harm he might
do to society." Lee Kuan Yew worked
hard to drive this thinking into the mindset
of every government official and every citizen
in Singapore.
The fourth area where his unconventional
and practical approach stood out sharply
was in policies related to human resources.
For instance, he believed that primary and
secondary education would, to the extent
possible, be universalised.
But not so a university education that would
be restricted to a relatively small percentage
of the population. Lee Kuan Yew's view was
that trying to promote universal access
to university education would create too
many graduates for the Singapore economy
to absorb which was a real concern in the
1960s and 1970s. The flip side was that
those who did not get into a university
were given excellent access to technical
and vocational education, often through
programmes organised jointly with foreign
governments and multinational companies.
What
was the impact his goverment had?
In his 25 years at the helm, Singapore was
transformed from a tiny colonial outpost
into a thriving, global economic centre.
Per
capita GNP has risen from US$ 920 in 1965
to US$ 23,300 in 2000. The literacy rate
has risen from 72 per cent in 1970 to over
92 per cent currently. The number of people
living in owner-occupied housing rose from
9 per cent of the population in 1970 to
90 per cent by 1990. Singapore's government
and public sector are regarded as one of
the most efficient and cleanest in the world.
Its infrastructure facilities are world-class.
And all these factors combined, contribute
to Singapore being ranked amongst the top
in the world competitiveness league.
Transformational
leadership: the Dalai Lama
Lee Kuan Yew epitomises one genre of transformational
leadership. But leadership has many contexts,
and comes in many hues. As a second example
of transformational leadership, let me talk
about a great spiritual leader of our time,
the Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama is a leader of an altogether
different mould. He has no overt base of power;
he holds no political position; neither does
he command an army; and he has no control
over mighty economic resources. Yet, he strikes
a powerful chord. In a world driven by material
progress, and the incessant thunder of conflict
and strife, he offers the message of peace
and humanity.
What makes the Dalai Lama so interesting and
influential? Why do people around the world
care about a simple Buddhist monk who 50 years
ago was forced to leave his country, and who
for years has headed an unrecognised government-in-exile,
a 'virtual' nation of 6 million Tibetans?
I believe it is entirely appropriate to speak
of him as a transformational leader. Why?
Because, while his basic message is spiritual,
his work has ramifications that are entirely
down-to-earth. What exactly is the difference
he has made, and what are the dimensions of
what he has achieved?
The
Dalai Lama's efforts have been instrumental
in providing a haven and a life of dignity
to the thousands who escaped the trauma of
communist rule in Tibet. After their flight
to India, the refugees have been resettled
in various countries, among them, India, Nepal,
Bhutan, Switzerland and Canada. It was his
personal initiative and moral force that persuaded
many countries to open the door to Tibetan
refugees. This was no minor accomplishment,
at a time when there were powerful pressures
from the Chinese government not to accord
official status to the Dalai Lama, or recognise
the Tibetan people's desire for independence.
In fact, for almost a decade, he was persona
non grata in the U.S., and was barred from
entering the country.
The Dalai Lama has succeeded in establishing
a strong Tibetan base in India, and in several
other countries. For instance, the Tibetan
community in Dharamsala, near Mussourie, where
the government-in-exile is based, is a thriving
centre of Tibetan culture, and a home away
from home. Tibet's unique identity and heritage
have been preserved, when they were in danger
of being obliterated.
Because of his efforts, the Tibetan cause
— for restoration of their homeland and
their freedom — has been gaining acceptance
and support the world over. Last year, the
U.S. Congress passed the Tibetan Policy Act
2002. This legislation formalises U.S. support
for starting a dialogue between China and
the Dalai Lama, to progressively restore democracy
in Tibet. It also empowers the U.S. to direct
multilateral agencies, to provide funding
for development projects in Tibet. His personal
diplomacy has had an equally impressive impact
in Europe. As a result, there is increasing
hope that, if there is a political thaw in
China, the door could well open for greater
autonomy for Tibet, if not for outright independence.
The Dalai Lama's quiet persuasion and reaching
out has drawn many to the message of Buddhism.
He has contemporised Buddhism and brought
it into the mainstream of spiritual thought.
From being a staid faith, today, Buddhism
is flourishing in America, where there are
an estimated 1.5 million followers. There
are around 40 Tibet Houses the world over,
repositories of Buddhist spirituality, culture
and history.
Through five turbulent decades, the Dalai
Lama has disseminated the message
of peace, non-violence and tolerance. In a
world where nations are guided largely by
realpolitik, his message reverberates the
world over because it offers hope not hopelessness,
and is at once, ancient and yet most appropriate
for our times.
Lessons of leadership
Lee
Kuan Yew and the Dalai Lama: two outstanding
examples of transformational leadership —
of a vastly different nature and in totally
different contexts. Yet, there are common
strands that run through both. I believe that
there are seven important leadership lessons
we can draw from the examples of these leaders,
and others of that stature. Interestingly,
for us, the MBA brigade, who often fall prey
to the need for intellectual novelty, the
lessons are stark in their simplicity.
The first lesson is that transformational
leaders are able to set out a bold vision.
But that's not enough. They are also able
to project their dream and put extraordinary
communication skills to use to drive it across
to a large number of people. Also, far-reaching
as the vision may be, it is usually expressed
in a simple and direct manner. When we get
to the core, we see something very basic,
often strikingly obvious. With hindsight,
we might almost wonder how we could have missed
it!
A second lesson is that transformational
leaders are skilled at marshalling the intellectual
and emotional equity of their people. They
work hard to gain their trust and commitment
because, no matter how appealing the vision,
if others don't buy into it, it won't get
implemented. And the most potent way to get
everyone on the same wavelength is to set
an example. A leader has to be true to the
beat of his own drum, and there cannot be
any inconsistency between word and action.
There is a third lesson — which
relates to "individualised consideration".
This implies caring for the individual at
the highest level, understanding and factoring
in his or her unique circumstances, but at
the same time, being dispassionate and not
letting it cloud one's sense of judgement.
The fourth lesson is the ability to
mind the mind. Transformational leaders will
not let the storms of the heart cover the
sun in the mind. They leave behind the regrets
of the past, and will take forward the lessons
instead, into the future. They are far from
egocentric, quick to recognise that they are
wrong and change track accordingly. For them
ego, E-G-O connotes edging goodness out.
The fifth lesson is that transformational
leaders stoke the spirit of intellectual courage
to ferment constructive dissent, which has
a huge positive impact on the quality of team
building and decision-making. They are quick
to recognise good ideas and have the intellectual
honesty to give credit where it is due.
The sixth leadership lesson is about
the imperative of institutionalisation, in
order to ensure continuity without disruption.
They focus on building an institution, which
is enduring and lasts far beyond the leader
and his individual contribution, and continues
to thrive and to serve the larger interest
of the group.
And finally, the seventh lesson pertains
to the leader's willingness to move away from
his conventional role and take on an entirely
different mantle, maybe even hanging up his
boots. Such an act caps true leadership, representing
as it does, wisdom and the grace to pass on
the baton.
Concluding
remarks
To
conclude, I'd say that transformational
leaders are few and far between. They emerge
from the times and circumstances —
and all too often, from the ashes strewn
around them. Commanding leadership and easy
times rarely go together.
The idea however is to hearken to the message
they hold out for us, and distil their leadership
wisdom to our contexts."
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