VOLUME IX – CHAPTER 3
WHO IS A GREAT EXECUTIVE?
Who is a great Executive?
In September, 1967, Prof. N. Shanmugam (Then Principal, K.V., Naval Base, Kochi) was requested to address the Naval Officer Trainee Cadets on “Leadership – who is a Great Executive” – He presented the ideas and practices of Great Executives and asked them to delineate the lessons that learn from their lives and work.
A summary of the salient points of his address is given below:
1) When a famous Military Commander was complimented on his brilliant victory, he modestly said:-
“I would never consider a Commander completely successful until he had restored the situation after a serious defeat and long retreat.”
This holds good for an executive in managing an institution.
2) Henry Ford II believed in frightening people – His maxim was:
“Always do the opposite of what your people expect keep them always anxious and off balance!” Very “sane” ad iced to be followed?
3) The leader shows the way during times of austerity – takes one year salary.
4) An executive tells his staff, “When it comes to quality, we are not going to fight each other.”
5) An executive takes on the BOAD an educated staff representative.
6) An executive asks his associates, each to list out their key objectives for the next three months.
7) An executive avoids verbal onslaught in a meeting, but writes down precisely what is to be discussed.
8) An executive keeps paper work within limits.
9) An executive takes a quarterly review O P its own performance.
10) An executive seeks ideas from, his people.
11) An executive is decisive and explains his ideas in a language understandable by all.
12) An executive treats his people and not just in formation as key to success.
13) An executive is wise humane, courageous, confident, uses his commonsense and never abuses or misuses power.
14) An executive is tech savvy.
15) An executive has an eye for opportunities.
16) An executive has an organisation structure carefully thought out and appropriate to his needs and style of management which stimulates, encourages, rewards innovative ideas.
17) The C.E.O. of “Westing House” says:-
“There is a natural urge in every human being to achieve excellence.”
If you treat your staff as human beings and not as interchangeable parts, there will be an explosion of creativity.
The very culture of the organisation changes, where harmony takes the place of strike, work is joy and not drudgery.
18) The C.E.O. of “Matsushita” says:-
“Trust your people. But don’t tolerate lack of performance.”
Have clean hands, hard mind and a warm heart.
Even an ordinary staff can develop the sense of responsibility of a manager, if trained, guided and encouraged.
There may be conflict of ideas, but no quarrels.
19) The head of ‘Ogilvy’ (Advertising Company) says:-
“Exert to the best of your capacity
Insist work must be completed as planned
Make it fun to work
Be fair and impartial
Recruit people of exceptional talent and ability
If you have people smaller than you,
then you will become a leader of dwarfs
If you have people better than you,
then you will become a leader of giants
Encourage communication upwards
Avoid hiring relatives.”
20) Lord Louis Mountbatten said:-
“Your first meeting with the staff counts a lot.”
“My meeting with Nehru,
Now I know what they mean, when they speak of his
charm being so dangerous.”
The art of management involves the fullest possible use of human talent at one’s disposal.
21) Carl Rogers said:-
‘Respect a person as an individual even if you disagree with him.’
Lord Wavell didn’t, Lord Mount Batten did.
Wavell was not as imaginative as Mount Batten who released Gandhi from prison and said:-
“It is an important fact of administration to judge when rigidity is in order and when flexibility is required.”
Mount Batten was a terrific morale booster.
He can inject his physical and intellectual energy in to his team.
He throve on challenges
He had a prodigious memory
He was sensitive to the nuances of personal relations
His sincerity was transparent
He has mastered the art of persuasion and the art of command.
22) C.E.O. of Honda had formulated their management principle as:-
“Maintaining an international view point – we are dedicated to supplying products on the highest efficiency at a
reasonable price for worldwide satisfaction.”
Locate the catch words:
Maintain – International a view point – dedicated – highest efficiency – reasonable price – worldwide satisfaction.
“Understand the nature of managerial work.”
It is not God given, but depends on acceptance by subordinates.
Soldiers were prepared to die for General Rommel.
Be authoritative and not authoritarian.
23) Andrew Carnegie said:-
“Employ men better than yourself
Let it be written of me”
“Here lies a man, who knows how to enlist better man than himself.”
Delegate to the maximum extent possible
Practice Attlee’s formula of quick decision making
Follow Einstein’s formula S = X + Y + Z
Success = Hard work + Play or Rest + Silence
Or
S = H.W. + P + S
24) Hawthorne experiment
Management consultant’s prescription for increasing Productivity
a) Install a mirror in every floor
b) Appoint a lady
Practise the art of persuasion:
Management is primarily concerned with human beings who are not thinking machines
Emotions, feelings and passion determine the course of human conduct.
H.V.R. Iengar (Former Home Secretary and Governor, R.B.I.) recounts:
Jacobson, Managing Director of International Monetary Fund gave a De Gaulle a discourse on French Monetary and
Fiscal Policy. De Gaulle was not reacting.
Then Jacobson said, “Napoleon’s greatest contribution to France was to give France a sound currency and then for
100 Years France never looked back.
France is now looking to you for the revival of the glory of Napoleon.”
De Gaulle was won over!
25) Understand that the nature of decision making as both mathematics and poetry.
Seiko developed a watch that will remind Muslim wearers of the time for prayer.
26) Think always of Alternatives:
When Eisenhower was asked about his plan for victory, he Said:- “Not one, but two.”
27) Think like a Statesman:
A Vice-President of Japanese Company which was in bad shape told the workers:-
“A mother is passing by a bakery with her little child who has not yet been fed anything since the morning. The child
repeatedly complains of hunger and begs for bread; but there is not even a penny in her purse. I want you to
understand what is in her mind in such a situation. That is all I can say at the moment.”
The workers agreed to work overtime.
The company turned around and gave a bonus in excess.
Next meeting the bonus question was left by the Union to the Management.
The Vice President said:-
“I appreciate your confidence in me. Bug the country is passing thro’ a crisis. We have to work together.”
The Union was voluntarily disbanded.
28) Preserve your integrity:
Dr. Ernest Woodroffe, Chairman of Unilever was interviewed by Kenneth Harris.
H – What single quality marks a leader?
W – Integrity is indispensable. Balancing your responsibilities to different segments, your decision should be
beneficial to all.
Not doing that and knowing why you are not going to do it and what not doing it is going to cost you –
That is what I mean by integrity.
Peter Drucker, Management Guru says:-
“If the Executive Lacks in integrity , no matter how Knowledgeable, how brilliant, how successful, he destroys – he
destroys people, the most valuable resource of the organisation. He destroys the spirit, the performance and
himself.”
29) Understand the Human side of Management:
a) Curzon: An Intellectual treated officials as SERPS worked hard and expected his assistants to do so.
b) Minto: Knew when to lead and when to stand aside.
“My racing days have taught me that many a race has been won by giving the horse a rest in his Gallup.”
Had wisdom, practical common sense and an understanding of men.
30) Learn to be an effective leader:
Warren Bennis’s advice:
“A true leader educates trains, inspires & develops.
He raises their performance to higher levels,
Lifts their vision to greater heights,
Develops their personality beyond their normal limitations.”
31) Bust Nanus says:-
“No single Formula a deeply human process.
Learning to be a leader is like learning to be a parent or a lover.”
Are you a Parent or a Lover?
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ONE WHO KNOWS (VOLUME IX – CHAPTER 3)
(DIMENSIONS OF THE LIFE AND WORK OF A PRINCIPAL)
One Who Knows
1176) One who knows that the school’s success depends on the key
Personnel –
People who have worked in it for a long time.
People who understand the school ethos.
People who know your working style.
People who know what is expected from them for the children.
1177) One who knows that “A Leader is one who makes an impact and
provides inspiration.”
1178) One who knows that “Legacy is not what is not left tomorrow –
When you are gone; it is what you give, create, impact and contribute today, while you are here that then happens to
live on.”
1179) One who knows the 7 steps to change his mind set as listed by Mike
George:
Make the shift from force to power.
Cultivate serenity and patience.
Practice the power of presence.
Live from inside/out and not from outside in.
Find balance by being centered.
Become a completely free spirit.
Realise for yourself the difference between your beliefs, values and truth.
1180) One who knows that seven factors cause emotional suffering:-
a) Insult
b) Gossip
c) Letting down
d) Rejection
e) Deception
f) Betrayal
g) Being Ignored
1181) One who knows to avoid:-
a) Remembering the insult and make his memory the worst prison for himself. He knows that he will feel an insult
when he needs an acceptance from others.
b) Giving credence to gossip only when he is “Reputation Dependant’ or need admiration.
c) Building “Self” on how others see him.
d) Expecting acknowledgement knows your value. Be of value to others.
e) Letting yourself down.
1182) One who knows that problems arise only when he thinks:-
a) Thinking like me
b) Doing as I like
c) Behaving as I want.
1183) One who knows to beat hurt with love.
1184) One who knows that he has many scenes to play daily in:
His Chamber
The staff room
The office
The play ground
The laboratory
The library
The class room
With the parents/visitors
With the vendors
And that if he does not play the appropriate role, the scene will have a negative impact on both.
He knows he has to play many roles like leader, facilitator, teacher, coach, mentor, friend, guide, Counsellor and
Controller and start identifying with the role.
1185) One who knows to develop
“Possibility thinking” and prepares himself for a “Creative challenge.”
1186) One who knows that he should respond to each staff in the same way he/she conducts with him. If they
think of him, he should think of them, if they surrender to him, he should give himself completely to them; He
should be friendly to those who are friendly with him and if someone deals with him with guile, he should be a little
shady.
1187) One who knows that according to the manner in which the staff discharge their duties, he has to respond and
reward them weighing what is good for them and through that slowly make them get fully involved in the school’s
progress.
1188) One who knows to rebuke an unbecoming action of a staff, or advise them to do an thing, express his
disapproval of an action, condemn an an act or disappointment over an act or annoyance about an action –
To do all these without raising his voice and there by impress on his mind strongly.
1189) One who knows to make Maths interesting by –
(As suggested by Prof. Navaneetha Krishnan)
- Making the students derive the formula from the first principles.
- Referring to a geometrical interpretation and use of drawings.
- Giving suitable anecdotes related to the concepts, involving their proponents and developers.
- Giving famous quotes of related mathematicians.
- Relating the lesson with suitable areas of application.
- Preparing complete notes of what to teach with references, examples, variations and problems for further exercise.
- Checking students’ notes.
- Updating your notes every year.
- Conducting tutorial classes seriously.
- Making the class interactive.
- Do both Class XI and Class XII portions fully.
1190) One who knows that progress is a tug of war between authority and liberty – The authority of the Principal
and the liberty of the teachers to think, have to be meshed to create a forward march for the school.
1191) One who knows that he would be ‘awake’ at all times, that his eyes will not differentiate between people, that
his whole personality should emit an aura, that his mind and heart should be crystal clear like a river revealing the
pebbles on its bed. That when his wave length aligns with that of the staff and vice-versa then the staff will be
respectful and not servile and that this respect will empower them to speak out their ideas if it runs counter to what
the Principal has.
1192) One who knows that his intellectual eminence should be such that the staff feel proud to work with him.
1193) One who knows that he should be :
Not expecting any help in return.
Absolutely flawless.
1194) One who knows to be both sensitive and strong and also knows that his sensitivity is his strength.
1195) One who knows that praising without flattery is a skill.
1196) One who knows that responsibility, dedication and commitment are the limits of loyalty.
1197) One who knows that “Showing respect reveals his magnanimity and respectfulness is a quality of refined
consciousness.”
1198) One who knows that the moment he agrees to be with the conflict, it disappears.
1199) One who knows that there are two approaches:
a) Asking, “What am I here for?”
b) Finding out what you are not here for.
1200) One who knows that a mistake committed simply means that he has missed understanding a lesson that has
come his way.
1201) One who knows that every time he tries to defend his position he becomes weaker.
1202) One who knows that “Fear is an impression of the past reflecting the the future of the present.”
1203) One who knows that he can give only what he has and he has abundant love.
1204) One who knows that he will be called ‘யத்ருச்சாலப ’ (‘Yathrucchaalabha’)
One who if he gets something without his effort or loses something not because of him, maintains equipoise.
1205) One who knows that he should remove a problem lock-stock and Barrel and not provide any temporary
palliative measure.
1206) One who is aware of a staff’s problem and rushes to his rescue even before it is brought to his notice.
1207) One who has a 360 degree look.
1208) One who proudly says:
“He is my staff,
He is my student.”
1209) One who showers his love and blessings on the students and staff.
1210) One who knows that greatness lies in simplicity, building expertise, making himself likable, practise
reciprocity.
1211) One who knows that what is needed is not physical strength, not tough dominant behaviour, not birth in a
royal family – but what is needed is, “Ability to appreciate, recognise and build diversity, not just by gender, but
more thro’ skills, competences, perspectives and in sights that team members bring – i.e. shift from diversity thro’
representation to diversity thro’ recognition.”
1212) One who knows that in his quest for excellence, he should also need to Focus on the approach rather than
just the destination.
1213) One who concentrates on stability first and speed next.
1214) One who knows that in this fast changing world he has to balance certainly with adaptability.
1215) One who knows that he should have:
Authenticity
Benevolence
Collaboration
Design
Experience
1216) One who knows to move from “Give me” to “What can I do for you”
from “I know everything” to “Let us do it together.”
1217) One who knows that the idea of “What I may do” is closely related to “Who or what I am.”
1218) One who knows that every creature excels in its own appropriate field and being honest to ourselves is the
powerful tool to ensure that we do not end up as a square peg in a round hole.
1219) One who knows that to envision a possibility, to gather all our energy and to go about making the dream
come true is a laudable exercise. And that he should keep in mind the large picture all along while pursuing his
chosen project.
1220) One who knows that the best way to speed up a process is to slow it down.
1221) One who knows that the computer :
Can’t think
Can’t instil good thoughts
Can’t remove inferiority complex
Can’t function as a Guru
Can’t arrive – at a decision
Can’t tell what to adopt and what to avoid
1222) One who knows to distinguish between “Friendly Fire” and “Enemy Action”
1223) One who knows that the distinguishing feature of a leader is his ability to hardness his internal strengths,
reconcile local pressures and organise relationships outside in a structured manner.
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THERE are three types of knowledge: Knowledge of matter-energy; knowledge of mental energy; and knowledge of cosmic energy. Cosmic energy works in every person in the form of Divine knowledge. Matter in all forms is only Energy. Without atoms, you cannot have any matter, and in the atom, energy has the form of electron, proton, neutron, etc. Energy springs from the structure of the atomic constituents. – Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
