Building Excellence

Leaders do not command excellence, they build excellence. Excellence is being all you can be within the bounds of doing what is right for your organization. To reach excellence you must first be a leader of good character. You must do everything you are supposed to do. Organizations will not achieve excellence by figuring out where it wants to go, then having leaders do whatever they have to in order to get the job done, and then hope their leaders acted with good character. This type of thinking is backwards. Pursuing excellence should not be confused with accomplishing a job or task. When you do planning, you do it by backwards planning. But you do not achieve excellence by backwards planning. Excellence starts with leaders of good and strong character who engage in the entire process of leadership. And the first process is being a person of honorable character. Character develops over time. Many think that much of a person's character is formed early in life. However, we do not know exactly how much or how early character develops. But, it is safe to claim that character does not change quickly. A person's observable behavior is an indication of her character. This behavior can be strong or weak, good or bad. A person with strong character shows drive, energy, determination, self-discipline, willpower, and nerve. She sees what she wants and goes after it. She attracts followers. On the other hand, a person with weak character shows none of these traits. She does not know what she wants. Her traits are disorganized, she vacillates and is inconsistent. She will attract no followers. A strong person can be good or bad. A gang leader is an example of a strong person with a bad character, while an outstanding community leader is one with both strong and good characteristics. An organization needs leaders with both strong and good characteristics, people who will guide them to the future and show that they can be trusted. To be an effective leader, your followers must have trust in you and they need to be sold on your vision. Korn-Ferry International, an executive search company, performed a survey on what organizations want from their leaders. The respondents said they wanted people who were both ethical and who convey a strong vision of the future. In any organization, a leader's actions set the pace. This behavior wins trust, loyalty, and ensures the organization's continued vitality. One of the ways to build trust is to display a good sense of character composed of beliefs, values, skills, and traits (U.S. Army Handbook, 1973): Beliefs are what we hold dear to us and are rooted deeply within us. They could be assumptions or convictions that you hold true regarding people, concepts, or things. They could be the beliefs about life, death, religion, what is good, what is bad, what is human nature, etc. Values are attitudes about the worth of people, concepts, or things. For example, you might value a good car, home, friendship, personal comfort, or relatives. Values are important as they influence a person's behavior to weigh the importance of alternatives. For example, you might value friends more than privacy, while others might be the opposite.

Skills are the knowledge and abilities that a person gains throughout life. The ability to learn a new skill varies with each individual. Some skills come almost naturally, while others come only by complete devotion to study and practice. Traits are distinguishing qualities or characteristics of a person, while character is the sum total of these traits. There are hundreds of personality traits, far too many to be discussed here. Instead, we will focus on a few that are crucial for a leader. The more of these you display as a leader, the more your followers will believe and trust in you.

Traits of a Good Leader

Compiled by the Santa Clara University and the Tom Peters Group:

Honest Display sincerity, integrity, and candor in all your actions. Deceptive behavior will not inspire trust. Competent Base your actions on reason and moral principles. Do not make decisions based on childlike emotional desires or feelings. Forward-looking Set goals and have a vision of the future. The vision must be owned throughout the organization. Effective leaders envision what they want and how to get it. They habitually pick priorities stemming from their basic values. Inspiring Display confidence in all that you do. By showing endurance in mental, physical, and spiritual stamina, you will inspire others to reach for new heights. Take charge when necessary. Intelligent Read, study, and seek challenging assignments. Fair-minded Show fair treatment to all people. Prejudice is the enemy of justice. Display empathy by being sensitive to the feelings, values, interests, and well-being of others. Broad-minded Seek out diversity. Courageous Have the perseverance to accomplish a goal, regardless of the seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Display a confident calmness when under stress. Straightforward Use sound judgment to make a good decisions at the right time. Imaginative Make timely and appropriate changes in your thinking, plans, and methods. Show creativity by thinking of new and better goals, ideas, and solutions to problems. Be innovative!

Attributes
Attributes establish what leaders are, and every leader needs at least three of them (U.S. Army Handbook, 1973): Standard Bearers establish the ethical framework within an organization. This demands a commitment to live and defend the climate and culture that you want to permeate your organization. What you set as an example will soon become the rule as unlike knowledge, ethical behavior is learned more by observing than by listening. And in fast moving situations,

examples become certainty. Being a standard bearer creates trust and openness in your employees, who in turn, fulfill your visions. Developers help others learn through teaching, training, and coaching. This creates an exciting place to work and learn. Never miss an opportunity to teach or learn something new yourself. Coaching suggests someone who cares enough to get involved by encouraging and developing others who are less experienced. Employees who work for developers know that they can take risks, learn by making mistakes, and winning in the end. Integrators orchestrate the many activities that take place throughout an organization by providing a view of the future and the ability to obtain it. Success can only be achieved when there is a unity of effort. Integrators have a sixth sense about where problems will occur and make their presence felt during critical times. They know that their employees do their best when they are left to work within a vision-based framework.

Perspectives of Character and Traits

Traits (acronym JJ did tie buckle)

Justice Judgment Dependability Initiative Decisiveness Tact Integrity Enthusiasm Bearing Unselfishness Courage Knowledge Loyalty Endurance

What Is The Difference Between Leaders And Managers?

With management and leadership typically spoken of in the same circumstances, they are both typically and somewhat mistakenly considered to be very similar, or even as precisely the same thing, even with many training businesses offering management training alongside leadership training. Whilst there are definitely a few extremely obvious likenesses between the two, a leader and a manager should be looked at as separate things, with each one maintaining different standpoints and often establishing different concepts through their allocated purposes in a business.

The author Warren Bennis compiled a list of his ideas on the differences between managers and leaders in the book On Becoming a Leader. So that we are able to figure out the differences between leadership and management, we have looked at 4 points from the list and expanded on their meanings: 1. The manager imitates; the leader originates Leaders are original, in the sense that theyre typically the ones responsible for establishing the general corporate plan of action that then sifts through a business. As it filters through, it reaches the managers, who then pass it on and reproduce it to their team members and workers; i.e., theyre imitating the leaders original goals and materialising it into practical use. 2. The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people In getting tasks completed, the managers involvement in staff will mainly and primarily be on their capabilities and skill level. In the end, their priority is that the task gets finished and is done accurately. In the meantime, so that the company runs as efficiently as possible, a leaders attention will be leaning towards people more specifically, especially those making up the management team right underneath them. 3. The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust The stereotype of a manager is an individual who has to be in control. This is an unfortunate requirement for a manager at the end of the day, they have to be in control of the staff so that they can manage them properly which can on occasion make them unpopular or depict them in a negative way. A leaders goal, then, should be to inspire trust within the organisation, as an untrustworthy leader can be the embodiment and front of an untrustworthy company; however a good leader should know that if their managers are seen as untrustworthy instead or as well then it will in turn affect their reputation as well. 4. The manager maintains; the leader develops The company must be maintained and needs to function as an well-oiled, efficient machine its the duty of the manager. In contrast, leaders should carry on to develop and grow a business. Managers then have to maintain and function based on the development and growth that heads in their direction. With a number of the differences between leadership and management outlined above, management especially is typically seen in a more negative light than leadership. However, both managers and leaders are important when working in unison: Management without leadership: Well-managed workers and workloads, but a lack of direction and opportunities can be missed. Leadership without management: Brilliant ideas and theory, but effective and proper implementation is ignored.

Therefore it is hugely important that not only both leadership and management are practiced, but that they are both implemented hand in hand, together, effectively and efficiently. If this is the case then a business has the best possible chance at success, present and in the future, something that proper leadership and management training should be able to assist out with. People who are searching the Internet for info about the sphere of emotional freedom technique training, please check out the page that is quoted in this line.

Leadership Styles + ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

We have all had good leaders and bad leaders in our lives at some point but what is it that makes us decide which classification to assign them? What was it about their leadership style that led us to determine if they were good or bad? Good leadership incorporates a vast array of skills that will determine its effectiveness. One of the most prominent is the approach or leadership style that a particular leader chooses to employ. Leadership style is the attitude or approach that a leader adopts in order to lead others. In involves the way that a leader will go about issuing instruction or giving direction. It includes the methods with which he or she will develop plans. Finally yet importantly, it is the way that a leader can influence people and keep them motivated. Over the years, management and leadership styles have been closely examined in an attempt to find new and better ways to lead. We have examined the effectiveness of a number of differing approaches. This has led to the classification of leadership into three main categories or leadership styles. These are authoritarian, democratic, and delegative. Most leaders will fall somewhere in between based on their individual personalities and depending on the situation. 1. Authoritarian (Autocratic) Leadership This style relies heavily on the authority of the position in many cases. While some elements of this style are considered useful, dependence on authority alone can be problematic. This is knows as the bossy leadership style. An authoritarian leader gives orders based in his or her own view of the situation alone. The authoritarian leader simply tells people to do what he or she wants done with little regard for additional information or feedback, relationships or perspectives other than his or her own. While the shortcomings of this style can be easily imagined, there are times when it can be useful especially when the course is narrower in scope, the followers are already motivated and the leader already knows everything that he or she needs to know about every aspect of the operation. Of course, this ideal scenario is quite rare which is why this style is usually problematic and less effective when relied on heavily. We tend to associate this style with degrading, disrespectful or unprofessional leaders but its true essence is simply command. The disrespect that may often accompany this style is not

necessarily part of the authoritarian style but rather the poor effectiveness of the individual in question. A predominantly authoritarian leader who also uses poor tactics like this is a recipe for disaster while someone who uses it to compliment other styles can be effective. An autocratic leader is the one who believes in taking all the important decisions himself. It is the leader who decides how the work has to be done and by whom. Once the decision has been made, there is no scope of any change. The subordinates simply carry on with the works assigned to them. They are not allowed to give any input regarding how they should do their work or conduct daily activities. Every detail is pre-decided by the leader himself. In case some changes in the work schedule have to be made, they are made by the leader without consulting any one else. Autocratic leadership style works well if the leader is competent and knowledgeable enough to decide about each and everything. Authoritative is considered one of the most effective leadership styles in case there is some emergency and quick decisions need to be taken. If there is no time left for discussion or weighing various options, then this type of leadership style gives the best results. Authoritarian leadership styles examples can be found in the real world in people like Bill Gates and John F Kennedy. Bill Gates followed the authoritarian leadership style and steered Microsoft towards unbelievable success. According to Bill Gates, he had a vision when he took reins of the company and then used all the resources available to make that vision a reality. His success can be judged from the way personal computers industry has advanced in America today. ADVANTAGES 1. Autocratic leadership is useful when the subordinates are new on the job and have no experience either in the managerial decision-making process or performing without active supervision. 2. It can increase efficiency and even morale when appropriate and get quicker results, specially in a crisis or emergency when the decision must be taken immediately. 3. The paternalistic leadership is useful when the subordinates are not interested in seeking responsibility or when they feel insecure at the job or when they work better under clear and detailed directives 4. It is useful when the chain of command and the division of work is clear and understood by all and there is little room for error in the final accomplishment. DISADVANTAGES 1. one way communication without feedback leads to misunderstandings and communication breakdown. 2. An autocratic leader makes hius own decisions which can be very dangerous in this age of technological and sociological complexity 3. Since it inhibits the subordinates freedom, it fails to develop his commitment to the goals and objectives of the organization. 4. Since the environment at the work place provides for worker resentment, it creates problems with their morale resulting in poor productivity in the long run.

5. It is unsuitable when the workforce is knowledgeable about their jobs and the job calls for teamwork and cooperative spirit. 2. Democratic (participative) Leadership Let us take a vote. The democratic style of leadership in one in which the leader will get the members of the team more involved in the decision making and direction aspects of the operation at hand. He or she will rely on feedback from subordinates, followers or workers. While the leader maintains the authority to make the final decision, he or she understands the usefulness of using information and perspectives outside of his or her own limited scope. People will me more motivated to participate and get things done when they feel included in the overall design and direction. In part, they will feel as if the direction of the tasks is their own. Democratic leadership also strengthens relationships and promotes greater levels of respect and confidence in the operation as a whole. The people involve will have a better understanding of what they are working to accomplish and thus be more motivated to make it happen. This has been found to be a very effective approach to leadership as it relies more heavily on positive relationships and effective communication. Here's a participative leadership styles examples - An advertising manager approaches his team members on how to promote a particular product of a company. The team members brain storm over the issue, some suggest print media, others suggest direct mails to the prospective clients. The participative leader takes all these suggestions, weighs their pros and cons and then takes the final decision after considering his team members' opinions. ADVANTAGES: 1. Active participation in the managerial operations by labour assures rising productivity and satisfaction. 2. Workers develop a great sense of self esteem due to importance given to their ideas and their contribution. 3. The employees become more committed to changes that may be brought about by policy changes, since they themselves participated in bringing them about. 4. The leadership induces confidence, cooperation and loyalty amongst the workers. 5. It results in higher employee morale 6. It increases the participants understanding of each other which results in greater tolerance and patience towards others. DISADVANTAGES: 1. the democratic leadership requires some favorable conditions in that the labour must be literate, informed and organized. This is not always possible 2. this approach assumes that all workers are genuinely interested in the organization and that their individual goals are successfully fused with the organizational goals. This assumption may not always be valid

3. there must be total trust on the part of the management as well as employees. Some employees may consider this approach simply an attempt to manipulate them. Accordingly, the employees must be fully receptive to this approach to make it meaningful. 4. Some group members may feel alienated if their ideas are not accepted for action. This may create a feeling of frustration and ill-will. 5. This approach is very time consuming and too many viewpoints and ideas may make the process of reaching a decision more difficult and may be a source of frustration to impatient management. 6. Some managers may be uncomfortable with this approach because they may fear an erosion of their power base and their control over labour. 7. This approach relies heavily on incentives and motivation of recognition, appreciation, status and prestige. However, labour may be interested in financial incentives instead of prestige.

3. Delegative (laissez faire) Leadership Laissez faire is a French term that essentially means, To allow. This leadership style is centered on the delegation of responsibility and task accomplishment to others within the team structure. With delegative leadership, the leader allows subordinates to make decisions on their own using their own experience and knowledge of the specific area that they control. This is actually a very widely used form of leadership due to the complex nature of most organizations that require the use of leadership. It is far more effective to let the people who understand a smaller part of the puzzle in more depth control and take responsibility for the part of the project that falls within their scope. The leader sets the overall goals and directs the big picture. He or she will also monitor the progress of the operation and give instruction to the delegated leaders below him or her when needed. This allows the leader to manage a broader scope of responsibilities by not trying to micro manage smaller aspects and details of the operation. While delegates hold responsibility to the leader, the leader is still ultimately responsible for the operation. This style is effective when employees or followers have all of the tools and understanding that they need to do the job or when their knowledge of the smaller task is deeper or more acute than that of the leader. If you do not know anything about software development and you hire a developer to create software to accomplish a task, you are unlikely to know enough to tell the developer how to go about writing code. You can however direct the overall effort by explaining the priority needs of the final product and communicating to determine whether what you want is actually possible with the given resources. This relationship relies on a certain degree of trust in the competence of the employee. ADVANTAGES: 1. It creates an environment of freedom, individuality as well as team spirit.

2. It is highly creative with a free and informal work environment. 3. This approach is very useful where people are highly motivated and achievement oriented.

DISADVANTAGES: 1. It may result in disorganized activities which may lead to inefficiency and chaos. 2. Insecurity and frustration may develop due to lack of specific decision making authority and guidance. 3. Team spirit may suffer due to possible presence of some uncooperative members. 4. Some members may put their own interests above the group and team interests.

Good Leaders

An effective leader will use a combination of skills derived from all three of the styles above. Great leaders are those who can effectively change their style and incorporate strengths from each style in the right ratios to meet specific situations with the most effective approach. This is not always easy. The complex nature of personal relationships, large operations and business tasks requires that leaders be understanding, flexible, experience and competent in the intricacies of solid leadership. It takes time, effort and education to become a great leader.

Principles of Leadership
To help you be, know, and do, follow these eleven principles of leadership (U.S. Army, 1983). The later chapters in this Leadership guide expand on these principles and provide tools for implementing them:
1. Know yourself and seek self-improvement - In order to know yourself, you have to understand your be, know, and do, attributes. Seeking self-improvement means continually strengthening your attributes. This can be accomplished through self-study, formal classes, reflection, and interacting with others. 2. Be technically proficient - As a leader, you must know your job and have a solid familiarity with your employees' tasks. 3. Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions - Search for ways to guide your organization to new heights. And when things go wrong, they always do sooner or later do not blame others. Analyze the situation, take corrective action, and move on to the next challenge. 4. Make sound and timely decisions - Use good problem solving, decision making, and planning tools.

5. Set the example - Be a good role model for your employees. They must not only hear what they are expected to do, but also see. We must become the change we want to see - Mahatma Gandhi 6. Know your people and look out for their well-being - Know human nature and the importance of sincerely caring for your workers. 7. Keep your workers informed - Know how to communicate with not only them, but also seniors and other key people. 8. Develop a sense of responsibility in your workers - Help to develop good character traits that will help them carry out their professional responsibilities. 9. Ensure that tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished - Communication is the key to this responsibility. 10. Train as a team - Although many so called leaders call their organization, department, section, etc. a team; they are not really teams...they are just a group of people doing their jobs. 11. Use the full capabilities of your organization - By developing a team spirit, you will be able to employ your organization, department, section, etc. to its fullest capabilities.

Attributes of Leadership
If you are a leader who can be trusted, then those around you will grow to respect you. To be such a leader, there is a Leadership Framework to guide you:

BE KNOW DO
BE a professional. Examples: Be loyal to the organization, perform selfless service, take personal responsibility. BE a professional who possess good character traits. Examples: Honesty, competence, candor, commitment, integrity, courage, straightforwardness, imagination. KNOW the four factors of leadership follower, leader, communication, situation. KNOW yourself. Examples: strengths and weakness of your character, knowledge, and skills. KNOW human nature. Examples: Human needs, emotions, and how people respond to stress. KNOW your job. Examples: be proficient and be able to train others in their tasks. KNOW your organization. Examples: where to go for help, its climate and culture, who the unofficial leaders are. DO provide direction. Examples: goal setting, problem solving, decision making, planning. DO implement. Examples: communicating, coordinating, supervising, evaluating. DO motivate. Examples: develop morale and esprit de corps in the organization, train, coach, counsel.

THE ESSENSE OF LEADERSHIP

A leader is an agent of change, and progress is about change. In the words of Robert F Kennedy,
'Progress is a nice word; but change is its motivator.' Leadership is about raising the aspirations of followers and enthusing people with a desire to reach for the stars. For instance, Mahatma Gandhi [ Images ] created a vision for independence in India [ Images ] and raised the aspirations of our people. Leadership is about making people say, 'I will walk on water for you.' It is about creating a worthy dream and helping people achieve it. Robert Kennedy [ Images ], summed up leadership best when he said, 'Others see things as they are and wonder why; I see them as they are not and say why not?' Adversity A leader has to raise the confidence of followers. He should make them understand that tough times are part of life and that they will come out better at the end of it. He has to sustain their hope, and their energy levels to handle the difficult days. There is no better example of this than Winston Churchill [ Images ]. His courageous leadership as prime minister for Great Britain successfully led the British people from the brink of defeat during World War II. He raised his people's hopes with the words, 'These are not dark days; these are great days -- the greatest days our country has ever lived.' Never is strong leadership more needed than in a crisis. In the words of Seneca, the Greek philosopher, 'Fire is the test of gold; adversity, of strong men.' Values The leader has to create hope. He has to create a plausible story about a better future for the organisation: everyone should be able to see the rainbow and catch a part of it. This requires creating trust in people. And to create trust, the leader has to subscribe to a value system: a protocol for behavior that enhances the confidence, commitment and enthusiasm of the people. Compliance to a value system creates the environment for people to have high aspirations, self esteem, belief in fundamental values, confidence in the future and the enthusiasm necessary to take up apparently difficult tasks. Leaders have to walk the talk and demonstrate their commitment to a value system.

As Mahatma Gandhi said, 'We must become the change we want to see in the world.' Leaders have to prove their belief in sacrifice and hard work. Such behavior will enthuse the employees to make bigger sacrifices. It will help win the team's confidence, help leaders become credible, and help create trust in their ideas. Enhancing trust Trust and confidence can only exist where there is a premium on transparency. The leader has to create an environment where each person feels secure enough to be able to disclose his or her mistakes, and resolves to improve. Investors respect such organisations. Investors understand that the business will have good times and bad times. What they want you to do is to level with them at all times. They want you to disclose bad news on a proactive basis. At Infosys [ Get Quote ], our philosophy has always been, 'When in doubt, disclose.' Governance Good corporate governance is about maximising shareholder value on a sustainable basis while ensuring fairness to all stakeholders: customers, vendor-partners, investors, employees, government and society. A successful organisation tides over many downturns. The best index of success is its longevity. This is predicated on adhering to the finest levels of corporate governance. At Infosys, we have consistently adopted transparency and disclosure standards even before law mandated it. In 1995, Infosys suffered losses in the secondary market. Under Indian GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles), we were not required to make this information public. Nevertheless, we published this information in our annual report. Fearless environment Transparency about the organisation's operations should be accompanied by an open environment inside the organisation. You have to create an environment where any employee can disagree with you without fear of reprisal. In such a case, everyone makes suggestions for the common good. In the end everyone will be better off. On the other hand, at Enron, the CFO was running an empire where people were afraid to speak. In some other cases, the whistle blowers have been harassed and thrown out of the company. Managerial remuneration We have gone towards excessive salaries and options for senior management staff. At one company, the CEO's employment contract not only set out the model of the Mercedes [ Images ]

the company would buy him, but also promised a monthly first-class air ticket for his mother, along with a cash bonus of $10 million and other benefits. Not surprisingly, this company has already filed for bankruptcy. Managerial remuneration should be based on three principles:

Fairness with respect to the compensation of other employees; Transparency with respect to shareholders and employees; Accountability with respect to linking compensation with corporate performance.

Thus, the compensation should have a fixed component and a variable component. The variable component should be linked to achieving long-term objectives of the firm. Senior management should swim or sink with the fortunes of the company. Senior management compensation should be reviewed by the compensation committee of the board, which should consist only of independent directors. Further, this should be approved by the shareholders. I've been asked, 'How can I ask for limits on senior management compensation when I have made millions myself?' A fair question with a straightforward answer: two systems are at play here. One is that of the promoter, the risk taker and the capital markets; and the other is that of professional management and compensation structures. One cannot mix these two distinct systems, otherwise entrepreneurship will be stifled, and no new companies will come up, no progress can take place. At the same time, there has to be fairness in compensation: there cannot be huge differences between the top most and the bottom rung of the ladder within an organisation. PSPD model A well run organisation embraces and practices a sound Predictability-SustainabilityProfitability-Derisking (we call this the PSPD model at Infosys) model. Indeed, the long-term success of an organisation depends on having a model that scales up profitably. Further, every organisation must have a good derisking approach that recognises, measures and mitigates risk along every dimension. Integrity Strong leadership in adverse times helps win the trust of the stakeholders, making it more likely that they will stand by you in your hour of need. As leaders who dream of growth and progress, integrity is your most wanted attribute.

Lead your teams to fight for the truth and never compromise on your values. I am confident that our corporate leaders, through honest and desirable behaviour, will reap long-term benefits for their stakeholders. Two mottos In conclusion, keep in mind two Sanskrit sentences: Sathyannasti Paro Dharma (there is no dharma greater than adherence to truth); and Satyameva jayate (truth alone triumphs). Let these be your motto for good corporate leadership.

THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP
Over the last 80 years, a number of different theories and approaches to studying leadership have been developed. Prior to 1945, the most common approach to the study of leadership concentrated on leadership traits. It was thought that leaders possessed and exhibited some unique set of qualities that distinguished them from their peers. Because this line of investigation did not produce consistent outcomes, research centered on other theories such as behavioral and situational approaches to leadership identification. These theories are examined as follows:

The Trait Approach to Leadership

Assumptions
People are born with inherited traits. Some traits are particularly suited to leadership. People who make good leaders have the right (or sufficient) combination of traits.

Description
Early research on leadership was based on the psychological focus of the day, which was of people having inherited characteristics or traits. Attention was thus put on discovering these traits, often by studying successful leaders, but with the underlying assumption that if other people could also be found with these traits, then they, too, could also become great leaders. Stogdill (1974) identified the following traits and skills as critical to leaders.

Traits

Skills

Adaptable to situations Alert to social environment Ambitious and achievementorientated Assertive Cooperative Decisive Dependable Dominant (desire to influence others) Energetic (high activity level) Persistent Self-confident Tolerant of stress Willing to assume responsibility

Clever (intelligent) Conceptually skilled Creative Diplomatic and tactful Fluent in speaking Knowledgeable about group task Organised (administrative ability) Persuasive Socially skilled

McCall and Lombardo (1983) researched both success and failure identified four primary traits by which leaders could succeed or 'derail':

Emotional stability and composure: Calm, confident and predictable, particularly when under stress. Admitting error: Owning up to mistakes, rather than putting energy into covering up. Good interpersonal skills: Able to communicate and persuade others without resort to negative or coercive tactics. Intellectual breadth: Able to understand a wide range of areas, rather than having a narrow (and narrow-minded) area of expertise.

Discussion
There have been many different studies of leadership traits and they agree only in the general saintly qualities needed to be a leader. For a long period, inherited traits were sidelined as learned and situational factors were considered to be far more realistic as reasons for people acquiring leadership positions. Paradoxically, the research into twins who were separated at birth along with new sciences such as Behavioral Genetics have shown that far more is inherited than was previously supposed. Perhaps one day they will find a 'leadership gene'.

Behavioral Theory

Assumptions
Leaders can be made, rather than are born. Successful leadership is based in definable, learnable behavior.

Description
Behavioral theories of leadership do not seek inborn traits or capabilities. Rather, they look at what leaders actually do. If success can be defined in terms of describable actions, then it should be relatively easy for other people to act in the same way. This is easier to teach and learn then to adopt the more ephemeral 'traits' or 'capabilities'.

Discussion
Behavioral is a big leap from Trait Theory, in that it assumes that leadership capability can be learned, rather than being inherent. This opens the floodgates to leadership development, as opposed to simple psychometric assessment that sorts those with leadership potential from those who will never have the chance. A behavioral theory is relatively easy to develop, as you simply assess both leadership success and the actions of leaders. With a large enough study, you can then correlate statistically significant behaviors with success. You can also identify behaviors which contribute to failure, thus adding a second layer of understanding. MANAGERIAL GRID Another aspect of behavioral theory of leadership is represented by the managerial grid. It was developed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton and plays an important part in managerial behavior in organizational development. In general, behavioral scientists have separated the two primary concerns in organizations, namely, the concern for production and concern for people. They believed that a high concern for production necessarily meant low concern for people and high consideration for workers meant tolerance for low production. However, the managerial grid model emphasized that both concerns should be integrated to achieve objectives of the organization. It assumes that people and production factors are complementary to each other rather than mutually exclusive. According to Rao and Narayana, the concern for production is not limited to things only, and concern for people cannot be confined to narrow considerations of interpersonal warmth and friendliness. Production can be measured in terms of creative ideas of people that turn into useful products, processes or procedures, efficiency of workers and quality of staff and auxiliary services. Similarly, concern for people includes concern for the degree of personal commitment of complemetnting the work requirement assigned to each person, accountability based upon

trust rather than fear or force, sense of job security and friendship with co-workers leading to a healthy working climate.

The management grid is built on two axis, one representing the people and the other the task. Both the horizontal, as well as the vertical axis are treated as a scale from 1 to 9 where 1 represents the least involvement and nine represents the most involvement, so that the coordinates (1, 1) would indicate minimum standards for worker involvement and task design, and coordinates (9, 9) would indicate maximum dedication of the workers and highly structured operations. Such an involvement would reflect upon the managerial orientation towards tasks and towards workers who are expected to perform such tasks. Blake and Mouton have identified five coordinates that reflect various styles of leader behavior. The managerial grid figure and these styles are shown as follows:

The managerial grid diagram as shown can be interpreted as follows: 1. Coordinates(1,1) This represents an impoverished management and the manager makes minimum efforts to get the work done. Minimum standards of performance and minimum worker dedication. 2. Coordinates(9,1) Excellent work design. Well established procedures. Minimum worker interference. Orderly performance and efficient operations. 3. Coordinates( 1, 9) Personal and meaningful relationships with people. Friendly atmosphere and high morale. Loosely structured work design. 4. Coordinates(9, 9) ultimate in managerial efficiency. Thoroughly dedicated people. Trustworthy and respectable atmosphere. Highly organized task performances. Known as team management style, it relies upon interdependence of relationships based upon trust and respect and work accomplishment based upon commitment of employees.

5. Coordinates(5, 5) Known as he middle-of-the-road management style, it is concerned with balancing the necessity to get the work done while maintaining worker morale at a satisfactory level. The goal is to achieve adequate organizational performance.

This managerial grid provides a reasonable indication of the health of the organization as well as the ability of the managers. The model assumes that there is one best or more effective style of management which is the style indicated by coordinates(9, 9) also known as team management style. It is the objective of all management to move as close to this style as possible, for managers who emphasize both high concern for people as well as productivity are presumed to be more successful. Accordingly, managers should be carefully selected on basis of their ability to coordinate people and tasks for optimum benefit.

Contingency Theory

Assumptions
The leader's ability to lead is contingent upon various situational factors, including the leader's preferred style, the capabilities and behaviors of followers and also various other situational factors.

Description
Contingency theories are a class of behavioral theory that contend that there is no one best way of leading and that a leadership style that is effective in some situations may not be successful in others. An effect of this is that leaders who are very effective at one place and time may become unsuccessful either when transplanted to another situation or when the factors around them change. This helps to explain how some leaders who seem for a while to have the 'Midas touch' suddenly appear to go off the boil and make very unsuccessful decisions.

Discussion
Contingency theory is similar to situational theory in that there is an assumption of no simple one right way. The main difference is that situational theory tends to focus more on the behaviors

that the leader should adopt, given situational factors (often about follower behavior), whereas contingency theory takes a broader view that includes contingent factors about leader capability and other variables within the situation.

Fiedler's Least Preferred Co-worker (LPC) Theory

Assumptions
Leaders prioritize between task-focus and people-focus. Relationships, power and task structure are the three key factors that drive effective styles.

Description
Fiedler identified the a Least Preferred Co-Worker scoring for leaders by asking them first to think of a person with which they worked that they would like least to work with again, and then to score the person on a range of scales between positive factors (friendly, helpful, cheerful, etc.) and negative factors (unfriendly, unhelpful, gloomy, etc.). A high LPC leader generally scores the other person as positive and a low LPC leader scores them as negative. High LPC leaders tend to have close and positive relationships and act in a supportive way, even prioritizing the relationship before the task. Low LPC leaders put the task first and will turn to relationships only when they are satisfied with how the work is going. Three factors are then identified about the leader, member and the task, as follows:

Leader-Member Relations: The extent to which the leader has the support and loyalties of followers and relations with them are friendly and cooperative. Task structure: The extent to which tasks are standardised, documented and controlled. Leader's Position-power: The extent to which the leader has authority to assess follower performance and give reward or punishment.

The best LPC approach depends on a combination of there three. Generally, a high LPC approach is best when leader-member relations are poor, except when the task is unstructured and the leader is weak, in which a low LPC style is better.

Leader-Member Relations

Task structure

Leader's Most Effective Position- power leader

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Good Good Good Good Poor Poor Poor Poor

Structured Structured Unstructured Unstructured Structured Structured Unstructured Unstructured

Strong Weak Strong Weak Strong Weak Strong Weak

Low LPC Low LPC Low LPC High LPC High LPC High LPC High LPC Low LPC

Discussion
This approach seeks to identify the underlying beliefs about people, in particular whether the leader sees others as positive (high LPC) or negative (low LPC). The neat trick of the model is to take someone where it would be very easy to be negative about them. This is another approach that uses task- vs. people-focus as a major categorisation of the leader's style.

Path-Goal Theory of Leadership

Description
The Path-Goal Theory of Leadership was developed to describe the way that leaders encourage and support their followers in achieving the goals they have been set by making the path that they should take clear and easy. In particular, leaders:

Clarify the path so subordinates know which way to go. Remove roadblocks that are stopping them going there.

Increasing the rewards along the route.

Leaders can take a strong or limited approach in these. In clarifying the path, they may be directive or give vague hints. In removing roadblocks, they may scour the path or help the follower move the bigger blocks. In increasing rewards, they may give occasional encouragement or pave the way with gold. This variation in approach will depend on the situation, including the follower's capability and motivation, as well as the difficulty of the job and other contextual factors. House and Mitchell (1974) describe four styles of leadership:
Supportive leadership

Considering the needs of the follower, showing concern for their welfare and creating a friendly working environment. This includes increasing the follower's self-esteem and making the job more interesting. This approach is best when the work is stressful, boring or hazardous.
Directive leadership

Telling followers what needs to be done and giving appropriate guidance along the way. This includes giving them schedules of specific work to be done at specific times. Rewards may also be increased as needed and role ambiguity decreased (by telling them what they should be doing). This may be used when the task is unstructured and complex and the follower is inexperienced. This increases the follower's sense of security and control and hence is appropriate to the situation.
Participative leadership

Consulting with followers and taking their ideas into account when making decisions and taking particular actions. This approach is best when the followers are expert and their advice is both needed and they expect to be able to give it.
Achievement-oriented leadership

Setting challenging goals, both in work and in self-improvement (and often together). High standards are demonstrated and expected. The leader shows faith in the capabilities of the follower to succeed. This approach is best when the task is complex.

Discussion
Leaders who show the way and help followers along a path are effectively 'leading'.

This approach assumes that there is one right way of achieving a goal and that the leader can see it and the follower cannot. This casts the leader as the knowing person and the follower as dependent. It also assumes that the follower is completely rational and that the appropriate methods can be deterministically selected depending on the situation. Life cycle theory

Vroom and Yetton's Normative Model

Assumptions
Decision acceptance increases commitment and effectiveness of action. Participation increases decision acceptance.

Description
Decision quality is the selection of the best alternative, and is particularly important when there are many alternatives. It is also important when there are serious implications for selecting (or failing to select) the best alternative. Decision acceptance is the degree to which a follower accepts a decision made by a leader. Leaders focus more on decision acceptance when decision quality is more important.

And the time required to make the decision Vroom and Yetton defined five different decision procedures. Two are autocratic (A1 and A2), two are consultative (C1 and C2) and one is Group based (G2). A1: Leader takes known information and then decides alone. A2: Leader gets information from followers, and then decides alone. C1: Leader shares problem with followers individually, listens to ideas and then decides alone. C2: Leader shares problems with followers as a group, listens to ideas and then decides alone.

G2: Leader shares problems with followers as a group and then seeks and accepts consensus agreement.

Situational factors that influence the method are relatively logical:

When decision quality is important and followers possess useful information, then A1 and A2 are not the best method. When the leader sees decision quality as important but followers do not, then G2 is inappropriate. When decision quality is important, when the problem is unstructured and the leader lacks information / skill to make the decision alone, then G2 is best. When decision acceptance is important and followers are unlikely to accept an autocratic decision, then A1 and A2 are inappropriate. when decision acceptance is important but followers are likely to disagree with one another, then A1, A2 and C1 are not appropriate, because they do not give opportunity for differences to be resolved. When decision quality is not important but decision acceptance is critical, then G2 is the best method. When decision quality is important, all agree with this, and the decision is not likely to result from an autocratic decision then G2 is best.

Discussion
Vroom and Yetton (1973) took the earlier generalized situational theories that noted how situational factors cause almost unpredictable leader behavior and reduced this to a more limited set of behaviors. The 'normative' aspect of the model is that it was defined more by rational logic than by long observation. The model is most likely to work when there is clear and accessible opinions about the decision quality importance and decision acceptance factors. However these are not always known with any significant confidence.
CASE STUDY ON LEADERSHIP THE INDRA NOOYI WAY

This case examines the importance of strategy and leadership in the transformation of a company. It highlights the strategic vision and leadership style of PepsiCo's CEO Indra K. Nooyi (Nooyi). Nooyi started her career at PepsiCo in 1994 as senior vice president (strategic planning). She rose to the post of CFO in 2001 and later became the CEO in 2006. During her tenure at PepsiCo, she

undertook a number of strategic initiatives. Nooyi recommended spinning off Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut, arguing that PepsiCo couldn't bring enough value to the fast food industry with restaurant businesses as it required dedicated services industry management. Nooyi also led the acquisition of Tropicana in 1998 and merger with Quaker Oats Company in 2001. When Nooyi became the CEO of PepsiCo, the primary goal advocated by her was to achieve "Performance with Purpose." She implemented a number of measures to improve the sustainability of the company's operations and image by focusing on improvements in the health implications of PepsiCo's products. She expanded PepsiCo's business into developing markets worldwide and focused on increasing the composition of healthy foods in PepsiCo's product portfolio.

Issues:
Understand the role of strategic and transformational leadership in management. Compare and contrast different styles of leadership. Appreciate the strategic vision of Indra Nooyi. Study and comment on the leadership style of Indra Nooyi. Understand the importance of sustainability in the management of a company.

Nooyi as A Strategist
Within two months of Nooyi joining PepsiCo as SVP, the company's restaurant business, which it had acquired a decade earlier and in which it had invested billions of dollars to build up, entered a sluggish phase with lower sales, volumes, and profits. Nooyi worked with Roger Enrico (Enrico), Chairman and CEO of Frito-Lay, who had been asked to take charge of PepsiCo's restaurant business as Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo Worldwide Restaurants, and turn it around. Together, they investigated the problem and made efforts to analyze what was wrong with the business . They concluded that the problem was with PepsiCo trying to adopt a management and distribution model that was more suitable for a packaged goods industry rather than a restaurant chain in the services industry...

Nooyi Becomes CFO

Nooyi was promoted as the Chief Financial Officer at PepsiCo in February 2000. A year later, she was promoted as the President and also provided a seat on the Board of Directors. As a CFO, she was responsible for innovation, finance, procurements, investor relations, strategy, and information technology functions...

Nooyi as CEO
In October 2006, Nooyi was promoted as PepsiCo's CEO. Analysts felt that her diverse knowledge of global markets and ethnic background were the reasons for her becoming CEO. On her appointment as CEO, Reinemund said, "She not only co-authored our vision and drafted...

Response To Global Economic Slowdown

PepsiCo faced a number of economic challenges in 2008. Spiraling fuel and energy prices, rising costs of raw materials and other commodities, and increased packaging costs across economies had become a cause for concern.

The Criticism
Notwithstanding her successful stint in PepsiCo, Nooyi also had to face criticism on several fronts. She was criticized for her lack of operational experience. Nooyi had joined PepsiCo after six years in consulting and at PepsiCo too, had worked as a strategist before becoming CFO and later CEO...

Biocon - Kiran Mazumdar Shaw's Entrepreneurial Dream LEADERSHIP

Biocon India (Biocon), the number one biotech company in Asia in terms of revenues and market capitalization, was founded in the backyard of a suburban house in Bangalore in 1978 as a small operation of enzyme extraction. The woman behind Biocon - Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (Kiran) who dreamt of starting her own business with just Rs. 10,000 in hand and a degree in brewery - is now the richest woman in India. The case study

describes how Kiran recognized the future potential of biotechnology industry when not many people in India knew about it. It describes in detail the challenges faced by Kiran in terms of gathering resources when she launched her biotech start-up. It discusses how Kiran's firm determination and belief in herself helped in overcoming the various challenges she faced. The case then examines how Kiran exploited the opportunities in the fast growing biotech industry in India and the major steps she took to grow Biocon's business. The entrepreneurship and leadership skills of Kiran are also discussed. Overall, the case focuses on 'opportunity recognition and exploitation processes,' and 'managing start-up and growth,' while highlighting the role and importance of women entrepreneurs and the problems they face when doing business in India...

Issues:
Understand the role of an entrepreneur and a leader in creating a start-up and transforming it into a global player and a leader in its industry. Study the role of an entrepreneur in the struggle, survival and success of a company in the initial and subsequent stages in the biotech industry. Analyze the leadership qualities of Kiran and identify those characteristics that contributed to the success of Biocon and made it the leading company in the biotech industry. Understand the significance and impact of a leader on an organization's culture and human resources

Businesswoman of the Year 2004

In November 2004, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (Kiran), the Chairperson and Managing Director of Biocon India Limited (Biocon) received the 'Businesswoman of the Year Award,' from 'The Economic Times of India,2' a leading Indian business daily. This award was to be given to a person who "was global in nature and would have shareholders' good uppermost in mind. The person should have followed her heart and vision relentlessly, broken all glass ceilings3 and pioneered the cause of women in business."4 It symbolized the increasing importance of the role of women in the Indian business arena. One of the

most successful businesswomen in India, Kiran had received several awards during her career of over 25 years (Refer Exhibit I for the list of awards received by Kiran). She founded Biocon as an enzyme extraction company in a rented garage in 1978. By 2004, Biocon had emerged as the #1 biotech company in Asia, and #16 in the world in terms of revenues and market capitalization. The company made its initial offer of shares to the public in March 2004. The shareholders earned handsome returns on their investments as the stock, which was offered at Rs 315, touched a high of Rs 780 in early November 2004 (Refer Exhibit II for the stock price chart of the company). Reportedly, Kiran had to break through the 'glass ceiling' effect on several occasions being a woman entrepreneur in the traditional Indian society. She believed that Indian women can do well in business even if they don't belong to a business family or have political influence or immense wealth. Kiran believed that women in India were not meant for only certain kind of jobs like teacher, nurse or personal secretary, or for running a small or cottage industry at the most. She considered herself a representative of the modern women who could work shoulder-to-shoulder alongside men and build mega businesses. Expressing a deep desire for equality, she said in her award acceptance speech, "I do hope that in the not-too-distant future, there will be one award for men and women alike - the Businessperson of the Year Award.

The Entrepreneur
Kiran was born and brought up in Bangalore in the state of Karnataka, India. She hailed from a middle-class family, which encouraged her to pursue higher education. Following the footsteps of her father, who was chief brewmaster6 in United Breweries7, she went to Ballarat College in Melbourne, Australia, to specialize in Malting and Brewing Technology to become India's first woman brewmaster. Kiran came back to India in 1975 expecting to get lucrative job offers. However, she did not receive any. Though she possessed the required technical qualifications, her chosen profession was completely maledominated one8. After staying for two years as a

consultant in India, Kiran went abroad and found a job in the UK. There she met Leslie Auchincloss (Auchincloss), the owner of Biocon Biochemicals Limited, an Ireland-based company. Auchincloss was planning to start a business in India. The Irish company wanted to establish its operations in India to produce simple bio-products from indigenous raw materials.

The Growth of Biocon

Biocon started with the manufacture and export of Papain, a plant enzyme, and Isinglass, a marine hydrocolloid,11 which are key products for the brewing industry. Within two years, Biocon established a steady flow of exports to Ireland. As the offtake of the company's products by Ireland grew, Biocon's manufacturing activity was shifted from the rented garage to a 20-acre site near Bangalore city in 1983. Kiran was not content with the steady growth in the product offtake by the Irish company. In 1984, she decided to recruit a team to commence research and development (R&D) in new areas of enzyme technology.

The Leader
Biocon emerged as the #1 biotech company in Asia and #16 in the world in terms of its fiscal 2003-04 revenues. For the fiscal year 2003-04, the company recorded net revenues of Rs 5018.824 mn, almost twice the previous year's figure, and a net profit of Rs 1246.726 mn. (Refer Exhibit III for the financial performance of the company). In the past 25 years, the company had evolved from a maker of enzymes to a major pharmaceutical enterprise, producing everything from insulin19 to antibodies20 (Refer Exhibit IV for the Biocon's achievements). On March 11, 2004, the company launched its initial public offer (IPO) of 10 million equity shares of Rs 5 face value at a price band of Rs 270-315. With this, Biocon became the first biotech company in India to go public.

The IPO was oversubscribed by 33 times, indicating the confidence of investors in Biocon. In December 2004, Biocon's average market capitalization between April 01, 2004 and September 30, 2004 stood at Rs 54 bn...

Looking Ahead
Without resting on her past laurels, Kiran has moved onto even more challenging ventures of developing insulin and drugs that can cure cancer. With 120 mn diabetic patients worldwide and 30 mn in India, diabetes had emerged as an important area for disease research. Biocon, through its subsidiary - Clinigene, embarked on a longitudinal research program in Type II diabetes.24 In the later half of 2004, Biocon launched recombinant human insulin under the brand name 'Insugen.' The product pitted Biocon against leading multinationals like Eli Lilly25 who had already lowered prices...

Myths of leadership !

Leadership is probably one of the most talked about business concepts, but the least understood. Leadership is about getting things done and helping people reach their potential. My experiences as a consultant has shown me many organizations do a pitiful job helping people reach their potential. One reason for this is old-fashioned leadership techniques--out-dated leadership concepts or what I call, "leadership mythology." A myth is something that is false, but believed to be true. As in many things in life, there are several myths surrounding the concept and practice of leadership. Unfortunately, these myths prevent qualified people from rising to the top. By listing these leadership myths, it is my hope to dispel many of the false beliefs. Myth 1 - Leadership is a rare ability only given to a few. Many people still think leaders are born not made. This can't be further from the truth. Most people have the potential to become good leaders. Leadership is not like a diet pill. Like most learned skills, it takes time, training, and lots of trial by error. The key ingredient making people good leaders is the ability to care about others. The second ingredient is a sense of purpose, vision or mission. A good leader charts a course and provides direction to those they lead. Myth 2 - Leaders are charismatic. Many leaders are charismatic, but closer scrutiny shows that most leaders are not. Some of the world's most famous leaders had warts--some sort of shortcoming or personality issue. In a leadership role, people skills are very important--more

important than technical skills. However, the best leaders are those who work toward a goal. Your cause, your purpose and your mission in life will make you charismatic, not the other way around. Myth 3 - The person with the title, most rank or the highest position is the leader. True leadership is not based on position or rank. It is based on action, performance, ability, and effectiveness. We all relate to working for those people who were placed in leadership roles who did more to demoralize and destroy the business than anything else. The best companies strive to develop and create as many leaders as possible. W.L. Gore & Associates, makers of Gore Tex and other products, have a unique approach to leadership. The practice of natural leadership "leadership by followship." They dont appoint people as leaders . . .they let the true leaders surface to the top. People naturally gravitate to those they want to follow, respect, and work with. There are no limiting job descriptions, job titles, and few rules and regulations. If a person comes up with a new idea, he or she puts a team together of people who have the desire and knowledge to make it work. Myth 4 - Effective leadership is based on control, coercion, and manipulation. Leadership is about the future, not the past. Joel Barker's has the best quote about leadership, "A leader is someone you would follow to a place you would not go to by yourself." Good leaders gain followers out of respect and their ability to cause people to work toward a particular goal or achieve a destination. People follow because they can relate to the vision or goal personalized by the leader. A good leader helps people become better than they are. A good leader creates a work environment that attracts, keeps and motivates its workforce. Myth 5 - Good leaders have more education than other people. Educational degrees may mean you have a good education, but it doesn't necessarily mean you are a good leader. When it comes to leadership, experience is the best teacher. The U.S. military has the best leadership development program in the world. In the military, you start out at the bottom. You are placed in leadership positions and closely evaluated. As your experience broadens, so does your responsibility. This practical experience is reinforced with weeks and months of formal training throughout the individual's career. The secret of success is those years of experience on the front-line. This is where a person learns to manage those interactions, experiences, and conflicts. You learn how to balance the needs of the mission versus the needs of the individual. Those officers and non-commissioned officers who fail to advance must exit the military. The military model of leadership development may not be perfect, but remains unequalled by any other organization.

Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition. Abraham Lincoln If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulder of giants. Isaac Newton

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. Steve Jobs Making good decisions is a crucial skill at every level. Peter Drucker

Are women better leaders than men??? Women lead differently than men, and thats a good thing for business

They Are:
Being Resourceful Yes, a spoonful of sugar does help the medicine go down, and yes, the way to a mans heart is often through his stomachold sayings familiar to everyone. While women take those sayings seriously, they also improvise by coming up with original and sometimes unconventional ideas to approach problematic situations differently. As leaders, they plan ahead by putting themselves in the shoes of others so that they can execute a strategy that addresses the reaction that is sure to come. I knew the players and coaches would not be thrilled with the new travel accommodations so I devised a response that would divert their attention and let them know I was aware of their discomfort. Being Empathetic Women are able, in part, to be more creative because they tend to be more empathetic the female brain is predominantly hard-wired for empathy. And hundreds of studies indicate that women are more empathetic than men.

My plan was to tell the story in a calm, clear and unemotional way. But when I stood in front of the workers and looked into the eyes of the men and women I worked with every day, tears filled my eyes and the tears continued to fall until my speech was finished. I feared that an angry crowd of workers would mock me, but as I dried my eyes and tried to gain some composure, one of my workers shouted out, Youre not so tough! and the rest of the employees applauded and laughed warmly in appreciation. Its a rare moment when most bosses or figures of authority show this side of themselves, but if its sincere, its a moment that will be appreciated forever by everyone who witnesses it. Because I communicated openly and honestly with my employees, every worker stayed on and saw the company through until closing day, saving me from even greater losses. Empathy is an awesome skill when it is used carefully and wisely in business situations. Being Inclusive Women naturally are more people persons than men because they are comfortable relating one-on-one with people at all levels of an organization. We make it a point to be inclusive and know the names and faces of people we are working with. Businessmen, however, tend to act impersonally and do not interact at all levels; they are exclusive. For women the term inclusive carries with it an implicit acknowledgement that people come first. By being inclusive with every business contactwhether customer, supplier, or employeeit allows us to be straightforward with them, and thus more efficient, about business problems when they arise. Womens success in business proves that manning-up is no longer the sole definition of leadership. The definition of leadership should be expanded to also include the unique skills that women bring to the table.