Vision in leadership

LEADERSHIP - Myths and Realities: Robert J. Allio; Tata McGraw- Hill Publishing Company Ltd., 7, West Patel Nagar, New Delhi- 110008. Rs. 325.

DURING THE last 70 years there have been numerous studies on the nature and characteristics of leadership and the literature on this is abundant and increasing. One of the pioneering researches on leadership is by Kurt Lewin and his colleagues, Ronald Lippit and Ralph White, in the 1930s at the University of Iowa. Subsequently, a group of researchers studying leadership traits in industry listed 1800 descriptive items or qualities to explain leadership: these were reduced to 150 items and later to 48 for the sake of brevity and practicality.

An extraordinary amount of literature has been produced during the last decade; for example during the last five years Time magazine featured 1184 articles referring to leadership and an astounding 2309 articles invoking the term ``leader''. Leadership is too complex and too variable a phenomena to be captured by any definition.

This extremely well gotten up book under notice by Robert Allio is an unusual evolution of certain concepts though many are not unknown to Indians. The redeeming feature of this 238-page book in three parts of nine chapters is that it contains not only application but also teaching, exploration of the concept and practice of leadership and the three critical dimensions of leadership - reinforcing values, developing vision and building community. Some of the explanations with exhibits like ``Leadership archetypes from the Tarot'' are educative.

Chapter one, an overview of the field, identifies the five myths and poses the question ``Does leadership require power?'' and argues that the key to success is a style that involves the entire organisation in a deliberately evolutionary process. The next chapter differentiates the role between managers and leaders through a number of exhibits comprising leaders who have had a significant and enduring religion and intellectual, political, artistic, social, military or corporate impact on their times. Is Virginia Woolf right in arguing that the historic denial of access by women to halls of learning has denied them access to wealth and power (A Room of One's Own). Well, we have ladies like Hillary Clinton, Christine Todd Whitman, Madeline Korbel Albright, Chandrika and Sirimavo offering us more auspicious models of leadership if we do not feel like comparing Jhansi Ki Rani, Indira Gandhi or Sarojini Naidu, the leaders of yester year and the CEOs presently. Leadership is not an elitist notion and this is well brought out here.

Chapter three deals with values, purpose and meaning. This chapter contains some excellent quotes from Hinduism (Bhagawad Gita) and Buddhism with a comparison of Allio's own hierarchy of organisational needs with Maslaw's hierarchy of human needs. The four scenarios (Ostrich, Lame Duck, Icarns and Flight of Flamingoes) are explained well. The next chapter continues with a discussion on how leaders set the direction for the organisation stressing the importance of vision and plans for strategy while chapter five completes the triad of leadership roles with an analysis of how leaders must build a coherent community and nurture culture making the three dominant themes, values, vision and community.

Chapter six discusses the qualities that should be nurtured by leaders stressing that ``there is no such thing as a perfect leader, either in the past or in the present.'' The author believes in the five fundamental hallmarks of truly effective leaders - authenticity, character, vision, will and wisdom. The pairs of famous and infamous leaders - first born and later born - from Forbes of March 10, 1998 is aptly quoted here to prove that the ultimate goal of a leader must be interdependence and transcendence. Fables like ``The man who planted trees'' by Jean Giono and others are well analysed here.

Chapter seven gives the skills to manage the ultimate change, complexity and conflict that beset our organisations. The action plan with Bongard figures are good. Chapter eight shows the way of teaching leadership - mentoring. Chapter nine throws light on how to achieve peak performance emphasising that it is really bad time for weak leadership. The exercises given as appendices are a bonus.

Are leaders made or born? No one can be a winner without aptitude and developing that aptitude through intense and dedicated training. Well, that is what this excellent book is intended for. A must read for anyone who wants to lead and not simply manage.

N. RAMASWAMI

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