Anna-isms : A Management Master Class
Anna Hazare’s campaign against corruption has caught the country’s imagination. For a generation that never had a chance to see how Gandhi managed to single handedly bring down the British government, this is a live history lesson.
Though I personally have my own opinions around how our society can become more honest & forthright, I certainly admire the raw guts of Anna to take on the proverbial Goliath for bringing in the Jan Lokpal. While as a citizen I feel a sense of pride through this movement; for the manager in me, this brings a huge inspiration on many levels.
The first and the most important lesson for me is the fact that this movement is all about Cause & Inspiration. The fact that People know they are fighting for a cause that is much greater than themselves brings them together. Ordinary citizens know & realize that what they are fighting for will probably determine what kind of society their children inherit and will significantly improve the daily experiences. To me the ability to articulate a cause (corruption free India) which on one hand, is greater than individuals, and is also simple enough for everyone to relate their individual contributions towards reaching this goal; is a management Triumph. Anna’s team has achieved what the most educated of managers after spending billions of dollars have neither comprehended or achieved in the corporate world…laying down a credible mission that people are willing to exert for.
Inspiration comes from the fact that he has led this charge from the front. He has not asked any of his associates to do anything that he can’t or won’t do himself. He has pushed his body and has had his character criticized. He has neither backed down nor winced and has taken the brunt on to himself. He has inspired people with his thoughts, lifestyle and most importantly actions. While the paradigms are certainly different for the corporate world, we need to remember that leaders inspire while managers only manage. The essential difference between a manager & a leader is that, a manager would ask his men to “go on” whereas the leader would ask his followers to “come on”!!!
The second important quality that I thought worth emulating was his almost obstinate approach towards running his campaign. His unwavering belief in his call of conscience. He has not got cowed down by the opinions of his peers, associates, followers or senior officials. He has amazing clarity on what he wants and is willing to risk it all (including his health) to go for it. How often, do we recollect changing our approach or thoughts or action just because someone we knew made us believe that we should be changing our approach? This quality incidentally, is also seen across many entrepreneurs & great managers who went against the opinions of their advisors, or financial analysts and created a new line of business. What would have happened if Richard Branson would have listened to the bankers while starting his space travel tourism business, or if Laxmi Mittal had given up after his failed takeover bid at Arcelor? Imagine what would have happened to iPhone had Steve Jobs given up chasing his ideas after being fired by Apple the first time or to US if Obama would have stopped believing that a freshman black senator could make a successful run for the presidency …I wonder! Success or failure is immaterial to such leaders with a “tunnel vision”. The followers of such leaders are able to discern this quality easily in their leader. This is the reason why eminent people with diverse skill sets get attracted to the leader.
The third lesson and probably the most difficult to emulate by lesser mortals like us, is Anna’s ability to surround himself with people who are better than him at their Jobs. Anna is aware that while his claim to fame is his ability to influence mass behavior & thoughts by fasting for just causes ; complex demands which could potentially alter the course of our history , need people who understand how the system works and are specialists in their respective fields. He understands that he neither has the Judicial acumen (which Prashant & Shanti Bhushan bring to the table) or the media savvy & organizational capabilities (which Kiran Bedi brings) or the experience to understand government policies and fighting prolonged battles regarding bill changes( no better than Arvind Kejriwal). While some of these folks in his team are much better educated & exposed than Anna, He, I am sure recognizes, that they share a common vision and that he ultimately needs this higher quality of people who can help him sustain this struggle. Even the best of managers fail to recruit people who are better than themselves. It is our ability to build inner self confidence, and recognizing the fact that we cannot be omni talented, which can lead us to surround ourselves with better gifted people than ourselves and build our business using their collective talent.
I am but a mere mortal and can only hope to imbibe some of these qualities in myself. In this era of frail & shallow existence, for me, there is no better opportunity to see a true leader of men than Anna. He is truly a colossus and I wish that he can continue to inspire us with his life & thoughts.
Though I personally have my own opinions around how our society can become more honest & forthright, I certainly admire the raw guts of Anna to take on the proverbial Goliath for bringing in the Jan Lokpal. While as a citizen I feel a sense of pride through this movement; for the manager in me, this brings a huge inspiration on many levels.
The first and the most important lesson for me is the fact that this movement is all about Cause & Inspiration. The fact that People know they are fighting for a cause that is much greater than themselves brings them together. Ordinary citizens know & realize that what they are fighting for will probably determine what kind of society their children inherit and will significantly improve the daily experiences. To me the ability to articulate a cause (corruption free India) which on one hand, is greater than individuals, and is also simple enough for everyone to relate their individual contributions towards reaching this goal; is a management Triumph. Anna’s team has achieved what the most educated of managers after spending billions of dollars have neither comprehended or achieved in the corporate world…laying down a credible mission that people are willing to exert for.
Inspiration comes from the fact that he has led this charge from the front. He has not asked any of his associates to do anything that he can’t or won’t do himself. He has pushed his body and has had his character criticized. He has neither backed down nor winced and has taken the brunt on to himself. He has inspired people with his thoughts, lifestyle and most importantly actions. While the paradigms are certainly different for the corporate world, we need to remember that leaders inspire while managers only manage. The essential difference between a manager & a leader is that, a manager would ask his men to “go on” whereas the leader would ask his followers to “come on”!!!
The second important quality that I thought worth emulating was his almost obstinate approach towards running his campaign. His unwavering belief in his call of conscience. He has not got cowed down by the opinions of his peers, associates, followers or senior officials. He has amazing clarity on what he wants and is willing to risk it all (including his health) to go for it. How often, do we recollect changing our approach or thoughts or action just because someone we knew made us believe that we should be changing our approach? This quality incidentally, is also seen across many entrepreneurs & great managers who went against the opinions of their advisors, or financial analysts and created a new line of business. What would have happened if Richard Branson would have listened to the bankers while starting his space travel tourism business, or if Laxmi Mittal had given up after his failed takeover bid at Arcelor? Imagine what would have happened to iPhone had Steve Jobs given up chasing his ideas after being fired by Apple the first time or to US if Obama would have stopped believing that a freshman black senator could make a successful run for the presidency …I wonder! Success or failure is immaterial to such leaders with a “tunnel vision”. The followers of such leaders are able to discern this quality easily in their leader. This is the reason why eminent people with diverse skill sets get attracted to the leader.
The third lesson and probably the most difficult to emulate by lesser mortals like us, is Anna’s ability to surround himself with people who are better than him at their Jobs. Anna is aware that while his claim to fame is his ability to influence mass behavior & thoughts by fasting for just causes ; complex demands which could potentially alter the course of our history , need people who understand how the system works and are specialists in their respective fields. He understands that he neither has the Judicial acumen (which Prashant & Shanti Bhushan bring to the table) or the media savvy & organizational capabilities (which Kiran Bedi brings) or the experience to understand government policies and fighting prolonged battles regarding bill changes( no better than Arvind Kejriwal). While some of these folks in his team are much better educated & exposed than Anna, He, I am sure recognizes, that they share a common vision and that he ultimately needs this higher quality of people who can help him sustain this struggle. Even the best of managers fail to recruit people who are better than themselves. It is our ability to build inner self confidence, and recognizing the fact that we cannot be omni talented, which can lead us to surround ourselves with better gifted people than ourselves and build our business using their collective talent.
I am but a mere mortal and can only hope to imbibe some of these qualities in myself. In this era of frail & shallow existence, for me, there is no better opportunity to see a true leader of men than Anna. He is truly a colossus and I wish that he can continue to inspire us with his life & thoughts.
