For several decades we've been talking a lot about customer delight, and with both 'Marketing Generals' and 'Scholars' from all over the world re-inventing the concept - several times - to ensure that every dealing leaves a permanent impression in consumers' mind, don't you think the same may apply to enlightening every contributors - internal or external - in human resource value-chain also?
This thought came my mind immediately after attending a meeting with one of the top ten HR professionals in India, who has grown much beyond the domain 'HR" and currently holding several other key responsibilities - in addition to HR - in India's one of the biggest and most admired companies.
"Face is the index of mind; so is HR for the organization," said a HR stalwart a couple of years ago, but what it actually means I experienced while meeting this great leader: Right from preparing the gate-pass even before I entered the premises; followed by security personnel meting out a huge welcome and handing me over to a cab driver for taking me to the destination, and he, finally, escorting me to meeting spot and introducing to the meeting coordinator ( Personal Secretary) - everything happened so smoothly, and quickly.
The coordinator, adding a silver lining to an already unbelievable welcome procedure, escorted me to a conference room making me comfortable to the extent that I've not experienced for a long time. A few minutes later I was with him, seeing him after a decade.
After exchanging initial pleasantries and remembering the old days we got into a formal discussion about his initial days in the organization, and then it quickly turned into an informal thought sharing platform with him explaining: How he fought against all adversities to change company culture and eventually transformed the company into what, that I experienced.
A down-to-earth personality and gifted with crystal clear thought processes, he never let me realize - during the course of discussion - the huge difference that exists between his stature and of mine.
He proved beyond doubt: True leadership is beyond the scope of all those hypothesis we keep reading -- actually it's about genuinely valuing and respecting the humans, in every form and stature.
Remembering this interaction which kept me spell-bound for several hours after the meeting was over, my thought process continued evolving: Isn't it high time to replace the word 'Development' in 'Human Resource Development' with 'Enlightenment.'
Don't tell me it sounds funny, or a bit off the track, because, it isn't. After all, the ultimate objective of any development is to create enlightenment!
Update: He meets every requirements of effective leadership identified by Dr. Warren Bennis,
"What does it take to be an effective leader today? The essence of leadership is still character. The essence of character is integrity, passion, curiosity, daring and a guiding vision, without which a leader doesn't know what he wants to do or where he wants to go. Unlike the old command-and- control style, those who want to be leaders in the 21st century will have to be highly flexible and have a broad range of skills. In order to lead and keep great people, leaders must be articulate, energetic and empowering. They must be willing to inspire a collaborative approach that lets them tap into the endless source of ideas, innovation, know-how and knowledge of the people they lead. Read more at Leader Values
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