“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
- Albert Einstein

The grammar of leadership has been undergoing a fundamental change in the past two decades. The change was dramatic in the later part of the eighties and is continuing unabated. Many questions are being asked about what are the qualities that make a leader today, as opposed to those of the past. The reason for this question is the quandary that corporates find themselves in, especially after the information technology revolution.
AlvinToffler, the eminent futurologist says, “land, labour and place, the three factors that constituted capital traditionally have become less important. They have been replaced by knowledge as the most important capital. We are today in the information age. This is the age of knowledge worker.” Toffler calls it the “ Third wave” in the advanced human society. The colossal strides in technology and the emergence of new leading nations have significantly altered the economic map of the nineties almost beyond recognition. They have brought about the collapse of old barriers.
Knowledge, the new capital throws its challenges. No one can claim to know everything. This is the major constraint in determining what leadership style will work in today’s world. This also necessitates change in order to facilitate more empowerment of people with knowledge and authority.
Add to this the speed and complexity of the day and age. The world is facing disintegration on one side and tremendous growth on the other. The see-saw situation is serious and demands a “superman leader”.
The Superman Leader
Successful leaders enumerate a number of qualities, attributes that leadership must possess in order to inspire people. The role is so formidable that one may say that the role of a leader in present business is that of a superman.
Today’s leaders must have clarity of purpose, ability to communicate the vision effectively and must harness a greater range of tools to motivate and encourage high performance. The tremendous rise in communication and information education and employment potential, has created new challenges to organizational leadership.
The IT sector in particular highlights all the difficulties. Traditional leadership qualities aside, IT leadership also requires a thorough knowledge of technology and its impact on various facets on an organization to harness the full potential of all factors of production including the intellectual capital (knowledge management).
According to General Colin Powell (1996),” leadership in the new millennium will be essentially the same as that of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, or other great leaders of yesterday-it will require that people have a vision of where they want to lead, how to choose the right people, and how to accomplish objectives that flow from visions.” Powell goes on to state the one major difference affecting leaders of the 21st Century - the transformation occurring in our nation’s industrial, political, societal, and economic realms. Accordingly, this transformation is occurring due to the fast-paced and globally centered information and technology revolution. All leaders positioned within this new era must be able to use the powerful tools offered by this global revolution.
The qualities, which come from inside, from the heart and soul of a leader, have not changed and will never change. What has really changed is the total design of leadership - the sum total of qualities and skills combined with styles. Alexander the Great and Napoleon had distinctive leadership styles and that was the parameter for motivating men in battle.
The Wisdom of Alexander the Great reveals four leadership qualities that steered him from one victory to another. He had the knack to analyze and reframe the problem to meet the challenges. He was able to generate trust and respect and not fear and blind obedience. He was able to inspire confidence and projected himself as a unifier, which helped him have a strong home base. Above all, he was able to appreciate, recognize and assimilate the cultures and symbols of different people, thus becoming a powerful and trusted figure everywhere he went.
Napoleon is another leader who motivated his men with inspiring words and actions. He cautions “A [leader] is always wrong who speaks in anger.”
Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest of all leaders said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”. And with this “can do attitude”, he marched the entire nation to independence.
In the Bhagavad-Gita Gait, Krishna defines three specific disciplines that are required for effective leadership: discipline of learning, discipline of speaking properly and discipline of equanimity. All of these disciplines are important for effective leadership. Today’s leadership authorities also agree that effective leaders have to be effective learners. “Leadership is not only about teaching people to follow a certain path or to do a certain thing, but it is also about learning things to be taught”. (From Pujan Roka in uncovering the leadership lessons of the Bhagavad Gita).
In the present scenario, a leader must be capable of converting everyone into a positivist. He must be able to inculcate the CAN Do attitude throughout the organization. He must have total commitment and the courage of conviction. The leader must have integrity that is transparent and belief in a set of values. He must also avoid seeking compliance and ensure that his communication works that it receives universal acceptance. He must have the ability to manage change and have the capacity for hard work. The leader has to set the scene and must articulate what the company is trying to accomplish and create an environment in which employees themselves will be self- motivated. The ability to inspire others is easily the most important quality of a leader.
The greatest skill of a leader is his ability to motivate people. Motivation is far more important than innovation as the competitive edge of the new era of management. Mahatma Gandhi was a highly self-motivated leader. He demonstrated to the world that a determined leader with a vision could achieve the goals despite overwhelming obstacles. That is the true sign of leadership?