“It's a thin line between insanity and genius" - Oscar Levant.
In my recent leadership training program, one of the participants asked me about the styles of leadership and which leadership style would be the best. I replied that there is no specific leadership style that works permanently, as leaders have to mould themselves as per the people, tasks, and the prevailing situation. Above all, they must stick to their convictions and adopt the style that is demanded as per the situation. I said that there were a number of leadership styles, including autocratic, democratic, delegative, transformational, transactional, and situational. He further probed what type of leadership style both Alexander the Great and Adolf Hitler adopted. I replied to him that both were autocratic leaders. He further probed why Hitler earned a bad name while Alexander earned a good name. Then I clarified his question as follows:
Although both Alexander and Adolf Hitler were autocratic leaders, Alexander didn't go against any community. He wanted to conquer the world, and with tons of difficulties and challenges, he conquered it, and he was considered to be the Great. In contrast, Hitler went against Jews and put them in concentration camps and bringing them misery. It is often the thin line that separates good and bad leadership. So is the case of Alexander and Hitler, as the former crossed the thin line while the latter failed to cross it and failed miserably.
There is always a thin line that separates success and failure. Although Steve Jobs was an autocratic leader, he succeeded as a leader and proved as a better business leader than Steve Ballmer of Microsoft, as the former crossed the line. It is the thin line that separates a good person and bad person. In the Hindu epic, Ramayan, although Ravan was a demon king, he was a great ruler. In the epic, Mahabharat, although Duryodhan was a villain to the Pandavas, he was a great ruler and a great friend to Karna. They failed as leaders by failing to cross the thin line.
It is the thin line that separates professionalism and unprofessionalism. It is the thin line that separates ethics and fraud. When you look at Ramalinga Raju of former Satyam Computers, he failed and came below the line. When you look at Rajat Gupta, former director of Goldman Sachs, he failed and came below the line. He was sentenced to 2 2-year jail terms and a fine of $5 million for leaking confidential board-room information. Hence, leaders must be careful of this judgment and learn lessons to avoid such things because people have lots of expectations of leaders at the top level. Leaders must remember that if they lose money, they lose nothing, but if they lose their character and trust, they lose everything that they have made during their lifetimes. Publilius Syrus rightly quoted, "What is left when honor is lost?"
B.C. Forbes remarked, "We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own." As a leader, if you do ten things, and of which, nine are good things while one is bad, people remember one bad thing rather than the nine good things you have done. Although people are not perfect, they expect their leaders to be perfect and role models. Hence, as a leader, you have a huge responsibility to set an example to others to have an everlasting impact on your followers. Don't get tempted by short-term results. In contrast, look for long-term impact, although it takes a very long time. Learn to understand what the thin line is, and strive to cross the thin line to achieve all-round success and to leave a mark behind for others to follow.
Remember that no person is entirely good and no person is entirely bad. Every bad person has a great virtue, and every good person has a bad quality. Life is a game! The people who know the rules of the game and follow the rules meticulously become successful, and those who fail become unsuccessful. Identify the thin line, cross it, and grow accordingly. Remember the sage words of Benjamin Disraeli, "Life is too short to be little." It is your life! There is only one life. Hence, do what you feel good about, and for the prosperity of the people around you to excel as a great leader. All the best!
"When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So, what the hell, leap." -- Cynthia Heimel
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“Things You Don’t Know about Professor M. S. Rao” http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2015/10/things-you-dont-know-about-professor-m.html
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Note: I had a brain hemorrhage. I was in bed for five months. My right hand has been numb and paralyzed. I am recovering. Thanks for empathizing with me. With gratitude. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFJrSRLHPUk&ab_channel=ProfessorM.S.Rao
Life is great!
Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.
Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India
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