Sirajuddin Aziz<\/p>\n
This is not a piece to find saints for placement in the world of politics or business. This is about various traits of leadership. There are several essential traits that a leader or manager must necessarily possess, and among these, what stands out as an anchor to all others is the characteristic of honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity.
\nIf a leader or manager believes that an action not in conformity with the given framework of governance will go unnoticed or undiscovered, he lives in an ivory tower, surrounded by a fallacy of thought. Followers and teammates are always lurking in the shadows\u2014firstly, to ensure that commands are justifiable within the ambit of laws, rules, and regulations, and secondly, to monitor and prevent any inconsistencies in their managers\u2019 decision-making or even behaviour.
\nWhile oversight, both regulatory and non-regulatory, is important, ultimately it is the views, actions, and behaviour of a manager or leader that will determine the character of the organisation.
\nA leader is expected to remain mindful that it is when no one is watching that one most needs to remain honest and upright. In London, at King\u2019s Cross Road where I lived in my son\u2019s apartment, from the window I would notice that even at 3 a.m., taxi drivers would stop at the traffic light, even though there was no other car on the street or police constable in hiding. The difference between what your rights allow you to do and what is right to do must remain supreme when undertaking decisions.
\nA leader\u2019s habit must be to do right even when there is no oversight or supervision. This attitude of keeping personal ethics in focus at all times determines the acceptability of the leader or manager. \u201cEthics and morality in our actions and behaviour give beauty and dignity to life\u201d (Einstein).
\nHonesty cannot change with time, calendar, climate, or season. This trait cannot come with an expiry date. Upon returning to Pakistan, I was part of a panel interviewing a candidate for a senior management position. After the interview, the HR Head asked us to fill in a form which, amongst other things, listed personality traits to be rated and ranked on a scale of 1\u201310, with 10 being the best. Most shockingly, \u201cHonesty\u201d was the first trait on the list. Exasperated, I said, you cannot rate honesty: a person is either honest or dishonest. Any rating below 10 shall mean dishonesty. Period. This trait was expunged, because it is a given until proven otherwise.
\nLeaders reflect consistency in their assessment, evaluation, and subsequent decision-making based on the fundamentals of fair play, ethics, equity, and justice. The principle of consistency is the major test of ethical leadership. The style of leadership should not be altered due to expediency, and only then can there be stability of thought and action.
\nEthical conduct takes a long time to permeate through all levels of an organisation\u2019s hierarchy. The leader, alongside the team, has to endeavour to create an environment of good behaviour and universally accepted business practices. The buy-in of all members towards financial, moral, and ethical cleanliness results in the development of organisational culture. Honesty in dealings must be assured; uprightness should be a habit, not an option. Ethical standards in societies are framed to make people virtuous. Leaders who promote honesty in interpersonal dealings end up promoting a culture of transparency. Decisions taken in such an environment meet the test of integrity and of being above board.
\nTransparency in disclosures is very important. Any attempt to mask financial disclosures can put the organisation into serious jeopardy in terms of reputation, loss of trust, and a bad name that can arise should such activities be discovered.
\nLeaders make commitments. They live up to them. In case of not being able to, they are bold enough to admit and put it on the table\u2014giving reasons for non-accomplishment. Bravery is not a virtue of the dishonest.
\nThe real test of character of a leader or manager happens when power is given to him or her. The abuse or judicious use of that power or authority will directly reflect character. Good is more contagious than bad, in my firm conviction. People respond naturally and spontaneously to work they perceive as resulting in good for many, in many respects. The takers and subscribers to ill behaviour, attitudes, and actions are always few. Regrettably, the few dominate, and the honest succumb.
\nNo single person in isolation can violate a given framework. Crime needs accomplices. Corruption demands connivance. No individual can be corrupt by himself; he always has abettors in the wings. Abetment to dishonest practices can be either through participation in the distribution of the plundered economic booty, or by choosing to remain silent rather than confronting the perpetrators. Those who have knowledge of crime and corruption but remain unmoved in blowing the whistle are equally, if not more, guilty of the crime. Honesty of leadership is therefore not merely about the individual; it is about creating an environment of righteousness of behaviour, both in personal and professional lives. No one can be honest in one sphere and distant in the other. There is only honesty or dishonesty\u2014no grey areas in between.
\nIn the ever-growing world of technology, it has become essential to make decisions openly. This is bound to become a distinctive feature of future leadership.
\nIn the present-day environment, where governance standards are evaluated minutely by analysts, the elements of honesty in leadership and management are put to severe test by the principle of conflict of interest. It is in the total disregard of this principle that boards approve and authorise corrupt practices. What is also laid to rest is the measure of transactions that must again meet the test of being at arm\u2019s length. Twisted thinking and methodology are adopted to unduly favour the awarding of jobs and assignments to companies and vendors. (This subject is of great importance and will be taken up in detail in subsequent columns.) In the meantime, evaluate personal honesty standards and the organisation you are associated with.<\/p>\n
The writer is a Senior Banker & Freelance Columnist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sirajuddin Aziz This is not a piece to find saints for placement in the world of politics or business. This is about various traits of leadership. There are several essential traits that a leader or manager must necessarily possess, and among these, what stands out as an anchor to all others is the characteristic of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[13449],"class_list":{"0":"post-502983","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-article","7":"tag-sirajuddin-aziz"},"yoast_head":"\n