Leading through Example: A Great Teacher

On Saturday we bid farewell to our boss. He has been transferred outside Mumbai to a new department. Such was his impact on each one of us that the whole atmosphere was gloomy as we bid him farewell.  There were tears in everyone’s eyes since everyone was finding it difficult to say goodbye. He was so loved and respected that a colleague put his picture on facebook with the comment – “You don't need years of experience, all you need is a great teacher”. Such was his charisma. This blog of mine is dedicated to him. Let’s call him Boss. 

Is a boss really that important? After all, isn't a job just about completing tasks in a designated period of time? It may seem logical to suggest that adults should be able to handle work situations without a lot of interpersonal drama.  However, anyone who has ever worked for an organization knows that relationships are very important. For many individuals, interactions with people in the office are just as important as the work itself.  Not just in terms of money, but also in terms of quality of work. Having someone cheering you on, while also helping out when you get stuck really makes a difference in how you see your work.

All these reasons were exactly why Boss was so important for all the people in our department. You would never find him sitting idle in his cabin. He would always be on the move, interacting with his colleagues. All his meetings, appointments were properly documented. There has never been a time when his appointments clashed. Whenever, there would be a vendor meet, he would be the most prepared guy in that meeting. He would exactly know when the vendor joined in the current organization, when and why did he quit his previous organization, the other parties the vendor is currently dealing with, his favorite food, the place he hails from, the university he attended…in other words he would know each and every detail of the vendor, thereby having an upper hand in all the negotiations. He always encouraged his juniors to follow that practice. He always believed that whatever we do in life, be it making an important presentation in front of CMD or just a casual routine meeting with your colleagues, one should be thoroughly be prepared. He believed that one should always play to his strength. 

Boss was a very good people person. In his farewell speech he said that we must understand and deal with others as human begins and not some machines. He laid a great deal of emphasis on relationships. He opined that once the relationship was built, any work can be done. According to him, sab jagah gyaan bath raha hai, all we need to do is learn. One would find him reading reports and case studies from industry leader day in and day out. He was always updated about the latest industry trends. Not just work related, but he would be keen on learning anything and everything that he can lay his eyes on. He told us how, at the beginning of his career, he had learned how to file from two clerks in the office. The best part was he still remembered their names after so many years. That’s humility.

Boss followed no hierarchy and encouraged all the juniors to break free and come up with creative ways to work. According to him, no ideas were weird and absurd, they were just ahead of time or not. No idea was rejected unless it was properly discussed and understood. This quality of his strengthened his team and motivated each one to be productive. He never shied away from giving credit where it is due. In fact, there have been a lot of instances where very junior people were praised by him in front of senior management and customers. He would always ensure that his colleagues were properly treated and happy with their work. He had this unique quality of identifying what people are good at doing and assign them the proper work. He would ensure that no one lagged behind in his team and projects are completed in time with proper contributions from everyone in the team.

Boss has taught us many things without actually advising or being strict. The ways in which he conducted business and lived his life were an inspiration to all of us. There is still a lot left that we can learn from him. On Saturday during his farewell, almost everyone unanimously said the same thing – “From today, we don’t know if we will miss a boss. But one thing’s for sure – we will miss a great teacher”. 

and i mean it.....