It had been three years since Alex joined the multinational company which is primarily into manufacturing. They had two major divisions, one dealing with products for businesses and the other had a range of end consumer items. There was a president each, Bob and Jim, heading these divisions. It was a hierarchical organization.
For someone at Alex's grade,
he never interacted with either president, not even to their reportees up to
two levels below. While both the presidents had charismatic personalities, the
chances for Alex meeting them remained as remote as ever. Having said that, Bob
was known to be more jovial and took occasional rounds across office floors
greeting people. Jim on the other hand was least spoken and rarely seen in
public around office but was revered by the powers to be of the industry. He
was considered as one of the most influential presidents in the world of manufacturing
giants! But to meet him was next to impossible. It was even said that the top
management usually took a private elevator to the nineteenth floor of the
corporate headquarters, which housed the offices of both the presidents.
One fine day, Alex was
waiting at the general lift lobby to go up to his floor which was on the
fifteenth. The elevator arrived and along with three other waiting colleagues,
he got into it. The door was about to close when he saw a quick movement outside.
Soon enough, the door opened again. A man stood outside. Alex looked at him and
felt like his eyes were deceiving him.
The man entered the lift and
greeted Alex along with the other three in the elevator. He had such a towering
personality that Alex felt dwarfed in front of him. That was none other than
Bob, the president of the division Alex worked for. This was the man Alex never
thought he would meet in person ever! Bob looked at the ID tag on Alex, called
out his name and had a quick chat about his department and how he liked his
job. The few moments Bob spent with them in the elevator, turned out to be a
defining moment for Alex. He did not even know what got him. But he knew one
thing for sure, he was motivated beyond anything else ever in his three years
in the organization. Alex returned home as a highly charged up employee and
remained that way forever. The aura had its effect on him!
I am sure we all had been in
the shoes of Alex, one way or other in our organizations at some point in our
lives. Proximity, when it comes to leadership, plays a significant role,
especially in an era when we see offices becoming more distant than ever.
Now, the big question here
could be, who do we think is right? Bob or Jim? Is this even a topic of
discussion? For both, there is something right in their own ways of working. Eventually,
it boils down to the personality of the leaders. Each one of us needs to have a
clear understanding of our personalities and build ways of working that suits
us. Else we may end up as someone who tried to get into the shoes of others
which did not even fit us, not to even mention how awkward it looked.
We may work for organizations where we see Bobs and Jims of the world. Learn to appreciate them for what they are. All what is required from us is, when it is our turn, ensure that we adapt a leadership style that fits the best for us.