Creating leadership with 'human capital'

By K.Satyamurty

BANGALORE, OCT. 14.

Do you believe that understanding is as important as being understood ? Or that effectiveness and not efficiency in handling relationships is critical ?

If these strike a familiar chord, you have perhaps already read the best-selling book by Stephen R.Covey, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. In the decade since its publication, the book, which promotes real leadership qualities has been read by millions of people who have transformed their lives.

A three-day workshop based on the principles contained in the book is being organised from October 17 in Bangalore. Leadership Resources India is the licensee of Franklin Covey Co. of the U.S., which owns the rights for the book-based training programme. Mr. Kochat Gangadharan, Operations Director of Leadership Resources, who is organising the progamme here told The Hindu that Mr. V.S.Pandian, Director of Franklin Covey, Malaysia, would conduct the workshop.

He said the workshop would deal specially with "human capital," which was the richest asset India had. This asset mattered the most to Indian corporates, which faced a rapidly changing scenario after the opening up of the economy. Even employees could no longer take job security for granted. An "alien corporate culture" had entered the country along with companies from the U.S., Japan and Korea . Along with the pressures of work, a corporate executive had to balance his official, home, personal and spiritual lives. This last aspect was stressed by Stephen Covey, who was a Mormon with nine children.

Nurturing ones spiritual life jelled well with the Indian concept of the "God within Us," "Aham Brahma." The Seven Habits programme taught that there were no short cuts to success and one could be a leader even without leading others. The workshop took an "insider-out" approach to help organisations bring out the best in their talented workforce by creating a trust-laden work culture. At a personal level, it instilled trustworthiness and integrity in each individual. By empowering people, the programme helped align organisational strategies, systems and structures in order to respond quickly to market needs.

The workshop would also deal with the high impact of foreign culture on the Indian management scene. Each country had its own value system and style which the Indian manager had to cope with.This was not an easy task. Added to this was the influx of foreign culture through TV and the Internet into the Indian home. Parenting had taken a back seat and it was a big challenge especially for a working couple to balance between their professional and family lives. Scheduling of priorities and prioritisation of schedules was one of the Seven Habits.

More details about the programme can be obtained from TransacT, Bangalore: Phone: 5532878 or e-mail transact@bgl.vsnl.net.in.

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