Any organization will do well if it has a healthy working environment. Responsibility of creating a good and productive environment rests with the senior leadership. Senior leadership not only has to insist and encourage but also lead by example to achieve this.
During four decades of working in the Air Force, few aspects related to good working environment appealed to me. I made these as my guiding principles. Some of these are as follows:-
- Leadership: Everyone who has a subordinate working under him or her is a leader. All the leaders should follow what they advocate. Motto should be “DO AS I DO” rather than “DO AS I SAY”. Also there should be Fairness, Honesty and Transparency in all their dealings.
- Sell or Tell Type of Leadership: Younger generations have ready access to information and are very aware. The leadership style has to change with times. Giving a task and explaining the rationale behind it generates better acceptability and involvement. Need is for more of SELL type approach rather than TELL type of leadership.