Why great leadership fired

Which company do you work for? What is your salary package? Ohh your manager and CEO must be earning a hefty amount. How about the gatekeeper earns as much as the salary earned by rest of other employees at the company or any institution across the world. What? How is it even possible? don’t you forget, everything is possible in this planet. Why do you think even anyone cares about to work in that company where the gatekeeper salary is similar to other staff? I have not heard a company like that and I don’t think any of those would be in existence. What if such company exist? I don’t think anyone will work in that company. What sort of company is this going to be by the way? no doubt such company has any future at this planet. To prolong the conversation, Pritam asked Gaurav once again, how about a gatekeeper also possess a car with the benefit given by the company itself? No way anyone going to work in that company. What if I build the culture for the same? What? You? With such unusual culture, it is going to be lose- lose situation. I recommend don’t even try. A long conversation between two of them who happened to meet at the company ever since they joined. What if a CEO of the company write a hand written note for all the employees special days? Gaurav laughed at Pritam.

Pritam with unusual queries at his late 20s, insists more on what leadership need to function at each level of organization of all shapes and sizes, he likes to imagine leadership and the culture to institutionalized within the organization. One day he asks to one of his gatekeeper. Sir how much do you earn? Rs8000 per month deduction of some percentage of tax. What if a company made your salary equal to mine or most of other employees? The gatekeeper laughed at me and with a short little pause gateman replied, I don’t think the company will ever do that. What if company gives you a ID card of Gate Manager identity instead of a mere gatekeeper? My approach to my job will be very high, he replied. Every day Pritam imagine something unusual and ask question about what he imagine next. But he never gets the answer. Why don’t you ask your senior manager?  Gaurav told him during their lunch break. That seems to be a perfect idea, Pritam replied. You know the problem with the CEO is I have never met him inside his office and I have never got a chance to talk to him once personally. And the boss looks so smart and intelligent, I doubt he will even find a single minute to talk to me. I remember the last time one of the employee went talk to him, he did not even let him in. Later I knew that CEO asked for an appointment.

6 months later at one point, Gaurav team had a severe dispute with the team management, filled with much more conflict between the members of the team, Gaurav tried a lot to talk to one of his senior and solve the problem before it reached out to the top management, but the busy manager never turned  his ear on towards the matter, and the problem didn’t get properly addressed, it now began to spiral out of control from Mr. Gaurav who is the IT executive of the company. At finally Gaurav tried to reached out to Pritam, if he could deal with the issue at first.  Neither did he had little leadership experience nor did team management dexterity, but he was a great team player given an opportunity, Pritam took this matter to manage as a challenge on his own even before reaching out to the manager, 

Pritam tried lot to resolve the issue, he used all the possible methods to solve however nothing seems to be working out. The team were filled with egoist, and narcissist. Finally, Pritam decided to take the matter seriously to the CEO desk in an anticipation to acquire some relief. 6 months gone by, CEO kept himself busy, Pritam waited 2 hours every day to meet him, but CEO never turned his eye on. 6 months a long time, one of the senior manager noticed that there is someone waiting to CEO.

what you are here in for? I noticed you outside the CEO room from long, the senior manager asked to Pritam, who have been struggling to meet the CEO. I am from the software division sir, there is a huge conflict among the IT department team members, we tried a lot to resolve the issue but we could not, I then try to reach out to the Boss of the company, but CEO sir never had a single moment to spare Pritam replied.

Senior Manager was much impressed by Pritam patience, and devotion for his team. He quickly went to the CEO cabin and let him know that someone is waiting to talk to him from the last 6 months, no matter at which mood the CEO was, he was even surprised to know his devotion. The meeting was arranged, Pritam along with this team addressed the issue in general and the problem was solved within 2 days of time. Since then Pritam came to limelight across the organization. He was recognized by the best employee award and many more accolades from various department.

Pritam soon promoted as a team leadership and then departmental head and then to the project head of the software department, now he has 20 different clients to handle with 27 members to lead in his project. As soon as he took the leadership he proposed ideas to lead from cultural view point. But Mr. CEO did not expect anything unusual leadership style from someone who has just grown up. The vice president was made to be a gatekeeper for a day, a junior worker was asked to do the most senior job, CEO even need to salute office staff and most importantly to the gatekeeper. Such a big smile on a gatekeeper face, when he gets a salute from each employees as they enter. Juniors found a different culture, frustrated, depressed but talented employees get the atmosphere unique than most of other companies.

You probably aren’t doing your job, you clutter around with the introduction of a new culture that has no value, I have given you the much needed promotion, CEO during the meeting with Mr. Pritam, sir let me experiment with my new found ideas, help me see that the leadership is no more with talents, and let me prove that developing a culture is equally important, Pritam replied. So you mean our company culture is not so strong? CEO again.  I spent 6 long months to have a 2 min talk to address my team tribulation sir, and that isn’t a culture that is your policy, a closed door policy I would say. I have never seen you reaching out to any of us, neither did any senior manager having a cup of coffee or perhaps asking for any problem, I don’t think the culture should be like this, it is a self- centered policy sir. He continued, I presume Leadership is something different, it’s a pure sign of differentiation, it is human in nature sir, he ended.

You ponder I should go and talk to employees, and perhaps grab a coffee with them? What will be my value, have you ever thought about that? Had I indulged, I am sure they would have had sat on my head, they will be happier to see that sir, Pritam retorted back to the CEO. I have never done like that before in my career from the last 25 years, and we have been running in a same style since then, we have the highest number of employees and the most revenue producer in terms of our software business, CEO on another end. Apart from their remuneration they expect something more from the company and it is a CEO who need to be accessible when they need.

You discern most of the senior manager was demanding your resignation to the CEO and you are accused of violating the norms of the company, Gaurav with a burger in his hand, he continued, I know they must be intimidated to lose their job or perhaps a job threat by your management style and an unusual potential to replace any one of the senior manager. Nothing at the upper level has changed so far in this company and never will be, Pritam at the other hand. Gaurav started, I am amazed why you ruminate so different than others and they will never value how smart you become overtime. it takes decades to build a culture, finding talents is easy but managing them is what troubles the managers Pritam replied over Gaurav statement.

One week later the board decided to fired him, Pritam silently assent the management decision. And left the company, on his way back Pritam met the gatekeeper. The next day Gaurav went to meet the CEO, as he looks busy, Gaurav entered the room and presented a card with a handwritten note that simply state, ‘Happy 55^th Birthday Sir from Pritam’. The CEO never knew such a trivial leadership gesture will even have a mammoth human touch to someone like him.

Author: Mr. Rajesh Bhandari

Program Director: Brixton College, BBA Program, Mahendranagar

President: PVP Nepal Province No. 7, Nepal

Cell: 9805422784

Mail: tfabodoc@gmail.com