Leadership Workshops have been conducted all over the World for Executives of all levels and we, in the corporate world know by now the styles of leadership as Democratic, Authoritarian, Delegative, Transactional and Transformational. While these form the basis of a good leadership, but we must realise what makes Ratan Tata stand out from the rest? Let me explain!
I, Pria Warrick, a Clinical Psychologist and a Soft Skills Celebrity trainer, recently, while conducting a workshop at the Indian Naval Academy in Kunnur, Kerala, was struck by a documentary depicting the heroic actions during the Pulwama terrorist attack. The footage captured a Major heroically running into flames to save lives, showing unwavering courage as he comforted injured soldiers and coordinated their rescue. He earned a Medal of Honour for his bravery, but it sparked a profound question in my mind: what drives someone to risk their life for others?
In the military, we honour self-sacrifice with medals. In contrast, the corporate world often rewards those who prioritize personal gain over team welfare with bonuses. So, does this mean military personnel are inherently better humans? Not necessarily! It’s all about the environment. Today, if we question the Major, why he acted so selflessly, he might simply say, “They would have done it for me too.”
Where do these feelings of trust and co-operation come from. Firstly, these are feelings and not instructions. You can’t instruct people to trust and co-operate.
To understand this, let’s take a step back in time. Thousands of years ago, humans faced constant threats—wild animals, harsh weather, and scarce resources. To survive, they formed social networks—a “circle of safety” within tribes, where trust and cooperation flourished. While some guarded the tribe at night, others slept peacefully, knowing they were protected.
Now, let’s relate this to the Modern world. We are still surrounded with dangers, like- economic fluctuations, uncertainty of job and business insecurity. Uncertainty of Stock Market, Pandemic, or a new business startup that renders your business obsolete, or a competitive world that makes you insecure and frustrated because it steals your growth. We have no control over these forces.
So how can leaders foster a sense of safety and belonging in their organizations?
During a conversation with Ratan Tata about how his company managed to keep paying salaries during the COVID-19 pandemic—while many Western leaders opted for layoffs—he simply stated, “My dear Pria Warrick, our people are our strength.” This profound insight made me realize that constantly battling with our own people within the organisation can lead to organizational catastrophies.
This brings us to an innovative leadership approach I like to call the “Parenting Style in Leadership.” A parent like Ratan Tata would never abandon his children (staff). A parent would never lay off his children, but would in times of crisis provide opportunities, trainings, guidance, confidence and coaching to non-performers, whereby a sense of belonging is instilled by a leader which results in a collective team.
In times of financial strain, while many leaders opt to cut jobs for some, what if we considered reducing salaries for everyone instead? This nurturing leadership style not only preserves jobs for all, but also fosters teamwork and loyalty among employees. This is what a parent would do. Think- More teamwork with faithful employees, along with a feeling of brotherhood. Wow! A workplace with very little conflict. So, let’s embrace this new style of Parental leadership—one that nurtures rather than divides!
A Leader is one who knows his way, goes that way and shows the way by keeping his team safe and secure.