As I ran through the new inputs to a social media site two days back, I was surprised, rather shocked to note an article with the same title as I had written a couple of months back. When I went through it, I found every single letter in the article was authored by me. I wondered whether it was a sharing of the article by the person concerned, but it indicated as written and published by the person. I was shocked. I thought I could pursue the matter, but I decided to ignore and send a message to the person through a contact my concern about such plagiarism. I said “I really appreciate her curiosity and desire to be in the public domain, but she should show her originality and make her own efforts to bring out her talents.”
I recall an incident which happened nearly three decades before, when I was called to the room by one of my earlier bosses and the gentleman asked “hey, how did your conference go on?”. Yes, I had attended an international conference wherein I had to present a paper.
I replied “It was very nice. Very interactive” He continued “What was the theme of your presentation?” I described.
“Can you share a copy of your paper for my reading?” I consented.
After a few hours, I gave him a printed version of my presentation. About two weeks later, he called me to his room “Hey, did you see my article in the newspaper today?” He placed a paper on the table. As I read the article I was shocked as every single letter in that was reproduction of my paper except the heading of the article. He quipped “How is it?”
I smiled “Well, you are quite imaginative and authentic.” I walked away with a little pain. I knew what power he exercised in the organization.
Plagiarism of the ideas, concepts and presentations of the members of the team as their own by a leader is not an unusual phenomenon. I have seen in academic platforms, marketing presentations, financial projections and project reports. But when a leader takes away the genuine work of the member of his team leaving them with disappointment, disillusionment, disbelief and trust deficit, it is indeed a matter of concern. Such claims have been made in research organizations depriving young scientists in total disbelief thus discouraging them from the pursuit of further genuine research. Though there are enough laws now-a-days to put such people to the disgrace through lawsuits, a number of people remain mute because they have neither money nor energy or other sources to pursue such things; and hence they leave the field where they had worked with passion.
Giving the members of the team who follow you, who work with you, who trust you, their due, is an important trait of a good leader, it is said that a leader is one who grows new leaders. He or she need not feel threatened but could feel proud that he has in his team, members who outwit them, who show significant traits of wonderful growth and achievement. The leader should nurture and mentor those people to scale greater heights, sometimes to heights higher than what the leaders themselves are. When a head of an organization lamented to me once “Six of my senior staff have left me.” I asked “Why?”. She replied “All of them have got jobs as heads of other organizations small and big” I said “Wow! Congratulations. You seem to be a good leader growing other leaders.”
When a young IITan went to a Multinational Company dealing with automobiles for apprenticeship, he noticed a problem about which others were discussing. He found out the core issue that caused the problem and offered to the Manager a solution. “Listen, you have been given a worksheet. Every single work you need to do is listed. Go on ticking each one of them as you complete. That is, it. There are others who can deal with this problem.” A few days later when he was offered a regular position in that organization with an impressive package, he smiled and rejected the offer saying “Thank you. I will have a good pay, but I am not allowed to think.”
It matters not where you work, a research outfit, a production and manufacturing unit, a service organization or a marketing company, it is important that leaders recognize people, appreciate them even for small suggestions whether they have an impact or not. Recognitions and appreciation push the dopamine levels in the brains enhancing performance, urge to do better and prove themselves, because such pleasures become addictive.
The following few lines of John Maxwell are indeed so powerful that all leaders must contemplate on them. Here it goes:
“Every asset that you’re entrusted with – whether it’s money, procedures, materials, technology – all of it is depreciating. All of its is becoming obsolete. Human assts also can depreciate in value. It is literally true that in some organizations, the people are worth less – and in some cases are worthless – compared a year ago. But human assets can also appreciate in value. People can become worth more. Those who are powerful in leadership understand that one of the key tasks of management is to find ways to grow people.”
As such, in the process of growing, the younger ones recruit more resources and humans as their partners expanding the universe of work and happiness. This indeed is the real outcome of a dynamic society.
Good leaders understand that acknowledging the performance of their team, they seed the leadership of the future on which they will have neither hold nor jurisdiction, intellectually and otherwise. Hence innovation, originality and differentiated thinking in the team must be allowed, not as a cause but as a purposeful engagement for the future of the organization and the society. Says Simon Sinek “Human beings have thrived for fifty thousand years not because we are driven to serve ourselves, but because they are inspired to serve others”
The real talents of the members of the team opens up only when they are given time, space and called upon to prove themselves. On such occasions, they outplay their leaders even if they are discouraged and marginalized.
Leaders must have the vision of the future and seed talents that will shape it. Taking away their credit for one’s one survival in leadership positions may give them a short-term gain, but over a period such leaders stand exposed!
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