The Third Eye: Business Leaders Must Embrace Strategic Vision

New Delhi: The essential characteristics of an effective business leader include being well-informed, engaged in knowledge-driven decision-making, and having an interest in human psychology and behavior, as "all business is human activity."

Moreover, the maturity of the individual stands out as a fundamental requirement for leadership across any domain. This maturity is anchored in the leader's power of authenticity, which stems from trustworthiness, accessibility, transparency, self-confidence, communication skills, capacity to learn from experience, and alignment with a defined set of values.

A mature leader recognizes that sound decisions are fundamentally the result of comprehensive knowledge, innate courage, and an objective approach.

Comprehensiveness of information is crucial because knowledge is packaged integrally, encompassing all pertinent aspects. A business leader in charge of many employees must be cognizant of workplace safety and security laws regarding women.

Courage is put to the test when a leader is faced with a crisis.

Objectivity is linked to the leader's dedication to achieving organizational goals, prioritizing these above personal interests.

Effective decision-making does not stem from inheritance or personal charisma.

A mature leader understands that leadership is not merely a status symbol but also a matter of accountability.

The perception of mature leadership can endure even during organizational challenges, maintaining stakeholder loyalty.

While leaders are often shaped by their inherent qualities and grooming, it is the maturity that distinctly differentiates one leader from another.

Only a mature leader can possess a strategic mindset.

Recently, a statement from the Chairman of a prominent Indian company, suggesting a 90-hour work week for employees—including Sundays—was disruptive enough for Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to underline in her pre-Budget Economic Survey on January 31 that while hard work is commendable, it must not jeopardize employees' physical and mental well-being.

This imprudent suggestion from a leading business figure at a time when India aspires to be among the world's three largest economies highlighted the necessity for maturity and strategic awareness in business leadership.

The nation cannot afford to be viewed as exploitative toward labor for the sake of productivity.

Fortunately, many Indian business leaders quickly distanced themselves from the controversial remark.

A leader must understand how the organization’s mission aligns with the nation’s vision amid intense global competition.

The approach to profitability should not involve viewing the workforce as mere machines that can be pushed for greater output through extended hours.

Conversely, a successful leader excels in managing human relationships and, while maintaining strict performance evaluations, is empathetic to employee challenges.

An effective leader analyzes all current information, draws lessons from past experiences, and recognizes future opportunities and risks.

An analytical mindset, absence of ego in making course corrections, and the ability to envision beyond immediate facts are essential qualities that contribute to a leader’s maturity and strategic insight.

Maturity involves integrating theory with practice, self-righteousness with reason, and personal confidence with a well-rounded perspective.

A mature leader remains composed in crises, retains cognitive function during disruptions, and responds to unforeseen situations with self-assurance—transcending positional empowerment.

Such qualities endow the leader with a strategic perspective, allowing them to maintain sight of the broader vision while addressing tactical challenges.

This leader does not need to elevate their credibility beyond that of the organization or separate personal interests from the corporate entity's reputation.

Strategic thinking enables a leader to collaborate effectively when addressing organizational challenges, always taking the lead and viewing any business crisis as a temporary phase necessitating possible course corrections.

A successful leader promotes a healthy delegation of decision-making authority to senior personnel, establishes an ethical framework for interpersonal interactions, whether among superiors and subordinates or peers, and creates informal feedback channels regarding significant external and internal factors affecting the enterprise.

A leader must be willing to take accountability for their team and possess the maturity to recognize that leadership combines authority with responsibility.

A mature leader has an inherent knack for balancing duty and leisure for themselves while ensuring work-life balance for average employees.

The hallmark of leadership lies in cultivating an image of dignity, acceptance, and respect from all organizational levels.

In every field, the focus must be on efficiency, defined as productivity per time unit.

While the work attitudes of employees may be positive, it is undeniable that productivity increases when distractions from organizational dysfunctions are minimized.

The ideal work environment exists when employees perceive their leaders as trustworthy, fair in credit allocation, and attuned to human needs.

Should the highest-ranking individual in an organization exhibit insensitivity and view workers as mere machines for production, it would yield no lasting benefits for the organization or the country.

This perception could harm national interests, as India does not wish to be seen as a country that exploits its workforce for growth.

The discussion surrounding working hours provides an opportunity for economic strategists to reflect on the larger challenge of propelling India toward its goal of becoming one of the world's three largest economies alongside the US and China.

Given that GDP represents the cumulative productivity of all enterprises—both public and private—it is vital that they possess effective leadership, a positive work culture, and healthy interpersonal relationships.

The government's initiatives to enhance the ease of doing business involve streamlining clearance processes, expanding the available workforce for hire, and ensuring law and order for potential investors.

It is essential that labor laws delineating employer-employee relationships do not favor either side unfairly.

Ultimately, productivity reaches its peak when worker morale is high, the workplace fosters organizational loyalty, and leadership is perceived as nurturing.

Leaders lacking a strategic perspective cannot thrive in today’s business landscape.

Mature leadership is essential at the business enterprise level, in national governance, and in managing international relations.

The political executive governing democratic India must stay well-informed about national developments, with or without external instigation. This complicates the tasks of national intelligence agencies in an era of instant global connectivity, where social media serves as a tool for conflict.

Simultaneously, covert actions by adversaries must be uncovered, and ongoing assessments of international allies are necessary to empower the ruling elite to shape the nation's foreign policy.

Furthermore, since national security is intricately linked with economic security, policies must advance both security and the nation’s economic progress.

It is gratifying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi possesses the strategic thinking, commitment, and political will required to address both security and developmental issues.

(The writer is a former Director of the Intelligence Bureau. Views expressed are personal)