Not long ago I visited family in Kolkata, India.
A family friend had just been appointed CEO of a software company in Kidderpore, a port district in Kolkata and he proudly took me to his office.
We parked in his designated parking spot, the closest bay to the building entrance and went into his very spacious office.
On the way in he acknowledged the receptionist, a disabled lady in a wheelchair. She didn’t respond.
Once in his office, he asked me what to do about the indifference his staff were showing him and why was that the case, when he had just arrived as an external appointee.
I asked, “How was your predecessor treated?”
He said “I am told he was not liked”.
Just outside his office I had noticed that the nearby staff had cramped offices.
I suggested that the first thing he could do would be to give his car bay to the disabled receptionist and that the next thing he could do was cut his office space by two thirds and reallocate the space to his cramped staff nearby.
He looked at me in amazement. “Why?” he asked.
“Because you will show them you care about them” I said.
To his credit, he acted upon that immediately.
Just before I left two weeks later, he reported to me that he was being greeted affectionately by his staff and felt accepted.
Why do so many leaders feel that they are entitled to special treatment not available to their staff?
In the military I was taught that my people ate first and rested first, and me last. I was there to make sure they were OK and looked after. I championed them, not they me.
What do you think?
