Leadership is all about Engaging people

Moinak Mitra
The Economic Times

In his trademark blue shirt-red tie combo, Tom Peters could be any corporate exec on the prowl. It's the gift of the gab backed by some ethereal common sense and wit that sets him apart. The 66-year-old management guru was supposed to deliver a lecture on 'Growth and Innovation' in Delhi. Instead, he dwelt on the nitty-gritty that culminates in the Eureka moment, or the great management decision.

What are the four most important words in any organisation ? That poser had many among the audience scratching their heads until Peters spelled it out: What do you think? Peters recounts the tale of Hewlett-Packard CEO John Young in 1977, when he went to Palo Alto. It's a classic in transparency and the acronym still rings out loud. "Instead of layers of oaken doors, we discovered Young sharing an 8 feet by 8 feet cubicle with his secretary. He introduced us to MBWA, or managing by wandering around. I love it because it teaches us to be in touch, the most difficult thing for any manager."

That said, peters firmly believes that b-schools nowadays are barking up the wrong tree with jaded courses and process over-drill . "They should focus more on people ," he says.

He also tells India to dress for success, which is when he falls back on the likes of Ben Franklin, General Eisenhower or even General Schwarzkopf. "Franklin was short and ugly but charmed the women in the tea rooms of Paris, who then convinced their husbands to ally with the US against the Brits in the War of Independence ; General Eiswenhower was short, fat and ugly but the secret of his success was an enduring smile; General Schwarzkopf won the war in the Gulf by sipping tea with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia at 3 am," says Peters, again highlighting the significance of little changes to that big outcome.

So, what's his take on leadership? In his inimitable gravely voice, Peters doesn't disappoint . "21st century AD leadership is precisely the same as 21st century BC leadership because it is all about engaging people and that has not changed," says the maverick with a wry smile.