Chapter 3

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?
Definitions Provided by Livingstone, C.I. Bernard, Bernard Keys and Thomas, Keith
Davis, George R. Terry, Koontz and O’Donnell, Alford and a Few Others
Leadership is the art of influencing people to attain group objectives willingly. What a minister
does in his State, a captain does on the playground, the manager has to do in his organisation.
Leaders in all walks of life should have some basic qualities. They should be able to establish
contact with their equals, deal with their subordinates and guide them, mediate in conflicts,
resolve issues by weighing various alternatives, allocate scarce resources properly and take risks
and initiatives.
The environment in which a leader is placed is important. The organisational culture, the
economic and social set-up, the extent of unionisation and other factors may demand different
types of leaders in different situations. A task-oriented leader, for instance, may be more
successful in situations which are either very favourable or very unfavourable to him, while a
relations- oriented leader may be more effective in intermediate situations.
• According to Livingston – ‘Leadership is the ability to awaken the desire to follow a
common objective’.
• According to C.I. Bernard – ‘Leadership is the quality of behaviour of the individuals
whereby they guide people or their activities in organised efforts’.
• According to Bernard Keys and Thomas – ‘Leadership is the process of influencing and
supporting others to work enthusiastically towards achieving objectives’.
Leadership is essentially a continuous process of influencing behaviour. It may be considered in
context of mutual relations between a leader and his followers. The leader tries to influence the
behaviour of individuals or group of individuals around him to achieve desired goals.
• Keith Davis, “Leadership is the process of encouraging and helping others to work
enthusiastically towards their objectives. Leadership must extract cooperation and
willingness of the individuals and groups to attain the organisational objectives.”
• George R. Terry, “Leadership is a relationship in which one person influences others to work
together willingly on related tasks to attain what the leader desires.”
• Koontz and O’Donnell, “Leadership is the process of influencing people so that they will
strive willingly towards the achievement of group goals.”
• Chester I. Bernard, “Leadership refers to the quality of the behaviour of the individual
whereby they guide people on their activities in organised work.”
• Mooney and Reiley, “Leadership is regarded as the form which authority assumes when it
enters into process.”
• Alford and Beattey, “Leadership is the ability to secure desirable actions from a group of
followers voluntarily without the use of coercion.”

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP – ‘BE’, ‘KNOW’ AND ‘DO’ CONCEPT OF LEADERSHIP

Leadership is a dynamic process, which deserves study. It is a relational process involving
interactions among leaders, members and sometimes outside constituencies. Good leaders are
made not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader.
Good leaders develop through a never-ending process of self-study, education, training, and
experience. To inspire your workers into higher levels of teamwork, there are certain things you
must be, know, and, do. These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continual work
and study. Good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their leadership skills;
they are NOT resting on their laurels.
Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and
directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Leaders carry out
this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as – beliefs, values, ethics, character,
knowledge and skills.
The basis of good leadership is honorable character and selfless service to your organization. In
your employees’ eyes, your leadership is everything you do that affects the organization’s
objectives and their well-being. Respected leaders concentrate on what they are [be] (such as –
beliefs and character), what they know (such as – job, tasks, and human nature), and what they
do (such as – implementing, motivating and provide direction).
What makes a person want to follow a leader? People want to be guided by those they respect
and who have a clear sense of direction. To gain respect, they must be ethical. A sense of
direction is achieved by conveying a strong vision of the future.
‘BE, KNOW, DO’ Concept of Leadership:
BE a professional. Examples – Be loyal to the organization, perform selfless service, and take
personal responsibility.
BE a professional who possess good character traits. Examples – Honesty, competence, candor,
commitment, integrity, courage, straightforwardness, imagination.
KNOW the four elements of leadership – follower, leader, communication, and situation.
KNOW yourself. Examples – strengths and weakness of your character, knowledge, and skills.
KNOW human nature. Examples – Human needs, emotions, and how people respond to stress.
KNOW your job. Examples – be proficient and be able to train others in their tasks.
KNOW your organization. Examples – where to go for help its climate and culture, who the
unofficial leaders are.
DO provide direction. Examples – goal setting, problem solving, decision making, planning.
DO implement. Examples – communicating, coordinating, supervising, evaluating.
DO motivate. Examples – develop moral and spirit in the organization, train, coach, counsel.

FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF LEADERSHIP:

1. There must be Followers:
A leadership cannot exist without followers. If a leader does not have followers, he cannot
exercise his authority. Leadership exists both in formal and informal organisations.
2. Working Relationship between Leader and Followers:
There must be a working relationship between the leader and his followers. It means that the
leader should present himself in a place where the work is actually going on. Besides, the leader
should be a dynamic person of the concerned group. If he is not so, he cannot get things done.
3. Personal Quality:
The character and behaviour of a man influence the works of others.
4. Reciprocal Relationship:
Leadership kindles a reciprocal relationship between the leader and his followers. A leader can
influence his followers and, in turn, the followers can influence the leader. The willingness of
both the leader and the followers is responsible for the influence and no enforcement is adopted.
5. Community of Interests:
There must be community of interests between the leader and his followers. A leader has his own
objectives. The followers have their own objectives. They are moving in different directions in
the absence of community of interests. It is not advisable. It is the leader who should try to
reconcile the different objectives and compromise the individual interests with organisation
interests.
6. Guidance:
A leader guides his followers to achieve the goals of the organisation. A leader should take steps
to motivate his followers for this purpose.
7. Related to a Particular Situation:
Leadership is applicable to a particular situation at a given point of time. It varies from time to
time.
8. Shared Function:
Leadership is a shared function. A leader is also working along with his followers to achieve the
objectives of the organisation. Besides, the leader shares his experience, ideas and views with his
followers.
9. Power Relationship:
A leader has powers to exercise over his followers. The leader derives these powers from the
organisation hierarchy, superior know-ledge, experience and the like.

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP – 11 MAJOR OBJECTIVES

The objectives of leadership in context of ethics are given here:
(i) To develop the feeling of cooperation and coordination,
(ii) To determine and provide the needful directions about good or bad as well as right or wrong
conducts and behaviour as may be applicable in society,
(iii) To determine and formulate the equitable and justified behavioural norm in society,
(iv) To develop new, innovative and creative ideas, outlooks and approaches among people,
(v) To determine and make the perspective visions and missions for the well-being of human life
in society,
(vi) To determine and develop the parameters on the basis of ethical values towards optimum
and balanced behaviour between individual and group in any society,
(vii) To determine some learning aspects to follow the concept of truth, purity, politeness, and
justifications among every people in society,
(viii) To develop enthusiasms, loyalty and devotional behaviour and attitudes,
(ix) To determine and provide needful directions for making team spirit among people,
(x) To provide due importance for common interest in a group or society,
(xi) To provide some leading guidelines for developing better work environment.
IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP
1. Leaders Provide Task Support:
Leaders support the followers by assembling the organizational resources; and helping them
accomplish their tasks in accordance with standards of performance.
2. Psychological Support:
Leaders not only help the followers in accomplishing the organizational tasks; they also help
them overcome various problems they confront while performing these tasks. They create
willingness in people to work with zeal and enthusiasm. They make the followers realise that
their work is important so that they work with confidence towards task accomplishment.
3. Development of Individuals:
Leaders build willingness, enthusiasm and confidence in followers for accomplishment of their
individual and organizational goals. This results in their overall growth and development.
4. Building the Team Spirit:
No individual can work alone. Leaders develop team spirit amongst followers to work
collectively and coordinate their activities with organizational activities and goals. A leader
works as captain of the team.
5. Motivation:
Leaders motivate the employees to take up jobs that they otherwise may not be willing to
exercise.
6. Provides Feedback:
When people work towards well-defined targets, they want constant feedback of their
performance, which helps in achieving their goals effectively. Leaders provide them this
feedback.
7. Helps in Introducing Change:
Effective leaders can convince members about the need and benefits of organizational change.
The change process can, thus, be smoothly carried out.
8. Maintain Discipline:
Leadership is a powerful influence that enforces discipline in the organization more than formal
rules and regulations can. Members will be committed and loyal to rules and regulations if their
leaders have confidence in them.
9. Affirming Ethical Values:
Leadership derives from trust. Ethics affirms trust of people (employees, customers,
shareholders, suppliers, regulators and community) in a leader. Thus, a leader needs to conform
to ethical practices.
10. Empowering Others:
A good leader leads by empowering others. It means delegation of power. Today’s leader is not
expected to retain all power with himself, he gives autonomy and power to others. He has to
diffuse his power. He has to command power and respect for empowering others.
11. Reviewing the Norms:
From time to time, a leader needs to review his mission and vision statements along with clear
norms and guidelines, taking into account views and experiences of his subordinates, by
interactive ways like organizing workshops and discussions.
12. Setting the Ethical Example:
The ultimate leadership responsibility is modeling the behaviour of others. Employees constantly
watch and learn from leaders. They rightfully assume that it is okay to do whatever the leader
does. Regardless of what is written or said in the organization, leader’s behaviour is the
performance standard which employees generally follow.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEADERSHIP

The next few sections will give you insights into the leadership styles you can choose from. It
will also give you an understanding of leadership courses you may want to take to hone your
skills.
1. Democratic Leadership
This is as clear as its name. In democratic leadership, the leaders make or break decisions
democratically, based on their team’s opinion and feedback. Although it is the leader who makes
the final call, every opinion counts. This is easily one of the most effective leadership styles
since it allows employees to have a voice.
2. Autocratic Leadership
This is exactly the opposite of democratic leadership wherein the opinions of employees are not
considered. Leaders with this style expect others to adhere to the decisions they take, which is
not a sustainable approach in the long term.
3. Laissez-faire Leadership
Laissez-fire means “let them do”. This style is the least intrusive and leaders with this approach
ensure that the authority lies with the employees. While this leadership style can empower, it
may also limit development, therefore, must be kept in check.
4. Strategic Leadership
Strategic leadership acts as a bridge between the senior team and the employees. Leaders
adopting this style ensure that both executive interests and working conditions for the team are
stable when a decision is made.
5. Transformational Leadership
This kind of leadership always aims at transforming and improving functions and capabilities.
There may be tasks and schedules assigned and leaders following this style may ask employees
to push their boundaries constantly. Most growth-minded companies tend to adopt this kind of a
leadership style.
6. Transactional Leadership
This is a very common leadership style today based on the action-and-reward concept. For
instance, an employee or team may receive an incentive or bonus for achieving a target set by the
company.
7. Coach-Style Leadership
This leadership style focuses on larger growth while encouraging individual team members to
focus on their strengths and talent. Though this is similar to strategic and democratic leadership
styles, the focus here is more on the individual.
8. Bureaucratic Leadership
This kind of leadership style goes by the books. Although leaders with this approach do listen to
employees and their opinions, they may negate or reject it, in case they go against the company’s
ethos or policy.

SOME OF THE IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS THE LEADER PERFORMS ARE GIVING

UNDER:
1. Leader Develops Team Work:
The three vital determinates of team work are the leader, sub-ordinates and the environment.
These factors are interdependent. It is the leader’s responsibility to make the environment
conductive to work. He inculcates the sense of collectivism in employees to work as a team.
2. Leader is a Representative of Sub-Ordinates:
He is an intermediary between the work groups and top management. They are called linking
pins by Rensis Likert.
3. Leader is an Appropriate Counsellor:
Quite often people in the work place need counselling to eliminate the emotional disequilibrium
that is created sometimes in them. He removes barriers and stumbling blocks to effective
performance.
4. Uses Power Properly:
If a leader is to effectively achieve the goals expected of him, he must have power and authority
to act in a way that will stimulate a positive response from the workers. A leader depending on
the situation exercise different types of power viz., reward power, conceive power, legitimate
power, represents power and expert power. Besides the formal basis the informal basis of power
also has a more powerful impact on organizational effectiveness. No leader is effective unless
the subordinates obey his order.
5. Leader Manages the Time Well:
Time is precious and vital but often overlooked in management. There are three dimensions of
time, boss-imposed time, system-imposed time and self- imposed time that is prominent in
literature. Because the leader has through knowledge of the principles of time management such
as time preparing charts, scheduling techniques etc., he is in a position to utilize the time
productivity in the organizations.
6. Strive for Effectiveness:
Quite frequently the managers are workaholic and too busy with petty things to address to major
details of effectiveness. To fill the gap, sometimes leader throws his concerted effort to bring
effectiveness by encouraging and nurturing team work, by better time management and by the
proper use of power.
Leadership is rather examined in personal characteristics than in terms of activities.

REAL-WORLD EXAMPLES OF LEADERS WITH VALUABLE LEADERSHIP SKILLS

When thinking about great business leaders, some names may pop up -- Steve Jobs, Indra Nooyi,
Bill Gates -- and one might wonder how they became successful. While most people aren't born
leaders, they can certainly develop the skills to become one.
The following are real-world examples of famous leaders and their leadership styles:

Indra Nooyi, former chairperson and CEO of PepsiCo

Indra Nooyi is a business visionary leader. As a successful leader, she practices the Five Cs of
good leadership -- clear, cohesive, complete, concise and concrete. She strongly believes that
other leadership traits can be overshadowed if one doesn't possess strong communication skills.
To follow this mantra, Indra herself pursued formal training to hone her communication skills.
She also used to maintain a blog at Pepsi where she regularly communicated to her employees
via posts. This proves that communication is extremely valuable to her and is one of the key
ingredients behind her success.

"Leadership is hard to define and good leadership even harder. But if you can get people to
follow you to the ends of the earth, you are a great leader."
--Indra Nooyi

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft

Bill Gates is a business tycoon, software developer, investor and co-founder of Microsoft. He
believes that success doesn't happen overnight and practices the philosophy of working hard. His
passion and vision for programming led to the creation of BASIC programming language, MS-
DOS for IBM and finally the launch of Microsoft. He's a transformational leader who is
constantly evolving and encourages the same creativity from his subordinates. His long-term
vision for success is always inspired by his passion for programming.

"As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others."
--Bill Gates

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc.

Tim Cook is a business executive, leader, engineer and the current CEO of Apple. He follows a
democratic leadership style that enables everyone in the workforce to contribute to the success of
the organization. The secret to his success lies in open communication, transparency and sharing,
which has made the Apple market shares soar under his leadership.
"Work takes on new meaning when you feel you are pointed in the right direction."
--Tim Cook

Mary Barra, chair and CEO of General Motors

Mary Barra is a successful entrepreneur who became the first female leader of a popular
automaker in the U.S. when she was named the chair and CEO of General Motors in 2014.
Barra's leadership style enables empowerment for her employees and gives credit where it's due.
Among her outstanding leadership qualities is her ability to navigate through different challenges
and crises, such as the Switchgate crisis -- an ignition switch malfunction in GM cars that cost
more than 100 lives.

"It's important to surround yourself with people who will challenge you and tell you when and
why you are wrong."
--Mary Barra

Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks Coffee Company

Howard Schultz transformed Starbucks into a well-known and reputable brand across the world.
He practices the transformational style of leadership by encouraging his employees to both grow
as individuals and be a part of a collective team that works toward achieving objectives. Respect,
trust and honesty are his biggest attributes and he ensures that everyone in the company
simulates these traits as well.

"Business leaders cannot be bystanders."

QUALITIES OF LEADER

1. Have Vision:
Leaders have a clear sense of where they want to go and how they intend to get there. They see
the big picture, and then create a strategic plan for achieving their goals. Learn how to develop
your vision – Befriend top business leaders in your community (not necessarily just those in real
estate), read new and classic business books and great leaders’ biographies, and formulate a
mission statement for your company.
2. Make Decisions:
Leaders aren’t afraid to make difficult or unpopular decisions because they have confidence in
themselves and in their abilities. They know that indecision wastes resources and opportunities.
Learn to hone your decision-making skills – Practice making decisions in areas where failure
isn’t critical to increase your confidence. If a decision turns out to be wrong, learn from it and
move on.
3. Take Risks:
Leaders have the courage to act in situations where results aren’t assured. They’re willing to risk
failure. Learn how to take risks – Analyze the situation, listing pros and cons for each option,
then assign each choice a risk factor rating from 1 to 5. Next determine the likelihood that each
outcome will occur. This will help you determine how much risk you want to take. TIP – Don’t
expect perfection. No one wins all the time. Leaders grow by making mistakes.
4. Motivate Others:
Leaders can articulate their vision and ideals to others, convincing them of the value of their
ideas. They can inspire people to work toward common goals and to achieve things they never
thought they could do. Learn how to motivate people – Explore the different needs that motivate
people and recognize that the same rewards don’t motivate everyone. Listen carefully to others
to learn what motivates them. TIP – Motivate employees by making sure they understand how
their work contributes to a larger goal.
5. Build Teams:
Leaders create productive teams that draw the best from people. They effectively coach teams in
collaboration, consensus building, and conflict resolution. Learn how to improve your
teambuilding skills – Avoid preconceived answers to every question. Concentrate on
appreciating different points of view during discussions rather than just trying to prove your
point. This same willingness to include others is the key to successful teambuilding.
6. Possess Self-Knowledge:
Leaders know their own strengths and weaknesses and are able to view their behavior
objectively. They recognize their shortcomings, open themselves to feedback, and are willing to
make changes when necessary. Learn how to expand your self-knowledge. Study yourself
closely and practice self- assessment techniques to learn how you behave and the affects you
have on others. Ask others for their opinions or criticisms and what you can do to become a
better leader. TIP – Keep a journal of critical incidents; look back and learn what you did well
and what you might have done better.
7. Display Integrity:
Leaders must be trustworthy before others who follow them. Qualities that establish trust are
competence, constancy, caring, candor, and congruity, which he defines as authenticity,
reliability, and feeling comfortable with oneself. Learn how to assess your integrity. Actively
seek feedback from others friends, co-workers, and even employees to determine if your values
and sense of responsibility coincide with those of your peer group.
8. Pursue Lifelong Learning:
Leaders have a desire to continually learn and grow and are open to new ideas. Learn how to
expand your knowledge – Maintain a broad focus. Look beyond your colleagues and your own
industry for ideas and inspiration and read books on new management theories and ideas. TIP –
Wise managers look for support staff or partners who complement their weaknesses.
9. Communicate Effectively:
Leaders can convey their ideas to diverse individuals and adjust their styles to meet the needs of
the people they lead. Learn how to improve communication skills – Practice communications
skills such as – active listening. Read between the lines during conversations, especially when
dealing with subordinates who may be reluctant to say what they think. Restate important points
in several ways or ask listeners to reiterate your point to you to ensure that your meaning is clear.
10. Help Others Succeed:
Leaders empower others and go out of their way to help them achieve their full potential, thereby
benefiting the organization. Give a boost to others – Mentor individuals you feel are able to
assume leadership roles.

WHAT ARE LEADERSHIP SKILLS?

Leadership skills are the strengths and abilities individuals demonstrate that help to oversee
processes, guide initiatives and steer their employees toward the achievement of goals.
Leadership skills are an essential component in positioning executives to make thoughtful
decisions about their organization's mission and goals, and properly allocate resources to achieve
those directives. Valuable leadership skills include the ability to delegate, inspire and
communicate effectively. Other leadership traits include honesty, confidence, commitment and
creativity.
In IT, executives are often required to be jacks-of-all-trades. In addition to being able to plan
strategically, their leadership skills must also be directed toward risk management, disaster
recovery, compliance and other aspects of data governance.

TOP 15 LEADERSHIP SKILLS THAT MAKE A GOOD LEADER

To be an effective leader, a person should possess certain skills that can steer and motivate the
team members toward success.
The following list examines 15 important leadership skills:
1. Open communication
A good leader keeps an open line of communication with team members and can succinctly
explain organizational goals and tasks using different types of communication channels, such as
one-on-one sessions, email, video, chat, phone calls and social media. An effective leader also
shares clear messages and makes complex ideas easy to understand for everyone.
2. Empathy
Empathetic leadership focuses on identifying with others and understanding their perspective.
Leaders who show empathy are successful because they can better understand how the
employees feel about their work environment. This enables the leaders to bring positive changes
to the workforce.
3. Strategic thinking
Leaders need strategic and critical thinking skills, as they are tasked with challenging decision-
making. A strong leader makes well-researched and objectively scrutinized decisions that can
lead an organization toward achieving its goals.
4. Creativity
A creative leader can brainstorm new ideas and inspire others toward creativity and innovation.
For example, a successful leader will always recognize and reward employees for their creative
input.
5. Positivity
A great leader brings positivity into the work environment, which in turn uplifts the employees
and encourages them to perform better. Positivity can be cultivated by showing care, respect,
diplomacy and empathy toward the team.
6. Flexibility
The best leaders get out of their comfort zones and quickly adapt to changing work conditions.
They wear multiple hats and can problem solve and improvise on the fly. A successful leader
also promotes employee engagement and is willing to accept constructive feedback from the
team.
7. Conflict resolution
A great leader not only knows how to avoid conflicts in the workplace but can also resolve them
in an efficient and timely manner. While resolving conflicts, the leader stays level-headed and
decides analytically.
8. Time management
This is an essential skill for leaders, as they need to delegate tasks, prioritize commitments, set
attainable goals and multitask. Successful leaders practice time management skills by
setting SMART goals for themselves and their team members.
9. Reliability
A strong leader is dependable and one that people can count on for fulfilling commitments and
meeting deadlines. This encourages the team to appreciate the leader's decisions and follow in
their footsteps.
10. Mentorship
Great leaders are always ready to mentor and teach to bring out the best in their employees. They
put in a lot of effort to make the team successful by using positive reinforcement, clarity,
motivation and by rewarding achievements.
11. Recognizing potential
Great leaders have a keen eye for recognizing potential talent and competencies in the
workplace. They also don't shy away from acknowledging the abilities and achievements of their
employees.
12. Responsibility
The success and failure of a team ride on the shoulders of a leader. Therefore, leaders should be
accountable for their actions and willing to take the blame when mishaps happen. Great leaders
take responsibility and devise strategies for improvement instead of pointing fingers and blaming
others.
13. Organization
Leadership positions depend heavily on organizational skills. A successful leader can handle a
variety of different projects, spend ample time on each, prioritize and ensure that all project
deadlines are met.
14. Delegation
Sometimes, it's difficult for leaders to let go of the projects they're passionate about. However, a
great leader knows the strengths and key skills of each employee and delegates accordingly
based on the project requirements. This also helps with relationship building within the team as
employees feel valued, respected and trusted.
15. Feedback
Effective leaders never miss an opportunity to provide constructive feedback to team members
regarding their performance. Without feedback, employees can't gauge where they stand and
which areas they need to improve on.

BUILDING A NETWORK OF RELATIONSHIPS

Networking is very essential in a business. Effective networking along with a good set of
relationships helps an organisation to flourish on a large scale.

(I) Benefits of building a network of relationships:

1. Corporate Image:
Organisations whose employees are able to do effective networking and built-up long-term
relationships benefit a lot. Networking could be done through LinkedIn, Instagram, Corporate
pages etc. Through networking many a times, employees are able to sell their company’s
products online without any difficulty.
2. New Business ideas:
Employees with the help of networking come up with new business ideas. They are more
confident their business proposals. Pitching newer customers is possible easily when employees
have new business ideas. Investments of organisation too increases when employees present
newer products to their loyal customers.
3. Loyalty towards Company:
Companies that come up with new products, offers and special discounts etc. develop certain
amount of loyalty in the eyes of customers. Customers do not want to purchase any product other
than their regular company. For example: Zepto offers 10 Minute Grocery delivery along with No
minimum value, this feature of Zepto is attracting newer customers and old customers are not
wanting to order from any other app other than Zepto.
4. New product lines:
Many companies nowadays are changing their existing product lines and coming up with new
products and offers. For example: Reliance Jio was originally in the Telecom industry but now it
has entered the Retail, Electronics, Fashion and Jewellery industry with launch of Jio Mart
(Retail), Reliance digital (Electronics), Reliance Trends (Fashion) and Reliance Jewels
(Jewellery).
5. Increased investments:
A network of relationships is always helpful in increasing investment of a company. When
employees interact with people through their network, people start showing interest in the
company’s products, website, offers, events etc. Hence, employees should constantly keep
making networks and keep attracting new customers to their organisation.
6. Partnerships:
Network of relationships enable effective partnerships. People interact with each other, meet
over coffee for discussing business deals, conduct one to one corporate event etc. Examples of
Partnership include: Spotifyand Uber, Red Bull and GoPro, Levi’s and Pinterest, Maruti Suzuki,
Hindustan Petroleum. Due to effective partnerships companies are able to increase their sales and
achieve their goals.

CHALLENGES FACED BY THE MINORITY

Minority face quite many challenges in their daily life. Some of the challenges faced include
1) Discrimination:
Minorities face a lot of discrimination in the society. They are deprived of their basic rights,
exploited on a great extent. Their views and suggestions are often neglected. They are not treated
like other individuals. They are at times made to feel low on their personality. They are not
respected by high class section of society.
2) Isolation:
Different classes of society are often found isolating minorities. They believe that interacting
with them is not a good social sign. Hence, many communities believe it’s better to keep oneself
away from minorities. They avoid touching their hand, eating with them, sharing thoughts with
them etc. Isolation on a large extent sometimes creates inferiority complex among minorities.
3) Unequal access to healthcare:
Healthcare is a necessity which should be received by all individuals irrespective of their Cast,
Creed, Race or Ethnicity. Healthcare measures if not received on right time can lead to serious
problems. Hence, minorities too should have an equal access to healthcare. If minorities are
deprived from healthcare facilities their households would be affected and their children would
face serious health hazards.
4) Employment opportunities:
Minorities also experience bias behaviour in employment opportunities. In spite of real talent,
they are asked to work at lower positions. They are not promoted to higher posts like others.
They are ill-treated and insulted by bosses. At times they are forced to resign too.
5) Problem of Housing facilities:
Proper sanitation and housing facility is the basic right of all individuals. If minorities are
deprived from this right too, they will experience problems such as Infections, Chronic cough
and cold, Fever, Dengue and serious health problems such as Asthma, Coronavirus, Omicron etc.
The local municipal authorities need to take into consideration these problems and conduct
monthly drives to verify that available health services are reaching the poor and needy minorities
effectively.
6) Experiencing negative mental and physical health outcomes:
Every individual deserves a positive mental and physical environment. Environment plays a very
vital role on an individual’s thought process. A healthy environment enables oneself to come up
with new ideas, motivate others etc. But minorities are most of the times fighting discrimination
hence they are experiencing negative mental and physical health outcomes. These health
ailments at times lower productivity at work.

DEVELOPING ETHICAL JUDGEMENT

Ethics is necessary in every organisation. Following ethical practises is essential for any
organisation to grow righteously. They include:
1) Following Rules and Regulations:
Rules and regulations need to be taken into consideration while conducting any business. Proper
laws need to be followed. For instance, the company has to be registered under Government
laws, acquire proper GST number, and tally their yearly Balance Sheet etc. Following ethical
practises helps companies to serve the society better.
2) Corporate Social Responsibility:
Corporates that make good number of profits should undertake Corporate Social Responsibility.
They must keep some % of their profits aside for CSR activities. Companies that undertake CSR
gain competitive advantage. They have a promising market value. For example: Tata Company
invests a lot of efforts, time and finance in carrying out CSR activities.
3) Avoiding Window dressing:
Companies involving themselves in ethical behaviour are always following true and fair view.
They avoid following window dressing. They keep their balance sheets and other accounts open
in front of their shareholders. They arrange time to time annual meetings.
4) Clear criminal records:
Companies that want to grow invariably have clear criminal records. They are on a safer side
legally as compared to other companies. They conduct their work righteously without involving
themselves in any crime. Some of the companies that work on a right path include: Tata Motors,
TCS Ion, Aditya Birla Group etc.
5) Remuneration:
Remuneration is something that all employees require ending of the day. An ethical company is
one that does not deduct its employee’s salary unnecessarily, pays timely over time, allows
sabbaticals, encourages employees for Mediclaim, provides educational assistance to employee’s
children etc. Such a company enjoys complete commitment from its employees. Employees
don’t want leave such companies easily.
6) Campaigns and drives:
Companies that follow ethical paths are very socially active in their conduct. They undertake
constant drives and campaigns for helping the poor and needy, providing job opportunities to
talented poor students, employment drives for women etc. Some of the drives undertaken
include:
HUL CSR Activities:
• Asha daan (2020-21)
• Project Sanjeevani (2020-21)
• Promoting Nutrition and Hygiene (2020-21)
• Project Shakti
NavBharat times too conducted ‘Gift a Classroom’ campaign of donating old and new mobile
phones, Ipad’s, laptops to poor and needy students which got lot of public response.
ASSESSING YOUR CAREER
Career assessment is very necessary in today’s world. Some of the points that help in effective
career assessment include:
1) Research:
Researching the right career option is very essential in career assessment. Students need to
conduct effective online research of their selected career so that they are avoiding repenting later
on. Effective research along with right judgement can make a student win in all situations.
Students can take help of their seniors, professors etc. in their career research.
2) Experience:
Students should see whether their selected career option requires prior experience. If yes then
they should search for sources to gain the required experience. For example: CA Professionals
require experience of article ship in their Batchelor’s. Such experience researching will put
students in a better position.
3) Joining professional Institutes:
There are many institutes that guide students in career selection and career assessment. Students
should get in touch with such institutes. They would be able to guide and place students in good
positions. Students would love interacting with experienced professors from different institutes.
4) Knowledge about career areas:
Students need to acquire appropriate knowledge about their selected career areas. There could be
many differences in career options today and 20-25 years back. Hence, students should discuss
their career options with their age group students to be in touch with latest career options.
5) Interest evaluation:
Students should see whether their selected career option is of their interest. For this purpose, they
need to their interest evaluation by conducting aptitude tests, management games etc. Results
derived from these tests will help students in deciding their career options.
6) Reading success stories:
Students may also benefit a lot from reading success stories. They will start comparing their
struggles with struggles of other achievers and get motivation from them. They will start
enjoying their career option and try to work too hard to achieve their goals. They will start
aiming high as compared to before.