Introduction
The most influential leaders in the history posses some characteristics of qualities. However, different leaders can have distinct characteristics. Some are born leaders and others become leader. Hence, the qualities or attributes of an effective leader is something that have been researched again and again by scholars and researchers. However, certain qualities are vital for every leader to be successful. For instance, effective communication skill is one such quality that every leader should possess. Similarly, a leader is not complete without a team. Hence, team development is another important attribute of a leader. Then, a leader must also posses the capability to change organizational climate and make it favorable. Therefore, given assessment is intended to focus on the importance of these attributes for a leader. For analysis, a great Indian visionary leader Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was selected.
Communication and Leadership
According to Towler (2003), communication is the most important key to leadership. In order to become a great leader, one is required to be a great communicator. Luthra and Dahiya (2015) reviewed that a great leader is always considered as a first-class communicator with a clear set of values and such leaders also believe in inculcating those values in others. The researchers also differentiate a great communicator from a great talker. The great communicator is not the one with a good speaking skills but is the one who has a thrust to learn or gain more knowledge (Luthra & Dahiya, 2015). Moreover, a good communicator not only have a great speaking ability but also good and unique quality of listening calmly.
Dr. APJ Kalam was one such personality who was a keen learner that can be revealed from his famous quote: “Learning gives creativity, Creativity leads to thinking, Thinking provides knowledge, Knowledge makes you great” (Goodreads inc., 2017). This reveals that he has a unique capability to gain knowledge.
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was appointed as a director of Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad in Februray 1982 (Bhushan & Katyal, 2002). As a leader at DRDL, he devoted initial few months in interacting with the subordinates and people. He communicated the goals of laboratory to the employees. He listened to the problems and aspirations of the people and analyzed that scientists working at DRDL has higher level determination. He accordingly started to review varied subsystems of DRDL in order to complete the aspirations of the scientists (Dwivedi, 2006). He not only exhibited his great communication inside DRDL but also outside the company. For instance, he used to strengthen his interaction with the scientists outside the laboratory by inviting experts from different institutions to engage them in the projects (Dwivedi, 2006). Therefore, Dr. Kalam was not only good at his language (English) but was also a good communicator with a great listening skills and unique learning ability.
Development of High Performing Teams
Özaralli (2003) reviewed that high performing teams in exhibits effective leadership through the leader define team roles and disseminate information to the team members. This shows that effective leadership leads to development of high performance teams. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was one of the leaders who successfully built high performing teams. For instance, Khanna (2015) noticed how Dr. Kalam successfully developed team performance being a project director of India’s Satellite Launch Program in Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). When the launch failed for the first time, he took all the responsibilities of the failure. The team tried again within a year and succeeded, then Dr. Kalam share the credit of success. Luthra and Dahiya (2015) found that a leader is one with quality of taking charge of everything.
Sharma (2015) further found that being technologist and engineer in Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the real strength of Dr. Kalam was establishing and leading technology team. During his career in different organizations like DRDL, he put together the team of engineers to work on the project of development of missiles while he rope in the expert engineers from the top institutes and labs such as Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (Sharma, 2015).
Furthermore, Dwivedi (2006) demonstrated that although Dr. Kalam has an extremely professional team of scientists but they lacked proper leadership and guidance. Dr. Kalam observed that for the sake of increasing the pace of the Research & Development (R&D) activities in the laboratories, it was necessary to take prompt decisions for technical and scientific issues. He was the one who took first major decision of creating Missile technology Committee, which was a forum of senior scientists. The committee was developed to discuss and debate the significant problems as a collective process (Dwivedi, 2006). Hence, he not only a team developer but was also mentor or guide.
Moreover, Subramanian (2002) asserted that Dr. Kalam was a great motivator and a team builder who believed in inspiring people by example. He used to treat failure and success with the same poise. According to the researcher, Dr. Kalam made deep impression on every team mate (Subramanian, 2002). Subramanian (2002) also analyzed that Kalam was a passionate inventor who believed in performing every task personally rather than getting dependent on subordinates. For example, Chairman of ISRO, Dr. K. Kasturirangan entitled Dr. Kalam as ” a techno-manager, an inspiring leader” who was not frightened to use hammer or any tool to get his hand dirty (Subramanian, 2002). This shows that Dr. APJ Kalam was a great team leader who deemed to manage the team by example. For every project, he used to get involved personally with the colleagues and subordinates. He used to take responsibility of all the failures and share credit with the whole team. This was the prime reason behind his success as a team builder and an amazing leader. The success of the projects exhibited the accomplishment of Dr. Kalam as a leader.
Change of the Old Low-Performing, De-motivating Organizational Climate
After joining DRDL, Dr. Kalam found that the scientists there were extremely disappointed due to the wind up of Devil missile project. Even the other projects were also pending, which led to frustration and disappointment among the scientists. He observed an immense need of establishing a healthy climate that is marked by confidence and trust. Therefore, Dwivedi (2006) found that Dr. Kalam used indigenous leadership and managerial strategies to attain a high performing and energizing climate at DRDL. For this, Dr. Kalam used effective communication strategy within and outside the organization in order to leverage change in the existing climate of DRDL.
Moreover, he has changed the organization’s culture of secret manipulation and closed-door consultations by creating Missile Technology Committee. This led to substantial improvement in the organizational climate of DRDL. The result was that motivated scientists that led to the commencement of Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), to fulfill the vision of Dr. Kalam for technological development (Dwivedi, 2006). As a result, Dr. Kalam successfully attained his organizational goals through his leadership attributes.
Conclusion and Personal Implementation
The assessment reveals some of the attributes that are vital for effective leadership. It exhibits the importance of communication in the leadership and how an effective leader can contribute to team development and change in organizational climate. I think I can adopt certain attributes of Dr. Kalam to attain success as a leader in my organization. I have analyzed that communication is not just about the talking skills of a person but about the learning and listening ability. Good communication skill is also vital for developing a great team. For instance, Dr. Kalam used communication skills to clearly explain to the people about their roles and about the goals of the company. As a leader, I can also apply that in my organization. It will help make people clear about what is expected of them. Moreover, it is also essential for a leader to take charge of everything. In order to keep the employees motivated, the leader is required to take responsibility of all the failures and must share the credits of success with other people. Hence, engaging members is vital for the success. These attributes of a leader will help in making changes to an organization, as Dr. Kalam brought organizational climate change to DRDL.
References
Bhushan, K., & Katyal, G. (2002). A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. New Delhi: A.P.H. Pub. Corp.
Dwivedi, R. (2006). Visionary Leadership: A Survey of Literature and Case Study of Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam at Drdl. Vision: The Journal Of Business Perspective, 10(3), 11-21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/097226290601000302
Goodreads inc. (2017). A quote by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Goodreads.com. Retrieved 27 November 2017, from https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/774894-learning-gives-creativity-creativity-leads-to-thinking-thinking-provides-knowledge
Khanna, C. (2015). APJ Abdul Kalam: Humility in Leadership. Linkedin. Retrieved 27 November 2017, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/apj-abdul-kalam-humility-leadership-charu-khanna
Luthra, A., & Dahiya, R. (2015). Effective Leadership is all About Communicating Effectively: Connecting Leadership and Communication. International Journal Of Management & Business Studies, 5(3), 43-48.
Özaralli, N. (2003). Effects of transformational leadership on empowerment and team effectiveness. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 24(6), 335-344. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/01437730310494301
Sharma, D. (2015). Three reasons why Kalam was a tech visionary. Dailyo.in. Retrieved 27 November 2017, from https://www.dailyo.in/politics/apj-abdul-kalam-iim-shilliong-drdo-rocket-scientist-nif-rameswaram-missile-man-slv-3/story/1/5297.html
Subramanian, T. (2002). Kalam as a colleague. Frontline.in. Retrieved 27 November 2017, from http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1913/19130180.htm
Towler, A. (2003). Effects of charismatic influence training on attitudes, behavior, and performance. Personnel Psychology, 56(2), 363-381. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2003.tb00154.x
