"Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes". This Gandhian quote has very high significance in Management... especially in defining Leaders.
Whoever preaches intolerance to mistakes, prima facie are dishonest to their own humanness. Understanding of self and accepting the people around you as how they are, how different they are, how unique each of them is and how imperfect each of them is, are inevitable for a real leader, in an organisational set up. The sustainability of organisations in future are going to be on the basis of the value system they profess and the equilibrium they create between the business, people and the society... all ultimately pointing towards the leadership.A good example I can bring out is of Mr. T Sudhakar Rao, Executive Director (HR) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Rather than trying to define his leadership style and its success, I would tell only about the outcomes of his style. The values professed by him were being accepted and followed as the organisational values, without he dictating even a single one of them to be followed by others; because, as per my understanding, he accepts himself and each human being around, with all his/ their imperfection(s) and spreads the message of honesty, transparency and of course, the moral right and wrong in doing things-the Conscience.
It is true that HR practices in most of the companies are not so accommodating… but they also would need to change… when the going gets tough.
