Which side of the Brain are you on: Left or Right?

Pop psychology is one of the big beneficiaries of the ongoing social media boom. This is understandable: everyone wishes to unlock the mysteries of Life, the Universe and Everything Else in 140 characters or less. One of the pop psychology theories perennially circulating on Facebook and Twitter is the left brain/right brain hypothesis: the idea that the right brain is responsible for intuitive, creative and subjective functions like emotions, artistic appreciation, colour recognition, while the left brain is responsible for rational, analytical and objective functions, like logic, language, critical thinking and so on. This idea owes its existence to Roger Sperry, a 1981 Nobel Laureate (Medicine), who found that physically separating the corpus callosum (the bridge between the two hemispheres of the human brain) greatly reduced symptoms in epilepsy patients, but left either their reasoning or emotive faculties significantly diminished.    

First things first: this theory was outdated many years ago. We now know that both halves of the brain work in harmony, whether we’re reading Keats or solving a quadratic equation. There is well-documented evidence that shows the left and right brain hemispheres collaborating on linguistic as well as reasoning tasks.

Nevertheless, I find the left brain/right brain metaphor to be a useful tool while discussing personality and what it takes to be an effective leader.

Left Brain Leader: A boss who sets firm guidelines and sticks to them, such a person believes in leading by example, which means working harder than anybody else at the workplace. He or she will be highly organised, meticulous and will not take kindly to people who are perceived to be giving less than a hundred per cent. With a left brain leader at the helm, the organisation will run like a well-oiled machine. The chances of failure will be greatly reduced, but this will come at a cost: adaptability and scope for transformational, long-term change will also be reduced.

Right Brain Leader: A right brain leader will be an audacious risk-taker, a person who not only has an unusual perspective on most issues, but also encourages similar innovations from employees. He or she is likely to factor in intangibles while evaluating a person. Traits like punctuality, political correctness and capability for hard work will be respected by such a person, but they will always take a back seat to raw talent, vision and a flair for looking at the larger picture. Under a right brain leader, the organisation may be a little unpredictable (and a little compromised when it comes to day-by-day efficiency), but will have a chance of coming up with a product that changes the face of the industry.

The important thing, therefore, is to marry the strengths of both these kinds of leaders. The ideal CEO is someone who is sincere enough to inspire basic punctuality and efficiency in employees. At the same time, he or she must cut the team some slack every now and then, and simply ask them (without exerting pressure) to come up with ideas, no matter how wild or impractical. 2+2=4 seems obvious, but that’s only because your left and right brains are working together, after all.

Lead me to the Boss!

Working under somebody can always be stressful; it just depends on whom we are working for. We all find ourselves working for someone or the other in life and the experience depends on whether it is a boss or a leader.

When I was younger, the thought of confronting my boss brought a chill up my spine. I swore to myself that when I will be on the other side of the desk, I will make sure that I can do something to make others feel comfortable. I find being a leader rather than a boss, is far more beneficial, not only to me but my contemporaries as well.

Making them feel as part of a team, gives them the sensitivity of having a greater responsibility in the organization and also reduces my stress levels as the entire burden isn't on my shoulders alone. More than profits, it is your organizations’ human factor that is more valuable. Being a “Boss” can create a gap between you and your colleagues and you must strive to bridge that gap as much as possible. Make sure to instill trust and not fear in them.

Let me share a few tell-tale signs of a leader & a boss.

1. First way for differentiation could be the way how the employees greet the person - The Boss is greeted with a smile. The employees either become straight and stiff or tend to hunch a bit (more like a distant cousin of a bow). Though this may look like respect, it’s not. It is fear. While the Leader is also greeted with a smile, the atmosphere is much more relaxed. This is admiration & respect, which is what you do want!
2. The look on the person's face as he moves around the office - A stern, decided, on-a-mission works well to encourage the team to be go-getters. But a Boss will always overdo it. While it is good to be determined, you must let yourself interact with the team as well. A Leader will make sure to stop by at a colleague’s desk to not only inquire about the work progress but also about things other than work. This is where you connect.
3. Do you guide or do you 'master' - A Boss gives tasks. A Leader asks you to achieve goals and uses terms like “our goals”, “we can and will achieve”.
4. Finding the faults - We all tend to lose our tempers sometimes. The leaders do too. But how to convey that to your employees and how you make them rise out of it is what counts. A Boss will scream at the employee and might also mention “pink-slips” at the drop of a hat. A Leader, though may lose his/her cool at times, will make sure that the employee understands 1) the reason behind the mistake and 2) also suggests a solution for it. Everyone makes mistakes, but as a leader you have to turn that into learning for your team.

Each and every individual in an office, starting from the guard at the gate, to the youngster stuck to his computer screen in his cubicle to the top most management busy with their never-ending meeting schedules, all form a very vital part of an organization. Each one deserves the respect they are entitled to. 

There have been instances, where individuals have gone into depression because of the treatment by their bosses.  It not only tarnishes their name but the name of the organization as well.

The number of CEO’s adopting the ideologies of a leader is increasing tremendously. Coaching employees through an assignment reaps greater benefits than criticizing the employees. Employees don’t need a person of whom they are scared; they need a guide & a mentor.

The joy of running an organization is not in bossing people around but watching them grow into better individuals under your leadership.

Breaking the age old Myth

Nelson Mandela was the most significant African leader who stood against racism and apartheid in South Africa, while many in the world were silent. He dreamt of a democratic and free society in which people live together in harmony with equal opportunities. The words from his book ‘Long Walk to Freedom’ that describe a leader, hold great importance for today’s work culture seen across organizations throughout the world. He said that a leader . . . is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.

A lot has already been written about commanders in the recent past. Even if you go to your nearest bookstore, you’ll find shelves full of books written by politicians, business people, and athletes on how to be a leader. Is there a secret recipe to make you a leader? I don’t think so. But there are some common traits that all real leaders share.

Also, there’s a common myth attached to the concept of leadership. Many believe that leaders are born, not made. By far it is the most frequently heard or used phrase when asked about who a leader is or what leadership is. 

But I believe that good chiefs’ are made and are not born. Some people may have more natural intelligence or innate speaking skills or are more outgoing and these may be helpful in management. But one can learn commandership skills, not in the old lecture-take-notes model, but through a never ending process of self-study, experience, dialogue, role modeling, feedback, coaching, mentoring, and so on. Also, if one has the desire and willpower, no one can stop him/her from becoming an effective leader. The inimitable leaders always stand tall where ever they are planted and transform the life of the people around them.

To inspire the people around, there are certain things you must be, know, and, do. These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continual work and study.

Successful honchos understand the difference between things and people in an organization. They know that it's important to manage things, but that it's even more important to lead people. For instance, your position as a manager, supervisor, etc. in an organization, gives you the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives laid. This is known as assigned leadership. But this power does not make you a leader; rather it simply makes you a boss. Leadership is something that makes the followers want to achieve high goals rather than bossing around them, which is referred to as the emergent leadership.

This demonstrates that people – not strategy or products – are the most critical factor in an organization’s performance. Which is why, leaders invest heavily in growing and developing people, while managers see people as objects to be commanded and controlled. Therefore, you get an Assigned Leadership by your position and you display an Emergent Leadership by influencing people to do great things.