Takers are self-centred, cunning to the core. Their entire focus is on how to take things, benefits form others. Takers put their own interests ahead of others’ needs. They try to gain as much as possible from their interactions while contributing as little as they can in return.

Matchers like to preserve an equal balance of giving and taking. Their mindset is: “If you take from me, I’ll take from you. If you give to me, I’ll give to you.”

Givers provide support to others with no strings attached. They are ready to help others and contribute to others wellness. Givers give because they consider welfare of others.  

Azim Premji of Wipro has mentored many successful business leaders and supported many social entrepreneurs through his investments and guidance. Premji has also set an example for corporate citizenship and philanthropy in India and beyond. He has shown that business success and social good can go hand in hand. In 2001, the Azim Premji Foundation was established, a non-profit organisation that aims to work towards improving the quality of education in India. Over the years, Azim Premji has donated large portions of his wealth to the Foundation. Azim Premji is a Giver.

Adam M. Grant is an American popular science author, and professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania specializing in organizational psychology. His book ‘Give and Take’ talks about a revolutionary approach to success, Adam Grant categorizes people into three types: givers, matchers, and takers. According to Grant the same definition mentioned above; givers proactively help others, matchers have a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” manner, and takers are the suck ups and backstabbers of the world.

The world would be a wonderful place if we would have a healthy surplus of givers. Grant writes about the advantages of adopting a giving approach in the workplace, and many of his suggestions and anecdotes can be applied to the library science field.

One does not automatically relate giving with success. Yet, giving can lead to greater success for oneself and others. According to Grant, extensive research reveals that people who give their time and knowledge regularly to help their colleagues earn more raises and promotions in a wide range of settings. Grant often appeals the symbol of a pie throughout the book: Givers increase the size of the pie and, therefore, can cut generous slices all around.

Ratan Tata is regarded as a successful industrialist of India; he is also well-acknowledged for his philanthropic contributions. There isn’t a single person in India who is not acquainted with his unique individuality, and many entrepreneurs not only draw inspirations from him but also look up to him as an example. Ratan Tata is also a Giver.

Givers are more successful as leaders because they help others around them grow. Leaders who give naturally see abundance and potential in those around them. They offer support and share knowledge generously.

Like Adam Grant, Jim Collins also speaks about successful leadership who are givers. Collins is an American researcher, author, speaker, and consultant focused on business management and company sustainability and growth. His model, Level Five Leadership represents a unique combination of executive capabilities, something that allows them to ensure their organizations become the best. Level one is the foundation position; at this level a leader relies on rules, regulations for taking any decision. Level two is called permission where the leader learns to function on the permission level; they merely comply with orders. At level three which is called production, either the leader is producing results for the organization and adding to its profits or is failing to do so. Many people never move up from Level 2 Permission to Level 3 Production. Why? They are incapable to produce results. When that is the case, it’s usually because they lack the self-discipline, they procrastinate, and they lack skills or not productive.

You find good leaders at Level 4 which is called ‘people development’.  At this level leaders invest their time, energy, focus and assessment into developing others around them as leaders. This can be a difficult shift for highly productive leaders who are often misunderstood because nobody likes to change, and constantly work, nobody likes putting in more hours. Developing others to become leaders requires lot of patience and courage.

It is rare to reach Level 5 which is called ‘Pinnacle’.  Pinnacle leadership focuses on building trust and respect, and challenging individuals to reach their highest potential. It focuses on building relationships, encouraging self-awareness, developing communication and problem-solving skills, and inspiring others to take ownership of their work. The individuals who reach Level 5 lead so very well constantly because of which they create a legacy in the organization they serve.

A legacy is the symbol of leaders who attempt to lead with a calling to a life-giving mission. Self-sacrifice and deep levels of service to others are necessary. They make the essential decisions, hire, and support the right people, guide daily efforts, and leave the organization or effort better off than when they assumed leadership responsibilities.

Narayan Murthy of Infosys is compassionate capitalist, management visionary, and dedicated moralist, Narayana Murthy placed India squarely on the global map of India’s IT dominance. He has been listed among the 12 greatest entrepreneurs of our time by Fortune magazine. He has been described as the “father of the Indian IT sector” by Time magazine and CNBC for his contribution to outsourcing in India. He is an example of Pinnacle leadership. 

Grant notes that most people are matchers, and matchers are people who want to see givers rise to the top and takers fail and get to desert. Today the business world, political world, NGOs, educational world, healthcare, agriculture, commerce, legal world every sphere of life requires GIVERS. Try to become a giver whichever walk of life you serve.

“Actions speak louder than words,” is one of the most famous maxims. Yet whether this is true or not depends on what we understand by the word “louder.” Making a promise to someone without thinking how you will fulfil it just reflects how casual or unrehearsed you are about your own words. I think making a promise is one of the most powerful forms of communication. Yet, frankly speaking, how many times do we make vows that we can’t possibly keep? As humans we put our faith in promises made by others. So our politicians, business leaders, our teachers, parents, neighbours, friends, siblings, children so many make promises which help us negotiate peace and hope in our lives and yet how many times does a person really mean the promise made must not be broken.

I am sure most us must have heard from the seniors around us like our grandparents, our parents talk about those faraway times when honouring a promise was utmost imperative, people then never compromised with their words. It did not matter whether they promised something trivial or something very big, but people fulfilled what they promised. It shows how strong the social fabric was those days.

The history proves how most famous people have broken their promises. Woodrow Wilson won re-election in 1916 with the slogan “He kept us out of war” only to enter World War I a year later. While the loss of trust can lead to anti-incumbency, it also creates intangible cleavages in the institution of democracy.

In 2017 Donald Trump promised to lower the corporate tax rate and bring in huge tax cuts for working Americans. The Republican tax plan passed in December 2017, and it largely ticks the box for the president although its merits are hotly disputed. He has had to compromise on his pledge to bring corporation tax down from 35% to 15% (it will be 21% instead).

In India, the Indians do not take the election manifestos seriously; Indian voters are accustomed to the lure of grand promises made once every five years by the political parties….they struggle their way through the debris of broken promises.

In the recent election of 2019, the ruling political party has failed us in creating jobs for the youngsters, education and skill development for youth has featured prominently in its manifesto but hardly any noticeable steps taken. The Modi government has also been trumpeting about its flagship schemes, such as Skill India, in helping job-seekers attain skills for a 21st century job market, but, we are yet to see the youth employment fulfilled.  

We make and we break promises because some promises are very hard to keep we hear the builders, plumbers, electricians, carpenters saying “I’ll come back tomorrow.” But the truth is the other way…tomorrow comes after few days always. They won’t come back until next week, fortnight, month.

We love hearing secrets and we happily make this promise. And at the time we really mean it. ‘Don’t worry,’ we say, ‘your secret is safe with me.’ But of course it isn’t. Research shows that everybody will always tell one other person the secret. Very soon the whole street will know it!

“This won’t hurt.” Is a favourite phrase from doctors, dentists and nurses….they usually say it just before they give you an injection. But the phrase is not complete, without some ah, ooh, ouch..

We make new friends on holidays, long travels or on a train journey, we swap e-mail addresses, phone numbers and we make this promise of keeping in regular touch with them. Six months later you find a name and e-mail address on a card or an old piece of paper. ‘Oh dear!’ you think – but then you remember that they didn’t write to you either.

‘I’ll pay you back tomorrow.’ In Hamlet, Shakespeare told us never to borrow or lend money. He was right. When we lend people money they always make this promise but then they forget. If we then ask for the money back, they tag us as mean. If we don’t ask, we never get our money back.

And the worst, ‘I’ll always love you.’ Lovers must trust each other for a relationship to thrive. Their faith in each other’s promises and subsequent marriage is what sustains their faith in the relationship and in each other. Most couples agree that automatic trust is not a guarantee. It must be earned on a continuing basis. The shade of love starts fading away slowly in relationships. 

There are multiple levels of broken promises that create different reactions in different people. Some can be potential deal breakers, like repeated addictive escapes, infidelities, or anything else that is hidden from the other partner and might risk his or her consent were it to be known. When those breaches of trust are repeated, many cherished relationships just cannot survive.

Most broken promises are not intentional, motivated by meanness, or routinely repeated. Promises are confessions of intent, large and small, that mark a wide range of interpersonal events be it friendship, marriage, employment or business partnership. A specific behavior toward another is expected. Promises require us to declare a conscious objective: we will never do the thing the other person does not want us to do. But people have so many out-of-awareness thoughts and feelings, we may not “know” of our unconscious inaptness about a stated commitment. There are a number of commonly understood reasons promises are broken, including that our feelings, capacity, or circumstances keep changing over time. 

Your word is your bond. In this big fake world, today also there are individuals who keep their words; because for them keeping their word is of special significance. Remember this -every time you give your word, you are putting your honour on the line.

When you are told “do as I tell you”, “you are not up to mark,” without listening to you, without understanding your predicament it lets down your morale. When this happens, you lose enthusiasm and goodwill among the staff. It drains energy of people, it disappoints people. Poor leaders suck all good energy of their teammates.

A leadership style refers to a leader’s characteristic: his behavior while directing, motivation style, guiding, and managing their group. Great leaders can inspire positive thinking, innovation, positive movements and social change. They can also motivate others to perform, create, and innovate.

The way Southwest handled 9/11: Southwest is known for its impeccable customer service. In the aviation industry it enjoys its position because of good customer service, Southwest always has put customer service first; no matter what the situation. On the dreadful September 11, 2001, airlines were forced to shut down for days for avoiding more problems. The passengers were shattered and they trying to recover from the abrupt shock. Since all airlines were shut, all airline passengers, flight attendants and pilots were stranded with the planes across the United States. Instead of simply sitting and waiting, Southwest employees were encouraged to take passengers for bowling, sightseeing, for movies to pass the time.

During these tough times, many airlines started cutting jobs in the months following 9/11, because the airline industry had been badly affected, and many airlines were forced to cut their workforce by up to 20 percent. During such tough time, instead of following the trend, Southwest announced within three days after 9/11 that it would keep all of their employees and start a $179.8 million profit-sharing program for employees. Southwest CEO James Parker felt that the foundation of the airlines was built on integrity and sound principles for the past few decades, and at such crucial time he felt that his airline must support the passengers.  Parker’s timely decision and action has become a case study.

As you start observing some people whom you consider as great leaders, you at once see that there are immense differences in how each person leads. Natural leaders inspire individuals to do well, contribute to the success of the organization. Born leaders use feedback and role modeling, not as a control mechanism, but to inspire others.

No matter what the situation is, something that mars organization is practicing double standards; witnessing people say one thing, and do something else. This betrays and demoralizes all stakeholders. Deceit is very destructive. It might work for few days, but it soon evaporates peace of mind. If you are in a leadership position, you must be prepared to take responsibility of your team. You cannot run from result of your team whether good or bad.

Why did Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s soldiers fought so hard for him? What if he sat on top of a hill, safe from the battle? Probably he wouldn’t conquer so many battles. He would have been just another average general in our history books, instead of the example of a successful leader that we know today.

Nelson Mandela was the first democratically elected President of South Africa. He was the face and leader of the Anti-Apartheid movement, relentlessly fighting against racial discrimination all through his life. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for conspiring to overthrow the state following the Rivonia Trial. His tremendous focus, determination, and will dismantled the apartheid, making him come out as a hero and lead his country into having an equal and free future.

Jack Welch of General Electric (GE) pushed GE to new heights; he had to turn everything upside down. Everything changed in the organization. He developed the idea of a “boundary-less” organization. This means that everyone is free to brainstorm and think of ideas. Instead of employees waiting for the nod of some higher up and wasting time, they could meet Welch anytime to discuss about their ideas. He wanted his team to turn loose, but he ensured that performance comes first. Everyone from the lowest line worker to senior manager got Jack’s equal attention; if they had something to say about a new idea that could make the company better, Welch would give the person credit. Jack Welch walked his talk. He stayed true to his passions. As a result, GE became an incredibly successful company under his able leadership. His team was always willing to follow his direction, because the people within organization knew that he always kept his word.

Your team enthusiastically works for you if you do what you say. They observe you; they keenly pursue your actions. If you only order things and don’t get involved in the operation, they might not follow you enthusiastically. And, if your actions don’t follow your words, they will suspiciously look at you for everything you tell them. If trust is not present in your group relationships, you may struggle to make meaningful connections. As a leader, avoid damaging trust because once lost, it is difficult to rebuild. Walk your talk.

The conventional practice of management to drive results at any costs is ruled out. Managers used to be hard on employees, suppress them, scare them and get work out of them. Today the scene has changed.  Managers need to strike a friendlier cord with their subordinates. They are aware of their subordinate’s personal lives, their hobbies, their hidden talents so that their personal and professional lives don’t collide. Today’s workplace atmosphere calls for an evolved way of management and of leadership. Today’s managers have to be good human first to get the best performance from his subordinates. Today’s manager needs to motivate and inspire his team to get the best out of his team members.

Nobody can stand an obsessive, insecure, complicated and fiddly manager.  People don’t leave organizations, they leave persons. No one likes to work with a ‘self obsessed’ manager; someone who says ‘I am so and so’, ‘I like so and so’, ‘this is my vision’, ‘that is my intention’ so on and forth. Instead of ‘me’ manager employees like a ‘we’ manager. A leader who can accommodate others is appreciated highly. Being human is no more considered a sign of vulnerability; it’s a mark of strong leadership. Employees are first human beings. Organizations must acknowledge this fact and hire managers who understand other’s emotions. We cannot underestimate social emotions; they are most crucial for success.  And, the most vital emotion at work place is empathy.

Leaders who want to be in control all the time get frustrated when their team looks up to them for answers and solutions. And, if they display any limitation or waver in their decision, the chances are the whole organization can crumble around them. Perfectionism and insecurity makes the leaders terribly anxious. Also a fixated manager always remains anxious. We should remember that even subordinates can see the strengths and weaknesses of their superiors. Despite some weaknesses if the managers function well, if they can handle tough situations without much fuss the subordinates support him/her quietly.

Clearly, some training and development needs are universal. Some traits of leadership can be taught but some are to be innate. It’s still not scientifically proved whether leaders are born or they can be developed.

A good leader understands that each member in his team is unique: each one has different skills, different levels of understanding, and is fit to take on different responsibilities and objectives. Thus the business world, political world, social world requires trained, well mannered and mature leaders. The academia needs to take on the responsibility of training and developing effective leaders.  When we say academia more emphasis is stressed on business schools which can play a big role in developing trusted leaders.

Organizations today seek collaborative thinkers who are cooperative and can solve problems. At B-Schools too much of emphasis is laid on developing analysts who are good at applying quantitative management formulas. The narrowly designed specializations corrupt minds of the students; they lose the ability of looking at problems from totality.  Companies demand leaders who can powerfully coherent ideas, both orally and in writing. Companies look at leadership traits that can motivate and guide their people. But business schools tend to train people to simply assert their ideas. We are trailing out on the importance of understanding and empathizing emotions. Working with our own and other’s emotions seems very difficult. Another thing is sensitizing the students to the real time issues and improving their critical abilities. Excellent communication is equally core area for development.

Can we expect a radical revamp from B schools? No, we can’t until industry and schools compare notes. I think the gap between expectation from the organizations and the skills taught at MBA schools can be shortened if there is a regular dialogue between both.

A 1999 study of MBA graduates conducted by Mark Kretovics who was then assistant dean at Colorado State University’s College of Business and is currently an assistant professor of higher education administration and student personnel in Kent State University’s Department of Teaching Leadership and Curriculum Studies, provides really striking findings. He assessed set of skills among a control group comprising of students from various streams of studies including MBAs. The study proved that out of 12 skill areas in 7 categories MBA graduates were significantly better than the group of university graduates not enrolled in a business program. The seven categories in which MBAs were superior were action, goal setting, information analysis, information gathering, quantitative skills, theory, and technology. However, the MBAs could not outsmart students from other streams in five other equally critical areas: helping others, inventiveness, leadership, affiliation, and wisdom. We see that these deficiencies are widespread among MBA programs in most part of the world.

In a 2002 poll by Canada’s Financial Post, 141 CEOs and senior executives rated non-business-school graduates as far better than MBAs in commitment to hard work, oral communication, written communication, understanding industry analysis, interpersonal skills, and even skills in marketing and sales. B Schools must take their roles seriously.

The primary task of leadership is giving direction. Leaders must be able to create trustworthiness in their organizations. Trust is the foundation of leadership. In 21^st century organizations must transform economy by improving lives, saving the environment and empowering communities. Transformation, environment protection and empowerment all three breed well when there is trust.  Organizations have to recognize themselves as social enterprises. The social networking and Internet are educating the people like never before. To face the complexities in the business world well prepared leaders are a must. Most MBA graduates arrive at new jobs unprepared. They should be prepared to work in multicultural, diversified, multiunit organizations.

Organizations expect highly motivated, able people with stronger skills who arrive with MBAs.  They look for stronger skills in writing, public speaking, building and running teams, supervising and delegating, and sharing leadership in ways that motivate and inspire subordinates. Even if it’s true that social skills are difficult to teach, curriculum can be designed to promote them. Organizations expect MBAs with a better grasp of the scientific method and how to apply it from hypothesis generation through the research and analysis that underlies the MBA profession. Research skills must be taught at the B Schools with precedence.

Business schools mistakenly defer to students when they’re designing their curriculum. They instead try to please students by designing lighter, misleading curriculum. That could explain why MBA programs do not pay enough attention to the nuts and bolts of problem solving.

Another area of concern is there is hardly any stress laid on the quality of being honest and having strong morals and principles. For building successful business ‘integrity’ is a must. A 2007 Bloomberg/LA Times survey reported that 6 out of 10 Americans believed that the CEOs of American companies are not ethical. In 2008 America witnessed the subprime crisis and the economic downhill.

Bad leadership and lack of genuine spirits are not going to take us any further. The base of leadership is integrity and spirit of service. Today we need leaders who can instead of only talking do the walking for transforming the economy. Leadership is a relationship between the person leading a group and group members. As with any relationship, success depends on both parties.

Whether the setting of an organization is business, government, education, entertainment, retail, or it’s an NGO; most people would agree that they would like to work with a good leader. And, a good leader is someone like a good physician. Just as the physician identifies the patient’s disease accurately to ensure effectiveness of the prescribed treatment, the business leader must also be able to diagnose problems, values and voices while finding effective solutions. All said and done, today all organizations are craving for trusted leaders.

In late 1950s cardiologists Meyer Friedman and R. H. Rosenman coined the term “Type A” and “Type B” personality types. Meyer and Rosenman said that Type A personalities are prone to heart disease easily because of their nature. They are very hyper and finish work on deadlines always. Comparatively type B people are laid back individuals. They have the aptitude to relax, enjoy small undertakings and they like to enjoy the small things in life. Though, they too get stressed but rarely.

In business organizations “Type A” personality will always be in demand because they are competitive, energetic, impatient, and are always under pressure to finish work in time. To a great extent type ‘A’ personalities are the most sought-for employees. However, a tremendous amount of work has been done by psychologists on the personality types and they have found that type ‘A’ is most prone to heart disease. They work overtime a great deal and rarely take vacations. They are labeled as “workaholics,” “perfectionists,” and “fastidious” people. Do you know A Type individuals are usually insecure? Their insecurity results in an alluring urge to constantly remind themselves and others of their achievements. If you walk into a type A’s office or home you will find many awards, degree and diplomas, and trophies hung on the wall or decorated in a cupboard. These are the common fixtures in their homes and offices. They are always worked up; hence they tend to be very angry individuals, they demonstrate usually cut-throat business tactics. These individuals are quite concerned about numbers, e.g. number of customers, amount of money earned, number of cars and number of homes owned by them. Because of their number game, they are always tensed up. They complain muscle cramps, dry throat, insomnia and they have more adrenalin pumping though their bodies than Type B personalities. The daily caffeine intake of Type A personalities is 50% greater than that of Type B persons. They consume more caffeine to boost their functioning ability.

On the contrast type B individuals have relaxing characteristics. They are not concerned with time or numbers or awards. They cannot work under stress. They are friendlier people. The Type B person finds it easier to express and receive affection because they are hassle free.

“A” type personalities are most suitable for leadership position. They are business owners, managers, sales people, intrapreneurs. They take charge very easily and forge ahead. They are very decisive and constant in getting what they want and need. They always are looking for a better way of working. Their entrepreneurial streak is always exhibited and they are not averse to taking risk. The type “A” personality is usually very independent and to the point. They don’t like routine and often delegate routine chores to someone else.

B” Type personalities are non-judgmental and tolerant people. They usually exhibit higher levels of satisfaction in life. They are aware of their abilities and work progressively for their goals. They enjoy their achievements. They are not too much stressed out to excel. They do get disappointed when they fall short of their goals, but they don’t get overwhelmed like “A” type. “B” type accepts failures more easily. They enjoy outings, games and contests. They participate in competitions and contests not for the sole objective of winning but for the love of the game. They are thoughtful and innovative. They allow themselves to explore and fail, if necessary. Some “B” type people are too relaxed and laid-back that they lack the drive to reach the topmost level of their careers.

A research concluded that in the most progressive country in the world, America has 50% of the individuals who fall into the Type A category, 40% into the Type B category, and 10% are undefined. More importantly, the results of a ten-year long research project on 3,500 men indicated that Type A men have at least three times as much coronary heart disease as Type B’s. The research proved that smoking cigarettes, eating foods rich in cholesterol, taking drinks and little or no exercise made very little difference in stirring the risk of heart disease, if the person has a Type B personality. This study proved that the risk associated with developing heart disease decreased by 31% when the A-B factor was eliminated. People, who can relax, take life easily as it comes, those who can enjoy company of family and friends, who travel for fun, live life for many years. The research found that people who smoked three packs of cigarettes a day for fifty years but have enjoyed life are now celebrating their 100 plus years birthdays and mind you they are Type B personalities.

Type ‘A’ people are more visible because they like to take on leadership or managerial positions and to draw attention to their work. You will see them make a fuss at an airport counter, in hotel counter, hospital anywhere. To put it plainly, type As want to spread out in the world and make their presence known. And, please don’t be under wrong impression that Type B doesn’t make it big in life. They too are achievers. They don’t make noise, they are slow but steady. Perhaps that’s the reason they are slow to anger and experience less chronic stress, https://livingwellnessmedicalcenter.com/klonopin-clonazepam/. Anxiety is associated with enhanced outcomes for just about every health complaint, from asthma to depression to Type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Please note that type “B” easily delegate when are in high pressure jobs.

Type B personalities are often more balanced in social situations; they handle sticky situations more gracefully. They are less competitive, more patient, more mutual and happier to enjoy the moment. They are certainly better people to be around with. While type As brag and try get all the credit for focusing on the goals ahead, type Bs are as skillful at achieving their objectives in the end, but they do not make big noise.

While we give so much importance to achievements it comes with a badge of “being stressed”. It’s not enough that we compete to see who can do the most, but we compete to see who can handle the most stress doing it. The only way to minimize the negative effects of stress is to diminish the stress itself by identifying the reasons of stress in your life; either eliminate them, or rethink them.