leadership and conscience

ABSENCE OF CONSCIENCE

Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

LEADERSHIPAND

CONSCIENCE

November 28, 2015

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

EVERY DAY, ON MY WAY TO WORK AND BACK,

I GO PAST THREE RAILWAY LEVEL CROSSINGS.

JUST WHEN THE GATES CLOSE,

THIS IS HOW THE TRAFFIC LOOKS.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

A CAR ZOOMS PAST FROM WAY

BEHIND TO REACH THE RAILWAY

CROSSING AHEAD OF OTHERS.

A FEW DRIVERS FOLLOW SUIT.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

2 MINS LATER...

WE NOW HAVE VEHICLES PILED UP,

BREAKING TRAFFIC GUIDELINES.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

2 MINS LATER...

DRIVERS START OCCUPYING THE

FAR LANE AS WELL WITH UTTER

DISRESPECT TO TRAFFIC RULES.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

WHAT’S MORE…

EVENTUALLY, WHEN THE GATES OPEN,

DRIVERS FLOUTING RULES HAVE BLOCKED

THE PATH FOR INCOMING TRAFFIC.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

NOW, ERRANT DRIVERS TRY TO JOIN

THE DESIGNATED LANE TO MAKE WAY

FOR INCOMING TRAFFIC.

A TRAFFIC COP FACILITATES THE

LANE SHIFT. DOESN’T REPRIMAND.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

MUCH TO THE DISMAY OF THOSE FOLLOWING THE RULES,

ERRANT DRIVERS GET AHEAD, WHILE OTHERS ARE SLOWED DOWN.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

SO MUCH FOR BEING HONEST TO THE RULES,

PLAYING FAIR, AND DOING THE RIGHT THING.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

IF ONLY THE TRAFFIC COP PLAYED TRUE TO HIS RESPONSIBILITIES.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

OR, IF THE ERRANT DRIVERS HAD A CONSCIENCE.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

IT’S NO DIFFERENT IN

ORGANIZATIONS.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

WHEN LEADERS AND THOSE WITH AUTHORITY REWARD WRONG BEHAVIOR,

THEY ENCOURAGE DISTORTION OF HUMAN CONSCIENCE.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

THE CULTURE OF ANY ORGANIZATION IS

SHAPED BY THE WORST BEHAVIOR THE

LEADER IS WILLING TO TOLERATE.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

GRUENTER AND WHITAKER

AS A LEADER, MORE THE INSTANCES OF WRONG YOU TOLERATE AND

APPRECIATE, YOU END UP DIVIDING YOUR PEOPLE INTO THREE GROUPS.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

ALIGNED

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

CHARACTERISTICS

THEY BELIEVE WRONG IS RIGHT. ONLY IN THEIR CASE

THEY USE PEOPLE WITHOUT HESITATION

THEY NETWORK, OFTEN WITH AN AGENDA

THEY CREATE A LOT OF NOISE ABOUT WHAT THEY DO

THEIR WORK OUTPUTS ARE OVER-AMPLIFIED BY POWERFUL PEOPLE

THEY GROW IN THE ORGANIZATION

DEEP WITHIN, THEY KNOW THE PURITY OF THEIR ACTIONS. BUT, STILL

THEY BELIEVE THEIR WRONG WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME RIGHT

COST

PEOPLE DOUBT EVEN THEIR HONEST ACHIEVEMENTS

THEY ARE NOT TRUSTED BY OTHERS IN THE TEAM

THEY INFLUENCE OTHERS TO FOLLOW THEIR TEMPLATE OF SUCCESS

THEY BATTLE THEIR CONSCIENCE FREQUENTLY

1

PARALYSED

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

CHARACTERISTICS

THEY BELIEVE WRONG IS WRONG

THEY BELIEVE THEY TOO CAN BE WRONGED SOMETIME

THEY ARE SILENT TO RAISE A VOICE

THEY ARE EMPATHETIC

THEY ARE GOOD TO TALK TO

THEIR CAREERS ARE STAGNANT

THEIR FOCUS IS ON THEIR PERSONAL LIFE AND FAMILY NEEDS

DEEP WITHIN, THEY WANT THE WRONG TO FALL

COST

PEOPLE CAN’T COMPREHEND THEIR LOYALTY

THEY ARE SEEN AS INEFFECTIVE

THEY SOMETIMES DON’T COME ACROSS AS TRANSPARENT

THEIR CONSCIENCE NEEDS CONSTANT VALIDATION

2

FLIGHTED

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

CHARACTERISTICS

THEY BELIEVE WRONG IS DEEPLY WRONG

THEY CAN’T UNDERSTAND HOW WRONG CAN BE RIGHT

THEIR PROTESTS ARE IGNORED

THEY DISTANCE FROM THE WRONG

THEIR KINDNESS IS MISTAKEN FOR WEAKNESS

THEY RELY ON THEIR TALENT AND SKILLS MORE

THEY ARE DETERMINED. ALWAYS GUIDED BY THEIR CONSCIENCE

EASIEST WAY TO BEAT THEM IS TO BE UNFAIR TO THEM

THEY ARE GENERALLY DENIED WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY THEIRS

DEEP WITHIN, THEY ARE REALLY ANGRY WITH WHAT IS

HAPPENING

COST

THEY EVENTUALLY LEAVE YOU

THEY RECALBIRATE THEIR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

THEY START FRESH

3

THE CRUX OF ANY LEADERSHIP IS THAT

ARE PEOPLE WILLING TO BE LED BY YOU.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

AND, IS IT BECAUSE YOU ARE JUST.

OR, IS IT BECAUSE YOU ARE OK TO BEND THE RULES FOR THEM.

YOU WILL HAVE FOLLOWERS EITHER WAYS.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

ONE DAY, A MEDIA REPORTER AND CAMERAMAN STOOD

AT THE LEVEL CROSSING TO RECORD TRAFFIC SNARLS.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

SURPRISINGLY, EVERYONE ADHERED TO TRAFFIC RULES.

THE TRAFFIC COP MADE EXTRA EFFORT TO DISCIPLINE MOVEMENT.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

DO WE NEED THE LIKES OF THAT MEDIA REPORTER TO WATCH US ALL THE TIME?

WHAT IF WE ALLOW OUR CONSCIENCE TO KEEP A WATCH…

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

IF YOU MISSED READING THE EARLIER ISSUES OF

ABSENCE OF CONSCIENCE, VIEW IT ON SLIDE SHARE.

KEEP CALM AND SPEAK THE TRUTH

THE RESISTANCE TO LET GO

VISIBILITY DEFICIENCY

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar is a career marketing professional based in

Bangalore, India. Sanjay believes that the absence of conscience

among individuals make people and organizations hollow, and

causes erosion of righteousness in corporate life. It is important for

everyone to introspect their actions and be good to each other.

Sanjay can be reached at sanjay.kirimanjeshwar@gmail.com.

The views expressed in this presentation are his personal.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

When I first saw the slide show version of Marty Neumeier’s Brand

Gap many years ago, I was awestruck by its simplicity and the

conversational style of presentation.

It taught me how to build slides.

Absence of Conscience | Leadership and Conscience | Sanjay Kirimanjeshwar