Et tu Brutus?

The true test of leadership is not in holding power, but in letting go with purpose.

- By DR VIVEK MEHRA, VIKRAMSHILA RESEARCH PVT LTD

There are stages in one's career when this feeling crosses one's mind, especially if you are in management. The feeling is just that; a feeling. The reality is perhaps different from what one perceives. It all begins with becoming a leader, be it as a team member, a team leader, or a manager, at any level. For most, this level comes with a bunch of insecurities. "That person in my team is out to get my job..." is a constant recurring theme, mentally. The higher you climb up the corporate ladder, the more others will want to be you.

So why the anxiety?

The answer lies more in the way we are genetically programmed; it is nothing but our self-preservation instinct at work. We want to preserve the salary, the perks, the respect, and the social position that our job brings us. And that is exactly what everyone in the team is aspiring.

The insecure CEO will surround herself with individuals she feels superior to or feels she can control. This is nothing but the self-preservation instinct kicking in. In the group, though, there will be one renegade or black hat; someone who appears to be the CEO's chosen one but acts in opposition when the CEO isn't looking. The opposition isn't about the CEO directly; the behaviour is modified to work against pieces of the larger puzzle. Open dissent about decision or the decision-making process is a common trait. Trying to build a contrarian culture is another common feature of dissent.

There are many ways to address this sort of dissent and insecurity. The most basic strategy is self-confidence. I recall my own stint in the CEO's chair where I openly stated that the respect and so-called love I received was entirely directed at the chair and not the individual. There were many who swore this wasn't true for them, but in the end, I was proven right. This set of values about individuals made my transition from CEO to non-CEO relatively painless.