Being Boss!

Being a boss or call it as leader as boss seems a gangsters term, is never easy; especially when it’s handling subject as delicate as increment. It will be now nearly 27 years in the field for me & yes after spending few years with as a junior, most of later years of my carrier I was a boss by myself, so I have little exposure of other bosses as I haven’t worked much under any boss! Agreed that way we all have a boss in some form everywhere; however top post you may be yet I always believe if at all you have a boss then it’s you are the boss of your own self who matters most! Confused? Well even a single proprietary business like a grocery shop, you still have your customers as a boss & you might not have to report your daily routine to someone but you are answerable to your customers & I think that’s simplest definition of a boss i.e.  a boss is someone you are answerable to!

What is a difference between a leader & a boss? I am no management guy i.e. I have never been trained professionally in management but what I feel is a boss is someone forced upon you to give you order or take reporting from you, may it be by nature of job or by profession & a leader is someone whom you accepts or acknowledge & respect & look forward to develop yourself along with taking orders from him as in the process of following him you too learn & explore best in you! Like as in geometry, every square is a rectangle but every rectangle is not a square; same way every leader is a boss but not every boss is a leader!

Many of us after graduation must have worked at different positions, some like me have become businessman & some may be still having a boss around yet with acquired seniority are boss to many. How we rate our self as a boss is more important as there is very thin line between a boss & a leader & that line you only have to identify & cross it, to become a leader. It’s a long journey of self development & it’s not just years put under your belt which makes you a leader but how you use what you have learned in those years is what matters most! I have seen many people being successful in their early phases as a leader but failing miserably as the number of people under them increased & vice versa too! After all management may teach you what is right & wrong while handling men but how to apply those techniques differs individually.

Present situation of many industries, especially the one I work in i.e. real estate is very tricky say uncertain. With lots of major policy changes happening at a time & entire sale very slow, the clouds of recession are hanging in the sky for long time now. The entire scene is bit de-motivating for the leader or boss call whatever you may be to the main person & in such times to retain the faith of your team or staff in your actions is a tough task. I think to take them in confidence & share the facts of the business you are in without they getting demoralize is what differentiate a boss & a leader! A boss is the one who just dictates what he wants & in process lose the trust of his men where as a leader takes the team in confidence & makes it work in the way he wants. In such effort I tried to write something for my team & what better occasion than increment time I could have chosen for the same; sharing here my letter to my team; this is not to show I am good a leader or a boss but this sharing may be used by those who are in similar position. We all are boss somewhere may it be at home or work, it’s up to us only whether to remain boss for ever & retire some day as boss only or become a leader & step down with pride handing over our responsibilities to another leader!

So here is my sharing with my team…

1st June 16

“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant”… Max de Pree.

Dear Team,

You all know love of your boss for the quotes as these are the words by wise men, which speaks thousands of words in one sentence, all one has to do is be open to accept the wisdom! The above one is very much liked by me & used frequently as responsibility is something foremost characteristic of a person by me. May it be leader or not we all are responsible to something & then who is not the leader amongst us, is what I will like to ask. Month of May is unique in many ways, not just for increment part but even as a season also as we all looks with hope to the sky to bring rains after the months of scorching heat of summer & then end of May is start of festive season as it gets followed by "Shravan" as per Hindu mythology! Also its end of vacations & start of academic year, it’s time for studies & so on!

Well last few years it’s been difficult times for not just real estate industry but for most of the industries & as we are a parasite industry i.e. if all other industries are doing good & people are getting money that too along with stability assurance then only they think of buying a home! So let’s accept its low time for us as if you have a look at our ready possession inventory, it has gone to all time high this year, a rare thing in past! In a way its good as at least we have ready possession homes which are safest buy yet our money gets locked is a fact & for what time no one can tell it.

This is just beginning with the new government I mean in comparison to age old earlier government, this one is hell bend to make homes affordable & it means reduced profit margins for the real estate developers, is what a lay man in finance like me can understand. So no more there will be huge rate increase in real estate & first signs are everyone is waiting for prices to get reduced further so presently buyers are in wait & watch position, affecting even genuine developers like us who don’t believe in over pricing. So in this situation all we can do is be patient, control our over heads & like they say in cricket, stick to the basics! No loose shot to play but learn to leave outside the off stump deliveries & play with straight bat! Lay down the systems, follow the systems ones they are in place & make no silly mistakes as your mistakes can cost the company & here many will say why the entire team has to suffer for one player; well answer is simple because it’s a team game! Even if one fielder drops the catch in a match then that catch can cost the team world cup, because we play as a team so win or loss is not individual! Here I never doubt sincerity of our each member towards the job & efforts you puts in, yet every mistake has its own cost to be paid! During the year which ended we saw few of us making such mistakes; and the entire company has to pay not just financially but for mental agony too which those mistakes caused.  And every such rupee which we have to pay to clear the damage is going to count especially when tough times are ahead! More than rupees the image which gets damaged due to our mistakes is something more important as hereafter clients will be the king & your good service won’t reach at many ears but your single mistake surely will!

Coming financial year is a testing ground as we won’t be able to survive on just one or two projects doing well but one positive side is we haven’t been burdened with borrowed finance, which is major threat right now to most of the real estate companies! That doesn’t mean we are flushed with funds, only thing is it reduces our financial interest burden & doesn’t cut in our projected profitability of the project. This is something which each of us has to keep in mind as no more rate appreciation will be there in real estate, not in near future to cover our mistakes! Presently sale may be slow but even if it pick up its going to be buyers market, so all we can do is find new & cheaper but effective avenues of reaching out to the clients & like during China war our then Defense Minister has said, “ek goli ek jaan”, every inquiry has to be converted in to sale, is what should be the approach. And for that not just marketing team’s inputs are required but site people’s contribution & back office team right from legal, accounts, admin each of us has to play our role.

The simplest way is “Commit only what you can fulfill, Commit clearly & stick to your Commitment”, that’s what I feel is the key to success! Very frankly I was not sure about even the increment this time but then I understand your expectations from me as a leader of the team, though it’s not a job I love much but then the true leader is the one who stick to the job in tough times as then only he has right to enjoy during the good times! I hope you all will understand your responsibility not just towards the job as hand as well your personal front & respond to the expectations from you!

I will conclude with just one thing, remember bad times don’t pass away on its own, but only by our efforts to reach for the good times! So let’s stay together, work together & we will surely sail through! All the best & thank you for being my best support…

Sanjay