'Riding the Tiger': 11 Leadership Lessons from Satyam Computer Services
The last 18 months have spawned a lot of advice on leadership in turbulent times. But this post on a book by former Satyam Computer Services employees holds extra weight because of the depth of Satyam's difficulties and the leadership lessons it learned while trying to recover.
Founder and chairman Ramalinga Raju's confession to accounting fraud in 2009 left the business battered, its reputation in tatters and morale among over 50,000 employees decimated.
In their book, "Riding the Tiger - Leading through Learning in Turbulent Times", authors Priscilla Nelson and Ed Cohen chart how it rebuilt itself deploying a "Lights On" strategy indicative of the business's desperate need for transparency and integrity.
There were plenty of lessons the authors learned along the way. The first, that frames the rest of the advice, is that we're never going back to 'normal'. It's understandable to look for stabilisation, but in crisis, change is the only constant. Leaders need to look for new ways of doing things and allow these new ways to become the 'new normal'.
With this in mind, here are two of the more unusual messages:
1. Think like a child. Try to 'live in the moment' and don't let work consume your every waking hour. It's possible -- necessary, even -- to balance work and non-working life in crisis. That said, perhaps Tony Hayward's appearance on a yacht in the midst of the BP crisis was ill-judged (see 'brand ambassador' below).
2. Don't put your health on hold. Crisis situations can be draining, but it's not wise to put your wellbeing aside when you're trying to present a picture of resilience at work.
And some other tips:
3. Take care of one another. Listen -- to peers, your team, customers and other stakeholders. Share information and provide updates on what's happening in the business, expanding who you include.
4. React. Pause. Respond. The right response demands that you've got the right information in front of you and that you consider it with an open mind.
5. Communicate constantly. Talk, even when you don't have much to say. Be consistent with your messages and keep the information flowing with regular town-hall meetings, or allowing people to pitch questions at you (via email or directly). Without your feedback, people will start filling in the blanks (possibly incorrectly). Author Geoffrey Colvin notes that the best leaders are able to tell a story that puts the crisis into context. This can inspire confidence and generate much-needed hope among less experienced employees.
6. Be visible. People get worried if the leader goes into hiding. Be present, approachable and comforting if others need it.
7. Remember your values. However difficult your company's current situation, don't compromise your integrity and values.
8. Optimise costs, but with employee retention in mind. Resilient companies include resource planning in their risk assessments.
9. Be a brand ambassador. Represent the company internally and externally, remaining positive about the business and avoiding statements that might cast the organisation in a negative light. (US General McChrystal's experience offers a lesson here.)
10. Assess and rebuild trust. You'll be making decisions that not everyone understands or agrees with, so you need to continuously assess and build trust if you're to bring everyone along with you.
11. Keep your composure.