KCR: Statesman and man of the hour : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

 KCR: Statesman and man of the hour

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

The Pioneer (27-04-2022)

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi for over two decades has been progressively marching ahead with a characteristic success, probably unique to it alone and in the process registered two successive remarkable victories in the state Assembly elections and gearing itself for the third consecutive one which will be a hattrick. The Telangana state government during the last nearly eight years initiated and implemented a variety of programs. The basic reason and the driving force for achieving this success are the statesmanship, vision, strategic leadership qualities and commitment, decision making process through consensus, consultation and quality review methodology of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.

All these resulted in defining, designing and delivering or to say more explicitly in conceptualization and implementation of people oriented, welfare oriented and development-oriented schemes in the state. Above all it is the Statesman like Leadership that is causing development.

In this context we may probably refer to Jim Collins who authored a book on leadership titled “Good to Great” where he deals extensively with the qualities and success of level five leadership and differentiates leader and manager. His assumptions and presumptions are aptly applicable to a leader in Government also.

According to Jim Collins “Good-to-Great” leaders embody a paradoxical mix of personal humility and professional will. “Good” is The Enemy of “Great”. Level Five Leadership does not happen overnight. It refers to the highest level in a hierarchy of executive capabilities. Leaders of this type are those who combine extreme personal humility with intense professional will; shun the attention of celebrity, channeling their ambition toward the goal of building a great system. They provide new vision, strategy and direction, around which institution gains people’s commitment. The transformation from Good to Great has a process that includes building first level five leadership, deciding on first who and then what, confronting the brutal facts, transcending the curse of competence, inculcating culture of discipline for breakthrough results and technology accelerators. Collins also differentiates between the levels of leadership and elaborates the other four levels in support of level five leaders.

Level five leaders like KCR rise to that level against a background of rich experience in various fields of activity, individual discipline, ups and downs in the life, colleagues support and many more most of which are success stories. Level one in the hierarchy is a highly capable individual who makes productive contributions through talent, knowledge, skills and good work habits. Level two is a member who contributes individual capabilities to the achievement of group objectives and works effectively with others in a group setting. Level three is a competent manager and capable of organizing people and resources towards the effective and efficient pursuit of predetermined objectives. Level four is an effective leader who catalyzes commitment to and vigorous pursuit of stimulating higher performance standards. But, Level five the highest in the Hierarchy builds enduring greatness through paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. The greatness of level five leaders lies in choosing the other four levels for successful accomplishment.

            Professional will of level five leadership creates superb results, demonstrates resolve to produce the best long-term results, no matter how difficult, sets standard of building institution and will settle for nothing less. He looks in the mirror, not out the window, to apportion responsibility for poor results, never blaming other people, external factors or bad luck. He is never boastful, acts with quiet calm relying on inspired standards, channels ambition into the institution. He chooses the right people for right work and lets them into his vehicle of performance and achieving results and only with them forms a superior executive team. The wrong people are off the vehicle and when and why is the tactical choice of level five leaders. For him Great vision without Great people is irrelevant.

            When we talk of governance and politics the level five leader is basically a Statesman like qualities person like KCR. We heard of Governance and later Good Governance. But today people want Great Governance and Governance with a difference. It is just not enough to attend to mere current needs of people and call it as a development. Long term planning along with short term and medium term are essential. This is what has been happening in the state during the last eight years and with this same leadership would happen in the coming days and months. The schemes conceived in the state are all keeping the long terms needs of people in mind. All these are examples of statesmanship and strategic leadership of Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao.

            In the two elections for the state Assembly and many more elections from time to time, after formation of Telangana, the landslide victory of TRS under the leadership of statesman KCR did not happen just like that. In the first election KCR presented an excellent manifesto to the people and every bit of it was implemented during the first term. Ever since the state was formed, by initiating and implementing number of welfare and development schemes during the eight years of governance, which did not happen during the erstwhile Congress and TDP rule for over 50 years, CM KCR who is also the TRS Party President successfully presented with statistical data of the success story of his government. The progress card of government is being presented to the people from time to time through different platforms. As a leader, as a statesman, as a politician, as a designer of development-welfare schemes, as a visionary, as a pragmatist and an intellectual KCR won the hearts of people at large. Today the welfare and development programs being implemented in the state are byheart to the people at large. 

         It is not just “Governance” or “Good Governance” that is seen and felt now, but it is a “Great Governance” with a “Huge Difference” headed by a Statesman strategic Leader Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. Today Telangana model has become so popular in the country that almost all states are in line to study the schemes being implemented in the state and replicate them in their states.

            At a time when there is a gap for right leadership in the country the leadership of a statesman like politician of KCR caliber is highly essential so that the people at large in the country could be benefited through umpteen welfare and development schemes that are being implemented in Telangana. Let us hope that KCR in his address in the TRS plenary gives a new direction towards this for formation of an effective and efficient alternate leadership in the National Politics which is long waited.