I was a young rookie, fresh out of a 10 month training in nuclear power plant engineering. I was literally on top of my class. We would be placed either in one of the three areas; in an operating power plant, an under construction power plant or the head office which is responsible for design development and program management. After being cooked for 10 months in a remote village, I was ready for the big city life. My position in the class allowed me the luxury of choice. The option was clear, if I choose the design development wing, I would be in a big city, Bombay. Else, I will be in another remote village constantly in battle with my stomach.
I landed in my dream city Mumbai in the middle of monsoons. I was introduced to my boss. Someone who has come up the ladder, tall, angular with a vaulting gait. He sat me down. Gave me a specification document and said this is what you are responsible for. I was supposed to manage the tender process based on the specifications and manage the project delivery to a site under construction. While the subject involved an important part of the safety system of the plant, some part of me started to rebel. I am not sure whether it was the man or the subject. But, better sense prevailed at that moment. I did not walk away. I put my energies to understanding the system and the process of taking this assignment forward.
A few things troubled me as the days passed by. One was more technical. Is this specification general or tailored to meet one supplier? The others were more about what my ego was telling me. Am I being utilised well by this company? If I am capable of contributing more, why have they assigned to me only one project? If I continue like this will I rust and become like my boss, minus the gait. Many of these questions kept me awake.
The answer to the technical question was relatively easy. I had to bring this to the attention of the superior of my boss. He saw merit in my suggestion and gave me an opportunity to rewrite the specification so that it is more general. I spent the next one month in showing that it can be done. After a few rounds of revisions, the new improved specifications found its way to the super boss. The head of the department. It was my first meeting with him. He understood the challenges when any tender receives only one bid. The onus would be on him to justify the vendor and the price. There would be no reference point for approval. At least two bids if not three was required for the system to function efficiently. He was appreciative of my work in creating a more general purpose specifications. I saw in him a person of character. And my mind wandered. What if he was my boss?
My initial reaction was that this was a day dream. I am a fresher. This is an organisation set in rules and procedure. They call it bureaucracy with a capital B. Just be happy that you are being paid and try to learn what you can. Then another part of me started to rebel. Are you an idiot? What would happen if you tried? You seem to have made an impression on the super boss. What is the worst that can happen? Don’t be timid. Make some noise!
I enquired around and some of my seniors were of the view that the super boss is approachable. However, they suggested that the appointment be fixed by the superior of my boss. Layers had to be respected. Don’t make enemies in your quest for justice.
What then transpired was a lesson that would stay with me forever. The appointment was fixed through the right channel. The super boss listened to my nervy speech. I am being under utilised. I need more work was my plea. He did not respond immediately but said will come back to me. The fact that he gave me the freedom to express myself fully was the first lesson.
Within a week, I got a call from his office. Meet him now. I rushed. He said, “I have two assignments for you. You will work with me directly. However, you will also deliver what has already been assigned to you. You will report to your existing boss on that assignment”. There is no turning back now. I said “Yes Sir, Thank You”
Then came the hard part. How do you deliver three assignments simultaneously. How do I report to two or three bosses at the same time? What if there is a conflict? The initial days were challenging as I took time to understand the new assignments and also the working style of the super boss. He was demanding both on quality and time. I also discovered that in delivering these assignments I had to work with people outside of my organisation, with whom I had no control. This exposed me to lessons in influencing without authority. How do you create personal bonds with people which allows them to trust you?
Finally, all assignments were delivered on schedule just in time for me to bid adieu to my first organisation. What did the super boss see in me is still a mystery. But, the leadership lessons were priceless. He could have been another rung in the system. He could have said “No”. But he choose a different path.
Listening to concerns from levels below, trusting and taking risk with people to enable them to deliver and grow. Bursting bureaucracy for the greater good.
[Image generated with Gemini AI]
