In the past, I have often been surprised to find that there are very bitter contests for the position of president of the social or athletic group in our neighbourhood. There are mailers sent out to all members (many hundreds) some months before the elections. There are reminders sent —again, many hundreds. A day before the voting, there are phone calls. The system is followed to a greater or lesser extent, by all the candidates. Our phones keep ringing. There are polite requests with a charming ‘please’—sometimes, even veiled threats! They all seem to be so keen to win! And what is surprising, is that this is only an honorary position!
Sometimes, the contest is also very acrimonious. I receive letters (anonymous) which tell me the misdeeds of the earlier committee and the outgoing president and why there should now be A CHANGE IN THE LEADERSHIP of the club. These letters list out what the new president will do to correct the situation. One presidential candidate may also start a whispering ‘smear campaign’ against other presidential candidates. The whole environment can become quite ‘unbecoming’.
As I was entering another club one afternoon, I found some very senior corporate managers and two doctors waiting in the entrance lobby. As other members and I entered the gymkhana, some of them came up and introduced themselves and informed us that they were candidates for the ‘balloting committee’. Others, whom I had already known, came up and whispered requests into my ear, to please vote for them. These were all very senior people who would be difficult to meet in their offices if one sought an interview. Yet, why were they demeaning themselves to seek this unremunerative office?
It is the same with service organisations like the Rotary Club, Lions Club and many others. The bid for the district governorship is like a miniature US presidential campaign. There are phone calls and personal meetings. There are teas and dinners hosted. Every attempt is made, directly or indirectly, to influence the final vote.
And yet, these are social or charitable organisations. There is no remuneration for the president when he is elected. Why do they take so much trouble and incur so much expenditure, when there are no obvious gains from being elected, especially financial gains? And the answer is just one word—Recognition. It is recognition of one’s value by one’s peer group. Such recognition is very important for the individual. It, therefore, impels people to do all they can to win, sometimes, even grab, this recognition.
Many years ago, the president of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Rahul Bajaj, stated in a press interview that he was devoting so much time to CII work that he was neglecting work to be done for his own company. On another occasion, Mr Jalan, the president of FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry), expressed the same view. He had virtually taken a year’s holiday from his regular job to discharge his duties as FICCI president. Around that time, years ago, Rajendra Saboo went on to become the world president of Rotary International and moved to Evanston, USA—taking a full year’s break from his business. Naturally, the business must have suffered. They will all explain this away as service to the industry, or to the community, or to the organisation, that they felt impelled to give back to society, what they had received themselves from society. It is repaying a debt. To an extent, this must be true. But an unstated reason will still be the need for recognition by their equals or peers, so that those elected in these organisations are accepted as the ‘first among equals’.
Travelling through Kerala, I find large houses being constructed by those who have accumulated considerable wealth, after working in the Gulf. I found some of these houses unusually large and occupied by just a few old people—generally parents of those working abroad. Many of these houses are, in fact, a burden to maintain, even in terms of daily cleaning when servants are scarce or very expensive. Potential house-help in the region have perhaps themselves gone to the Middle East. Why have they built these white elephants? Because they could not resist the temptation to show to their peers from the village where they had their roots, that they have made it! And made it big. If Menon is working in Muscat, perhaps many in Muscat know that Menon is a rich man. But that does not satisfy Menon. He would want the other Menons in his village (whom perhaps he has not met for 30 years), to know that this Menon has arrived!
There are management professors of Indian origin from the USA, who visit India every year to address gatherings and to meet ministers in government to give them ideas on good management. The remuneration for the time and effort they put in would be far less than if they had spent it in consulting for corporates in the developed world. Yet, why do they do it? Because recognition and acceptance of an Indian by Indians, means far more to them than the extra dollars they might have earned. It means being accepted by their own peers—their very own. It is an acknowledgement that they have arrived!
So, whether it is corporate executives in Rotary, medicos in the medical associations, expatriates working or trading in the Gulf to make a quick buck or those working in academia in the US, the objective is the same: a basic thirst that needs to be quenched. The need to be recognised, accepted and praised by one’s own peer group. This is worth far more to the heart than many other accolades.
(Walter Vieira is a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants of India - FIMC. He was a successful corporate executive for 14 years, capping his career as Head of marketing for a Pharma multinational, for India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka- and then pioneered marketing consulting in India in 1975. As a consultant, he has worked across four continents. He was the first Asian elected Chairman of ICMCI, the world apex body of consultants in 45 countries, in 1997. He is the author of 16 books, a business columnist, international conference speaker and has been visiting professor in Marketing in the US, Europe, and Asia for over 40 years. He was awarded Lifetime Achievement Award for Consulting in 2005, and for Marketing in 2009. He now spends much of his time in NGO work - Consumer Education and Research Centre, IDOBRO, and some others.)
You have the ability to accurately identify,understand, and articulate in a thoughtful way, demonstrating a high level of emotional intelligence.
The proof lies in the success of your career.
Joseph D'Lima