It is with regret that I heard of the death of C. K Prahalad on the 16th of April 2010. He was a formidable contributor to the thinking on Leadership and management. We are indepted to him for his work and passion around his chosen subject.
I had the pleasure of meeting C. K Prahalad back in 2004 when he spoke at the IMI conference in Killarney here in Ireland. In fact I bumped into him while he was being positioned for a photo opportunity for the Irish Times. I did hear him speak over the course of the conference and was wowed by his temerity, audacity and humility in speaking about leadership. I had read about him whilst I was I studying for an MBA at Trinity College Dublin in 2002. I was to read his many tombs on Leadership. I have my favourites, the HBR article he co-wrote with Gary Hamel, Core Competence and the Corporation, 1990 and later Competing for the Future 1994 again written with Gary Hamel.
I ate his words, literally, and no doubt regurgitated or churned out in some fashion his various thoughts and ideas for management; I wholly prescribed to his thinking.
Last week I wrote about unconditional responsibility and the need for it in our everyday and working lives. I also commented that assuming responsibility for our actions is not easy and that taking the victim role can be more enticing.
It is interesting to observe that every year for 33 years C. K Prahalad spoke to his MBA class about the importance of responsibility and such was his conviction that he did not change a single word in the text of his speech.
Some of his thoughts are included here for your digestion, re-written so as not to violate copyright.
• C. K Prahalad extolled his students to understand the importance of nonconformity. Leadership is about change, hope, and the future. Leaders have to venture into uncharted territory, so they must be able to handle intellectual solitude and ambiguity.
• He asked his students to display a commitment to learning and developing themselves. Leaders must invest in themselves. If you aren’t educated, you can’t help the uneducated; if you are sick, you can’t minister to the sick; if you are poor, you can’t help the poor.
• He also asked that his students develop the ability to put personal performance in perspective. Over a long career, you will experience both success and failure. Humility in success and courage in failure are hallmarks of a good leader.
• Equally he was quick to suggest that they be ready to invest in developing other people. Be unstinting in helping your colleagues realize their full potential.
• Learn to relate to those who are less fortunate. Good leaders are inclusive, even though that isn’t easy. Most societies have dealt with differences by avoiding or eliminating them; few assimilate those who aren’t like them.
• Be concerned about due process. People seek fairness—not favors. They want to be heard. They often don’t even mind if decisions don’t go their way as long as the process is fair and transparent.
• And of course the point I loved was this one; Assume responsibility for outcomes as well as for the processes and people you work with. How you achieve results will shape the kind of person you become.
There were many more sage comments in his paper that contributed to his view that Leadership is a responsible process not to be entered lightly or without due care.
The responsible manager article was written in the Harvard Business Review in Jan/February of this year, 2010. C.K Prahalad was commenting on the much commentary being given to the debate on the roles and responsibilities of leaders and managers in the tsunami of the financial crisis we continue to witness since October 2008. Essentially C.K Prahalad was reminding us once again of the need for responsibility and that we should be mindful of the values we espouse on a daily basis.
I cannot attempt to do justice to such a great thinker but simply say I am grateful for his contribution and respectful of his significant role in the realm of leadership. His thoughts on responsibility are prescient. Thank you C. K Prahalad.