10 months ago in Aug 2013, I joined a team, which was led by the professional who has more than 20 years of work experience in the Retail industry.
In an organisation, where senior executives are provided with separate cabins with wooden interiors and classy artwork. This man's cabin had wooden round table of almost the same size as that of the room.
There were 6 same type of chairs, which can be used by anyone. The room was used for the team meetings, external meetings etc, a culture which is never seen and heard of in the said MNC.
Now the real story of the round table and its teaching
1) By having the same set of chairs, there was "Never the other side of the table"
Both the CEO and the team were always on the same side and that too the customer's side.
2) On this round table, "Questions were never asked but answered" and that too jointly.
3) Recently the CEO decided to move on to a different role outside the organisation and he shared his thought behind the round table, that his intention was not to give equal space to everyone but to hide his inadequacies from everyone. A team where everyone is a specialist then "let the team decide the course of action".
4) By deciding to have the round table he certainly "didn't have the pressure to know all the answers" and that too correct answers.
5) I must say it takes lot of courage to relinquish your seat to accommodate others but then it is how leaders are born.
He says, "even if you have one follower who follows you when you are not around, then you have become the leader." You don't need tens and thousands of fans to become a leader
Both the CEO and the team were always on the same side and that too the customer's side.
