“On a higher plane”

Hopefully, before the curtain falls over the year 2007 another curtain will have risen to unfold a new drama at 209, Dr D. N. Road – happily with a brand new cast of actors.

Some time ago my friend Eruch Desai had discussed his idea of an ideal trustee ("On a higher plane,” Parsiana, August 21, 2007). Recently, Jamsheed Kanga too laid bare his vision ("Determining our fate,” Parsiana, September 21, 2007) and I cannot but help endorsing his rooting for Justice Sam Variava as a trustee of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP). Here is a man of impeccable integrity endowed with rare qualities of head and heart. In my view, persons of this caliber alone will be able to restore the BPP to its former position of respect and eminence in the hearts of members of the community.

As we all know, BPP trustees are saddled with enormous legal, financial and moral responsibilities. Theirs is largely a thankless job. Those in power often call it a crown of thorns. And yet there are so many who clamor to either grab or retain the hot seat of trusteeship. What is the motivating factor? Is it power, the highly questionable social status that trusteeship brings or the kick one gets out of the job? Or is it the vested interests that certain critics carp about?

There is no denying the fact there are two distinct types of trustees – those with a sense of commitment, purpose and direction who consider their involvement as a responsibility. Theirs is a labor of love. And there are others who consider trusteeship as a ladder for upward social mobility, wielding power, gaining publicity and, generally, to further their own interest.

Trustees are expected to provide leadership and vision, and give the organization a sense of direction. They are expected to set the policy and take responsibility. Holding the organization together, motivating staff and mobilizing resources are also important duties. Trustees are expected to build and nurture an ethical, sensitive, motivated and responsible team and discourage exaggerated or misleading claims. Very often trustees, like politicians, tend to take credit for all the good that happens in the community and blame their colleagues or staff when things go wrong due to faulty decision making.

A good trustee is expected to take an interest in the work of the organization and be committed to the organization’s aims and objects. He or she should have reasonable intelligence and competence, and be respected in the community and by all stakeholders. The individual should also have capacity for growth and remain sensitive to change and issues affecting the community. The ability to work in concert with others needs to be underscored though one should never fight shy of standing up for one’s convictions. A good trustee would respect the right of other board members and staff to differ/disagree, and would dissent, if necessary, but accept with grace the majority decision or else step down.

Everyone talks about leadership, but what is true leadership? In my opinion, leadership is the ability of a person to have a clear vision with which to set goals and objectives which can then form the basis of an organization’s parameters. It is essentially a dynamic process of making people more effective, increasing their competence and, through them, achieving goals. The effectiveness of a good leader lies in his ability to share and develop leadership in others through empowerment, thereby increasing their competence and accountability.

A good leader also has the ability to help diverse personalities merge into an effective social whole. He can stimulate them, rather than browbeat them, and can help the team use all their abilities and experience at optimum level and discover abilities they never realized they possessed. A good trustee treats his colleagues on the board as also the staff as partners in making the community a better one.

Sadly, many of our present-day trustees lack team spirit. A good team of trustees has the ability to work with a common vision. It enables common people to attain uncommon results. However, at 209, Dr D. N. Road one finds divisiveness. "Are you in my team or that other trustee’s team?” is a common refrain. Even at board meetings, the warring teams fracture important decisions. The result is stunted growth of the organization, poor public image and a distinct disservice to the community. Good board meetings are often the keys to good decision making and it is usually at the meeting table that the quality of the organization and its leaders is truly revealed.

The most important principle involved in managing differences of opinion is in keeping disagreements impersonal and agreeing to disagree in an "agreeable manner.” An ideal trustee would respect the right of one or more team members to disagree and encourage constructive criticism, usually pushing the critic to suggest an alternative course, if there is one. At BPP board meetings the team’s energy should be harnessed in fighting for the cause and not against one another.

Excellence on a trust board is all about going beyond the call of duty and doing more than what others expect. It is about striving and maintaining the highest standards and looking after the smallest detail. It is the daily triumph of integrity over skepticism and the determination to make a difference in this world despite the odds. NOSHIR H. DADRAWALA