Resolving an Egoist’s Mutiny

I joined a company to lead the India business and was immediately confronted with unexpected hostility. My predecessor left with two senior leaders, leaving those behind upset as they had all applied for the role and none had been selected. Undeterred, I embarked on a journey focused on improving culture, processes, efficiency, team commitment, sales, and capability. Conducting over 50 focus group meetings to understand the issues, as we addressed and fixed the problems, people’s attitudes changed.

A pivotal moment that earned me respect was a situation where a large group of employees, motivated falsely by a leader, decided to boycott work. This could have impacted our largest market, damaging the company brand and affecting many customers. This leader had a history of dissent and conflicts, yet no one had taken action against him, giving him a false confidence that he was untouchable. He used to run his own empire, coming to work at his convenience and absconding when it suited him. My VP was tasked to speak with him and develop a plan to support change, but he defied all authority, telling my VP to take a hike. It was time for me to get involved, and unexpectedly, he decided not to show up. He sent a message stating he was not available and had no time for such meetings. On top of that, he instructed his team not to show up at work on Monday to demonstrate his power to management.

It was crucial to bring this incident to the attention of the employees and share the true reasons behind the boycott. The employees were terrified, feeling obligated to follow the person who had been their leader for many years. My management team was helpless, and unsure how to resolve the situation. I had no option but to take a risk and communicate strict action leading to termination for those who did not show up at work. Meanwhile, we learned that this leader had written to clients, portraying himself as a victim of the new head, hoping to gain support for his mutinous activities.

We used unofficial channels to encourage employees to come to work. On the specified day, all employees showed up, understanding the true nature of the leader’s intent and not wanting to participate in an action that would impact our customers or our brand. The leader was eventually terminated as he refused to change his ways. This incident highlighted the importance of true intent, teamwork, communication, and a willingness to take risks.

It reinforced several valuable lessons, emphasizing the importance of transparency during a crisis and the need to communicate genuine intentions to the team. It also underscored the necessity of making tough decisions with long-term prospects in mind.

The lesson learned is that often, addressing a problem promptly and decisively is preferable to allowing it to linger and potentially grow into a more significant issue later. However, it is crucial to have your team’s backing before execution, which can only happen if they feel involved.