The leadership deficit in our workplaces
Over my 45-year corporate journey, 38 in two leading multinationals and the last seven in a prominent local group, I have come to a sobering conclusion. Bangladesh suffers from a chronic shortage of genuine leadership in the workplace.
Let me share three anonymised, real-life examples.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Hasan is hardworking, honest, and deeply experienced. He puts in long hours but lacks fundamental leadership skills. He wears slippers at the office, publicly scolds subordinates, and spends more time giving religious sermons than coaching his team. When someone fails to deliver, he takes over the task himself, unwittingly stunting team growth. He wastes hours in idle conversation with visitors. Despite his sincerity, his behaviour breeds fear, not empowerment, and creates dependency rather than development.
Mahmud rose through the ranks not by merit, but by pleasing his superiors, running personal errands and staying constantly visible. Over time, he built a circle of loyal but underqualified subordinates who protect his position by sidelining more capable colleagues. Disturbingly, complaints of sexual harassment in his department have been ignored, buried under a culture of fear and complicity. Such patterns are not rare. Many organisations tolerate this behaviour in silence, damaging both morale and performance.
Then there is Ahnaf, a senior finance executive. In today's collaborative work environment, nearly every issue involves finance. Yet he avoids engagement, citing policy constraints even when practical solutions exist within the rules. While technically defensible, his stance reflects a lack of initiative, ownership, and teamwork -- qualities essential to real leadership.
These are not isolated cases. They represent a wider crisis in how leadership is misunderstood and practised across many Bangladeshi workplaces.
Leadership is not about title or position. It is about professionalism, empathy, and the ability to inspire and develop others. A true leader combines technical competence with soft skills such as emotional intelligence, communication, sound judgement, and above all, trust-building.
Public humiliation only breeds resentment. A few months ago, my trusted driver submitted a false expense claim. Instead of reacting harshly, I reminded him that our relationship was built on trust and asked him to reflect. He broke down in tears, promised never to repeat it, and kept his word. Respectful correction often transforms behaviour more effectively than fear or punishment.
Sadly, outdated ideas of authority still dominate. Harassment, especially against female employees, remains widespread. While a few incidents come to light, most stay hidden due to stigma and fear of retaliation. Creating respectful, inclusive, and psychologically safe workplaces must be a non-negotiable part of leadership today.
One of the most underrated yet vital leadership skills is time management. I have seen managers idle away the day, only to work late into the evening and expect their teams to do the same. That is not commitment; it is inefficiency.
My own approach has always been to hire the best people, empower them from day one, and monitor them only initially. They grew into confident, independent professionals. I always told my teams: if you cannot develop your subordinates to their fullest, you are failing as a manager. The difference between world-class companies and the rest is not just capital or systems. It is mindset. High-performing cultures treat problems as challenges to solve. In many local firms, problems are discussed endlessly but remain unresolved.
And this brings me to a painful truth. In general, our national habit is to dissect problems in great detail but stop short of offering or implementing meaningful solutions. This inertia not only delays progress but perpetuates mediocrity.
Unless this mindset changes, our performance will stall, not for lack of talent, but for want of leadership. If we are serious about national progress, we must invest in real leadership, one that values professionalism over posturing, empowerment over ego, and a solutions mindset.
The writer is the chairman of Unilever Consumer Care Ltd
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