From Vision to Reality: Leadership as a Dynamic Process and Skillful Art of Teamwork by Leading from Behind

Dr. Lalit Kishore, while speaking at a workshop on leadership at Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, on November 9, 2019, emphasised that leadership was innate in humans needed to be fostered and developed through process based facilitative learning; practice of pro-social skills; participative strategic action planning and execution to achieve a shared goal of the organisation which was invariably situational and contextual.

Dr Kishore, who was then working at Disha Foundation in Jaipur, defined leadership as a participatory process with a shared vision to carry out teamwork under the guidance of a functionary made responsible for the collective action.

He reinforced the concept with a non-poem which went as follows: Leadership is / A process/ In the here-n-now / For success / Through team work / Along with /An academic pursuit / For strategising actions / And action learning / With validity. Leaders're often thrown / Into situations / Or contexts / And must act / By unifying a group / To achieve / A common goal / 'N a shared vision.

He batted for ‘leading from behind’ style of leadership which is a dynamic leadership with well crystallised common goal to be accomplished by concerted strengths and efforts of all team members as solution providers or innovators to take the mission of the organization forward with optimal results.

The skills set of critical thinking, creative thinking, design thinking, relationship building, positive communication skills are required to be honed by a leader to be effective leader, it was articulated.

In the workshop, coordinated by Col. Ashok Mor. Guest speakers Medha Shri, Sunil Dagar, Anupam Shrivastava and Mahendra Jakhar addressed the participants on various aspects of leadership who were the members of NCC unit at IIT-Kanpur.

thus, leadership is a continuous process that emphasizes success through collaboration, alongside an educational journey through action learning. It entails planning actions with credibility. Leaders are often placed in new environments or circumstances, necessitating their ability to bring a group together to accomplish a shared objective and vision.

A leadership poem

Leadership, it's a way,

Happening today.

To win and to grow,

With others, you know.

Learning as you go,

Making plans flow.

Acting with good sense,

Making it make sense.

Leaders can be found,

On uncertain ground.

They gather their team,

To chase a shared dream.

A goal for them all,

Standing up tall.

A vision so bright,

Guiding the light.

In Summary

Kishore (2026) describes a transition towards servant or adaptive leadership style that enables teams to operate with autonomy in pursuit of success. This method highlights the importance of proactive, foundational support that eliminates obstacles, with leaders taking a more visible role only in times of crisis. This 'leading from behind' leadership style promotes a dynamic and collaborative process that prioritizes empowering team members to encourage innovation and motivation, turning visions into tangible outcomes. The focus shifts from a top-down approach to nurturing a team-oriented atmosphere that allows for experimentation through action learning, guided by the leader. While traditional management involves commanding from the front, leading from behind acts more like a shepherd, letting team members take ownership, build creativity, and feel they achieved success themselves.

Reference

Kishore, L. (2026, June 18). From vision to reality: Leadership as a dynamic process and skillful art of teamwork by leading from behind. Lalitculp. https://lalitculp.wixsite.com/website/post/from-vision-to-reality-leadership-as-a-dynamic-process-and-skillful-art-of-teamwork-by-leading-from