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“The Unmanageable Star Performer”
Stefan Konrad seems to have a bit of a predicament. He is worried about the
office environment in the Mumbai office. The office in India has only been open a
few years, but it has seen significant growth since it’s opening. On paper it looks to
be one of the most successful branches of the company. Stefan notices the very high
turnover rate for the branch. At 32 percent, he sites the turnover rate as “way over
the industry average,” and that the “employee survey results are abysmal.”
The leader in the Mumbai office is Vijay Kumar. He is the one responsible for
the quick growth of the branch. Although he has done wonders for the company’s
bottom line, Stefan notices something is off about the environment his subordinates
work in. No one can communicate well with Vijay, except his Aparna Nayak, his
“second in command.” The employees feel as if they cannot keep up with Vijay or
ever please him enough. Stefan notices a visceral change in the office when Vijay is
not physically there. Everyone seems to be slightly more relaxed. This all has given
him cause to worry about personnel happiness.
Vijay sees these employee survey results. He knows the attitudes of the
employees in his branch. Vijay does not seem to grasp the connection between
employees’ attitudes and him. Aparna tells Stefan that Vjiay “that the consultants
need to grow up” if there are negative survey results. Vijay seems to have no concept
of his subordinates needing to be happy in the setting they work in. According to
“Primal Leadership,” a leader’s mood trickles down the company. There is even a
science to this that is cited in the article as “open-loop limbic system.” Vijay seems to
be a bit of a taskmaster without much awareness for the emotions of those around
him. He does not have much emotional intelligence. Vijay may have the mindset
that the office setting is not a place for emotions. Business is business and is not
personal.
It would seem that Vijay has “CEO disease.” This is cited as a “sufferer’s near-
total ignorance about how his mood and actions appear to the organization.” Vijay is
an interesting case because it is as if he is choosing to ignore how his mood and
actions affect his subordinates. He is well aware of his employees’ attitudes toward
his leadership style. He is not ignorant at all on how he treats people. Rehan, an
employee at the Mumbai branch, willingly admits to Stefan that Vijay has “always
been a demanding boss.” While this was expected for a period of time when this
new branch was starting up, it was thought that his leadership style would possibly
