First among equals: 'T-R-E-A-T' leadership for 'L-E-A-P' in a knowledge-based world

Abstract

How do you lead, motivate, and inspire individuals who are as knowledgeable as you are? How do you lead individuals who are knowledge creators (innovators, scientists, academicians, entrepreneurs, etc.) and whose core task is to create something new? While we live in a world that is becoming increasingly automated, humans will continue to dominate one significant kind of work-knowledge work. Knowledge workers can be found in professions like education, consulting, engineering, architecture, design, art, and R&D. First among Equals describes the 'T-R-E-A-T' framework of leadership that is a combination of five behavioral traits-task-orientation, relation-orientation, empowering, authenticity, and team-building. By presenting real-life examples of leaders from India, the book describes how the 'T-R-E-A-T' leadership affects the 'L-E-A-P' (learning, enjoyment, autonomy, and performance) of knowledge workers and impacts their perceptions of fairness, creating positive psychological capacities and generating autonomous motivation. Leaders of knowledge workers have to consider themselves as 'first among equals' in order to be effective in a knowledge work context.