By Ilika Ranjan:
Sometimes it is not about the good winning over the evil, but about evil corroding an existing system so much that it destroys the system.
A lot has been said and written about corporate culture. The book, Puppet on the Fast Track, highlights the real problem of the corporate world – the lack of adept leaders. It is a satire on the leadership of today and a wake up call for all young management students/ professionals, that despite their outstanding educational qualification, they blindly follow what is brought to their table at the place. Very few question the relevance and in turn become puppets on the fast track!
The book narrates a dilemma of a young hardworking professional, who gets subjected to work exploitation due to conniving bosses and manipulative colleagues. Where jargons like ‘learning through trial and error’, ‘perception management’, ‘the art of delegation’ are being aptly used to camouflage devious practices.
The story also highlights the conspiracy against an outstanding leader who decides to quit the organization rather than succumb to negativities of the culture and how his decision is proved correct in the end.
The book satirically refutes the existing dogmas present in companies where human resource is taken for granted. Every employee is subjected to a psychological pressure of molding their personalities the way the seniors deem suitable. To quote few lines from the book
“Forget corporate world, no culture teaches you to change your true self because that is your essence and that is the diversity you bring to the table. No two people are born the same, then why do we endeavour to make their personalities and the way they react the same? It is not their problem but the fault lies with the leaders of today who are encouraging this practice.”
The book also hints at the current notion of putting up a fight in a soiled system. It is imperative that a person is realistic and wise about the environment he/she is working in. Sometime it takes courage to follow your heart and quit the place where it is getting messy. To quote the book
“It is all about how realistic you are. If an earthquake comes and I decide to close my eyes and recite ‘all is well’, I will surely get killed. But if I preempt that an earthquake is possible and I leave the land, I may survive.”
The ending of the book is hard-hitting and bona fide. There is no alternative to hardwork. Every organization requires passionate and skilled resources. Those who manipulate sooner or later pay the prize.
“All the organizations need mavericks and exceptional leaders.
Those who have played a puppet to be fast trackers may last, their designations may grow, but the organization they are corroding may not last.”
The book is a wake up call for the youth of today.