Pyramids were built by leadership skills, not slavery: Book

Kolkata, May 9: It was the leadership skills of the rulers and not the bondage of slavery that motivated the labourers to toil hard in building the ancient Egyptian pyramids, claims a top leadership guru.

Indonesia-based Arthur Carmazzi will soon come out with a book arguing how the leadership skills of the rulers of Egypt were responsible for building the giant structures regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

"Various researches have already shown that the labourers were not slaves. It was more about getting work done through leadership skills, rather than by slavery and exploitation. Even today we look at those tombs with amazement as to how they were built in the ancient ages. In my book, I will discuss how the labourers were motivated," Carmazzi told PTI here.

The best-selling author and leadership trainer was in the city recently to give a motivational lecture for a fundraising event of Calcutta Park Street Round Table 34.

To be released this August, the book titled ''Team Leadership Lessons from the Great Pyramids'' will have case studies on how the builders treated the workers, how they tried to build up a rapport with their large workforce and how they ultimately won their trust.

"It is very interesting to learn how even thousands of years ago, when even the word management was not born, the rulers got their task done by applying leadership skills effectively. It is an excellent example of what difference can leadership skills make," said Carmazzi, ranked as one of the top ten most influential Global Leadership Gurus by Gurus International.

Told in a fable style, the book, however, is not an attempt to reflect on the ethical practices followed by the rulers while buildig the huge structures.

"It's not about ethics at all but about how a favourable work environment fosters work culture. The managers who were entrusted the task of building the pyramids created a positive and conducive environment for the workers and that is why those architectural wonders have stood the test of time," he said

With 21 years of experience specialising in psychological approaches to workforce enhancement and corporate culture transformation, Carmazzi has developed a number of tools used for psycho-productivity management.

"Unlike many other approaches to leadership training, I don't hand out a standard formula. It is important to understand the psychology of an individual and read how his brain communicates. Then the gaps between his needs and the solutions provided by the environment can be easily analysed," the leadership guru who provides consultancy services to a number of MNCs said.

He is now building up a franchisee team in Asian countries, including India, who imparts training to organizations under his brand ''Directive Communications''.

"So far I have given franchisee rights to 62 trainers in many countries. The response from India has also been very encouraging," he pointed out.

PTI