This case study is based on the leadership style of Mr. Nand Kishore Chaudhary, the founder of Jaipur Rugs. His leadership style has been thoroughly studied.
Leadership has become one of the most popular research topics. A large number of research studies are being conducted on leadership. However, the leadership at Jaipur Rugs has adopted a different style and created an amazing impact. Today the leadership style of Nand Kishore Chaudhary is being studied by research scholars from across the globe. The essence of this style is its simplicity. The idea of giving high priority to the weavers has made this company a unique case for study.
It was during the 1978-88 period that Nand Kishor Chaudhary started carpet weaving taking a small loan. He used his own home to start carpet weaving. He was a carpet weaver at that time. He faced opposition from his relatives and society because they thought that weavers were people from backward classes. However, Mr. Chaudhary was undeterred. He gave very high respect to the weavers and continued to do this throughout his career. From a small group of weavers to over 28000 weavers, he has seen a massive increase in his business. He has created a distinct mark in the field of hand-knotted carpets. His carpets are known for high quality, good designs, and high knots. He has been able to achieve this progress through his team and his leadership style, which has been widely appreciated allover the world.
Today Jaipur Rugs is known for its commitment to the development of the weavers and their families. This organization has been regarded as an excellent case of social entrepreneurship. Due to the philanthropic approach towards the families of weavers, this organization has been playing an important role in transforming the lives of lakhs of people directly or indirectly. The CSR arm of this organization has been actively involved in supporting the families of the weavers. All this is integrated into a culture of trust, support, and collaboration. The essence of the leadership style of this company is summarized below:
1. Empathy with the weavers:
- Jaipur Rugs tries to understand and share the feelings of weavers and gives them ample opportunity to share their opinions. N K Chaudhary himself listens to the weavers in the regular meetings. He listens actively to employees’ concerns and perspectives. He shows genuine care for team members’ personal and professional lives.
2. Transparency in Communication Across the Organization:
- Jaipur Rugs maintains open and transparent communication channels. It provides constructive feedback and encourages dialogue between different people/groups. Recently it organized a meeting between the marketing team and weavers so that weavers can understand the changing trends and the expectations of the customers. These meetings help in creating proper communication. This also ensures that everyone feels heard and valued.
3. Empowerment of Weavers:
- Jaipur Rugs recognizes the value of each worker. The weavers are working at the bottom of the hierarchy, but even the weavers are given very high priority. N K Chaudhary himself sits with them and listens to them. Each employee is given ample opportunities to express and undertake innovations. N K Chaudhary himself delegates authority and responsibility to team members in the interest of the weavers and grassroots workers. There is a foundation for the welfare of the families of the weavers. The foundation is given the responsibility of providing good education to the families of the weavers. The foundation team is given autonomy and decision-making support to ensure that there is true welfare for the families of the weavers.
4. Recognition and Appreciation of Weavers:
- Jaipur Rugs acknowledges and celebrates creativity and accomplishments of the weavers. Some good carpets are named after the weavers. The names of the weavers are also displayed and their photographs are also displayed to give them due credit. Jaipur Rugs provides regular positive reinforcement to the weavers.
5. Employee Development Focus:
- Jaipur Rugs Invests in employees’ growth and career development and regularly organizes programs for the skill enhancement of its workers. There are frequent opportunities for interaction with the best designers so that the team at Jaipur Rugs can give the best designs. Jaipur Rugs provides opportunities for learning and skill enhancement. The daughter of the founder is a very good designer. Besides many professional designers are also associated with this company.
6. Visionary Thinking :
- Chaudhary inspires and motivates everyone with a clear vision for the future and shares his vision very clearly with the entire team. The entire team has very high clarity about the goals of the company and everyone is fully involved in the decision-making process. Chaudhary takes feedback from everyone and invites everyone to openly share their feedback. Thus there is a very positive work culture.
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