Child becomes a boy. Boy becomes a man. Student becomes a teacher. This is growth. This is transformation. Similarly, a worker must become a leader. He may start as a worker. But he need not die as a worker. At one stage, he must become a leader. How to become a leader? There are four important steps in the transformation of a worker into a leader. Think, Innovate, Create and Execute: these are the four steps through which a worker can become a leader.

A worker usually does his work. He does not think much. Why? Working is measured by hours and days. Some payment is made for it. Thinking cannot be measured like this. Nobody pays us for our thinking. So, people feel that working is better than thinking.

A proverb says that it is better to teach fishing than just donating a fish. Wordsworth said that the world is too much with us and we have no time to stand and stare. It means that we are all action-heroes and thought-zeroes.

STEP 1 : THINK

Thinking leads us to comparison and contrast. Thinking forces us to think new things. When a worker starts thinking he is a leader by 25 per cent. When he thinks new things, he becomes fifty per cent leader. He is no longer a mere worker. He becomes an innovator. His thinking has given him courage and confidence to innovate thus. With this urge for innovation, he further climbs up on the ladder as leader.

STEP 2 : INNOVATE

All innovations are not accepted by the people. Some innovations click. Others fail miserably. If a person has creativity, he can think of acceptable innovations.So, creativity is the third step in the leadership process.

STEP 3 : CREATE

While a mere worker is like a creature, leading worker is a creator. If new thinking is scientific, creativity is artistic. Thinking can combine the scientific innovation and artistic creativity. A creative worker is a leader by 75 per cent.

STEP 4 : EXECUTE

When a worker executes and implements all his thoughts, innovations and creativity, he becomes hundred per cent leader. Keats makes a distinction between vision and waking dream. Without the final element of execution, all thoughts, innovations and creations decline down as a waking dream. With this dimension of execution, it all becomes a vision and mission.

Let us apply this process to a factory situation. Usually workers mechanically follow the foreman’s instruction in producing things. Suppose one worker does not just produce. He also thinks. He wonders whether the product can be improved. Then he innovates and designs a better product. Then he creates a model product or prototype. Finally, he executes it with the details for commercial production and mass marketing. He thinks, innovates, creates and executes. He is no longer a worker. He has become hundred per cent leader.