The economic development of a country is largely dependent upon the industrial growth and development. It is in this context that industrial peace acquires significance. Disturbed and non-conducive industrial environment proportionately affects the industrial growth adversely. And, therefore, the relationship obtainable in any industry is a matter of great concern.
Industrial environment is the outcome of the interaction among the actors of industrial relations. In this context, trade union leaders become a very significant actor as the activities of their followers which build the industrial environment is the outcome of their actions.
Industrial peace has to be established by all means and that is the need of the hour. This cannot be achieved without positive and constructive role of the trade union leaders.
Trade union leaders have been viewed by authors as agents of adversarialism and it has been pronounced that they cannot imagine themselves making common cause with capital or even recognise that they have shared interest. Such impressions have been perceived by assessing the actions of their followers i.e. the workers. It is also argued that the leaders are not at all sensitive about their social responsibilities. The actions of workers or the followers of trade union leaders are directly proportional to the faith and confidence the followers have in their leaders. It is, therefore, very apt to assess and gauge the impression carried by the followers about their leaders.
In the present scenario it is desirable that the leaders and their followers understand each other and their mutual relationship is harmonized to the maximum extent.
A leader must have the capability to get himself acquainted with the developments taking place and communicate and direct his followers accordingly. The followers desire that their leader should rise from the level of fairly good to the level of exceptionally good.
This maiden attempt of the author, Dr. Bhim Singh automatically gains significance and importance as he has been able to correlate the followers perceptions about leadership qualities desired by the followers and its linkage with creation of industrial peace.