Leadership Light!

Hello Dear Friends,

Most of the work in Leadership revolves around people, all of it, in fact.  Leadership largely is facilitating and guiding people to reach new goals, achieve important objectives.

People are a myriad mixture of many emotions. Human beings, experience feelings of different kinds. Some emotions that help us to gain energy, hope, and enthusiasm; a few that drain us of strength, prowess and leave us feeling weak.

Leadership role in in helping the team, gently, yet surely, shift and move from negative emotions to positive emotions.

Leaders definitely are dealers of encouragement and hope to the team. Encouragement, when sincerely delivered, helps people reaffirm trust in their talents and work with renewed enthusiasm, and even skill.

What is the effective manner encouragement needs to be given to the team? Some easy pointers,

1. When you find a team member cheerless, or looking a little drawn out, unusually, inquire in a non-threatening manner, the reason for his/her lack of energy. Speak with consideration and compassion.

2. If a team member is not making progress adequately, say a few words of appreciation citing examples of the past wherein the said person, did very effective work.

3. Be concise, and genuine in your encouragement. The motive must be to improve the morale of the team-member. So do not ramble, keep your words of encouragement simple, short, as this will be potent and powerful

4. Compare the difficulties famous successful professionals had to undergo in their lives, at various satges. When we hear about success stories that have emerged after immense struggle, we get inspired.

5. Do not speak negatively about a third, absent person to encourage someone. This is built on flimsy frames and will only lead to office gossip, complexities and more lowered morale.

6. Be a role model of the ‘can-do attitude’! Show how you can consistently work with both enthusiasm and energy, even in the face of stress and strain. This mere vision will motivate people towards working with vigour.

7. Believe deeply in the ability of people to achieve all kinds of  seemingly impossible tasks. Human talent cannot be limited, measured or standardized. Conquering all limitations, the human spirit thrives, and traces great heights. Hence never give up hope on any team-person.

It is a very vital attribute of Inspirational Leadership to encourage people and help them discover and rediscover strengths in themselves. A kind word, a thoughtful deed, an action that conveys trust, a step that reassures people, are all hallmarks of effective and very impactful Leadership.

Make a difference to your team, say words that provide them courage, to work with greater capability, and let talent shine, removing darkness and bringing in Leadership Light.

Leadership requires physical, mental and emotional energy. Together, all these strengths are called as tenacity.

An ability to be resilient, withstand stress, strain and work with both hope and enthusiasm.

Especially in the face of hardships and unfavourable hostile situations, we tend to get disappointed, disheartened and even become disgruntled within. However, the real proof of potent leadership is in handling and overcoming successfully such tough scenarios.

The vital practices that help us develop courage, resilience and tenacity is what we’ll now discuss:

1. Always believe that you are bigger and smarter than any external event or situation that happens to you.

2. Do not make a problem permanent in your mind. Do not eternalise an unpleasant issue and make it a part of your mental conditioning. Just as ice melts when exposed to sun, similarly, problems and challenges disappear when we tackle them with confidence and hope.

3. Place trust in a helpful universe. Positive feelings such as faith, love will attract towards us help from known and unknown sources. When we don’t get bitter while going through difficulties, our ability gets better and we handle the situation effectively.

4. Not a single problem can leave us without adding polish to our personality. Problems and trying situations help us develop both smartness and calmness. Hence, tough times are wonderful learning times too. All that we need to know is to be an interested, eager learner.

5. Truly problems are opportunities in disguise. No great achievement has ever happened without many hardships being encountered. Hence it is vital to approach strenuous exacting situations, with a strong will that is oriented and sharpened towards reaching success.

6. Patience is an even more precious virtue when we are in troubled, trying circumstances. Expectations of immediate results will only make us act with haste and impatience. Like it is said, when we are going through tough times, we must pass through it with patience and perseverance. And soon enough, we will see the light in the end of the tunnel.

7. Reimposing faith in a capable us and in a kind God will give us the necessary incentive to overcome and solve different types of crisis situations. We need to keep a tough situation in tight control by remembering our own infinite potential.

Dear friends, truly tough times, never last, tough people do.

And loving, giving, inspiring people last forever and ever.

This article is in the most grateful memory of my dad, who passed away on 26^th Jan 2012.

He was a true Leader, a successful Entrepreneur/Industrialist, a wonderful guide and motivator – a very impactful person, who influenced many lives.

He was a true practitioner of courage, confidence and conviction. He has led to success, many with love, towards both spiritual and Leadership Light. Thanks Appa.

Happy happy 2012 dear friends. May the new year bring each of you plenty of prosperity, success and happiness! My best wishes to all

The most important aspect of any relationship be it professional, personal, familial or social is trust.

Trust is the fulcrum, the foundation of a positive, functional relationship.

But trust is not something we can create overnight. Not something that can be bought off instantaneously.

Which is why we have the expression ‘Trust Building’ as it takes time to build, create and form trust

Trust is a very vital aspect of Leadership.

What is Leadership if it doesn’t inspire trust, doesn’t display trust?

Hence we need to take all efforts to ensure we build relationships around us with trust.

So, what goes into building trust-filled relationships?

Some pointers, seven as always

1. Develop the habit of saying only those things that you mean. Do not in the impulse/heat of a situation say something just for effect. Do not voice opinions, make statements which are not accompanied thoroughly by personal endorsement.

2. Do things you say, you will. Fulfill what you have committed to. This builds credibility. It is said ‘Promises are like babies, easy to make, difficult to deliver’ So, do not promise/assure anything you cannot deliver/perform.

3. Resist talking about others. Discussing people always leaves a large room  for gossip of every kind. Hence stay away, as much as you can, from talking about those not present in the discussion.

4. Listen carefully, do not interrupt people while they talk. Show that you care for their thoughts, and what better way than to listen with attention and interest.

5. Do not dramatize/exaggerate or hyperbolize facts. You can talk in an interesting manner, without stretching the truth.

6. Give people credit for their ideas and actions. Generously and ungrudgingly. Do not, under any circumstances, rob people of the appreciation they rightly deserve.

7. Stay calm and show confidence in your demeanor. Keep emotional outbursts in check. A pleasant, positive visage inspires trust.

These are simple steps we can follow, every day in every interaction and use every opportunity to build trust around us.

Trust is integral to relationships, and good healthy relationships are integral to personal effectiveness and Leadership success.

So, fill people’s minds, hearts with trust and shine in Leadership Light!:)

Hello Dear Readers,

I am glad, friends, to communicate with you, in this written form Not too glad, however, that I’m unable to use non-verbal communication enhancements in this process, which I could have, had we been seeing and hearing each-other!

What is non-verbal communication? Before which what is verbal communication?

Verbal means presence of words!

Verbal = Presence of words.

Non-verbal = Absence of words

So, oral(spoken) communication and written communication are all examples of verbal communication.

Kinesics, expressions, popularly known as ‘Body-Language’ are famous examples of non-verbal communication.

But non-verbal is not only body-language and expressions, it is also voice modulation, voice pitch, speed of talking, postures, gestures and everything else that makes oral communication more effective, more enhanced

For communication exchange to be both an interesting and a productive experience,  it is important we use non-verbal components well.

How do we make body-language and voice aspects of non-verbal communication work well in conveying our content to the listeners?

Follow these simple steps and bring a positive, visible, vibrant change in your communication skills

1. Ensure your voice quality matches the words used in your communication. If what you are saying is important, your voice must have a ring of honesty and clarity to it. Space your sentence accordingly, pause between words. Let your voice also convey how crucial the information is.

2. Arrange your facial expressions to add emphasis to what you are saying. When you are making a relevant remark about work improvement to a team-member, have an earnest expression. Do not smirk or wear a silly smile. Let not your look wander, while you are addressing the colleague. Make sure your glance is fixed, yet non-threatening.

3. Motivating your team with a slouch in your posture, will only increase their doubts on your eligibility to lead them. A right posture is something that is comfortable, yet straight and square. Besides conveying confidence to your team, a good posture is very useful towards building a strong back! The manner you stand while talking also adds to the impact of your communication content!

4. The way you use the physical space, surrounding you, also communicates. This is called ‘Proxemics’. Do you need to go closer to an individual and say something, or are you going to say it standing a good distance apart, will influence the reception of your communication.

5. Smiling is a beneficial, personable, yet a very under-utilized aspect of  non-verbal communication. Spend time practicing to get the right smile. A good smile must convey friendship and affability, yet not appear as an out-of-place simper!

6. Train your voice well. Learn to modulate and enunciate according to the requirement of the situation. Do not talk in a sing-song mono-tone. That will surely irritate and exasperate the listeners.

7.  Remember, unlike the verbal language, non-verbal and body language is non-stop. You might not be conscious of it, but your body is constantly communicating. Hence be alert and make sure your voice, expressions, postures and gestures are adding value to your  professional and personal relationships

Non-verbal components and body-language, when well-used,  can bring, with little effort, high effectiveness in all your  oral communication outcomes.

Use it well, be an ace communicator, and dwell gracefully in Leadership Light!

Hello Dear Friends,

There is a term called ‘Cognitive capability’, which describes the ability to look at multiple solutions for the same problem.  It is about using our intelligence and understanding in the best possible manner.

For using and applying this intelligence well, it is important we train our brain. To solve problems. Understand situations. Work with people. Make decisions.

I am going to emphasize on the value of asking the right question in order to search the database, both within us and outside us, and find an appropriate solution.

Asking the right question to set the right response and get the right solution. How is this done?

1. Very often when we face a tough situation, we ask ourselves, ‘Why am I here?’. This makes us get stuck in the situation. The more useful question is ‘What can I do to get out of this situation!’

2. When someone behaves in a rude/harsh/uncooperative manner to us, we ask ‘Why is he like this’. The more beneficial question is ‘How can I react in the most positive manner to this brashness’

3. We are saying something, sharing information, speaking to people and nobody listens. Instead of asking ‘Why are people such bad listeners’ if we are to say ‘How can I be a better speaker and engage them in an active exchange’ we will find ready solutions.

4. There are inevitable external happenings. Politics happen, strategies change, markets fall;  instead of remarking ‘What will happen to us, in face of such recession’, if we deliberate on ‘How can I strengthen my competencies ‘ we will be able to address the situation better.

5. A team member does not pull his load. His contribution and quality of work is declining. Asking ‘Why is his performance so sub-standard, how can I punish him’ will only make us act cruel and lose credibility with people. The better question is ‘How can I help him rectify his mistakes, support him in times of his difficulty?’

6. Your superior is not recognizing the hard work you do. There is little appreciation. Proclaiming that ‘Why are all bosses so horrible’ will only attract more unfavorable experiences. Instead pondering on ‘How can I create good will with others, even if my boss doesn’t laud me’ will set us thinking on another track.

7. The family demands are increasing. Work life balance is getting tilted badly. The wrong question is ‘Why must I do all the work, while others are taking it easy at home’. The better question is ‘How can I divide, delegate and decentralize work at home, so that I am less stressed?’

Friends, just like the right road will take us to the desired destination, easily and effortlessly,  the right question will take us to the right solution smoothly and safely. This right solution will further bring in right results!

Hence do not be burdened or bogged down with the wrong questions. Set your thinking free, in the path of positive solutions. Walk with courage, confidence and be guided by the bright beauty of Leadership light

Hello Dear Friends,

Self- confidence is like a pendulum for many. It sways back and forth. Moving forth is good, but back is not nice For without good self-confidence, success, fulfillment and even day-to-day cheer is not possible.

Confidence in performance develops from preparation and practice. When we study well, read well, work smart and the results are favorable, it develops confidence in us. And like it is said, this confidence breeds more confidence.

However when times are trying,  or when results or not happening, it gets difficult to believe in ourselves. But it is exactly in these times, that we must believe in ourselves, our potential and even in our destinies

It is here we must make a decision to feel good, for then, we will have more reasons to continue feeling good!

On ways to affirm and strengthen this self-belief, that will help rise our self-confidence, pl read along and practice the following points,

1. We do not need to do anything great to deserve success or happiness. There is no criteria that must be satisfied for us to deserve success. We are children of God, given life, with this, we are given a right to be successful.

2. Our history cannot determine our future. Just because there have been blotches in our past, it does not mean our future is not going to be great.

3. Nobody’s opinion about us needs to be our reality or truth. All immensely successful achievers, be it in business, sports, movies, or even politics, have had critics condemning them plenty. Let us not take negativity seriously at all.

4. We must be our own best friend, and say encouraging things to ourselves, whenever we are feeling low. This support must not be expected out of others. We must be our own personal emotional motivator!

5. It is important to focus on what we want in the future, rather than what went wrong in the past. Our vision and self-image must give us hope and energy

6. It is okay to feel dull, depressed or desolate for a little while  After this, we must move on. Focusing our problems under a magnifying glass, will only make us look at them disproportionately.

7. The efforts we harness towards bringing success in any task, must have vibes of joy and  hope. We must NOT work hard, in a bitter, impatient or agitated manner. This will merely frustrate both us and our tasks.

Dear friends, Self-confidence is not just created through positive experiences, it is largely acquired through a positive attitude of self-love and self-belief.

Hence, let us not waste beautiful life and wonderful opportunities for progress, by being weak, diffident or negative, but walk with success in our stride and hope in our hearts, guided by kind Leadership Light!

Hello Dear Friends,

Often it is important to ask ourselves and others this question ‘Why so, why not otherwise?’.

Not as a rebel, not to show contrary views, not for an argument, but just to understand the assumptions we make.

All our thinking, our mindset, our thought processes are the result of  certain conditioning, which need not always serve us well.

So we must do this check, every once a while and understand, why we think the way we think, why are our beliefs the manner it is.

The next time you do a task, let us say typing a mail or making a report, think of another way to do it. Or when a colleague does not work in the manner ‘you’ think is efficient, examine your assumptions and beliefs. Bring a small change to the pattern you approach a task/situation

Allow yourself to think differently, act differently and free yourself of various mental blocks. Do not become a slave to routine stereotyped thinking.

Do not be restricted by preset norms,  do not be dogmatic about  anything. Dogmatic means to be rigid and inflexible. The opposite of dogmatic is pragmatic, which is to be practical and flexible.

Hence it is crucial to ask ourselves  ”Why so, why not otherwise?” often. This questioning will help us remove the shackles of conditioned thinking and will develop our cognitive capability.

By unburdening ourselves from fixated thinking styles, we can work better and work lighter. We will be able to recognize the processes that help us from those procedures that hinder us.

So examine your assumptions often, liberate yourself from non-beneficial beliefs, and walk happily in Leadership Light!

Hello lovely learners,

Listening is tough. Our mind can think at least 5 times faster than the speaker can talk. Listening is not a natural state for many of us. Hearing is easy. It is just a sensory activity. But, listening is hearing + attention. And paying this attention is hard. Even harder at times, for many, than paying taxes

Possibly because very few people are real good listeners, it is considered as an important Leadership component, so much so that, Stephen Covey, highlights the importance of Listening in ‘The 7 habits of highly effective people’.

Listening is not just a way to understand what the speaker is saying, it is also a fine way to understand the speaker.

Listening, like any good communication, is not only about action and results, it is also about building relationships and rapports.

Please practice the simple, following seven steps, to be a good listener and encourage ease in communication

1. Show non-verbal signs of listening, while someone is talking. This could be shaking of head or  nodding. Even small sounds that signal listening is good.

2. Do not be distracted and look here and there. Concentrate on the speaker’s face, at a point somewhere near the forehead, just above the eyes.

3. Have an interested expression in the face. This is to arrange our facial features in relaxed and responsive manner. Our easy expressions while we listen, encourage others to talk with more comfort. This helps the communication process very well.

4. Allow the speaker to complete what he has to say, without interrupting and without being restless. Do not be in a hurry to reply. You know well what you have to say, but you don’t know what the speaker has to say. Hence be patient and wait till the other person has finished speaking

5. Do not start readying your answers/replies while the other is talking. Often, what we do is, prepare in our minds, the repartee we plan to give.  This becomes an ego exercise and no worthy exchange occurs. We eventually create an impression of being impatient and unprofessional.

6. Do not hesitate to ask, if you do not understand what the speaker is saying. Do not be worried about appearing stupid, just be worried about missing out essential communication.

7. Do not judge, do not draw conclusions, do not be hasty in giving remarks, do not generalize. Take every communication exchange as a fresh interaction and give it the best of your attention. This way, you will create both trust and confidence in the minds of the speaker and make him/her convey the matter clearly.

We are going to spend a good portion of our work, even familial/social, lives with people. Of which speaking and listening will be core components. Listening well, with an intent to show care, helps the interaction be more productive and positive.

So, take a small step, that will make a big difference in the quality of relationships,  practice being a good listener and walk happily in the shine of Leadership light!

“Leadership is not taught and leadership is not learned. Leadership is learning.”

Hello Dear Friends,

If there is one, unending function of Leadership, it surely is ‘Learning’. Being an interested learner, and being in an agile, alert learning mode.

It is true that what we learn in formal educational institutions is a small percentage of what we need, to form a good career. The role of schools and colleges, though regarded as something extensive, actually trains us in limited knowledge, skills & attitudes.

We all need much more education for efficient, effective and joyful working.

And without much strenuous effort, using an ongoing process, we can set to make ourselves better.

1. Keep aside 15-20 minutes everyday as learning time. This need not be only through book reading. It can be through  listening, observing, watching, analyzing etc

2. The easiest way however is reading Choose simple books. Search for at least 2-3 new addtions to your knowledge level from every chapter.

3. Everything learnt is useful and only learning is useful. Hence try to identify what knowledge you can acquire through reading and other learning experiences. It could be words that give better expression, it could an idea which you can use, it can be an attitude you can take up.

4. Learn from people’s behaviour. Everybody around us, whatever be their status or station in life, have something special that will be of use to us. Hence be a keen observer.

5. Assimilate your learning experiences by writing it down. Keep a small note-pad, call it the ‘self-investment journal’ , where you can write down these words/expressions/ideas. It will help you practice.

6. Find occasions to use what ever you have learnt, within a day or two, of writing it down. This way you will be able to internalize it. Else your self-investment journal will just remain a mere idea inbox without converting you into a superior-skilled person.

7. Do remember self-education will surely give you higher employability than even well-recognized educational degrees. For, formal institutional education might open doors of opportunity, but self-education will create rewarding opportunities of its own.

Move into the learning mode. Learning, through sustained self-education, brings progress and success. It is easy, it is rewarding, it helps you, it is fun! So make a commitment to invest in yourself, your career, your future and walk gracefully into Leadership light!

Hello Beautiful people!

The DIN principle is nothing intricate or complex. It is a simple practice, which if we follow, can, like all simple practices, bring us high efficiency.

DIN is just an acronym for “DO IT NOW”

Friends, isn’t it silly for us to assume that the future is a better time to do something than the present? Wouldn’t we be older, less energetic, more exhausted, less interested, tomorrow, than we are today?

A lovely line of practical relevance says, “A year from now, you’d wish you started today”!

Hence to, internalize the concept of ‘Do it now’ so that we avoid putting-away tasks for future, please remember all this

1.  Delay only makes a task more difficult and less interesting

2. Not-very-exciting functions must be done sooner, so that we are rid of their lurking large presence in our mind

3. Maintenance activities, that are dry and drab, must be done all the more immediately. This includes most of housework and some routine professional work too

4. The trouble many of us face is in starting something. Motivate yourself to start, the momentum it brings, will take you through easily to completion

5. Make efficiency a habit. Being well-organized facilitates in doing work quickly.

6. Keep tasks you enjoy doing at the last, as a form of reward. This way you also get to spend a lot of time on them, guiltless :)

7. The immediate benefit of DIN is, it makes you feel good, which is a wonderful vibe to be in.

Do not allow tasks to be a tyrant in your mind. This happens when they are not right away carried/executed out. Do not be bothered by mundane activities, which we all need to do. Follow the DIN principle,  complete them, keep yourself free for creative pursuits and bask in Leadership Light!