40 Day Leadership Journey

Kicking off day 1 with "COURAGE"

📌 It's hard to have a challenge but its even more difficult to solve a challenge.

📌 Leaders will often face challenges of a need for an immediate decision and the outcome could have impacting outcomes. Need of the hour is courage!!

🎯 As leaders we need to bite the bullet when it comes to tough decisions.

🎯 We need to have the courage to stand by our decision and pursue our goals.

🎯 We need to possess the courage to face the consequences and not back off, especially when decisions we make go the wrong way.

🎯 Avoid procrastination as a challenge today could snowball into a monster problem.

Courage is the need of the hour for any leader. I had a challenge in the past saying "No" to demands/requests/ practices/ policies. Courage is what helped me along the way.

I would love to hear your challenges in practicing "Courage" in your role as a leader.

Trust is key in any relationship, let alone a professional relationship. It is an important ingredient in leadership.

👉 Trust is 'when a little boy jumps into his father's arms with blind faith that he will not let him fall"

👉 Trust is about having confidence, belief or faith in the other. Often trust starts by trusting in God!

👉 Trust is about having confidence that reliance can be placed on that person or thing. It starts with a gut feeling at times.

Points to ponder:

📌 As a leader, have you earned that trust from your team member?

📌 Have you trusted your team member with the tasks you assigned to them and confidently accept their final work?

📌 Are you building a bridge of trust or breach of trust? I had a concern in my earlier days in trusting the capability of team members and later I realised that Trust is like sowing seeds in different areas. It sprouts and grows only on fertile soil. Then I realised that Trust is mutual and that I, as a leader am equally responsible to build trust.

When we have ideas shared from across gender, race, language, culture and more, it gives us a better perspective & higher probability of long term success.

📌 As a leader, am I comfortable with one community, language or culture?

📌 Do I feel that dealing with a particular sect of people would be easier for me because of some common ground?

📌 Do I give an equal opportunity to all my team members alike? Points to ponder:

⚡ When there is a multi-culture workforce, would you, as a leader, be able to overcome cross-culture challenges easily?

⚡ Would a diverse team be more prepared to achieve tasks, than one that has only a particular group?

⚡ Would the options be better for a leader if he or she has a multi-faceted team compared to specialists in one area only?

Once I was conducting team building games for a large group of families in the colony, I found that the team that won that day had people of all ages, languages and gender. The type of game didn't bother them, while other teams wanted to know the game first!!

Being genuine, deciding based on merit, being real and being the same - inside out can be so enrichening!

📌 Great leaders change and adapt with the changing situations. However when some leaders change for the sake of changing, they may not be as impactful as the other leaders.

📌 Carrying the same outlook or sharing the same consistent message is important to tell the true story of your character - whether at work or at home.

⚡With the current situation due to the pandemic, we now have new ways of working and many of us meet virtually. This has brought people closer as well. I experienced that people seem to be relaxed, casual and open - be it their dress code or their thoughts. Often I also hear people saying 'It's so nice to see our CEO in tees, while addressing the employees worldwide'. This gives the employees a feeling of trust and togetherness that all people are equally challenged with the pandemic. In short - very authentic.

Being who you are is very important to depict your own brand and authenticity!!

With commitment comes focus & execution.

Many of us make big plans through New Year resolutions or even dream big about our career.

The key to fulfilling these resolutions or dreams are related to only one aspect - Execution !! Likewise, fancy plans, strategies or promises made by a leader is meaningless until it is accompanied by solid commitment!

Points to ponder:

👉 As leaders, do we stand up to our commitments, given to team members?

👉 Are our promises backed by factual and meaningful commitments?

👉 Do I take responsibility for all my commitments and not shy away from them?

👉 As leaders, do we take a committed stand on sensitive topics of integrity & diversity?

In my experience, I have found cases wherein leaders would love to give good news to their team members (promotion letters) and shy away from discomforting situations (issuing letters to non-performers). These leaders clearly miss the mark of a great leader, because of their inconsistent approach.

📌Question for us:📌 Am I a committed leader?

"Show me a man who hasn't taken a risk and I'll show you that he hasn't made it big". I heard this from a friend and ever since, I felt it was one of the best ways I could define risk - One of opportunity to be taken, one of it being inevitable and one of it being positive with an attitude for growth.

Often, people refer to risk akin to a gamble or sometimes people also relate to it as something being taken in a calculative way.

Risk is not only associated to adventure sports like Formula 1, challenging professions like mining or that of a pilot. It is associated to all of us and in all walks of life - risk of our life, of our job, of our relationships and more.

Points to ponder:

⚡ Have we included a few (if not many) tasks that challenge us in our daily life?

⚡ Do we take a few steps into the unknown as the saying goes - fortune favours the brave!

⚡ Have we let a shark live in our fish tank of life so that we can be kept on our toes and be agile enough to cater to the new world that we live in?

📢Risk=Change=Future

The buzz word for many years has been 'to think out of the box'.

👉 Having qualifications to be eligible for a particular position is a must. However, due to fierce competition, we now find ourselves in wanting, despite having all that it takes at least on paper !

👉 The ones who come out successful from a crisis situation are the ones who can find creative solutions.

👉 The difference between the good and the best lies in the creativity of the person.

Points to ponder:

📌 Do we need to have a qualification in creativity? Or is it something that all of us are gifted with?

📌 Do we have to do things the way we did it previously?

📌 Is there a 'one size fits all' answer to all challenges ? Food for thought:

1️⃣ Organisations and Leaders through their creativity and innovation survived many challenging situations - including this ongoing pandemic. 2️⃣ Great leaders bring variety to the table - never a dearth of ideas.

3️⃣ Be like the 'Why' generation and you can start your journey of creativity, today!

True leaders command respect and not demand respect!

It's not the badges on the uniform but emotions expressed in human form. Think Again - As a leader...

⚡ Do you wish to leave a legacy behind you?

⚡ Do you wish your presence to be felt or your absence to be missed?

⚡ Do you feel that your title, power and authority deserves respect and followers?

Points to ponder:

👉 People look up to leaders as a source of energy, learning, and direction. Hence a forthcoming and humble image matters more than anything else.

👉 Often team members won't remember what you say, but they would remember how you made them feel. It's all about emotions that go with it- True leaders serve others first.

I've witnessed on many occasions in my career, how team members are enamored to see their leaders eat with them at the same table, share the same level of accommodation as theirs or even travel with them in the same local transport, despite having their own luxuries.

What strikes you most of a humble leader?

Negotiation is an art and great leaders know how to negotiate their way through challenges. Some points worth noting:

📌 Negotiating at times could also mean to keep quiet.

📌 Negotiating could be a calculated trade-off.

📌 Negotiation could mean that you constantly change the odds.

I have noticed in my career that leaders never stick to one style, one approach or one answer. They apply different solutions and negotiate for different outcomes. Great leaders negotiate on the fly and often in unchartered territory.

Negotiation is key for a leader - as every proposal, every agreement, every contract would have an element of negotiation. Many times, true negotiation comes from experience, from listening and also from understanding the emotional side of things. Patience, above all is needed to be a master at negotiation.

Finally, negotiation is like a rubber band - you can stretch it to accommodate larger areas which you can benefit from, but beware it will snap if you push beyond a point and you lose everything.

So how do you negotiate?

Leaders love results, do you?

Results that people normally associate with are:

✅ Results as an outcome of hard work.

✅ Results in the form of a by-product.

✅ Results that happen after hot pursuit of a goal.

Great leaders look at Results holistically. They genuinely look for overall success of their followers or team members. Business numbers could make up only one part of their results expectations, whereas there could be much more in terms of social welfare results as well.

👉 Acquiring alone, does not construe a win or a great result, but in some cases letting go is also a result

👉 Leaders love results and not excuses

👉 True Leaders work on bringing out true potential in individuals and their purpose.

👉 Leaders work with their team on goals that lead to results.

I've witnessed many leaders who have pursued results at the cost of ignoring the psychological and welfare needs of their team. Such teams may have achieved short-term success but miserably failed in the long run.

Would you do anything in life without expecting a result ?

Being brave(to face the future), can positively impact decision making abilities of a leader.

📌Have you heard of leaders who frustrate you with procrastinated decisions?

📌Have you been victim of not just bad decision taken by your leader but also how they conveyed their decision to you?

📌Have you witnessed leaders who take all credit when decisions go well and pass the flak down, when it goes bad?

📌Have you come across leaders who are indecisive when it comes to tricky situations?

Situations demand that positive, negative, or growth decisions need to be taken by leaders and hence a balanced approach of critical thinking, experience and patience can go a long way in making them successful.

I have experienced leaders who were comfortable in sharing good news (like salary promotion letters) and the same leaders would be uncomfortable in sharing unpleasant decisions (like a termination letter).

I’ve always felt that decision making is very tricky as it is both, a science and also an art!

What type of decision maker are you?

Delegation creates a path for budding leaders. It is almost like saying that delegation entails job shadowing without actually doing the job.

👉 When delegation happens it means that the leader is willing to share and believes in others ability.

👉 Leaders who are skeptical of their team being smarter, have a challenge in delegating.

👉 Leaders sometime believe that there could be no one else who could do it better than them.

👉 Leaders who don’t believe in sharing because teaching involves time and energy.

👉 Delegating is about confidently preparing for your legacy to speak for itself, through your followers.

Great Leaders :

⚡ Accept that they may not be master of all trades but they can be a master at identifying masters in each trade and then delegate.

⚡ Succeed when they give each member their due by delegating tasks that suit the recipient’s specialties.

I’ve noticed over the years great leaders involve their team members by delegating and holding them accountable for their actions and not just delegate and pass the buck.

Being unbiased is the foundation for leaders to be successful in a diverse world.

As we grow into one large liberalized team and look at data across multiple cohorts in a microscopic way, we will continue to face challenges of bias in our decisions.

📌Leaders do proclaim that they have no bias when it comes to location, language, gender, culture, religion, ethnicity or even race, but there could be traces of biased thoughts or decisions, consciously or unconsciously.

Successful leaders practice:

✔ Inviting a variety of ideas from all segments of people.

✔ Listening to multiple perspectives in order to pick the best, irrespective of the source of the idea.

✔ Respect for the message being presented to them and then the messenger.

It's not late, we can always make a start:

1️⃣ While we interview a candidate next - Try to focus on their achievements & job profile and mask the other personal data of name, gender, age, city, etc.

2️⃣ At our next seminar, wedding, etc., try meeting people at random without knowing their background.

The on-going pandemic has tested all leaders in their Change management strategies.

The speed at which leaders changed, determined how well they adapted and adopted to the new norm. When you as a leader are open to change, it gives others the confidence that you are agile and open, with a risk taking appetite.

Leaders who are good at change:

🎯 Explore and try untrodden paths with no fear of failure.

🎯 Embrace change by leading change initiatives as 'change ambassadors'.

🎯 Make change a part of their life by proactively changing their policies and habits.

Time to reflect on benefits that great Leaders who accept change, enjoy:

1️⃣ They get to see and experience ahead of the curve. Be it technology, policies or otherwise.

2️⃣ They are more resilient through the challenges experienced first hand.

3️⃣ Constant and quick changes makes them more positive and optimistic.

4️⃣ They accept failure easier, because they believe that it adds to their learning.

5️⃣ They create opportunities and not wait for it. So, are you ready to embrace change?

Having an attitude of gratitude is the basic expectation that many refer to, for great leaders to possess.

Very often, in the search for people with great attitude, we restrict ourselves to people with demonstrated behaviours of winning, positivity, cohesiveness, frankness,etc.

However, attitude is something greater than just winning. It goes beyond that and refers to the foundation for wanting to win. It is where behaviours of being thankful, appreciative, collaborative and supportive lay a solid foundation for being positive, hopeful and optimistic.

Leaders with great attitudes are:

1️⃣ People who can create a sense of belonging within the team.

2️⃣ People who can relate to their team members concerns and challenges.

3️⃣ People who have predictable behaviours when it comes to empathy.

4️⃣ People who not only have an appetite for growth, change and risk but also have a humane approach.

Over the years, I have found out that people with great attitudes are valued higher than those with great qualifications! So, What is Attitude to you?

Learning is a never-ending journey and successful leaders practice it all the time!

They inculcate these simple practices:

📚 Learn from experiences - Acknowledge being human

📚 Learn from mistakes committed - Practicing humility

📚 Learn from anywhere, any age, any situation - Being open

📚 Learn from their team members - Being vulnerable

📚 Learn from failures - Practicing that learning is continuous

When leaders stop learning:

🛑 The team suffers and no creative ideas come through

🛑 Arrogance and pride sets in and titles overtake learning

🛑 Growth will soon be a thing of the past

🛑 Merit will take a back seat and hierarchy will drive decisions

I’ve been fortunate to have met great leaders who are down to earth, walk the talk and are always open to learning.

Let's remember, “Learning is Power" and that is the future of work. The key to success for leaders in this fast-changing world would be to “stay hungry and stay foolish”, as Steve Jobs once said. Do you have a learning appetite?

Great Leaders communicate not through words alone, but by their actions as well. It's not the vocabulary that they use, but their demonstrated behaviour that makes an impact.

Leaders communicate well when they show compassion or care while on their job and are objective with their observations, directions, or strategies.

My experiences:

📌 I have witnessed on many occasions that people haven't heard from their leaders especially in times of crisis and they are left to settle with the grapevine.

📌 Efficient leaders speak less, listen more and entertain impromptu questions in their communication sessions.

📌 Leaders practice 'all ears' with no distractions - including no smart phones.

📌 An overseas colleague once shared with me that she wasn't happy with one of her male team members when, in his communication, he used the word ‘intimate’ (meaning to inform) and it had nothing to do with ‘intimate’ (intimacy). I soon realized communication was also linked to culture.

So, how do you, as a leader, communicate?

Great leaders have great falls but have greater come backs !!

As the saying goes that 'tough times don't last, but tough people do' is very apt in the current situation of the pandemic and testimony to leaders with resilience.

'Never give up' is a simple but profound motto of many leaders. We have seen this happen in the sports arena more often than not. "It's not about how many times you fall, but how many times you get back up." Abraham Lincoln.

What do Leaders do, to be more resilient:

🎯 They believe in themselves and trust the ability of others.

🎯 They learn from failures and correct their future course of action.

🎯 They believe in building trust through empathy.

🎯 They persist with a 'never say die' attitude.

🎯 They operate and achieve, with whatever resources they possess.

As a leader... - Are you ready to challenge yourself and succeed amidst challenges? - Do you have the conviction of bouncing back? - Are you patient, positive and optimistic, awaiting your opportunity? It's time to show how resilient you are!

Sharing plays a vital part in a leader's life.

Great leaders share their wealth of information that they possess. They love to build their legacy by passing on important tips to people they work with. They believe in sharing a lot more than retaining with themselves.

Have you experienced this with your leader/s?

👉 Sharing of their life's unique experiences which management books may or may not have given you.

👉 Sharing some part of their tasks with you, so that you could learn on the job, under their personal guidance.

👉 Sharing their failures as much as their successes with a sole intention of helping you advance in your career.

👉 Sharing of personal and professional examples to help you cope with a work-life balance.

🎯Over the years, I have experienced leaders who shared their personal anecdotes and life's illustrations - be it in personal finance, health or in relationship building and I felt empowered with a great sense of satisfaction that my leader cares for me.

Have you been fortunate enough to encounter such leaders?

Often, people may find it easier to leave a manager but not a leader and the biggest reason for this would be ... 'relationship' !

Efficient leaders get the best from their team only because of great relationships that they enjoy with them. It's a two way street where great relationships are fostered through trust and commitments.

Leaders with great relationships go a long way:

1️⃣ In being a valuable reference point for people, products or businesses.

2️⃣ In retaining their best talent due to their authenticity and empathy demonstrated.

3️⃣ In building bridges, especially with unions and workers.

In my years of experience...

- I have noticed that, people often move with their leader/s to multiple organisations and the clear reason being that they respect and enjoy their working relationship with that particular leader. [more experiences in the comments]

So, are you ready to invest in building lasting and impactful relationships.

It may take time, but it will definitely pay you rich dividends.

Try it, today!!

One of the game-changing differentiating factors of a good and great leader is...empathy.

⚡Great leaders demonstrate empathy through their actions. They often get into the shoes of their team members just to ensure they can understand what it feels like.

⚡I like to clear this big myth – 'Being empathetic means being submissive, weak or lacks assertiveness'. Well, on the contrary, empathetic leaders can get their work done, even in challenging situations because of their humane empathetic relationship.

⚡Leaders who are aggressive and task oriented without empathy, end up being unsuccessful. This is because 'People don’t remember what you said, but they would remember how you made them feel.'

👉 Can we work towards being empathetic? Yes......

1. Listen with rapt attention and you will understand the situation holistically.

2. Hold back from being judgmental.

3. Apply a right mix of logic and feelings in decision making.

4. Seek feedback on how people feel, after your decisions.

5. Try to serve, before being served.

Time, energy and money are the three greatest resources anyone can possess.

The challenge always is how does one make the best of all three. Very often when leaders make great decisions, one may hear people say that it was all about timing. This is because, great leaders decipher with ease the value of time and place their utmost focus on it.

👉 Leaders are successful not just because they possess the best of resources of man or machine, but more so because of their thinking and timing of decisions.

👉 Leaders use their time effectively on listening, preparing and on decision making. They are master planners because they prioritize well.

👉 Everyone wants to work smarter and not harder.

Successful leaders reap great results of working smartly only because of their meticulous planning.

So the next time you tell a friend “I don’t have time to meet you” or “I don’t find time for learning” or “24 hours is insufficient for me”, then just tell yourself, that I need to prioritize my tasks in the given time.

The top-most value or behaviour that a leader should possess is Integrity!!

There is no conclusive scale to measure integrity, but the actions of the person are a great way to gauge the same. Often, we use authenticity, trust, truthfulness, being candid and honest as behaviours to support integrity.

1. Some leaders like to preach on the one hand and end up practicing something different on the other. They have different yardsticks for different situations.

2. Great leaders accept their mistakes and move on and not and blame it on others. 3. Great leaders are not afraid of the consequences of their decisions as they back their integrity.

✔To move on and improve, lets...

1. Try making decisions without knowing who the beneficiary is.

2. Try following the headline test (assuming whatever you do will appear In the headlines of the News).

3. Try following your conscience.

4. Try putting values, morals and ethics ahead of rules.

5. Try being honest with yourself even when no one is watching you. Move on!

A passionate leader always does what he loves and loves what he does with zeal!

His job at hand can never be separated from him. Passionate leaders have their roles like shadows - close to them all the time. Be it at an interview for fresh talent or for leadership roles, the one common ask is "passionate employees".

I’ve experienced passionate leaders:

🎯 Who share their achievements, successes or even their failures with equal enthusiasm.

🎯 Whose Monday morning at work would be as happy and vibrant as their Friday evening.

🎯 Who with their engaging conversations, sharing of exciting views and through their positivity and eagerness to embrace change, draw people closer to them.

Passionate leaders spread their positivity and inspire people around them in a growth-oriented direction. They always have a bigger picture in mind. They look beyond the scope of their job.

The secret behind passionate leaders being successful is that they go about doing their tasks with finesse.

Are you one of them ? I wish you are😊

Leaders who appreciate others are appreciated!

📌 There’s never a price tag for appreciation, but there are high returns once you appreciate.

📌 Great leaders take time off their busy schedule to appreciate their team members by complimenting, recognizing or rewarding them.

📌 It is but human, that people look forward to being recognised in some way or the other – even if it was just a pat on the back!

📌 While monetary recognition is important, simple kind words go a long way as it impacts the psychological well-being of an individual.

📌 In challenging pandemic times, it is the leader’s words of appreciation that comforts employees more than assurance of job safety.

It's not too late, we can practice appreciation:

✔ When tasks are incomplete, let's not only give candid feedback for improvement only, but also be empathetic and appreciative of their energy & time spent on those tasks.

✔ Appreciate people’s attempts, to learn from their mistakes.

✔ Appreciate people going out of their way to complete their jobs.

Great leaders always exhibit an attitude of gratitude !!

Appreciation is often referred to a third party, whereas gratitude refers directly to the person. A leader who is appreciative of what he/she has, will always be more positive and forthcoming.

When leaders are thankful:

👉 They tend to be more optimistic and that in-turn helps the team to be more engaged.

👉 The mood and the environment within the team is filled with great satisfaction.

👉 They have time to focus on strategic initiatives especially when they have accomplished inner peace through practicing gratitude in their life.

Over the years:

I have created time for gratitude in my life, which continues to pay me rich dividends:

1. I visit a hospital to help me understand the value of life.

2. I appreciate nature – even a pleasant blue sky.

3. I am thankful for my accomplishments - it boosts my confidence.

4. I appreciate family & friends – it helps me feel more secure.

5. Last but not least, I am grateful to God for my existence.

Are we always grateful?

It is always believed that great leaders lead from the front. They become even greater when they demonstrate their human nature by apologizing when needed.

It’s a known fact that all of us make mistakes and many of us recover by learning from such experiences. When leaders commit mistakes or make wrong decisions, they are in the limelight and those moments could be tests of their character.

Great leaders apologize, if needed & move on.

🙏 Leaders who don’t apologize are ones who depend on their title, power & authority to counter that situation.

🙏 Leaders who say sorry, earn more respect and are appreciated especially for their humility.

🙏 Leaders who apologize, cannot be considered as weak unless of course, such situations are repeated. However, saying sorry could become a habit to condone acts of incompetence.

🙏 Some leaders do apologize, but in an indirect, passive and a defensive way.

🎯 Let not fear, pride or arrogance stop you from saying sorry, after all, your followers are watching and will soon do the same!

Successful leaders take responsibility of their decisions and actions. They own the outcomes whether it is positive or developmental.

Whether it is a win or loss at a cricket match, the captain always takes onus of the result. He never shies away and disassociates himself from the result.

Sometimes, we come across leaders who act in a cowardly manner. They would want to take center-stage when the results are good and blame others when the results are not as per expectations.

Being accountable for one’s own actions and possessing the courage to face the consequences of such decisions are hallmark traits of a great leader.

I’ve witnessed over the years that many leaders pass the buck when they are under pressure for business numbers or people related issues. They blame their incompetence on all other variables – be it their team, the infrastructure, etc.

At the same time, I’ve seen other leaders who take clear responsibility for their team’s actions and such leaders continue to be successful for obvious reasons.

The old adage of give respect and get respect is the principle even today and great leaders do follow this with huge success.

People get respected only when they are worthy of being respected, especially either for their human touch, wisdom, fair dealings or their charisma.

All the great leaders that the world has ever seen, have risen to the top only because of their respect for people and their well-being.

Great leaders:

🎯 Respect people’s time and have consideration for them.

🎯 Respect the opinions of their followers and give them their share of importance.

🎯 Respect decisions on tasks delegated to their team members.

🎯 Respect the diversity of the team, irrespective of the visible differences.

🎯 Respect people on merit and not seniority of age or any other biases.

I am sure many of us would recall two types of leaders

📌One who you wish to follow (because they command respect)

📌The other who wishes that you follow them (because they demand respect).

Time to introspect – which one do you belong to?

Influence is one of the biggest intangibles of a leader and yet it can have a huge impact.

The quality of a leader influencing his followers, doesn’t happen with direct coercion, but with his inherent demonstrated actions of authenticity, humility, empathy and more.

When team members are more than willing to follow their leader, it is a sign that they have experienced trust and great relationship through the actions of their leader.

Have you witnessed …

⚡ Leaders, who even before they request for help, have their team members present?

⚡ Leaders, who just mention the cause (financial, social, etc) and support just pours in?

⚡ Leaders, who influence their team’s choice without really pleading?

📌 I have followed leaders in the past due to trust, understanding and collaboration I enjoyed through mutual relationship with them.

📌 In some cases,

I have also experienced being influenced implicitly by charismatic leaders. As a leader, do you have genuine influencing power?

Have you experienced influential leaders?

Successful leaders are self-starters, go-getters and are always self-motivated.

They have an undying energy: be it for their their job or their vision. At times, these leaders may come across as self-sacrificing people as they care for the big picture and may even overlook their own wants.

I’ve witnessed highly motivated leaders... I recall one such situation where the CEO, vibrantly conveyed his optimism of growth and hope even while we were in the midst of one of the worst recessions. That message brought great energy and confidence in the team.

I've seen some great qualities of motivated leaders:

⚡They express optimism and positivity at all times.

⚡They create vibrant teams, who are always willing to embrace change.

⚡They act as great bridges between decision makers and the team.

⚡They share a lot of their working hours with the team and not in isolation.

⚡They demonstrate passion while leading from the front.

Have you experienced motivated leaders or has your team shown great results due to your motivation?

Great leaders do not crave for authority as they believe that true leadership can be demonstrated at any level.

Normally leadership and authority may be seen from two different perspectives that are not complementary to each other.

When leaders possess authority, there are many benefits including: optimization of resources be it workforce, budgets, or more. But at the same time, they do not like bringing their position, title or vested powers to the discussion table. They influence through their charisma rather than authority.

Something worth observing:

👉 Leaders who depend on authority, fail miserably when they lose such vested authority.

👉 Leaders who accept authority given to them, use it most often to delegate the same, to their team.

👉 Leaders seldom use their authority as they do not want to distance themselves from the team.

They sit alongside their team, travel same class or even use the same privileges as that of the team. Authority is seldom seen as a pre-requisite for great leadership

Do you agree?

In this constant world of change, leadership agility is key!!

📌 Being able to adapt, adopt and adjust is the key especially when the going gets tough.

📌 I have noticed during change programs and initiatives, that people with a positive outlook accompanied by agility were the ones who succeeded quickly.

📌 The greatest of leaders have fallen only because of not having worthy contingent plans as they were not dexterous enough in their plans, to be able to come up with Plan B and beyond.

📌 In today's VUCA world, leaders need to be quick and nimble off their feet by bringing about change rather immediately. This can be possible only if the leader has a growth mindset and open to exploring new avenues.

📌 Organisations look for fewer specialists than before.

Today, it is more of leaders identifying people who can play at least couple of ancillary roles, apart from their specialty. This gives leaders that extra flexibility within the team, especially with change being so rapid.

Are you an agile leader?

We were always taught that service to humanity is service to God!

Exceptional Leaders make serving others as their motto. Others first, self, next is an easy way of saying it but it is one of the most difficult behaviours to demonstrate.

As a serving leader, leaders focus on not just goals but also on the comfort levels of team members while they accomplish the same. In other words – Focus on not just “what?” But also, “how?”

Serving Leaders enjoy the confidence, love and commitment of their team as a result of the team experiencing their simplicity and understanding.

I have seen contrasting differences of opinions between people when it comes to the relationship with their leaders. For example, When a leader calls for an unscheduled meeting, some may

- be readily available

- reject the invite despite being free

- attend under protest

- set aside all other tasks to attend

- will unconditionally attend.

All this is due to people reciprocating how they are treated by their leader. After all it works both ways!

Great leaders keep their team motivated and optimistic through their enthusiasm. They demonstrate passion in everything they do. There’s never a dull moment in their journey.

They speak through their words and actions on their belief and commitment – whether it be a particular process, policy or objective.

Beware of leaders who try to be enthusiastic :

📌 When they speak in a passive way and disassociate themselves from the topic.

📌 When you notice glaring differences between what they say and what their body language conveys.

📌 When they do something for the sake of doing it!

Signs to look out for in leaders who are enthusiastic:

👉 They walk the talk

👉 They lead by example

👉 They lead even if they do not possess full authority

👉 They are great change ambassadors

I’ve witnessed leaders who have consistent approaches in all that they do – be it during change or challenge. There is negligible change in their approach whether it be in times of difficulty or exciting times.

Are you one of them?

Great leaders don’t just share, they empower!

They tirelessly work directly or indirectly in a way that will help their followers to lead in their absence one day. Many people like they presence felt, but great leaders are one’s whose absence is felt! All this happens due to the unconditional sharing of knowledge, from leaders to their followers.

Empowerment is one of the top traits of leaders but amidst this, we often see leaders who under the guise of empowerment, pass on their responsibility in areas where they are uncomfortable - like in these instances:

👉 A leader who asks you to perform a task without proper infrastructure or his backing.

👉 A leader who asks you to walk on untrodden paths as a challenge, but internally is scared of going that way himself.

So, it’s time to empower with sharing, caring and with ‘growth for the other’ in mind!

🎯I share my own quote on a great empowering leader: “A great leader is like a safety harness. Protects you if you fall, yet invisible to the world”

Do you agree?

🎯Great leaders never get it right the first time, always! They persist!

As St. Jerome says “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. ‘Till your good is better and your better is best”

World renowned leaders, scientists, researchers, scholars and inventors never stop at seeing their first version of their hard work released in public domain – they persevere until they are satisfied. And as time goes, they delve further, re-visit their invention and release a revised version.

We experience that we are being pushed by our leaders to accomplish more than what may seem normal to us. This is because they see more of our potential.

I’ve often seen top leaders encouraging their followers to set high standards for themselves and inspire them to take up bigger challenges. However, not many team members receive this advice in the same perspective. Some may feel that they are scapegoats and are being over-burdened while others may see it as another great opportunity to perform and prove.

How do you see it?

Apart from their actions, leaders are respected more because of their active listening!

Great leaders often do these:

1️⃣ They present an opportunity to others to voice their opinion.

2️⃣ They get to know more about other's views, their aspirations, their wants, etc.

3️⃣ They empower others by giving them a sense of being wanted and appreciated.

4️⃣ They get to know more and widen their horizon.

5️⃣ They foster an environment of inclusiveness.

6️⃣ They build trust by actively listening.

Leaders who often prefer open and transparent communication, depend a lot on official listening sessions and not the grapevine, at workplaces.

During my career thus far, I’ve seen employees feeling elated by the mere opportunity given to them to be included in a team call. Many see it as a privilege to be included in a leadership meeting. On the other hand, people who aren’t called and acknowledged feel alienated.

Are you a leader who listens? Especially during these challenging times of the pandemic? A thought!

I am always intrigued on the announcement of the airhostess when she describes emergency measures, especially on oxygen masks. ”Put on your oxygen mask first, before taking care of others”. This may seem so unkind but it’s the most practical advice I’ve ever heard.

Likewise, no matter how great a leader is, but if they don't take adequate care of themselves, then they are risking their own career or future.

There are many important aspects of self-care.

A few top ones I cover below :

👍 Self-confidence: Leaders need to maintain a high morale in what they do. Timely development and reflecting on situations, can be a great teacher and leaders can learn from their vast experiences.

👍 Self-health: Prioritising of Health and well-being is of paramount importance. This could reflect on their followers as well.

👍 Self-awareness: As leaders, being aware of where we are will help us to better understand others. Timely introspection is needed.

Great leaders pass on the baton for greater results ! Are you ready?

Leaders are human!! Celebrating every success is as important as chasing down goals.

In my last day of this 40 Day Leadership Journey, I focus on the importance of celebration. Many leaders fail to celebrate their successes either due to their humility or don’t see it as an important part of their leadership role.

Great leaders enjoy great relationships but may end up losing it if their team members get dissatisfied due to no celebrations for goals accomplished. After all, team members see celebration as one form of recognition.

✌ Celebrating a success is one of the best ways to keep a team motivated.

✌ Team members feel proud when they see their achievements being celebrated, on social media or even being recognised in public.

✌ While it is good to be anxious for something different and challenging every time, it is equally important to enjoy the fruits of success.

Point to ponder?

Are you a ‘celebrity leader’ (showing one’s own success) or a celebrating leader (one who celebrates the team’s accomplishments?

Willis Langford

...adding unbiased colour to your life

Here's a quick share on experiences in my leadership journey thus far.This is covered as a share you can focus over the coming 40 days.This leadership journey is articulated with a simple one word requirement for a leader to be successful, every day.

Day 1

Courage

Day 2

Trust

Day 3

Diversity

Day 4

Authenticity

Day 5

Commitment

Day 6

Marketing

Day 7

Creativity

Day 8

Humility

Day 9

Negotiating

Day 10

Results

Day 11

Decision Making

Day 12

Delegation

Day 13

Unbiased

Day 14

Change

Day 15

Attitude

Day 16

Learning

Day 17

Communication

Day 18

Resilience

Day 19

Sharing

Day 20

Relationships

Day 21

Empathy

Day 22

Time

Day 23

Integrity

Day 24

Passion

Day 25

Appreciate

Day 26

Gratitude

Day 27

Sorry

Day 28

Ownership

Day 29

Respect

Day 30

Influence

Day 31

Motivation

Day 32

Authority

Day 33

Agility

Day 34

Service

Day 35

Enthusiasm

Day 36

Empowerment

Day 37

Perseverance

Day 38

Listening

Here's a quick share on experiences in my leadership journey thus far.
This is covered as a share you can focus over the coming 40 days.
This leadership journey is articulated with a simple one word requirement for a leader to be successful, every day.