Leadership Learnings

Three things that make Armed Forces Officers a better bet in Corporate jobs

2010-12-19T00:26:00.000-08:00

Are you a CEO or an HR Head of a company, who needs true performers? Have you been recommended ex-armed forces officers, but aren't sure whether or not they will fit in? Here are three reasons why you should go ahead and hire them:

1. Focused on goals. “When they graduate from the military academies, they are deployed to lead a platoon, probably in Kashmir or the North East. As they move to senior ranks, the focus remains, even though the scope increases. Mission accomplishment is always the final picture, that cannot get any bigger or smaller, as there are definite resources, terrain, enemy and time durations to plan with. They know the responsibilities and the risks, and do everything that prepares them for their moment of truth. Do your civilian managers know what your primary mission is at work? Are they as focussed?”

2. Continuous improvement is a habit. “They work in an organization that is continually striving be better. When a mistake happens, the Army tries not to let it happen a second time. Is your organisation aligning the employees in the right way ? Or if you’re leading that organization, are your managers prepared to change things that aren’t working, even if change could be hard or even a reversal of something already implemented?”

3. Trained for success. “These officers are given the physical and mental training that will help them do their jobs at the highest level. They know you have to be able to perform a task perfectly under normal conditions before you can expect to do it in a stressful situation. Can you say the same thing about your civilian managers? Are they able to do their assigned jobs at a high level every day? If not, then you should not be surprised when they make the wrong decisions under pressure.”

Now, thats leadership - 5

2010-08-27T03:50:00.000-07:00

Virendra Kumar Sinha, who runs a workshop in East Champaran in Bihar, was ignorant about the possibilities of his pollution control device that can be attached to generators or other diesel engines to reduce noise and air pollution. With emissions of carbon dioxide forecasted to touch 43 percent by 2035, Virendra's device could go a long way in making a big difference in the world, which requires a cleaner and greener environment.

Virendra's workshop, which started in 1981 by manufacturing iron gates and grills, situated just opposite a school. Since they face frequent power cuts, Virendra had to install a generator that resulted in noise and air pollution, which affected school children and neighbors. "It was difficult to move to a new location for me so I started thinking about ways to control this pollution," says Virendra. This was when he thought about something that could control the pollution and finally he come up with a device that can be attached to a generator or other diesel engines to minimize the noise and smoke, reports Manu A B from Rediff Business. It took him six years of experiments to build the first device. Initially, what started as a mission to carry out his work smoothly, turned into a successful innovation with universal appeal and value.

A patented device, it allows carbon deposits to get collected periodically. This can be reused as raw material for shoe polish and local small-scale industry units. Virendra Kumar is now fine-tuning the device to further reduce noise emanating from engines. His next project is a pollution control device for four-wheelers.

Just like most other innovators in India, Virendra Kumar faces a severe fund crunch. Most of the work is now done manually but if machinery is in place, he can manufacture the device faster and more cost-effectively.

"There has been no recognition for my innovation even in my home state. If the government does not take interest in such innovations, how can we grow? This device can reduce pollution considerably. My dream is to make this device available to people across India," says 62-year-old Virendra Kumar.

This unit was fitted to the 10 HP engine used in his workshop. He found that the noise levels could be brought down considerably. He continued to work on it to make it more efficient. And he managed to get the desired results.

The attachment consists of a cylindrical drum having concentric perforated screens and a few long perforated tubes having equally spaced mesh linings. The cylindrical drum is placed between the generator and the exhaust pipe. The exhaust gases, which enter the unit, strike against the array of protruding fins and perforated tubes continuously. The vortex results in the dissociation of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide into carbon particulates and oxygen.

The innovation also works as a silencer by internally canceling out sound waves as they pass through a series of concentric channels. The carbon-based effluents are removed as soot and solid deposits. As a result the exhaust gases are very clean.

On an average, after 3,000 hours of engine operation, about 5 kg of soot gets collected at the bottom of the drum. In about six to eight months, it collects 12 to 14 kg of carbon, which can be easily taken out.

The testing of the device was done in BIT Mesra, Ranchi. The institute also observed a reduction in carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide up to 30 percent and considerable reduction in temperature.

While it takes one day to make a small device, a bigger one would take two days. Virendra Kumar has sold about 40 pollution control devices for different types of engines so far. The device costs Rs.2500 to Rs.10,000 depending upon the type of engine. While Virendra takes just 5 percent as his profit, this innovation can turn out to be very profitable for small factories and households that use generators.

We definitely need to identify more leaders like Virendra.

Now, thats leadership - 4

2010-06-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

In February 2006, BBC.com had a good article on an DIY low-powered FM radio station operated out of a electronics repair shop. I'd be surprised if this was the only one in India (or Asia) like this. The owner-builder claims not to know that broadcasting required a license. The station, he says, just sort of grew from his junk and his interests.
"On a balmy morning in India's northern state of Bihar, young Raghav Mahato gets ready to fire up his home-grown FM radio station. It may well be the only village FM radio station on the Asian sub-continent. It is certainly illegal. The transmission equipment, costing just over $1, may be the cheapest in the world."

It was in 2004 that Raghav, who had an electronics repair shop at Gudri Bazar near Mansoorpur and loved to tinker with old equipment, stumbled upon the innovative idea of launching a radio station.

With the old tools and gadgets that he had stored over the years, he launched his radio station that very soon became a hit with the villagers. The station operated like a community radio service in Muzaffarpur, Vaishali and Saran districts, providing local news and views in the local dialect. Apart from Hindi songs and news, it provided information about crime in the area, programmes on AIDS awareness, polio eradication, literacy initiatives and news about missing people as well as on local functions and festivals. And all that free of cost.

The media highlighted his story and he became very popular. The union communications ministry took notice too -- but that was to be his undoing. In 2006, the ministry sought a report on the legality of the private radio station. Raghav did not possess an operating licence as he was too poor to pay the licence fee and too naive to understand that it was illegal.

'Raghav Radio' closed down. The district authorities said it was closed for violating the Indian Telegraphs Act. The government held him an offender and arrested him for a brief period but for people residing in and around Mansoorpur village, he was a hero. Later, many NGOs came forward to help him and gave him vocational training.

Impressed by his talent and struggle, the Barefoot College at Tilonia in Rajasthan, run by Bunker Roy, appointed him the head of Barefoot Community Radio Station, the first of its kind in Rajasthan. The radio service caters to the educational, development and socio-cultural needs of the local community in a radius of six to 10 kilometres through indigenously created broadcast programming.

The story of Raghav, in his mid-20s, and his 'Raghav Radio' has been published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in its book 'Bharat Mein Samajik Parivartan Evam Vikas' (Social change and development in India) for Class 12. The book describes Raghav as a role model for development in society. It highlights his struggle and the difficulties he faced after starting 'Raghav Radio' in Mansoorpur village in Vaishali district.

Raghav, who currently works as the project head of a community radio station in Rajasthan's Ajmer district, told IANS over the phone that his 'story in the NCERT book will inspire people, particularly the youths, to make a difference in society'. From an ordinary illiterate youth to becoming someone who has the ability to inspire people through his simple deeds, Raghav has indeed come a long way. And the mission to inform and educate continues.

How Military Values hold Meaning for the Corporate World

2010-05-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

Economic Times, an Indian National Daily, recently covered a news item on the rising popularity of recruiting military officers for leadership roles in the corporate sector. It is easy to understand how someone whose leadership skills were honed in combat would be more qualified for leadership than the candidate whose only leadership test could have been winning the school summer camp obstacle race.

The correlation between military service and leadership ability is well documented. Studies show that companies with military leaders outperform their peers.Many of our nation's most respected companies have discovered a source for talent that traditional recruiting methods often overlook - the men and women of our Armed Services. The leadership skills, core values, integrity, and work ethic of our military transition members provide a bridge to span the leadership gap in our current workforce.

There are seven core values associated with the military: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honour, Integrity and Personal Courage. Let us examine each military value for its usefulnes to the corporate world.

Loyalty - Bear true faith and allegiance to the Nation, the Army, and other soldiers.

This means showing your faith in your organisation, your leaders and your colleagues. People want to know they can trust you. And you want the same reassurances from others.

Duty - Fulfill your obligations. Accept responsibility for your actions and those entrusted to your care. Find opportunities to improve oneself for the good of the unit.

You've got a job to do and people depend on you to get it done. If someone needs help, give it to them. If you need help, seek it from your peers. Be consistent in action and deed.

Respect - Treat people as they should be treated.

How we consider others reflects upon each of us, both personally and as a professional organization. Act courteously toward customers, colleagues and seniors. If you disagree with an opinion or point of view, challenge the position, but avoid the personal attack. Remember that your actions speak volumes about yourself and your business or organization.

Selfless Service - Put the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own.

Selfless service leads to organizational teamwork and encompasses discipline, self-control and faith in the system.Take care of your co-workers. Go the 'extra mile' for your customers and clients, even if gains you nothing more than some personal satisfaction. Volunteer to take on the tough job, or the mundane job that others avoid.

Honour - Live up to all the Army values.

Live up to the values of your business. Act accordingly, and others will recognize you as an individual of principled character. Don't fall into the trap of, "but I just did what others did before me". Given the choice, take the 'high road'. Distinguish yourself from those who would be satisfied to do less.

Integrity - Do what is right, legally and morally.

Ask yourself, "Is this the right thing to do? How does it reflect on who I am?" If your inner voice is sounding the alarm, it's doing so for a good reason. Avoid shortcuts, cheats, or otherwise doing less than what is expected. Don't compromise yourself, your friends, family or business for some short-term satisfaction. Integrity offers long-term rewards that can't be acquired any other way.

Personal Courage - Face fear, danger, or adversity with physical and moral courage.

Is a boss asking you to do something questionable? Been in a group that disparages a certain race or ethnicity? It may be safer to go along with the crowd, or do nothing at all. It takes inner strength to stand up to peer pressure and moral dilemmas. It's easy to be a follower - anyone can do that. True leadership requires all of one's audacity, nerve and 'guts' to negotiate the difficult roads that lie before us.

Yes, these men and women who wish to launch their second careers have battle proven leadership ability. But even more importantly they have honour. And the courage to do what is right, even if there is risk of casualties. They are worthy of respect and worthy of trust. They are ready to lead, with integrity.

And they are looking to leading their way to the corner office instead of capturing the hill.

Related articles:

Why the Military Produces Great Leaders - A Harvard Business Review Blog Post

2010-05-08T23:55:00.000-07:00

The article below is orginally written as a blog post by Col Tom Kolditz. It is equally relevant to the Indian context today, where military leaders are getting prepared for the corporate roles.

One assumption at the core of this blog is that military service—particularly service in the crucible of combat—is exceptionally effective at developing leaders. Why? It's nurture, not nature.

First, in all services, military leadership qualities are formed in a progressive and sequential series of carefully planned training, educational, and experiential events—far more time-consuming and expensive than similar training in industry or government. Secondly, military leaders tend to hold high levels of responsibility and authority at low levels of our organizations. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, military leadership is based on a concept of duty, service, and self-sacrifice; we take an oath to that effect.
We view our obligations to followers as a moral responsibility, defining leadership as placing follower needs before those of the leader, and we teach this value priority to junior leaders. Our leadership extends to caring for the families of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, or marines, especially when service members are deployed. When serving in crisis conditions where leadership influences the physical well being or survival of both the leader and the led—in extremis contexts—transactional sources of motivation (e.g. pay, rewards, or threat of punishment) become insufficient. Why should a person be motivated by rewards when he might not live to enjoy them? Why would a person fear administrative punishment when compliance might lead to injury or death? Soldiers in such circumstances must be led in ways that inspire, rather than require, trust and confidence. When followers have trust and confidence in a charismatic leader, they are transformed into willing, rather than merely compliant, agents. In the lingo of leadership theorists, such influence is termed transformational leadership, and it is the dominant style of military leaders.

Contrast the military leader value set reflecting service to the one that currently exists in some US businesses. Are we likely to see business leaders placing the well-being of their shareholders and employees above their own? Yesterday, February 4, 2009, in a swift response to public outrage, the Obama administration imposed a cap of $500,000 in pay for top executives at companies that receive large amounts of bailout money from the US Government. From a military perspective, a half million dollars is a generous sum, more than double the compensation of a four star leader in charge of a theater of war. But the quantity of compensation isn't as relevant as the message to followers that, when times were tough, the leader put his or her personal well being ahead of theirs. Such perceptions of a military leader in combat would render that leader mistrusted and ineffective in the eyes of soldiers forever. Why should business leaders expect anything else on the part of people desperate about the loss of their equity or employment or lifestyles? The current economic environment, partly caused by a crisis of self-service leadership, has created belt-tightening reminiscent of a world war, with budgets slashed, travel funding restricted, training programs cut, personnel layoffs, and other draconian, cash-saving measures in place. CEOs have to start leading like generals—even if that means living a lifestyle in common with their troops.

The best leadership—whether in peacetime or war—is borne as a conscientious obligation to serve. In many business environs it is difficult to inculcate a value set that makes leaders servants to their followers. In contrast, leaders who have operated in the crucibles common to military and other dangerous public service occupations tend to hold such values. Tie selflessness with the adaptive capacity, innovation, and flexibility demanded by dangerous contexts, and one can see the value of military leadership as a model for leaders in the private sector.

In your own development as a leader, have you found value in putting other people first? Did it seem out of place in competitive, results-oriented businesses? Did it powerfully influence people, or did it merely suggest weakness? And have you had role models in business who you see as effective because of their servant leader orientation?

Now, thats leadership - 3

2010-04-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

For over a year now, Thunk In India, Suren Vikhash's Bangalore-based firm, has been pre-occupied with granting a glamorous afterlife to various such stubborn products that refuse to be recycled. Since January 2009, such non-biodegradable waste products as polythene bags, thermocole, and tetra juice packs have transformed into clutches, laptop bags and mobile covers in their pension phase.
Thunk's sling and beach bags are a rage with tourists in Goa, laptop covers are lapped up by corporates in Bangalore while its multi-coloured clutches are hot favourites in Delhi's boutiques. And from next month, five stores in Mumbai too will start stocking these products — all of which originally came from a stench-ridden landfill, where some time ago, Suren sniffed opportunity.

In 2008, as a final-year product design student in Bangalore, Suren's mind was obsessed with the need to employ lateral thinking to solve problems like waste management. He interned with Daily Dump, a firm that converted organic waste into manure. Here, his job was to create a composter, a machine that converted food waste into manure without taking up too much space. While at it, Vikhash came across various experts in the field of waste management who were involved with managing different kinds of waste—electronic, organic and industrial. As an off-shoot of his final-year project, Vikhash visited various landfills across Bangalore, where he saw chemicals from the heaps of waste slowly seeping into the soil and the water table beneath it. Here, he saw that products which could have been recycled were losing their properties after mixing with each other.

As an off-shoot to his project, Suren visited landfills across Bangalore. While getting sensitised to the problem of waste, he also understood the problems faced by waste managers. He lived with the community in order to establish a link and win their trust.

The Coimbatore boy explains with an example only a Tamilian can give: "In your in-house garbage bag, waste like papers mix with things like electronic batteries and sambar, and end up forming new chemicals that make the products non-recyclable." And there was only one per cent chance of the bag being opened before it reached the landfill, he discovered.

“I began designing prototypes of products made from waste such as plastic, cartons and old wine bottles.” His products were displayed at an exhibition in his school, for which he won the Pan-IIT Innovation Award of Rs. 50,000. “I received the award from the director of Procter and Gamble, who offered me a job in his company. But I knew I wanted to make Thunk my life's mission,” says Suren. His award was used as start-up money.

The processed waste is sent for 'up cycling' (to increase durability). “Our system ensures that the waste managers receive steady income, irrespective of whether they work with us or not. Actually, our waste-management system would be impossible without them,” says Suren. “We've also facilitated health insurance schemes and savings accounts, which can be started with one rupee,” he adds.

Today, waste is collected from 15 places in Bangalore, Tirupur and Coimbatore; from commercial spaces, hotels, residential and industrial areas. It is segregated by the waste managers through collaboration with local NGOs. Segregated useful wastes are sold on a daily basis to the market and women living in slums split the money generated. The useless waste, that reaches landfills, is processed by another group of waste managers. “Even the cleaning of waste is done using organic products, since it is all about reducing carbon footprints,” explains Suren.

Another plan is to start schools for children of waste managers, who otherwise take to begging.

The Greed of Lust

2010-04-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

The topic of this post is a parody on a similar sounding title of my favourite book The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything.

With great power comes great responsibility,” said Spiderman. The BCCI and Mr Lalit Modi, spin doctors to the Indian Premier League empire, had probably not watched enough Spiderman movies to take home the message. The bidders for the franchisees, including the behind-the-scene players, were also equal partners in their lust for power in a domain that could provide instant celebrity status.

The biggest thing wrong with the IPL, they say, is that it promotes greed; it’s cricket selling out. It’s made the gentleman’s game a pimp’s paradise. It is this collective greed born out of lust for power that is driving the IPL brand to such dizzy heights, which is estimated today at a whopping $4.13 billion in less than three years. The mind boggling $333.33 million bid for the Kochi IPL team is further evidence.

Set Max set a deal of $1842 million with the IPL last year. The first three years, BCCI gets 20%, franchisees get 80%. Years 4 and 5, BCCI gets 30%, franchisees 70%. Years 6 to 10, BCCI gets 40%, franchisees 60%. As per an IIFL research report, the franchisees rake in the revenue with 1) sponsors (around $4.5 million); 2) gate receipts (80% of seats in the stadium are available to franchise for sale. The seven matches played on the home ground are the franchisee’s pocket money and it’s around Rs 15 crore); 3) in-stadia advertising (boundary advertising boards available to the franchise, around $1.1 million); 4) merchandise sales $1 million; 5) media tie-ups.

They spend the following: player salaries ($6.75 million), travel and stay (Rs 4 crore), stadium fees ($0.79 million), team promotions (media promotions for visibility, $2.7 million), other costs (staff, admin etc, $1.1 million).

Now, that’s the lifetime earning of the entire Indian Middle Class put together, with the provident fund thrown in. Not an inch has been spared to generate revenue. The jerseys look like graffitis of greed; the trousers with a logo on each leg are no different. Helmets, caps, grounds, sightscreens, stumps, umpires, boundary ropes, dugouts, and the giant screen, there are logos everywhere. The ads are played not just between overs, but between deliveries.

Mr Lalit Modi is facing charges of nepotism and ‘fixing’, if not interfering with, the bidding process. There appears to be some in-law or the other of Modi holding a sizeable stake in every other IPL team, from Rajasthan Royals (33.33 per cent held by husband of his sister-in-law), to Kings XI Punjab (25 per cent held by husband of his stepdaughter), to Kolkata Knight Riders, while Global Cricket Ventures, which has bagged the digital and mobile rights for the IPL, is partly owned by his step son-in-law.

Ms Sunanda Pushkar, a Canadian citizen normally resident in Dubai, was an entirely unknown “marketing wizard” from Dubai till she chanced to come across Mr Tharoor while he was involved with a Dubai-based company during the interregnum between his UN stint and present avatar as Congress MP and Minister. But when she lands a lucrative deal with the Kochi consortium, getting sweat equity way above the permissible limit (whose value could rise astronomically in the stock market in a few years), eyebrows are bound to rise.It is Ms Sunanda Pushkar’s self-admitted dalliance with the Union Minister who in turn has publicly claimed that he facilitated the Kochi franchise, which is the biggest cause for concern and has exposed the rot in the entire system of IPL financing.

It has been alleged that the Minister of State for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor has an indirect stake in the new Kochi IPL franchise, which represents his home state of Kerala. The IPL chairman Lalit Modi, revealed on his Twitter feed that Tharoor had advised the IPL management against disclosing the name of Dubai-based businessperson Sunanda Pushkar, as one of the co-owners of the team.

And then, of course, there are allegations of financial irregularities and money being routed into IPL and BCCI from tax havens abroad that are now being investigated. By directly promoting IPL business, BCCI has seriously compromised with its regulatory role, now even more diluted with some IPL franchisees also being on the BCCI management.

Where does this all take us as a nation which still has 25 per cent of its population below poverty line? Surely, the government could have devised a better, transparent mechanism to the otherwise brilliant concept to ensure revenue generation through taxes along with a pricing control mechanism.

To end this post, I would like to use an idea from a blog I read this week :

Short-sighted competition among power-hungry and greedy people show the absurdity of acting as if the wealth that they create will make them immortal— don't they realise that they are fighting only to secure a better place on the deck of the Titanic?

If only they use this opportunity to empower others with more 'rafts' and make everyones lives a shade better?

THE 7 MOST MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES

2010-04-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

Of all the quotes that I have read, I found these seven quotes very unique, powerful and truly inspiring. If read and imbibed, they can be a great motivational tool.

1. Our Deepest Fear

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do” --Marianne Williamson, A Return To Love

If not you, then who? We are taught as children that others are great, and that we are not, so I ask the question, “Where do the “great” come from?”

I submit to you that the great arise from the most mundane of places; the great are those who refuse to remain as they are; the great are those who believe in their greatness.

2. You Will Become What You Think About
“The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart, this you will build your life by, and this you will become.” --James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

The thoughts that you harbor in your mind, the ones that you continually give your attention to, those thoughts will eventually become your life.

If you see yourself as a success, then you will become a success; whatever you consistently ponder, you will become.

3. Your Life Should be an Adventure

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”--Helen Keller

Whatever your dream, go after it; never settle for a life of quiet desperation, never become a realist. John Eliot said, “As soon as anyone starts telling you to be “realistic,” cross that person off your invitation list.” Your life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.

4. You Should Never Overestimate the Competition
“The fishing is best where the fewest go, and the collective insecurity of the world makes it easy for people to hit home runs while everyone else is aiming for base hits. There is just less competition for bigger goals. If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is, too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think.”-- Timothy Ferris, The Four Hour Work Week

Someone has to be successful, someone has to write the next bestseller, someone has to be number one, someone has to be on the best, why not you! As the famous poem goes, “You have all that the greatest of men have had, two hands, and two feet.”

5. Just Keep on Working

“I do not have superior intelligence or faultless looks. I do not captivate a room or run a mile under six minutes. I only succeeded because I was still working after everyone else went to sleep.”--Greg Evans

Keep working, and keep working, and keep working towards your goal, eventually you will get there. The key is to remain focused on your goal! I like what J.C. Penny said, he said, “Give me a stock clerk with a goal, and I will give you a man who will make history. Give me a man without a goal, and I will give you a stock clerk.”

6. If You Want It, Go Get It
“You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you, you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.”--Will Smith in the Movie: Pursuit of Happiness

There will always be “little men” telling you “how you can’t, why you can’t, and how you’re going to fail when you try.” But if you have a dream, go after it; never let someone tell you what you can’t do. You can do whatever you believe you can do.

7. Remember: Success Always Starts Small

“The greatest achievement was at first, and for a time, but a dream.” --Napoleon Hill

The largest tree was once a tiny seed. There was a time when Microsoft wasn't on any computers; there was a time when Michael Jordan had never scored in a basketball game. Never despise small beginnings, every success starts small. So stay focused, if your focus is steady, you will succeed!

Live Purposefully to Find your Purpose in Life

2010-03-21T21:22:00.000-07:00

Almost every self-help book on leadership emphasizes on the need to finding our purpose in life. There is even an article that promises you to help you discover your purpose in just 20 minutes! It seems such an obvious piece of puzzle – ‘if we are born, there must be some meaning’, you would want to believe.

There definitely is. And there are so many people, who, in search of this meaning, meander through life disenchanted, yet never reaching there. Surely, you were born to live your life in the fullest manner and not waste it in the quest for purpose!

In a recently initiated 'Linkedin' discussion on ‘How and when do we find our purpose’, there were a number of different answers:

“Whatever we do, becomes our purpose”

“There is not one purpose – continue doing what you enjoy and you will begin to see life more as a journey than a purpose”

“It is about following your passions and using them to enrich others’ lives”

“When you are ready, your purpose will find you”.

Great thoughts, but none of them explained the answer completely. The gnawing thought still remained – Is there any way to finding our purpose? What followed were introspection, contemplation, reasoning and analysis, which resulted in a 3 Step approach to living purposefully. The end message was very clear - only if you live purposefully, one day at a time, will you be of any significance ever.

According to me, by living your lives meaningfully, you are constantly stirring purpose in your own lives as well as the lives of those you touch. When the purpose becomes really big, it becomes an achievement. And through a series of achievements, you become an inspiration for many others to ‘achieve their purpose’. For a life’s purpose to be achieved, the following conditions have to be met:
• It has to serve common good.
• It produces some everlasting effect, however big or small.
• It has to be directed outwards.
• It has to flow as a natural outcome of your values, beliefs, and actions.
• The focus must be on actions and not towards the results.

The 3 Step Approach

1. Discover your true self. Though you undergo life’s journey as ordinary mortals, guided by templates, beliefs and opinions, your true self emerges when you use your learning to grow spiritually as well. The secret lies in being aware of your own self, physically, mentally and spiritually. ‘Be with yourself’, and you will feel the three entities resonating with the same vibration. You will then automatically begin to feel your natural compass, i.e., your natural alignment towards certain thoughts and actions that will make your life meaningful. Also see my post on 'Mindfulness and Leadership' for more insight.

2. Be inclusive in your relationships. You must understand that you are in the company (physically, mentally or spiritually) of selected human beings by design, and not be default. The manner in which you acknowledge, communicate, understand and engage with the people around you will create the intended meaning for you to be in their lives and vice versa. This willingness to positively influence these people will also create within you a feeling of fulfillment that will draw you closer to your purpose.

3. Discover your passion and devote yourself to it. The first two steps deal with yourself and the people around you. Surely, there would be something more, that adds extra meaning to your life. Most people go wrong here, and attempt to find the elusive purpose by chasing material needs, higher positions, shifting places etc. What you must seek is the type of activity that you really enjoy doing, and never tires you. Just look back at your pattern of activities since childhood and identify those that completely engrossed you. Undertaking those activities repeatedly, every time with a renewed understanding, will help you discover your passion. Having discovered your passion, you must thereafter focus on the same with single-mindedness and devote yourself to it. Think of any famous person and you will find that he/she did exactly this.

Personal Advice

I would like to add a few words of advice here.
• Do not get so enamored so as to follow Step 3 in isolation, thereby only concentrating on your passion and avoiding yourself or the people around you.
• Only focusing on one step would make you lose your balance at some juncture, as you would not have followed the principle of purposeful living. Finding your purpose would then become a futile exercise.
• The good news is that even after following steps 1 and 2, you will be left with ample opportunity to pursue your passion.

Once you adopt this 3 Step method diligently and mindfully, you will never have to worry about finding your purpose. Every day of your life will be so purposeful, that one day, the ultimate purpose of your life will be fulfilled, with or without your knowledge. Even Thomas Edison, when he invented a bulb, never knew what it would lead to!

Hey Leader! Show me your wares!

2010-03-05T13:17:00.000-08:00

The Law of Supply & Demand Reigns Supreme - Even in Leadership

It shows up everywhere. In the marketplace. In romance. In sports. And almost everywhere in between.

Supply is how much of something is available. Demand is how much of something people want. In many ways, leadership follows the basic ‘Supply and Demand‘ framework.

Easy Math

Here is some quick economics for you. The economic model of supply and demand says that price will function to equalize the quantity demanded by consumers, and the quantity supplied by producers, resulting in an economic equilibrium of price and quantity. But what needs understanding is that the product/service has to be presented even before the price can be fixed.

Similarly, in matters affecting common good, the supply (leadership) and the demand (followership) both require a mechanism (common purpose) that can result in an equilibrium. But, like in the paragraph above, the underlying motive/desire has to be explained to arrive at the common purpose, which will satisfy both the leaders and the followers.

Just like higher prices threaten to reduce the demand and make it incumbent on the supplier to improve the quality to keep up his sales, a higher common purpose creates great followers only if the leaders take their roles earnestly. Likewise, lower prices increase the demand and tempt the supplier to decrease his quality to make profits, similar to what a selfish common purpose does in providing crass leadership to unsuspecting, gullible followers.

Leadership Equilibrium

For example, if there is a demand for increased feelings of safety, then there is a supply for that element until the common purpose is arrived at. To reach this equilibrium, many leaders will enter the arena to solve the problem. Similarly, there remains a constant demand for developing the human resource, due to which there is a constant supply of leaders to meet the demand, which never ceases. Hence, there is always a search for better leaders.

Your Leadership Level

It is here where you have to decide where you wish to position yourselves, or, where they you think you can make the difference.

• People who try to address the basic needs of life – like food, clothing, repair and maintainance – in the most basic ways, find solace in serving the small groups of people with the best of their abilities and settle down as shopkeepers/small service providers.

• People who take on challenges within their communities and call upon themselves to serve the higher needs of the people. They become teachers, doctors, and lawyers.

• Those who, while addressing basic needs, see the opportunity to take bigger challenges and risks and end up becoming contractors, suppliers, businessmen and traders.

• Yet another segment of people take on the higher responsibility of managing the above leaders under them and take on the roles of industrialists, political leaders and the ministers.

• Then there are specialists who serve in an indirect way, like the people in the IT, entertainment industry, the military, and the bureaucracy.

• And lastly, the support group of scientists, thinkers, economists etc. whose valued contributions make a difference at the highest levels by steering the others in the right direction.

Now, it is the way in which people in different roles carry out their jobs that makes them leaders. Position is but a platform for them to make things happen. The intent and the action carried out will decide whether they have truly inspired the followers and as a result, fuelled more demand. So, while all the people in the above segments have the potential to become leaders, not all of them translate their actions to help others. Greed, selfishness, inability, ineptitude, or sheer helplessness can keep even a performer from becoming a leader.

Leadership Supply Chain

All the above segments of people fit into the supply chain which works towards making this world a better place to live in. The issue is for them to understand the meaning of this supply chain, where exactly they fit in (their Raison d’être), and what is their value proposition.

In other words, the message for the leader within each one of us is, “Hey Leader, Show me your wares! Show me what you have to sell?" And answer the following: -

1. Are you wanting to sell a product/service/concept?

2. Is what you are selling, something that there is a demand for?

3. Are you selling with the right intention?

4. Are you equipped to sell what you intend to?

5. Is what you are selling a mere win (only I win), a win-win(I win, you win), or a win-win-win (I win, you win, purpose wins) formula? Remember, more the winners, stronger the legacy that you would probably leave behind.

So, while potentially all of us can become leaders, essentially many of us don’t, as we fail to recognise what it takes to lead. Simply, showing our wares in a mindful manner to arrive at Common Purpose for everyone’s benefit.

This blog post was originally posted at www.linked2leadership.com.

Treat Transitions Like a Bus Ride!

2010-02-02T23:15:00.000-08:00

Everyone likes a comfort zone, even leaders!

Last week, after two years of consideration and thought, I finally decided to opt out of the Army after 20 wonderful years of my life there. Along with it, I would say goodbye to a great culture, a way of life that had made me into what I am today.

The fears and insecurity attached with the decision were troubling my mind for all this while. The more I thought about it, the bigger the fears became, often leading to stress and me crawling back to the comfort zone of the military assignment that I was into.

It then dawned upon me, 'Aren't we in a state of transition all the time'?

On a daily basis, our body cells are getting replaced, many of them even simply dying, and leading to the ageing process. We are always transiting through life. Similarly, our lives are moving forward, accumulating on actions and experiences (karmas), and getting ready for more. That too, is a transition, in a karmic way.

Every now and then, our destiny (both destined and chosen) takes us into different environments and makes us face different people, situations and options to exercise. What is it, if not transition?

Think of yourself sitting in a moving bus. Though you are moving (transiting) at a speed, both in time and space, you are stationary in relation to the co-passengers and the bus. Yet, you have the choice to make this journey better, by interacting with the right people, by choosing what to eat and what not to eat, and by indulging in what makes you happy (like listening to an ipod or reading a book).

Motions like career transitions are meant to be taken as a bus ride - a journey that encompasses body, mind and spirit, all in relative motion. The only medium that can be taken as constant or stationary is this world and all that makes this world.

We are meant to experience whatever comes our way in whichever manner and however big/small quantity. Our choices could be many, but they will all involve some transition or the other. But if we choose wisely, in a mindful manner, after recognising our pattern of life and the direction intended, we will generally end up making the right choice that will remove all the fears and insecurities and make the journey an exciting and fulfilling one, just like a bus ride.

It is the understanding of the bigger picture, the learning that you take away from your life experiences, that will make you embrace these changes (transitions) and make you live this life as you ought to - pursuing your purpose!

Or should we say, once you find your true purpose, transitions become irrelevent?

Related Post - Life is a Journey, Picture the Road Ahead

Learnings from the movie 'Avatar'

2009-12-26T09:43:00.000-08:00

James Cameron may have taken 15 years to translate his thoughts into the movie 'Avatar', but the movie's release has been well-timed. In the post-recession era when the market forces are slowly gearing up to create more demands that can justify more spending, which will lead to liquidity and wealth creation, there is need for a different kind of perspective towards life other than wealth creation.

I watched this movie with my wife and daughter on Christmas, and was completely mesmerised at the learnings that could be drawn from the movie. I would like to share them with you all.

1. Select a person for his extraordinary potential; do not write him off only because he doesn’t have ordinary attributes.

2. Man’s quest for probing the space outside himself is governed by his ineptitude to manage the space that is provided to him, so that it is sustainable for all.

3. Man alone is mere mortal – it is only when he submits himself to become an effective channel of flow of cosmic energy does he enable himself to perform greater actions.

4. Sources of energy/power are meant to be preserved/ treated as sacred, and not to be abused, exploited, exhausted.

5. To lead them, become one of them in the true sense.

6. To lead you must first be willing to learn, follow, endure, improve and then overcome stiff competition at the top.

7. Unless you emotionally connect with the people whom you are trying to impact, you may go very wrong with the change you want to make – they may not actually need it.

8. It is in the strength of finding common purpose and communicating it effectively across divides, that you will gain strength enough to pursue it.

9. Once the common purpose is identified, and all the available resources have been garnered, do not waste any time thereafter – just go for it. Along the way, your bold actions will attract more support from unexpected quarters – suddenly you will find alongside, people whom you never thought would join you.

10. When planning any campaign, plan to outwit your adversary/competitor by combining expertise, teamwork, innovation and finding gaps in the adversary’s/competitor’s defenses.

11. The more mankind ventures to sustain itself, the more it impinges upon the space meant for others, the more the necessity to accommodate everyone’s needs; ultimately, the story remains the same – the fight between your Greed and their Need.

One more thought before I end this post. Greed is perhaps a necessary evil – it boosts you to venture further, deeper across new frontiers to seek new bounties that can be life sustaining and wealth producing. But in the bargain, Man is disturbing the delicate balance that is the essence of all creation. In the end, will it be worth the Greed?

Mindfulness and Leadership

2009-12-08T10:43:00.000-08:00

Simply speaking, being mindful means knowing what you're doing (and thinking and feeling) in the present moment. For example, when you keep your keys down, you know where you are keeping your keys down, and therefore can find them again! Mindfulness practice helps us know clearly what is happening, and how we are reacting to what is happening, as it is happening – which helps us choose a skillful response instead of reacting mindlessly in a stressful situation. Daniel Woo, founder of a legal consultancy in Seattle and a leadership thinker, recommends the definition of mindfulness used in the book ‘Mindfulness and Psychotherapy’ written by therapists about mindfulness teachings and practices, which is: (1)awareness,(2) of present experience,(3)with acceptance. Having such mindfulness then leads to more informed, conscious and intentional choices at a higher level of consciousness, he adds.

Mindfulness is beyond mental skills and sensory awareness – it includes quality of information received and transmitted, processed and awarenessed; being fully present with all of whatever is occurring. It requires full engagement of mind, body, and spirit: high-quality general intelligence, (IQ), emotional intelligence (EQ), communication intelligence (CQ), and spiritual intelligence (SQ). These are capacities of continued cultivation comprised of learned skills of awareness, communication, and connection, and their practiced application. As a well-known meditation teacher puts it: "It's not what's happening that's important, it's how you're relating to what's happening that's important".

How Mindfulness could Benefit Leaders

Mindfulness alone is without any bias or judgement. Mindfulness is a state of being, and NOT a state of becoming. All actions performed in a mindful state will inevitably have some salutary impact, but again, THAT is not the motive. Mindfulness is a practice and impacts all actions that follow, be it helping in the kitchen, or leadership at work. However, for leaders to use mindfulness to obtain results, they will have to combine it with a sense of purpose to live every moment as they ought to. Mindfulness by itself is Buddhism, Mindfulness with purpose is Leadership.

As a leader, one needs to take or make decisions based not just on what is obvious but also the larger but subtler dimension which is also at play every moment. This can be accessed only through being in a state of mindfulness. When mindfulness is strong, we can respond to difficulties in a less reactive, more conscious and accepting manner. For example, when something or someone provokes us, in the heat of the moment it "pushes our buttons" and we feel intense fear or anger. Rather than react with fear and anger, mindfulness makes it possible to feel those feelings without getting lost in them or acting them out, so we can choose an appropriate response rather than react in an automatic and often counterproductive way. Mindfulness also helps us see how we often relate to people or situations based on our thoughts and feelings about them rather than who they really are or what is actually happening right then.

Michael Carroll, in his book 'The Mindful Leader' (2007), has made a strong case for connecting mindfulness to leadership. He suggested that mindful leaders cultivate the following ten talents: simplicity, poise, respect, courage, confidence, enthusiasm, patience, awareness, skillfulness and humility.

Mr Anil Sachev, CEO of School of Inspired Leadership, says, "The essence of all these facets of inspired leadership is being led by the “self” or consciousness or the life giving force – the ultimate truth. Once we learn to introspect, reflect and contemplate, following questions come to mind: What is the purpose of my life? Why have I taken human birth? What are my gifts? How can I lead my life in a way that leverages by gifts to realize my purpose? How is my work and the way I am leading my life enabling me to move towards my purpose? What changes do I bring about in the way I am leading my life to move towards my purpose? What competencies do I need to develop to enable these to happen? How do I lead my body and the process of perception to make this happen? How do I lead my mind and my emotions? How do I lead my intellect? What do I need to learn to make progress? How can I use my preferred learning style to learn this? Seeking answers to these questions help one to become fully aware and present and make changes in the ways to become a true leader. The ultimate gift of this form of leadership that we can give ourselves is to learn to live in the present and make every moment special. Instead of worrying about the future and having regrets about the past, it is about acting with complete awareness. While eating, we are fully present, while playing, we are fully present, when working on a task, we are fully present. This is what we call as “Mindfulness” or the ultimate form of self awareness."

One aspect of Mindfulness that is so important for leadership yet missing from leadership books is Compassion. In the heart of Mahayana Buddhism, wisdom does not arise without compassion. The Four Foundations of Mindfulness starts with the breath, continues with the body, feelings, mind itself and then objects of mind (contemplative meditations or analytical meditations that include the Four Noble Truths, etc.). In essence, mindfulness is developed to better comprehend, absorb and practice compassion.

Mindfulness for Optimal Leadership

Mindfulness is the result of knowing – knowing yourself and the world around you, Being aware – of your thoughts, feelings and emotions, and Experiencing Yourself as being a part of the whole, i.e., one with the universe. It gives you the Awareness to understand how powerless you are (outside) and how powerful you can be (within). Through this awareness, mindfulness leads to doing the right action and inspiring others as well. Therefore, Mindfulness addresses the Knowing-Doing Gap in a complete manner.

The key skills of Mindful Leadership include:

1. Defusion – the ability to ‘let go’ of unhelpful thoughts and patterns
2. Acceptance of self, others and circumstances – rather than fighting and struggling
3. Being in the present moment – rather than scattered and unfocussed
4. Acting from values – creating a meaningful and satisfying approach to leadership
5. Self awareness – seeing self as context rather than content
6. Taking committed action – based on personal values that facilitate meaningful change

I would like to convey my gratitude to the following discussion groups on LinkedIn that have helped me write this post:

- School Of Inspired Leadership
- Leaders Cafe Foundation
- Leaders & Thinkers
- Leadership Think Tank
- Personal Leadership Development

Now, that's Leadership - 2

2009-11-17T18:59:00.001-08:00

Mr. S. INDRA KUMAR is one the best examples of Green Homes in practice today. His propagation includes Tree Plantations, Zero Garbage (Vermi Compost), Waste Water Treatment (Micro Level), Rain Water Harvest and Home Farming. To motivate other through Free Training and conducting Free Seminars in Educational Institutions, through NGO's, and Public Welfare Associations, he has converted his house as a model and is happy to invite interested visitors.
As credit for all the above activities, he has received the Civic Crusaders Award from "Indian Express" Daily in December 2004. "The Hindu" leading newspaper in Chennai covered an article about him on "Waste Management at Home".

For S Indra Kumar, a machine operator-turned-environment activist, charity begins at home. No chemical, save the soap he uses, enters his home. And no waste is ever let out. This makes his modest dwelling in Pammal, the southern suburbs of Chennai, a "zero-waste home".

He didn’t have to read rocket science to turn his residence into an "green" home. He is inspired by the simple, age-old chemical process that every housewife in India is familiar with. "If you leave a bowl of milk behind for five days, how will it smell when you come back? Rotten, right? But if you put a drop of buttermilk into it before you leave, you’ll find fresh curd!" beams Indra Kumar (59), whose 1986-built house has now become a pilgrimage for those wanting to do their bit for the environment — be it farmers from Arakkonam or school students from Chennai.

"Here, smell it," says Indra Kumar, as he opens the lid of the septic tank in his garden. One instinctively recoils, but its contents look as harmless as accumulated rain water. "Is there smell?" No. "Do you see any mosquitoes?" No. "That’s because I treat sewage with a certain bacteria," he declares. The bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, neutralise the sewage to turn waste into manure for plants in his garden.
Then, the earthworm takes care of the liquid waste from the kitchen. Under the drainage pipe, Kumar has buried some worms which not only digest the organic matter but also feed on mosquito eggs. And at the spot where water from the bathroom drains out, he grows cama plant, whose roots treat the soap water.

Solid waste from kitchen is collected in an earthen pot and dried cowdung sprinkled on it periodically. "Any smell?" Indra Kumar asks. No. "Any fly?" No. "In 60 days this will turn into beautiful compost," he exclaims. He treats leaves from the garden similarly: collects them in drums and sprinkles dried cowdung on them till they turn into compost. "This way, you give back to nature what it gives you. People often burn dry leaves, which only causes pollution."

Indra Kumar’s fascination for composting is understandable because in 2004, he took voluntary retirement from Areva (formerly the English Electric Company, where he worked as a machine-man and then as a purchase supervisor) to take up vermi-composting. Today, as the president of Home Exnora, he is a sought-after man.

Managing Leadership in Organisations

2009-11-17T03:09:00.000-08:00

Leadership is no longer only an individual characteristic to be exhibited primarily by someone in a higher position; it is inherent to the organization, naturally expressed by all of its members, and managed by senior executives.

The concept of individual leadership is getting redundant because:
- It places on "leaders" untenable burdens that irresistibly lead to isolation, loss of direction – and disloyalty.
- It represents the surrender of our organizations, their owners, boards, executives and other stakeholders to the "leaders" and their "vision".

On the other hand, if managers are enabled to handle and utilise Leadership as a resource, they can effectively control organizations in all fields.

In his book Managing Leadership Jim Stroup writes, "Leadership is more efficiently managed through the kind of spontaneous and unheralded forms of leadership from deep within an organisation. Just as the advance of infantry across the battlefield depends on the prompting of a comparatively small number of individuals acting according to circumstances and their ability to seize the moment, so too do large organisations progress by the smaller stimuli provided by employees, technicians or administrators, within the organisation who are much closer to customers or to whatever constitutes the sharp-end of their business."

In managing leadership, the emphasis is on:

- Organisation's objectives: The organization defines the framework objectives systematically, so they can be fulfilled
- Indicator and objective system: The indicator and objective system structures and spreads business to all levels
- Stakeholders' needs: To know if stakeholders have received it
- External communication: To carry out all the activities so that our brand is transmitted appropriately and we receive feedback.
- Culture of excellence: To promote a culture based on achieving excellence in all fields of management and to involve people.

These dynamics would enable everyone to: -
- learn leadership skills
- apply them constantly to themselves
- take responsibility for their own actions and decisions
- partner with others as equals, rather than seniors and subordinates.

This view of leadership:
1. Unleashes the leadership from within the organization towards achieving remarkable results.
2. Frees senior managers from the pressure of doing something extraordinary and drives them to do run the organisation extraordinarily.
3. Enables them to return to their principle duty of managing the organization - including the leadership inherent to it.

What do you do after you 'Decide to Lead'?

2009-11-13T23:30:00.000-08:00

'Decide to Lead' - A much acclaimed quote these days. As mentioned in my earlier post on 'Everyone can be a Leader', the willingness to lead is the critical primer required to start the journey.

Are you sure you have decided?

Just tick this checklist to make sure you are up to it:

1. You know that it is risky and are ready to take risks.
2. The thought of leading comes to you naturally and you are not being forced into it.
3. You are sure of the intent. Whatever your goals are, be sure that they will give you happiness on their fulfilment.
4. You know that you cannot do it alone, and have created space for your team/support system to fit in.
5. The ultimate objective is to benefit the others also, not only yourself.

So, if you have ticked the above, you are ready to lead. Here is the check list (seems so easy, but isn't) for the next crucial phase, i.e., what do you do after you decide to lead? Here are 10 points that should give you an idea of the challenge that lies ahead: -

1. Master the Basics. Honesty, truthfulness, sincerity, character, competence, are things we all know since school days, but fail to implement in our daily lives. The best part is that they are for free!

2. Align yourself to your cause. Know your natural compass and the direction it points towards. Find something that you would like to achieve in that direction.

3. Do a system scan(introspect) to identify any errors/viruses. Make a plan to deal with the report(find a solution that suits you, ranging from meditation to medication).

4. Have a mentor/coach/guide or even a confidante handy for the journey. It may be your best friend, your school-teacher whom you have been in touch, your wife or even your ex-boss.

5. Build your team. Many leaders think that their inspiration alone will work to get them their teams and followers. Nothing could be further from the truth. You have to hunt, select, motivate, engage and improve this bunch of players who are going to make it happen for you.

6. Take your team along. Light their torch as well. Nothing can be more frustrating for the people who are with you, to find that you are not with them.

7. Start managing your leadership(I need a separate post to explain this. Let me know if you want me to).

8. Maintain your balance between health, career, family and friends. This is so important, not only as a support but also as a back-up, should things not work out as planned. At least you would have other things to keep you engaged and happy.

9. Create milestones. Look around, milestones are happening everyday - seasons are changing, children are growing bigger, promotions are happening, technology is changing the world, its just that we do not take notice. Start now and record these.

10.Pause every now and then and relish where you have reached.

There may be more things on the 'to do' list that I may have missed out, please go ahead and contribute.

Leaders Think Differently

2009-11-03T01:14:00.000-08:00

Most of us think 'Whats in it for me?' and when we have 'it' with us, we speculate if at all we have finished our purpose with it, before deciding to share it with those around us.

Leaders think differently. They think of doing something extra-ordinary that would impact many others, and by doing so, their own requirements get looked after automatically.

Watch this video. I loved it!

Now, That's Leadership - 1

2009-10-28T21:10:00.000-07:00

Among my own posts, I feel the need to showcase Authentic leaders that I come across, in my life, in the news, and those referred to me. Please feel free to refer anyone you might know.

The person who gets the honours today is Chewang Norphel, 76 years, a retired Indian engineer. Came across an article on him at Silicon india.

Chewang Norphel has built 12 new glaciers already and is racing to create five more before he dies, and by then he hopes to train enough new 'icemen' to continue the work he is doing to save the world's 'third icecap' from being transformed into rivers.

The Himalayan glaciers, including Kashmir's Siachen glacier, feed the region's most important rivers, as they irrigate farm lands in Tibet, Nepal and Bangladesh and throughout the Indian subcontinent. The acceleration in glacial melting has been blamed as the reason for the increase in floods that have destroyed homes and crops.

But Chewang Norphel, the "Iceman of Ladakh", believes that he has an answer.

By diverting melt water through a network of pipes into artificial lakes in the shaded side of mountain valleys, Norphel states that he has created new glaciers.

A dam or embankment is built to keep the water in, which freezes at night and remains frozen in the absence of direct sunlight. This water remains frozen until March, when the start of summer melts the new glacier and releases the water into the rivers downside.

His glaciers have been able to each store up to one million cubic feet of ice, which in turn can irrigate 200 hectares of farm land. This can make the difference between crop failure and a bumper crop of more than 1,000 tons of wheat for the farmers.

Norphel says that he has seen the effects of global warming on farmland as snows have become thinner on the ground and ice rivers have melted away.

His work has now been recognized by the Indian government, which has given him 16,000 pounds to build five new glaciers. "I'm planning to train villagers with instruction CDs that I have made, so that I can pass on the knowledge before I die," he said.

The Content's fine, but Intent is King!

2009-10-17T01:36:00.000-07:00

“Intent is a powerful force; it isn't your will, it is more like a focused current of magnetic energy, drawing you towards what you wish to create. You cannot command it but you can initiate it, invite it and prepare yourself for its actions in your life.” — Heather Ash

Just try and google 'Content is King', and you will find 109,000,000 results. Sure, good content is important and makes a consumer/customer decide whether to engage further, whether it is a website, a newspaper, a product or a service. But it is the intent which actually creates the design for a certain type of content to fit in. For example, if the intent is to start something that benefits others, one would start a charitable organisation. However, if the intent is to benefit others as well as ourselves, one would start a profit making enterprise that caters to public demands/ needs. But if the intent is to benefit selfishly, one would tend to get involved in wrong practices and eve crime to serve those ends.

In short, intent defines the purpose and creates the road map or pathway to your destination. It answers the question 'What is it that you want to do?' as against content, which answers the question 'how will you go about doing what you want to do?'

Consider the following: -

1. While focusing on content determines its quality, the true worth of the content is determined by the purpose it fulfils. For example, people who spend less don't necessarily enjoy less.

2. Whenever we communicate with someone, we carry out a quick-check of his/her intent, up-front, which becomes be the fulcrum on which our future communication turns.

3. Most conflicts happen because the parties involved limit themselves to the content of their communication rather than the intent. Remembering to turn into the intent rather than getting stuck in the content when one or both are not open to learning, will keep conflicts from escalating into fights.

4. Even the focus of internet search is shifting from content to intent.

If leadership is about right action that inspires others, intent can be thought of as pre-action. We all have feelings we don’t act on. Conversely, we have actions we didn’t think much about (and there’s healthy and unhealthy varieties of impulsive behavior). But somewhere in the middle, towards the beginning, is our intent, and the intent remains valid (and admissible in a court of law, as premeditated murder makes clear), even if an action is carried out.

For leadership to bear fruit, it has to be accompanied by the right intent. This is because the intent lays the design of the effort which defines the content. If the content is a result of the right intent, it will inspire more and more people to follow the intent (cause) and give them a sense of purpose as well. If the content is the result of a malicious intent, it will further drive the intent of the followers towards similar behaviour. Doesn't this explain how, despite all efforts, corruption in many countries has almost become institutionalised and refuses to be controlled?

Intent is the mysterious force that activates your capacity to create what you desire — to draw you towards your goal by accessing the support and resources to achieve extraordinary results. Intent is a force opening unseen possibilities in order to help you manifest what you most desire.

Claiming your intent is a powerful journey that opens internal possibilities and new insights into how to be more authentic and effective in all aspects of life.

Life is a Journey, Picture the Road Ahead

2009-10-11T22:49:00.000-07:00

We humans are gifted with great powers, and one of them is the power to envision. In fact the human race has come this far due to this very ability to see what's possible and what's coming ahead.

Vision inspires individuals and teams to clarify and set direction for the future in work and in life - in other words, it makes us set our goals. We engage the senses, learn from either our own experience or the experience of others, and create support systems to navigate varied terrains.

In fact vision has a lot to do with our senses and our ability to think. Shortly after birth, the child's vision is limited to the feel of his mother's breast. Even his eyes start focussing only after a few weeks. As he/she grows up, the vision extends outwards and includes near and dear ones. Accordingly, the goals start becoming bigger. During this growth period, everyone exhibits certain traits and inclination towards doing things that they are more suited to them. Their natural compass is already functioning to ensure that they have their own place in the sun.

The environment around and the support offered, to a large extent, dictate the direction taken by you thereafter. As you graduate from school, your education and learning further sharpen/hone your skills which direct you towards your 'yet to be determined' goals.

However, then comes a critical phase, when insecurity starts building up about jobs, careers, marriage and other defined parameters of happiness and success. These insecurities create an imbalance or void which is then filled up by the various inputs and reactions. It is during this phase that we make our critical choice:

1. To go along with our natural 'vision' and try and achieve something remarkable.
2. To acquire/borrow a vision and go along a beaten track.
3. To limit our vision to only what we think is possible.
4. To refuse to see anything positive ahead and create a permanent void.

The factors that play a role making these choices range from parental guidance to family environment, values, skills developed and the quality of the support systems created for the life's journey.

When you make a choice, it becomes a decision. The type of decision made by you determines whether you are prepared to lead, follow or simply exist.

To Be or Not to Be

2009-10-06T01:30:00.000-07:00

Knowing, Doing, Winning - That's what my dear friend Kwai Yu has taught me. Great steps to bring out the leader in oneself.

Knowing – people’s incentives and asking the question “if you
could see your future self, what would you change now?”
Doing – having the courage and compassion to help others to take action and attain their incentives
Winning - having the resilience to stay focused and carry on

There is one more thing that excites me even more - the cosmic Power of 'Being'! The realization that it is so important and fundamental to be the person you ought to be, every moment of your life. It is, in fact, also the true realization of the potential of the Present. Being, therefore, becomes the root of everything else that happens to you.

I would like to add 'Being' as the second step after Knowing, in this quest of true leadership. So,its Knowing, Being, Doing and Winning for me.

This also addresses the long-identified 'Knowing-Doing Gap'. There is often a big gap between knowledge of something and translating that knowledge into action. This is the classic knowing-doing gap. When you focus on 'being', what you know becomes a part of your inner self, which reflects in what you decide to do.

Know the best part? The power of 'being' is already within us, because of the very fact that we exist and we are. it is only the question of acceptance and decision that changes everything else, including the destiny.

I thank Richard Norris for germinating this query in my mind, while we collaborated to create a training curriculum for a leadership program for Leadcap.

Once you Know the path ahead, you must decide to Be the person you see yourself as, which will generate the desire to Doing which will take you towards Winning (your chosen goal).

Therefore, I quote now, 'To be or not to be that is the Question', and perhaps this was also what Shakespeare may have meant. Only Knowledge doesn't make us a leader. At the same time, converting Knowledge into action without consciously 'being' the envisioned leader is so temporary, so incomplete and even selfish.

To be remarkable, feel the power of 'being'.

Why is Leadership suddenly the Buzzword in India

2009-10-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

Look around - in the newspaper columns, ads, the growing Education Industry, Management Institutes, Corporates....Leadership is the buzzword everywhere.

Was it the same case, say, 15 years back? Not quite so. So what has changed?

Over the years, there has been an evolution of the mindset of the people across various spectrums of society. The democracy has matured. Internet has made people more aware, more exposed to the right and wrong. Initiatives like the Right to Information are becoming landmark events for big changes.

So has all negativity ended? No, not yet. Casteism still exists in some pockets, as demonstrated by honour killings. Many rural sections are still obsessed with male progeny. Industrial pollution is still a menace. Corruption is still embedded in many routine functions of the government.

However there are signs of change. See the positive activity around. The IT industry has not only ushered in economic growth, it has also set ethical norms for other industries, as exhibited by Infosys and Wipro. The Satyam scam was unfortunate, but again, it is a sign that many more such scams would be uncovered with increasing transparency being adopted. Already, a slow movement has started to get back the wealth stashed in Swiss Bank accounts.

The collective efforts of the government, the industry, the NGOs and the people are definitely being noticed. India is becoming the favoured destination for opportunities in investments, education, infrastructure development, IT, business outsourcing, exports and newer technologies. Isn't this nothing but Leadership growth if seen at a broad spectrum, considering that all progress is being finally achieved by real people in a real India?

The reasons why 'Leadership' has suddenly become a buzzword in India are two - firstly, is the opportunity presented to start initiatives to benefit individuals as well as the population; the second, is the need for further developing the people to drive these initiatives.
Both these areas represent conflicting motives - one for personal gains (selfish) and the other for common good(altruistic).
So, the issue is whether it is correct to include both the motives in a balanced manner, or is it correct only to be purely altruistic. Well, I personally feel that only a balance between the two will lead to a sustained effort in leadership development.

The leadership idea has to appeal to everyone by answering a simple question, 'Whats in it for me?' However, it also has to be an idea which is for the common good of a community, society or a nation.

For the Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground

2009-09-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

The expression 'Keep Your Ear To The Ground' comes from the way American Indians did this action to feel for the vibrations of herds of animals or the approach of their enemy who would be riding on horseback, so they would hear the vibration of hooves.
The Cambridge Dictionary calls it "to pay attention to everything that is happening around you and to what people are saying".

Look around. Following the Jet Airways strike just a week ago, the Air India pilots now have called for a strike owing to the cut in their salaries. The IIT professors were also on a strike due to similar reasons. Sometime back, Delhi Govt School Teachers were on strike on the Teachers' Day. Similarly, there are so many other organisations going on strike around the world.

In most of these cases, had the leadership kept themselves abreast with what their affected employees were 'saying' and taken requisite steps to 'keep their faith', things would not have come this far. Employees as a group are basically a disciplined lot, owing to the rules and regulations governing them and the fact that they get paid as per the agreement entered into with the organisation. Because they are at the receiving end, they do not naturally get into a confrontation with their management, as they are fearful of the repercussions. But, when the action by the so called leaders convey a breach of Trust, these employees feel cheated, and their sense of being betrayed overwhelms all sensibilities.

Many a time, the leadership may feel that since the organisation is going through tough times, these employees should also 'chip in', and not complain. Well, it is not so easy, as the organisation's track record, ethics and values, and examples laid down by the leadership are all under the microscope. And if the organisation has ever slipped on any of these, then the credibility of the organisation as well as the leaders suffer, and during the time of crisis, the employees feel the right to 'get even' or to detach themselves from the organisation's suffering.

In the military, there have been numerous occasions that have proved that 'if you train with your men in the good times and train hard, they will look after you in the bad times.' That's what Authentic Leadership is about. In fact, another famous military quote also applies well, 'The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war'. In general terms, 'sweating' can mean working together as a team, and 'bleeding' can imply any unwarranted mishap for the organisation.

So while it is important for the leaders to create winning teams, it is very important for them to also keep their ear to the ground, whenever they sense trouble. Being fore-warned of an imminent dissent or strike, can help the leadership carry out reflection and take some wise steps. Many organisations, however, use this forewarning as a threat and take even more drastic measures that deepen the crisis.

Leaders must realise that if steps are not taken to diffuse the situation, the crisis will end in an impasse; and more often than not, a long stand-off period, which ultimately results in some kind of settlement where the employees are given some kind of sops and assurances. More importantly, the organisation now has a wrong precedent which will be quoted sometime in the future.

Should the Leaders/Managers cow down every time they are threatened with a strike? Well, does it really happen very often? If so, then there is something actually wrong in the way the management is being carried out. And there is a likelihood of a lot of unscrupulous, self-centred, greedy people (I wont call them leaders, for heaven's sake) in the chain.

Leadership and Austerity

2009-09-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

The recent austerity measures declared by the Congress party has led to a nation-wide debate on their practicability and usefulness. In one blog, the author states, "Leadership with Austerity is a nothing but a facade. It is anything but Leadership."

In another blog, the writer brings out how these austerity measures by the political leaders appear to be a sham besides putting common people to inconvenience. " This austerity drive can be more than mere tokenism and rise above symbolism if there is a genuine desire to empathize with the masses", he adds.

Whatever it may be, the fact that a political party in India has taken up the issue is a achievement by itself, with the top leadership demonstrating the same for others to follow.

Is it tokenism? Yes. Will it end here? Perhaps not. I have a hunch that this may be only a start point, a 'symbol' or 'tokenism', if you wish to call it that. But the Congress party has done its homework well and realised that the masses are slowly getting awakened. Thanks to the internet, a lot of people across India are building opinions and gathering mass around them. One can call it 'mushrooming of revolutionary thoughts.' And to stay acceptable to the masses, the party had better come out with its own POA which will sound unique.

Coming to the root debate, can Austerity and Leadership go hand in hand? Is Obama serious when he sees Austerity as one of the major drivers for Change? Was Mahatma Gandhi serious when he adopted extreme austerity measures personally? Is Shashi Tharoor any less leader because he stayed in a five star hotel on his own expenses? Must a leader feel guilty of spending money?

Wikipedia describes that 'austerity is when a national government reduces its spending, to pay back creditors...In many countries, austerity measures have been associated with short-term standard of living declines until economic conditions improved once fiscal balance was achieved'.

Obama has obviously prepared his agenda for the American economy well, as it centered around the buzzword "austerity"– the idea that Americans must sacrifice in every way in the name of promised progress.

All austerity is not Leadership; and similarly all Leadership need not follow Austerity. Genuine austerity requires a 'monk' like detachedness, which may not be a practical approach for many. If someone can reach there, it is truly commendable. But it cannot be forced upon or 'worn like a dress'. What obviously needs to be done is that our leaders should introspect on things like:
- Average per capita income of the nation
- How much one needs to be comfortable
- Are we setting the right example?
- Is there I can cut superfluous expediture without affecting my efficiency?
- Am I spending this public money because it is necessary or because it makes me feel important?

Using Austerity as a 'statement' is also not a bad idea. If the Congress Party has instituted some measures, they are a statement for other areas as well, an indicator that there is a Change in the offing. SOme may see it as a mere popularity stunt and some may actually be shaken out of their 'royal slumber'. What will prove the authenticity of this 'dictat' is the successive actions that should automatically follow - like removing the unnecessary security rings around some politicians, getting back the money stashed in Swiss accounts, making RTI(Right to Information) more powerful, making initiatives like 'Mayawati Statues' unlawful.

According to me, Austerity has various dimensions:
- Personal Austerity, as displayed by Mahatma Gandhi
- Organisational Austerity, displayed by organisations and political parties to help attain their organisational objectives by trimming costs. The recent measures by the Congress Party fall in this category.
- National Austerity, like the one advocated by Obama, driven by economic compulsions.

Because the Congress Party also happens to be the ruling party, the austerity drive undertaken by it also brings a huge responsibility. Can the Party follow up on these actions to get back the illegal money stored in Swiss Bank Accounts? Can the party ensure security of the political leaders who will be making themselves part of the mainstream? More importantly, will the political leaders actually get rid of their habit to overspend, bearing the fact that not many of them actually live on their salaries alone?

For Austerity to bear results, the leaders have to be Authentic.

The best part - India is slowly Awakening!

That's not what champions do

2009-09-14T03:03:00.000-07:00

Champions are leader material - even if they have not led others, they have led themselves to do incredible things, and in the process, inspired others.
And in case of Serena Williams, she inspired a whole generation of players and athletes even beyond tennis.
Once such performers are accepted and adulated by the masses as leaders, they are kept on a pedestal. However, they also become 'role models' and therefore, expected to be 'less humans than others'.
Agreed, there was an absurd foot-fault call by an overzealous lineswoman on an extremely critical point, but she was a mere human, wasn't she? Even Serena's mother Oracene commented "She should have kept her cool".

Serena hates to lose, and fought to the last drizzle out there. She threw her racket after the first set, which earned her the first code violation. But lose she did.
And she will not tie Billie Jean King quite yet at 12 major titles.

Why do leaders falter? It may have to do with their false sense of invincibility. The world, media and fans start eulogising them so much that they start believing that they will repeat the act over and over again. And sometimes they can want something so much, that they chase it away. This is often due to the leader being too emotionally attached to the outcome - which means that instead of playing with an aggressive, positive outlook, Serena competed with more of a defensive mindset, similar to that fatal attitude some swimmers develop when they begin protecting a lead in a race, instead of moving further ahead.

What had taken years to build , the respect and reputation, was lost in a few minutes. This can happen to anybody who has been in the limelight for long. The way the environment reacts to their success makes them feel that they are worshipping them, whereas they are only worshipping the image that has been created. The moment the image is shattered, the worshippers fade away, and criticism begins.

So what does this mean? Should achievers remain on their toes forever, watching every step they take?

Well, I feel the secret lies in remaining centred, focusing on whats in your control, and not on what is beyond.

Leaders are allowed to make 'errors of omission', but they are not forgiven if they 'commit' an error or a mistake. At times, when they do, they must be prepared to pay the price, and recommence from their relegated position, after incurring the penalty.

It was nice to learn that Serena has finally apologised for her conduct, as this alone will be her redemption.

Jet Airways Imbroglio - The Barrier of Mistrust

2009-09-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

Stephen M R Covey's book 'The Speed of Trust' brings out why Trust is the most important aspect for our businesses and relationships, and how it accelerates the process of life and business to give the desired results.However, we still find so many instances where successful organisations suddenly seem to struggle because they allowed mistrust to creep in.

Take the recent example of the Jet Airways pilots going on strike. Entering into its third day, it forced Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to enquire about the crisis.

Though there are many versions to the actual cause, it is important to understand what could have caused them to take the decision which they knew would put thousands of passengers into gross inconvenience? I have tried to build up the story by reproducing the comments by readers on various news channels:

"All other airlines including Air India have organised unions.Why can't Jet Airways have one? Specially after the high handedness of the management in firing two very senior pilots for having the temerity of starting the union.I think that brought the pot to boil."
Why are unions formed in the first place? Because of the lack of Trust. Mr Goyal, on the other hand, is trying to pinpoint the cause of the strike to some Pilots wanting to start a Union.

"... its about unjust HR practices. Naresh Goyal's insensitivity towards jets employees and investors is highly deplorable. They are not fighting about the money, all Indian pilots of Jet airways had taken the cost cuts. What they are fighting is about firing the of the two pilots merely because they thought of forming a union to raise their voices. It gets bitter when management forces the Indian pilots to take cost cuts and at the same time, keep hiring expatriates."
What made the pilots develop 'mistrust'? Giving unequal treatment to the expatriate pilots seems to be one big reason. Of course there would be others. Whatever they were, Mr Goyal wasn't keeping his ear to the ground and hearing those warning sounds.

"....it takes years of hard work and thousands of dollars of training to be responsible for hundreds of passengers in a million-dollar equipment only to be forced to fly an unairworthy airplane in a less than marginal weather conditions working longer hours than most 8 to 6 office workers not being able to call sick because you are afraid to loose your ONLY PROFESSION"
Strikes, protests, demonstrations are never a preferred choice of any employees. It is only when they lose their faith in the Management and Leadership, that they go to these extremes. Its only when they are driven to the edge that they collectively respond by rebounding back. These strikes bear strong resemblance with the biggest rebellions...they are all driven to it.

"Strikes are part and parcel of running business and should not be portrayed as something hurting national interests. There are plenty of other airlines ... sufficient to handle extra passenger load. ...Government should never intervene to end their strike."
Strikes do hurt national interests, in more ways than one. In an age in which international tensions, the challenge of space exploration, and an exploding population strain the productive capacity of our economy, it is no longer possible to ignore the public interest in the substance of collective bargaining agreements.

Even Bill Clinton and Bush had intervened when the American Airlines went on mass strikes in 1997 and 2001. While President Clinton blocked the pilots strike by ordering a 60-day ``cooling off''period, President Bush announced that he was taking the decision in order to protect “the hardworking people of America” from travel disruption

"The Central Govt should invoke ESMA to pressure the pilots back to work. Why no one is appreciating Mr. Naresh Goyal's patriotism and experience? If the pilots don't want to be with Jet airways, let them resign."
Patriotism and Experience can be futile if you don't use them to demonstrate leadership. In my opinion, if Mr Goyal was truly patriotic, he should have held the public interest in mind before allowing the whole thing to blow up. If he indeed had experience, he should have known that challenging or threatening a group can easily backfire, especially if there are grounds enough for dissent.

"The airline industry worldwide is already suffering huge losses due to decrease in customers as a result of the current economic situation. These pointless strikes will only aggravate the situation."
Pointless? I don't feel so. A strike becomes the only effective way for employees to exercise bargaining power, when everything else fails, as they cant hope to be heard individually for a malaise that is affecting everybody.

"The management, I feel has run out of all innovative ideas to handle the grim business outlook and hence the need to cut costs. Do the share holders share their profits with their employees, then why punish them in difficult times? Mr.Goyal is not at all trust worthy."
The tough times that the Airlines industry are going through as well as the recession has undoubtedly put pressure on Jet Airways as well. But, if the approach is to target the pilots and pass on the pressure onto them, it demonstrates shallow thinking and poor leadership.
Having said that, the pilots could have taken a better recourse by dealing with their problems in a forceful, yet dignified manner right at the start and not resort to knee-jerk methods, which are not in the interest of the organisation or themselves. Considering that the matter is resolved in their favour, will it remove the mistrust and ill-feelings? Perhaps no. On the other hand, the Management will be on the lookout to settle scores and the pilots would be on guard, which will perhaps be even worse for the Company.

It would do Mr Goyal and Jet Airways lot of good to pay heed to the two-point advice as taken from the book 'The Speed of Trust':

1.Don’t be too quick to judge. Give others the benefit of the doubt. Don’t automatically assume that a failure of competence is a failure of character (many mistakes are not intentional).

2.Do be quick to forgive-whether or not we choose to trust in the future, we always need to forgive.

Learnings from a 97 year-old Doctor

2009-09-10T06:43:00.000-07:00

At the age of 97 years and 4 months, Shigeaki Hinohara is one of the world's longest-serving physicians and educators. Hinohara's magic touch is legendary: Since 1941 he has been healing patients at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo and teaching at St. Luke's College of Nursing. After World War II, he envisioned a world-class hospital and college springing from the ruins of Tokyo; thanks to his pioneering spirit and business savvy, the doctor turned these institutions into the nation's top medical facility and nursing school. Today he serves as chairman of the board of trustees at both organizations. Always willing to try new things, he has published around 150 books since his 75th birthday, including one "Living Long, Living Good" that has sold more than 1.2 million copies. As the founder of the New Elderly Movement, Hinohara encourages others to live a long and happy life, a quest in which no role model is better than the doctor himself.

Energy comes from feeling good, not from eating well or sleeping a lot. We all remember how as children, when we were having fun, we often forgot to eat or sleep. I believe that we can keep that attitude as adults, too. It's best not to tire the body with too many rules such as lunchtime and bedtime.

All people who live long regardless of nationality, race or gender share one thing in common, None are overweight... For breakfast I drink coffee, a glass of milk and some orange juice with a tablespoon of olive oil in it. Olive oil is great for the arteries and keeps my skin healthy. Lunch is milk and a few cookies, or nothing when I am too busy to eat. I never get hungry because I focus on my work.. Dinner is veggies, a bit of fish and rice, and, twice a week, 100 grams of lean meat..

Always plan ahead. My schedule book is already full until 2014, with lectures and my usual hospital work. In 2016 I'll have some fun, though: I plan to attend the Tokyo Olympics!

There is no need to ever retire, but if one must, it should be a lot later than 65. The current retirement age was set at 65 half a century ago, when the average life-expectancy in Japan was 68 years and only 125 Japanese were over 100 years old. Today, Japanese women live to be around 86 and men 80, and we have 36,000 centenarians in our country. In 20 years we will have about 50,000 people over the age of 100...

Share what you know. I give 150 lectures a year, some for 100 elementary-school children, others for 4,500 business people. I usually speak for 60 to 90 minutes, standing, to stay strong.

When a doctor recommends you take a test or have some surgery, ask whether the doctor would suggest that his or her spouse or children go through such a procedure. Contrary to popular belief, doctors can't cure everyone. So why cause unnecessary pain with surgery I think music and animal therapy can help more than most doctors imagine.

To stay healthy, always take the stairs and carry your own stuff. I take two stairs at a time, to get my muscles moving.

My inspiration is Robert Browning's poem "Abt Vogler." My father used to read it to me. It encourages us to make big art, not small scribbles. It says to try to draw a circle so huge that there is no way we can finish it while we are alive. All we see is an arch; the rest is beyond our vision but it is there in the distance.

Pain is mysterious, and having fun is the best way to forget it. If a child has a toothache, and you start playing a game together, he or she immediately forgets the pain. Hospitals must cater to the basic need of patients: We all want to have fun. At St. Luke's we have music and animal therapies, and art classes.

Don't be crazy about amassing material things. Remember: You don't know when your number is up, and you can't take it with you to the next place.
Hospitals must be designed and prepared for major disasters, and they must accept every patient who appears at their doors. We designed St.... Luke's so we can operate anywhere: in the basement, in the corridors, in the chapel. Most people thought I was crazy to prepare for a catastrophe, but on March 20, 1995, I was unfortunately proven right when members of the Aum Shinrikyu religious cult launched a terrorist attack in the Tokyo subway. We accepted 740 victims and in two hours figured out that it was sarin gas that had hit them. Sadly we lost one person, but we saved 739 lives.

Science alone can't cure or help people. Science lumps us all together, but illness is individual. Each person is unique, and diseases are connected to their hearts. To know the illness and help people, we need liberal and visual arts, not just medical ones..

Life is filled with incidents. On March 31, 1970, when I was 59 years old, I boarded the Yodogo, a flight from Tokyo to Fukuoka. It was a beautiful sunny morning, and as Mount Fuji came into sight, the plane was hijacked by the Japanese Communist League-Red Army Faction. I spent the next four days handcuffed to my seat in 40-degree heat. As a doctor, I looked at it all as an experiment and was amazed at how the body slowed down in a crisis.

Find a role model and aim to achieve even more than they could ever do. My father went to the United States in 1900 to study at Duke University in North Carolina. He was a pioneer and one of my heroes. Later I found a few more life guides, and when I am stuck, I ask myself how they would deal with the problem.

It's wonderful to live long. Until one is 60 years old, it is easy to work for one's family and to achieve one's goals. But in our later years, we should strive to contribute to society. Since the age of 65, I have worked as a volunteer. I still put in 18 hours seven days a week and love every minute of it.

Packing Chutes - The Importance of Daily Leadership

2009-09-03T01:44:00.000-07:00

The author is unknown, but I read a story recently about Charles Plumb. Plumb was a US Navy Academy graduate and jet fighter pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air-missile.

Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent the next six years in a Communist prison. He survived that ordeal and now lectures about lessons learned from that experience.

One day, when he and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Nam and the carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!"

"How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb. "Oh I was the one who packed your parachute," the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man smiled and said, "Yep, I guessed it worked." Plumb assured him, "It sure did work, if your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."
Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about the man who had packed his parachute. Plumb kept wondering what the man might have looked like in a Navy uniform.

"I wondered how many times I might have passed him on the Kitty Hawk. I wondered how many times I might have seen him and not even said ‘good morning, how are you', or anything, because you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was a sailor."

Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent on a long wooded table in the bowels of the ship carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands the fate of someone he didn't know.

The story of Plumb serves to remind us of the important little things about leadership. When it comes to your organization, what are you packing into the lives of your team members? Allow me to suggest a few things.

Pack plenty of praise. A hard working team deserves to be praised for the work they do. One of the saddest statements to hear at the annual Christmas party is when the boss stands up to thank the team and says, "I know I don't say it enough, but..." My immediate thought always is, "why not?"

If your team is working hard and performing as it should, praise for them should be sincere and often. George Adams said, "To praise is an investment in happiness." A happy team is a productive team. Praise for your team should be a priority.

Pack plenty of attitude - a good attitude, that is. Charles Swindoll wrote, "The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company ...a church ...a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past ...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way."

Never underestimate the power of a positive attitude in your organization. When the chips are down, when the economy is sluggish, when prospects disappoint you, what will set you apart from everyone else is the power of your attitude. Maintain a good attitude at all costs; it is the thread of your chute.

Pack plenty of confidence. As you navigate the current economy with all of the challenges it presents, rely on the sound decisions that have brought you to where you are. Keep a steady hand and resist the temptation to leap when you need to sit.

Richard Evans said, "Don't let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was." At the end of the day, confidence in yourself, your team, and your mission will set you apart from the others.

Finally, pack plenty of kindness. Aesop said, "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." Packing a little kindness in the chute of your organization could be the lifeline needed today.

Praise, a good attitude, confidence, and kindness, these are timeless leadership traits worthy of attention.

As you pack the chutes of those around you, just remember, what you put in is what will come out. Pack wisely.

The Meaning of Success

2009-08-29T14:08:00.000-07:00

Success means many things to many people.

To my daughter, it means getting appreciation from her teacher everyday in addition to her grades. For some of my colleagues, it means going up the career graph, and for me it means doing the best I can, withot losing my balance.

What is your definition of success? Are you too much driven by ambition so as to lose sight of the happiness that you already have?

See this presentation that I made some time back. Many viewers have appreciated it. Let me know how you felt.

Meaning Of Success

View more presentations from nsnarang.

Thanx

Are you a 'Test Match' Leader or a 'Twenty 20' Leader?

2009-08-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

Playing a Cricket Test Match and a Twenty 20 Match are entirely different experiences.

A Test Match demands a well thought out plan, mature and seasoned players with proven competencies and mental toughness, patience and resilience as the key attribrutes. It doesn't matter if a Ricky Ponting didn't score well in one innings or a Harbhajan didn't take a couple of wickets more as long as they were performing as per the overall scheme of things. It is also about celebrating true sporting talent and playing the game in a gentlemanly way.

Twenty 20 Cricket is, on the other hand, all about harnessing the positives and going all out for the 'kill'. Actual performance counts more than strategy. It also means more excitement, more prize money. It requires shrewd planning with the aim of dominating the opposition. There is very little room for failure and small mistakes can cost a lot. Patience runs thin and poor performances are not tolerated. Yet success gives immediate results and wins more followers. On the downside, it can cause more injuries making a player unfit in the long term.

Twenty 20 cricket may be all the rage, perhaps even the financial future of the sport, but only Test matches like the recent Ashes series fully satisfy the appetite.

Similarly, there are two types of leaders - those who are 'in for a long haul' and those who are out to prove themselves ASAP. While the Test Match leadership is more about alliging your vision with the 'overall scheme of things', Twenty 20 leadership is more about dealing with the immediate challenges, with the task at hand. Of course there are leaders who are both, who love taking on short term projects on their way towards being 'experts' in the longer version.

Which is a better form of leadership out of the two? Can one be a short term leader and yet succeed in the long term?

More importantly, what type of leader out of the two are you?

As for me, I have had very few successes in the short term, and I guess the reason is that I have tended to 'sacrifice the short term pleasures for long term gains'. Of course, I have committed a lot of mistakes too - maybe there could have been some one-day victories as well, but I find myself better poised towards chasing my life-goals after having made those mistakes.

Everyone Can be a Leader - 2

2009-08-26T23:38:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Continuing from the earlier post on the same topic.

I was quite thrilled to find similar posts on this topic from more acclaimed sources, and am sharing the same with you:

1. Why Everyone in an Enterprise Can - and Should - Be a Leader

2. Everyone can be a leader - Ode Magazine

3. Everyone can be a leader - Grace Chan
There is also a book on the subject, 'Becoming a Leader: Everyone Can Do It (Paperback)by Myles Munroe'.

Convinces me that I am on the right track!

Would love your comments on this.

Leaders Need Space

2009-08-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

Though I am not very fond of politics, it was disheartening to see the turmoil in the Bhartiya Janata Party . The treatment meted out to Jaswant Singh and the frustrations voiced by Arun Shourie, both of whom have been respected for their leadership acumen, qualities and actions. What follows is my reasoning of why things go wrong even if there are such inspiring people in you midst.

True leaders are silent heroes - they are happy achieving results for themselves and their organisations or people they are involved with.

What do you do when you find a leader or develop someone as a leader in your organisation? You entrust him with challenges and opportunities, or you promote him to a position identified with higher responsibilities and challenges. Is this always the case? Well, there is a third option also - the leader continues to function in the same position that he was initially, but with increased 'sphere of influence', so as to make use of opportunities available to attain the organisational objectives. He is then able to seize fleeting opportunities as compared to earlier times when he couldn't even see them.

However, despite being given the position and the challenges, any leader will only be able to prove his mettle if 'allowed' to do so. Lets look at it this way. A dancer needs a stage, a movie star needs a studio, a surgeon needs an operation table, an architect needs design software and computer-space, and an office worker needs a work station. So what does a leader need? One may argue that he already has what it takes to perform - the skills, the attitude and the cause, and moreover the organisation is looking after him in every possible manner. He should be able to take it on from there.

Not exactly. A leader needs space too, though this is a different kind of space that he needs.

- He needs Freedom to perform in fields that he is an expert in - that is because he has shown that he can be trusted.

- He needs to be allowed to take risks in fields that he is confident about, though he may not be expert. That is because he has proven his ability to transform challenges into success earlier.

- He needs to be believed in, as he has shown how better results could be achieved by simply believing in his leaders earlier.

- He needs the respect that is due to him for the service rendered by him, so that he feels that coming this far was worth it. Respect only increases the sense of responsibility towards the organisation/community.

- He either needs an equally committed leader over him or needs to be in a leading role, the only two ways that he can sustain himself. There cannot be a compromise. In case nothing works, he will either quit or fight back.

- He needs time for himself; time to provide him that inner space for his personal growth, satisfaction, introspection, realisation and for gaining wisdom. in short, time to do his own thing.

- Lastly, he needs to be accommodated, despite his other shortcomings, for the value he has added earlier, now that he is getting old and worn out.

Leaders don't deserve to be denied their space - it can almost snuff out the leader in him.

Why is Leadership Abundant in the Military

2009-08-20T23:25:00.000-07:00

Leadership thrives in the Military. Any reference to leadership, and we narrate countless examples from Alexander to Colin Powell, and get charged up when we hear stories on leadership actions by their heroes. What is it that makes leadership so easy and abundant in the military?

An interesting article has been written on this by Sangeeth Verghese, a dear friend who is behind Leadcap, a movement to recognise a million leaders. In his article 'Learn Leadership from the Army' he writes "In the army, leadership is a matter of life and death. Lack of trust, teamwork, clear focus, understanding and motivation could spell disaster. Even after modern day technological advances, the best armies of the world continue to rely most heavily on their leaders at all levels — exceptional leaders who are self-aware, adaptive and agile; leaders who will hold units together in the midst of tragedy; leaders who will achieve their objectives in the face of concerted opposition and the most overwhelming odds. This makes leadership a way of life in the army."

There are also reasons other than those brought out by Sangeeth, that I know from personal experience in the Indian Army.

Starting from a Scratch
The precommission training of officers at both National Defence Academy (NDA) and Indian Military Academy (IMA) works at building its officers from a scratch. You may have been whatever earlier, but when you join the academy, you are treated like a rookie, because you actually have a lot to learn. The atmosphere created in the academies enable the entry level cadets to lose all their inhibitions and rigidity, and learn the right things the right way. This way, those with strong basics get to add onto their developed selves, and those with deficiencies get an opportunity to start all over again, and catch up with the rest. As a result, many of the cadets who initially may not be performers, actually do very well in their careers.

Esprit De Corps
Right from the academy days, you are put through varying situations that demand greater bonding to achieve better results. Competitive events in each group activity including obstacle course, sports, firing etc build team spirit and a collective desire to excel despite anything. That what creates the feeling of brotherhood gradually.

A Matter of Honour
The moment I joined the NDA, I was told that I was one of the 'the selected lot who volunteered'. You are repeatedly told that you are the best. I was exposed to the heroic deeds of those who had graduated before me and proved their mettle. This gave me confidence, courage and resolve to prove myself. It was now the question of my Izzat (honour) and I had to protect it at any cost.

No Pretensions Whatsoever
During the process of 'Being, Knowing and Doing' young officers get acquainted with the core of their being, their inner selves. They also understand the 'inner core' of the men they command. Hence, their lives are stripped of all the pretensions that block the 'human touch' and the need to serve others. This makes it easier for them to gain the trust of their men.

There is no Choice
Once the basics are ingrained, young officers are thrown into a cauldron and learn to adapt and grow as leaders. Once in the crucible, they discover qualities in themselves (that they only read/heard about earlier) that then propel them forward as leaders. Every situation thereafter is another opportunity to grow and prove themselves as leaders.

Administrative Back-up
Normally an aspect that is taken casually; however, the fact that the military leaders are so much available to carry out their 'actions' and don't have any major administrative minefields to worry about, facilitates leadership to flow freely. The leaders mind is therefore not distracted to think of himself and becomes less inclined to look into his basic requirements. The so-called 'perks' that often come under public glare are just solutions to facilitate better leadership.

Can such abundance be replicated elsewhere? Of course, yes. In fact many organisations are now understanding the need of instilling similar ethos, training and well-being standards to boost up their leadership quotient.

Position makes Leadership Happen

2009-08-18T04:35:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves college. It is so much fun taking part in various programmes and events. Once you opted to be the 'captain' of any club/event, it became your responsibility to get things going. Generally, such things get going on the sports field or in the canteen. Imagine yourself surrounded by your batch mates and others whom you have roped in for the initial meeting to discuss your plan. You want to make yourself heard and understood by all, and make your presence felt. What do you do? Well, if you are in the sports field, you look for the nearest wall or step to climb on, and if you are in the canteen you simply perch on the table. Still easier, you make everyone sit, while you stand. Ever wondered why would you do that? It is because to drive your points home, you had to get to a higher position than the others, so that they could acknowledge you as their 'captain'.

Action is the core of leadership. But action alone cannot guarantee followership. Similarly, though position alone can attract followers, yet it cannot guarantee leadership. However, when action is carried out from a relatively higher position, it confirms leadership as well as followership.

Position empowers the leader to impact more people with his actions. However, position can also distance the leader from the followers if he doesn't if his actions are found wanting and fail to inspire them. It is therefore, a double edged sword. It can make or mar a leader.

As civilisations grew, position got identified with the King or Ruler, the Minister, the General, the Dictator, the Prime minister, the President. It also got identified with the leader of a revolution, that of a religious sect and a terrorist group. And after the industrial revolution, it got identified with the heads and CEOs of organisations and companies. And in all cases, position has made leadership easier.

What is it about the position that makes leadership effective? Position provides two crucial elements - Authority and Influence. Authority comes from the acknowledgment that whoever holds that position can exercise command and control over men and material. Influence is driven by the people affected by the position, directly or indirectly. While authority wields influence, influence cannot bring authority. A chief editor of a leading daily may be able to influence the minds of millions of readers, yet is not an authority to enforce changes. However, he still has the authority inbuilt with his position to make decisions that impact the newspaper house.

Does position made leadership effective? So long as the leader is authentic and his leadership principle-centred, position will act as a force multiplier by inspiring them to look for their leadership positions instead of waiting for position to be bestowed on them. However, if the leader sees his position as a power-centre to satiate his materialistic desires, he sets a different chain reaction where everyone starts wondering "What's in it for me?". In the short run, such leadership may seem effective, as it is capable of driving masses to perform in return of the promised 'goodies'. However, since there was no true cause in the first place, such leadership only serves to create an illusion, resulting in conflict and harmful byproducts.

Cannot leadership happen without a position? What about Mother Teresa, Gautam Buddha, and Sunderlal Bahuguna, who didn't have a visible position and yet became leaders in their own right? Well, in such cases, the devotion of these leaders to their cause was so great that they started touching the 'inner selves' of the people who needed them. It is somewhat like a benevolent soul quenching the thirst of tired people on a hot summer day. While drinking water pouring out of the earthen pot, the weary man automatically bows down, thereby making himself the 'follower' and elevating the pot holder to a 'position of leadership'. In other words, the noble actions bear such an influence on the people benefited, that they automatically assign him the leader's status or position. Thereafter, the task of the leader became much easier as it brought both authority and influence.

In fact, most leaders, when they start their journeys create their positions through personal leadership and start impacting the lives around them slowly and steadily. At each step, they look upon a higher leadership challenge which can improve upon their personal leadership and take them to a higher position. It is a great quality of a leader to recognise the type of action that is required to befit his position that can achieve the optimum results. Once those results have been achieved, the leader can either rise to a higher position by taking up higher challenges, develop leadership below him, or resign his leadership position thus allowing other contenders/aspirants to prove themselves.

On the other hand, it is the abuse of such position that not only destroys leadership, but also removes the followers' faith in leadership, thus leading to all sorts of conflicts and disturbances.

Leadership is Action, Not Position

2009-08-14T00:13:00.000-07:00

Of all the definitions and meanings of Leadership that I have come across, this one appeals to me the most.

So short, yet so profound and complete in its meaning. By adding words and sentences, this short statement can be interpreted in so many ways so as to inspire leadership among ordinary people.

The crux of this statement is that for Leadership to happen, you have to act. As long as it remains in your mind, it is just a thought, a dream, a fantasy. By keeping it there and playing it like a record, you only become what Clint Eastwood says in the movie ‘Sudden Impact' of the Dirty Harry series, “…a legend in your own mind!’

As you grow, you interpret life based on your knowledge, observations and experience of the outside world. Slowly you start identifying your leadership dreams with the world that you are familiar with. In this, the most easily identifiable is the materialistic world which has positions of power and money, positions which seem to control lives, directly and indirectly. It is therefore natural and child-like, to get attracted to these positions for the ‘perks’ that they offer. A child could want to become a doctor because he has been made to understand that doctors earn well and have a secure future – a typical scene in India, which moulds children towards seeing their options as mere ‘positions’. However, a few of them, who have been mentored toward developing inner leadership, see this profession as an opportunity for ‘action’ to serve the people.

The same difference can be seen in any leadership role chosen by people – take the case of political leaders. Becoming a political leader has been generally seen as an opportunity to amass wealth ‘legally’ or ‘cleverly’ by wielding power and authority, as they themselves become the ‘establishments’. However, there are nations where the accountability of these leaders and the transparency in the system has led to the right ones getting elected to these ‘roles’, who see their election as a means to take the nation forward towards prosperity and progress.

For anyone to develop the ‘action-based approach’, the process is a long one. It starts from very small actions within your self, to get yourself ‘wired’ correctly. This is a period of inner growth and learning, to develop the leader within. These actions by budding leaders start un-noticed, and are progressive in nature – they grow outwards. In this stage, the ‘learner’ needs external support in the form of his family, teacher or friend, who acts as his mentor. This was also the essence of the ‘guru-shishya’ training in medieval India and the ‘training camps’ held for the future kings/brahmins/artists.

What triggers this learning is nothing but a sense of realization followed by a need for exploration and gradual gaining of confidence and courage. Gradually, this canvas of Leadership grows bigger, as the learner explores and experiments in trying to align his leadership DNA with his dream and derives a sense of purpose.

Once this stage is reached, the painting only becomes brighter and clearer. Having developed internally as a leader, the aspirant is now ready to grow as a leader externally by handling challenges and identifying opportunities, using the ‘inner leader’ within him as his mentor.

Everyone Can be a Leader

2009-08-07T23:55:00.000-07:00

Seen a fish in water? What does it do? It Swims!

Seen a bird in the sky? It Flies!

Seen a human being? Ever wondered what human is supposed to do? Of course he is supposed to be leading! He cant be merely eating, drinking, sleeping, procreating, as everyone is doing it anyway!

Ok, take it this way - Put a fish under stress... it tries to swim its way out. Put a fish under a situation... it tries to fly its way out! Now put a human into any situation/stress...he always tries to lead his way out!

Still not convinced? See the numerous instances of endowed human beings doing incredible things...climbing Mount Everest, diving in the deep seas, swimming across channels, skydiving from an aircraft, reaching outer space. Now think about less endowed doing equally incredible things - Lance Armstrong, Susan Boyle, Sudha Chandran, and thousands others, who prove the power of the human spirit and its ability to lead themselves through adversity.

Any more examples - yes, of course! Along with the heroes who led themselves, we have countless examples who led others to attain higher objectives for mankind, be it Mahatma Gandhi, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw , Martin Luther King, Jack Welch, Ho Chi Minh, Winston Churchill or Vladimir Lenin - they all rose above personal challenges and took up causes much bigger than themselves.

So, leadership exists; and the good news is that it is within reach for everyone. And the biggest secret is - that Everyone was born with it!

Ever seen a child who has learnt to crawl? He now wants to walk. The moment he learns to walk, he then wants to explore. More he explores, more he learns. The more he learns the farther he wants to reach. Somewhere in between, he learns to love himself, then his family, and the the people around him. Depending on his interaction with the environment, as he grows bigger, he decides his sphere of influence and takes up some leadership role that impacts his target group. Look around - there are already so many leaders who have chosen to limit their roles that make them almost 'invisible', but when you look again, there is/ has been a leader inside them!

More on this later....

Leadership in a Metro

2009-08-06T15:16:00.000-07:00

This occurred to me while watching the sea of traffic on the outer ring road in New Delhi yesterday evening at 7:30 pm. People from all walks of life were competing, like Charles Darwin's actors in "The Survival of the Fittest" to swallow every available space under their motor vehicles to get ahead, though they did not seem to get anywhere.

It is an everyday challenge for these commuters, many of them who start from their homes as early as 7 in the morning to reach their offices at 9:30 or 10 am. And there are millions of them, if you take into consideration Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai also.

That these people manage to repeat this performance every working day of their lives is a miracle by itself - no time for these 'soldiers' to enjoy the quality in their lives, no time to stop and feel time passing by, and no time either to reflect and decide if there is anything else they could do to improve their surroundings.

Being able to go against all odds is Leadership enough for them. At the end of their month, getting their pay cheques that allow them see-through the next month is the only motivation they look for; being able to make their children study through school and college and get into a profession is their leadership dream; saving enough money to account for their family responsibilities and obligations gives them the pleasure they seem to seek. Whatever time is left, they prefer to use it to 'get out of it all' rather than stay in the middle of 'nowhere'!

Leadership takes on a different meaning for "Life in a Metro". What scope does any leadership development organisation have to cut through this 'Metro Barrier' and motivate these people for taking interest in matter other than who they can overtake?

Perhaps similar thoughts also inspired Anurag Basu to make a movie "Life in a Metro", on the same theme, with a perceptive look into lives of people living in a metropolitan city where the fast pace of life leaves no time for emotions and feelings leading to flippant relationships.

How do we figure out producing leaders in such a situation?

Movies and Leadership

2009-08-01T02:06:00.000-07:00

"Camera, Lights, Action."

As the movie director rolls on his camera trying to put life into the story, it is the actors who actually walk away with all the attention. The average viewers get so engrossed with the action on the screen, that they dissociate everyone else but the actors, who transport them to a make-believe world, that they identify with, which has problems and there are solutions to be provided.

Here enters the Hero - whose role is so orchestrated, that he not only finds the solutions, but also does everything in a justifiable way so as to act as a 'role model'.

Ever thought why movies are so popular, and movie stars and 'heroes' so worshipped? If you analyse carefully, you will see a clear link between the leadership displayed by the actors on the screen and the followership displayed by the viewers both on and off the screen.

Most movies have a storyline that is so weaved that they reveal situations requiring 'displayed leadership' to find the solutions and desired results - ever wondered as to why the person with the most meaty role is also the person 'entrusted with the leadership responsibility' and is therefore called the lead actor?

It is the repeated acts by these lead actors that gradually build their reputation and the resulting adulation amongst the viewers - their acts of leadership become so re-inforced that they impress upon the viewers as their heroes - hence the viewers' minds play tricks upon them even after the movie is over; their hero is so overwhelming, that the viewers want to feel his presence even off the screen. Isn't it a case of followership being being extended from the 'reel world' into the real world? As a result,these heroes are splashed everywhere - movie mags, news, entertainmemnt channels, advertisements, endorsements and live events. These actors, by the virtue of their leadership roles that they take on in rel life, move to the surreal form in the minds of the viewers as their 'Starts' or 'Heroes'.

This proves many other things as well :-

- It is not the actor's mere presence on the screen that makes him a hero; it is the acts that he participates in which project him as one. In other words, the viewers identify the actor with the (reel)actions that he undertakes, and they identify the situations projected on the screen with the situations in real life. So they say (it is actually mind-speak, "Hey, this guy (lead actor) has the credentials and the courage and the ability to do great things (in the story/movie)". The crux of the actor's morphosis into a Hero is therefore 'Action'. It matches beautifully with the saying, "Leadership is action, not a position".

- However accomplished we may be, we are still gifted to follow. Among the viewers are people who have done bigger things, yet on screen they tend to worship one Hero, and the next, and the next. Thus, there will always remain a scope for another leader to come forward and taking on future challenges.

- Many of the stars are not even exceptionally gifted in terms of looks, skin, physical attributes etc, yet they get their following. Shah Rukh Khan is the No 1 Star of Indian Cinema, being a Muslim in a predominantle Hindu State. When people see him on screen, they rather identify him as 'Rahul', his on screen persona, than a muslim. It is their ability to 'motivate' the minds of the viewers through their projected leadership that mesmerises them. Therefore, Leadership is all about action - caste, creed, color have little to do with the acceptance of a leader.

- One thing that stands out distinctly from watching these 'projected leaders' is their ability through their reel actions to influence the 'hearts and minds' of the viewers. And the stars who actually manage to win over the hearts and minds get to be adulated as the heroes (read leaders).Hence, leadership is all about winning hearts and minds, isnt it?

- In fact, the mass followership ability of the cinema has also influenced real life leadership, and hence followership. Though the acts of Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela achieved their leadership goals in their time, their repeated projected movies, showing their acts, furthered their leadership image, resonating as effectively as the 'popular movies ', and therefor generating the same 'star-like' quality with added credibility that has resulted in mass followership.

- So influencing is the reel leader, that the followers start following him everywhere - his styles, looks, brands, habits, products he endorses, all get noticed and copied. This shows that if leaders appear authentic, they also become popular, which in turn places a huge responsibility on them to live up to their followers expectations, and lead them the right way!

Finally, if you ever do a check of some of the most popular movies ever, you will be surpised that most of these have solid leadership themes - Braveheart, Lagaan, Erin Brockovich, etc etc.

Of Leaders and followers

2009-07-24T02:17:00.000-07:00

Being a leader isn’t about ordering other people around. Leadership occurs in any role and in any activity in which you are involved. It occurs within groups of friends, in living situations, in schools and colleges, at work, and at home. A farmer who ensures a healthy crop and a good harvest, a housewife who ensures a positive environment at home, a doctor who performs a pathbreaking surgery are as much leaders as a CEO of a multinational or a Commanding Officer at the battlefront.

Leading and following may be two different words, but they are always co-existent and complimentary. In fact, every leader has to be a follower – follower of his conscience, his instincts, dreams, values and principles. Similarly every follower has to be a leader – of his emotions, which give him the conviction of the cause, and his thoughts, which give him initiative to act towards the goal. A leader who does not heed to his inner devices and only focuses on the superficial goals, has a low shelf life at the top – sooner or later his ‘hollowness’ is laid bare. Similarly, a follower who gets carried away by the leader only for his ‘charisma’ or the ‘promises’ without proper assessment is merely fueling the leaders ego and not creating a synergy for any positive results.

Leadership doesn’t mean dominating or taking over, but rather encouraging others to be the best they can be and helping the group you’re in to work together constructively. The best leaders may not have a title or an official role, but may simply be an effective follower in the group. The term “follower” often carries a negative connotation. However, several leadership theorists use the term in order to describe constructive ways of acting as part of a group. Followers determine whether the leader has the ability to lead. They actually have the ability to confer leadership on individuals. Another way of looking at it is that even leaders have been, and still are, followers in different areas. To be successful, you need to be able to switch back and forth between both roles.

Also, to be able to lead well in a particular field or domain, you have to be a good follower in the other fields/domains - in fact that is the essence of teamwork so esential for success.Every human being is gifted to excel in some sphere of life; it is the human endeavour and ability to find this value in himself that makes him 'decide to lead'. Till such time he reaches this stage, he is essentially following - following the direction indicated by his own instincts, the example set by other leaders ahead of him, and even other leaders who act as a launch vehicle for him.

However, once he decides to lead, does he cease to be a follower? Well, not really. He still follows his values, the advice of his near and dear ones, and most of all the cause. However, he ceases to be seen as a follower because the constant actions taken by him which put him in the limelight and project him as a leader. So, in essence, the difference lies in the level that he acts and the type of actions that he produces, which declare him a 'leader' and makes others follow him.

So, if leaders are following, and followers are leading, how do you differentiate between leading and following? Well, there is a difference - while leaders are following 'within' and leading 'outside'. followers are doing the opposite - i.e., leading within and following outside.

The true leader is a person that can adapt himself to many different situations, and never stops learning. He is always interacting with people, and getting everyone to work together with a common vision, so as to produce fantastic results. People will follow him without even recognizing they have taken on the role of follower… this is what makes the leader different from the others.

If Lao Tsu said, “To lead, one must follow” then it must be remembered, that 'to follow,you must lead' is also true if dwelt upon deeply.

Understanding Military Leadership

2009-07-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

Leadership is a complex and value-laden concept, and its definition is somewhat dependent on context. It includes not merely the authority, but also the ability to lead others. Commanders will not be leaders if they do little to influence and inspire their subordinates. The commander, in effect, becomes a leader only when the leader is accepted as such by subordinates.

As one American commentator on military leadership has stated: "Mere occupancy of an office or position from which leadership behavior is expected does not automatically make the occupant a true leader. Such appointments can result in headship but not necessarily in leadership. While appointive positions of high status and authority are related to leadership they are not the same thing."

My first ten years in the Indian Infantry, in which I grew from a subaltern to a Major, laid the foundation for deeper understanding of military leadership. I found that that can be no greater training ground for leadership than the military. I took my chances while they were there, made mistakes and learnt from them, was held accountable for my actions and for those of the men I led. In my climb on the leadership ladder, I came across different leadership styles, different personalities and different approaches to situations. As one level of leadership was understood, the challenge of a higher level of leadership was encountered. The benefit to me was my personal development, maturity, embedded skills in leadership and decision-making, and a new-found passion to embrace a set of values that can help change any organization. I realized that one good leader alone can make a difference, and a whole set of leaders can bring in a whole new era.

“Core values make the military what it is; without them, we cannot succeed. They are the values that instill confidence, earn lasting respect, and create willing followers. They are the values that anchor resolve in the most difficult situations. They are the values that buttress mental and physical courage when we enter combat. In essence, they are the pillars of professionalism that provide the foundation for military leadership at every level” -Secretary Widnall

Military leadership, whether or not it is a natural or acquired ability, is a human one and can be examined in terms of human relationships. The basic misconception of military leadership is that the military demands absolute, unrelenting subservience to the commands of one's superior, that leadership is best done harshly, and that there is no room for error. You may think of the armed services as rigid, hierarchical organizations, yet nothing could be further from the truth. There is much to learn about vision, mission, values, core beliefs, team work, empowerment and more from the well-oiled military.

Military leadership has been and most likely will be the most intensive leadership training anyone can receive. In the military, leadership training is engrained at all levels through education, example an opportunity. The achievements of military leadership can be debated, but it has given us a free and democratic society, and has created a community held steadfast to a set of core values even when the society’s moral fibre has weakened, and the temptation to follow is great. Military leadership decentralizes the decision-making process to the lowest levels, making direct-level leadership stronger, which makes organisational and strategic leadership stronger.

In the military, apart from competence and action, there is an essential requirement of developing the character which consist of core values and attributes of a leader. With the right character and desired competence, the leader aligns himself to the appropriate action directed towards the desired results, i.e Winning.

The seven core values of any military are loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honour, integrity and personal courage.

The three attributes are physical, mental and emotional.

The four types of skills are interpersonal, conceptual, technical and tactical.

The actions include:

- Influencing (Communicating, decision making and motivating)
- Operating (Planning/preparation, executing, assessing)
- Improving (Developing, Building, Learning)

The fundamentals of military leadership are no less valid in the wider world. Leaders are required to analyse what the challenge is, and to implement the resulting plan by taking their team with them. It is that ability to enthuse, inspire and convince their team members that is the hallmark of able leaders.

We all have positions in life and it matters not what your position in life happens to be - some or all of these seven values are tested as a matter of course, each day of one's life. The values are as applicable to the student as they are to the professor; as important to the patient as they are to the doctor; as challenging to the child as they are to the adult; and as attainable by the penniless as they are by the millionaire. In short, the seven values are for everyone. What are the values, and how are they applicable to everyone?

Loyalty - Bear true faith and allegiance to the Nation, the Army, and other soldiers. Be loyal to the nation and its heritage.
For the citizen, this means showing your faith in our nation, your elected and appointed leaders and your fellow citizens. People want to know they can trust you. And you want the same reassurances from others.

Duty - Fulfill your obligations. Accept responsibility for your actions and those entrusted to your care. Find opportunities to improve oneself for the good of the unit.
For the citizen, you've got a job to do and people depend on you to get it done. If someone needs help, give it to them. If you need help, seek it from your peers. Be consistent in action and deed.

Respect - Treat people as they should be treated. How we consider others reflects upon each of us, both personally and as a professional organization.
Act courteously toward friends, acquaintances and strangers alike. If you disagree with an opinion or point of view, challenge the position, but avoid the personal attack. Remember that your actions speak volumes about yourself and your business or organization.

Selfless Service - Put the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own. Selfless service leads to organizational teamwork and encompasses discipline, self-control and faith in the system.
Take care of your children, your parents, your siblings, and co-workers. Go the 'extra mile' for your customers and clients, even if gains you nothing more than some personal satisfaction. Volunteer to take on the tough job, or the mundane job that others avoid.

Honour - Live up to all the Army values.
Live up to the values of your business, your community, your church, your family. Act accordingly, and others will recognize you as an individual of principled character. Don't fall into the trap of, "but I just did what others did before me". Given the choice, take the 'high road'. Distinguish yourself from those who would be satisfied to do less.

Integrity - Do what is right, legally and morally.
Ask yourself, "Is this the right thing to do? How does it reflect on who I am?" If your inner voice is sounding the alarm, it's doing so for a good reason. Avoid shortcuts, cheats, or otherwise doing less than what is expected. Don't compromise yourself, your friends, family or business for some short-term satisfaction. Integrity offers long-term rewards that can't be acquired any other way.

Personal Courage - Face fear, danger, or adversity with physical and moral courage.
Is a boss asking you to do something questionable? Watched the local bully pick on someone repeatedly? Been in a group that disparages a certain race or ethnicity? It may be safer to go along with the crowd, or do nothing at all. It takes inner strength to stand up to peer pressure, bullies, social challenges, and moral dilemmas. It's easy to be a follower?anyone can do that. True leadership requires all of one's audacity, nerve and 'guts' to negotiate the difficult roads that lie before us.

Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. These are values for everyone. No, they're not always easy to live up. Our standards are challenged all the time. We make mistakes. Hopefully, we learn from them, and over time, these values become a part of who we are.

The best news is that if we emulate these values singularly, we become a better people collectively. And that is why the values are so important. They set us apart from those who choose not to live up to them.

Highly successful business organizations, while maintaining core values, are willing to discard policies that are deemed to be unsuccessful at reinforcing those values. They also do not hesitate to change senior leadership, often bringing in outsiders to the organization to effect policy change. In contrast, military organizations rarely bring in new leadership to change organizational values and policies, and this limilts the organisation’s’ ability to effect significant change.

With all the turmoil in the markets, and an increasing catalogue of visible corporate failures, these are demanding times for many professions - and the more demanding the times, the more is demanded of leaders.

This means that leaders ought to be at the front, at least the conceptual front, of the action they are performing. For infantry squad leaders, the conceptual front is the front line. For a supply sergeant, the front where his action takes place may be more commonly in a rear area, but it is his front nonetheless and he is measured by his will power to perform successfully.

Tips for an Exceptional, Superb & Powerful Life!

2008-04-24T00:40:00.000-07:00

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate antidepressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. Always pray and make time to exercise.

4. Spend more time with people over the age of 70 And under the age of Six.

5. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants And eat less foods that are manufactured in Plants.

6. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

7. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

8. Clear your clutter from your house, car, desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.

9. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control.
Instead, Invest your energy in the positive present moment.

10. Realize that life is a school and you are here To learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum
That appear and fade away like algebra class .......but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

11. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a layman And dinner like a beggar .

12. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

13. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

15. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

16. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

17. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no Idea what their journey is all about.

18. Frame every so-called disaster with these Words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

19. Forgive everyone for everything.

20. What other people think of you is none of your Business.

21. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time!

22. However good or bad a situation is, it will Change.

23. Your job won't take care of you when you are Sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch with them.

24. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

25. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all You need. God provides, remember?!

26. The best is yet to come.

27. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

28. Call your family often.

29. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

30. Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast Pass. You only have one ride through life so make The most of it and enjoy the ride.

LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH. LIFE'S A gift. that's why it's called PRESENT ... UNWRAP IT! Have a Blessed day. Please share with friends!