Saturday 17 July 2021

Video led Discussion on Leadership









 I have been covering in my blog the webinars organized by Bija training under their Mask leadership series that provide insights to the viewers for becoming  better leaders. Dr Anuj Kacker, President and ED Aptech Ltd,  the speaker on 23rd June 2021 chose to include many videos during the discussion to drive home his points . At the outset, the speaker was keen to dispel any myths that we may have about leadership. As for example we tend to believe that all leaders should have the ability to speak (Showed videos of Hitler and Lalu Prasad Yadav speaking in effective yet totally different styles) or have a dynamic/charismatic personality (showed a video of M.K.Gandhi).  Dr Anuj  stated that he neither had the speaking prowess of great speakers or a magnetic personality like that of Gandhi and yet he was a leader. It is necessary to keep aside these attributes and see in what ways may a leader contribute. 

Generally, a leader is expected to inspire and motivate, show an intention to influence people while giving them some direction and exercising some control. He/She is endowed with some authority and also has  the responsibility for the end result. Looked at this way, we are all leaders in different situations and times. We tend to assume the responsibilities and requirements when in the role. According to the speaker, practical experience gained from situations is what enables one to develop leadership skills rather than mere theoretical inputs. The onus is on the person in a leadership position to constantly improve, during the journey. Dr Anuj said that leadership qualities "cannot be emulated.Each person has to develop his/her own style."  

To underscore the importance of people working in harmony in a company, the speaker showed a video of the maestro Mozart guiding his symphony orchestra with motion of hands and body. It is a wonderful metaphor for an organization. If people play well their own tunes in disharmony, it will not serve the interests of the organization. Dr Anuj then went on to show videos of conductors performing using varying styles to draw attention to the point that leaders may use different - own unique style, suitable for themselves and team, so long as they are successful and get the desired results.  

The videos shared during the evening included that of Grammy award winner, Riccardo Muti,  whose style and body movements suggested that he expected strict compliance to instructions. There is no scope for any change under his leadership. We then saw the video of a conductor who employed a slow, calm, composed body language. He let his team perform organically. Here, the leader seems to say "The music is already written; the job is known, they just have to be left alone to to do what they know best without interference". Another video featuring an Austrian conductor showed him with eyes closed, giving space to his musicians to perform without clear instructions. 

We then had a video featuring conductor Johann Strauss who used a smooth dancing style, creating a happy place with everyone feeling a partner in the process. In the final video of the evening, the conductor Goldstein (could not get his first name), appeared to have  reached a stage where he trusted  his team's ability to deliver  without  interference. There was minimal facial expression or hand movement. 

Dr Anuj summed up the talk reiterating what he said all through the evening namely development of a leadership style unique to yourself and the situation you are operating in and also catering to the changing needs and demands of the customer. While conducting his orchestra, the conductor Leonard Bernstein used to  encourage audience involvement and inputs. He is known as the "Benchmark for outreach and engagement".  Similarly in corporates, engagement with your team and the employees of the organization has become a basic requirement. A start up would need to come up with new rules and styles of working ,for engaging bright new employees and adapting to a changing environment. 

During question time, I asked as to how we could address the problem of most companies in India having the "wrong people in leadership positions" resembling the conductor Riccardo Muti who does not allow any autonomy and demands strict compliance to his instructions? In line with the stand he had been taking all the while, Dr Anuj said that he did not believe that a 'particular style of leadership' was either  'good' or 'bad' and that what matters was the end results achieved. However,  the speaker himself stated while discussing Muti, that as many as 700 musicians had at one time, resigned en masse from his team, unhappy with his working style.

To my mind, working with the millennials who will shortly comprise of the majority of the work force , is a different ball game altogether. What worked with earlier generation of employees are not likely to work with them. Harmony like in an orchestra, may be better established with millennials when we give them more freedom, autonomy and repose trust in their abilities. Further, it is high time that companies became transparent enough to declare their 'real' expectations instead of couching it in 'nice to hear language' such as " We believe in work life balance" when they expect people to put in 12 hours a day or " Teamwork is the most cherished value in our company" when they actually look up to individual contributions and reward people on that criteria. The least they can do is to be transparent like Amazon whose employees know they have a tough grind and still take it up because they love that kind of challenge.  

I would like to conclude this post showcasing  the main point that the speaker of the day Dr Anuj  drew attention to in a unique, engaging and entertaining manner whole through the evening-  There is not one leadership style. Do not look to copy or emulate some one else's style; nurture and develop your own  style  through observation, self analysis and practice!     

Friday 2 July 2021

Unwavering Focus on Goals










In this blog  we will discuss the gist of a webinar on the important subject of 'Focus' organized in January 2021 by  Bija Training under their Mask Leadership series featuring Mr Diwakar Subramamanian, Director Cognizant Technology Solutions. The speaker started off by saying that human beings  are amazing 'goal setters' but poor 'goal geters'. We are not sufficiently paying attention to, or rather are not focused on  achieving the goals set. In the times that we presently live, there is a lot of information overload unlike in the time of our ancestors. A good amount of time is spent on What's app and other social media channels. So much so, we have no time to read books or to chat with a neighbour. we are not aware of the nature and quantity of information consumed by us everyday. 

The speaker said that according to roberts.edu( Roberts Wesleyan College),  a person has 75,000 thoughts and makes 35,000 decisions every day, right from what clothes to wear for the day. The first step is to become aware of the decisions you are taking and what has been its efficacy- To what extent the intended result happened. It means you are being distracted if you are not aware of what you are thinking. The first 10 minutes of the day and how well you utilized it, will determine how your whole day is going to go. Therefore be sure to use the beginning of the day positively and productively. 

Mr Diwakar said NLP provides information on the working of the subconscious mind. It helps to be aware of the number of times you are checking your what's app. 'Journaling' ( recording daily experiences, thoughts and activities) is a good way of keeping track; it provides clues as to whether you have achieved anything during the day. The speaker said that if something was not happening as per plan, he had a developed a tool of setting "Worrying time" from 2 to 3 PM on Sundays. With this done, he could tell the mind "No more distracting thoughts or wasting time now. Your concerns will be addressed at the worrying time on Sunday. Now get on with the work!" 

 We all have mood swings. In the book "The Mood Elevator: Take charge of your feelings, Become a better you", the author Larry. E. Senn , a culture consultant, discusses a tool he has created to monitor mood shifts. By using the Mood Elevator, you become aware of your state of mind and use your feelings as guide to the quality of your thinking. Don't let unhealthy thoughts become so normal that you don't notice them. Gratefulness, which Senn calls "the overriding emotion" is at the top of the mood elevator as "it is almost impossible to be grateful and at the same time be angry, depressed, irritated or self righteous".  Once we accept the fact that moods aren't something that happens to us but are results of our thinking, we can do something to control them or at least manage them better. Diwakar said that it took him two years to get insights in this regard. 

The speaker gave a tip to have clarity and focus on your top 3 goals. If there are too many goals, focus tends to be diffused and tests our will power. Focus on the top 3 goals- Top 3 goals for the day, the week, month and year. He said that having a daily score card to monitor what you have achieved as against the goals is a good method advocated by Marshall Goldsmith. Measuring what you are doing in all areas be it zero mails to be attended in the inbox, visit to Gym,  the daily meditation. Your spouse can be an ally helping you to monitor progress. 

To a question from the audience, as to whether meditation helps in focusing on the goals, speaker replied in the affirmative and quipped"Just as Gym attends to the body, meditation attends to the mind". It helps to clear the clutter and improves concentration. Various types of meditation are available . Focus on one thing at a time for 10 minutes. Block your calendar and shut off all distractions. Start small, even with 5 minutes daily it works out to 150 minutes in a month. 

For the measurement of goals, have a short term (Lead measure)  to a longer term (Lag measure) measurement plan. Going to Gym would be your lead measure and your monthly achievement is your lag measure.  Split you annual goals into monthly goals and then arrive at the daily goals. Now focus on the present, on your daily goals. 

To another question from the audience as to "How to say 'No' to oneself and to others" in order to be able to focus on the essentials, the speaker recommended reading the book " The Art of Saying No" by Damon Zahariades. Being able to say 'No' to frequently checking the mobile, not giving in to spouse's request or boss's demand every time, can all save valuable time that can be used to accomplish unwavering focus on the goals!