Serendipity and Learning

A few years back, I had two reportees working with me in a team. Both were hi-potential and had reached this level with good feedback. This was the time they could both have scaled to head the team - because the team was under me for a short duration - almost as a transition, until one of them could take over. But the catch was that only one could lead the team. It was difficult. A was very good with data, made zero mistakes at work and was very reliable. B was equally good with data, very diligent and reliable. On the face of it very little to choose from.  But over a few interactions, I realised one big difference.  Whenever I went to A with a situation and a possible solution - A only saw constraints. Why something cannot be done, why something had to be done only in one particular way or why this was something we had to live it. All in all a pretty draining conversation - filled with "no, but".  Whenever I went to B with a situation and a possible solution - B saw pos...

Continuing from Leadership BS  Why do leaders think they are leaders? Once you attend leadership programs workshop, read it, see it, talk about it - you end up believing you are doing all of it - while you are not doing it in reality.  And leaders begin believe their own story. And this happens not just to leaders, happens to athletes, businessmen, artists and so on... And they begin to believe that they are infallible and then boom! So, how to ensure a reality check? 

As a leader we often expect our subordinates to take whatever feedback we give in a positive manner. Somehow as a leader we put the onus on the receiver.  I have a different view on this.  As a leader, it is your duty to learn the skills of giving feedback. Just because you happen to be in a position of authority doesn't mean that you feeedback will be taken whichever way you give it.  So, at the first point when you have people reporting upto you - please do yourself and the organization and the people who work with a favour and learn how to give feedback (all types).  It is a great foundation for your career ahead, leadership skills and the culture of the team and the company.  Sure there are examples of people who did not have this skill - but you dont have to be that way. You can tread a different path. 

The last few weeks I interacted with a few senior leaders who I admire and there was a certain commonality to the discussion.  One of them told me how their ex-boss of many years ago still calls them up on their birthday and anniversary. It might seem trivial, but he knew this ex-boss when he was a Management Trainee 20 years ago.  Another leader mentioned to me how today if someone falls like, they are fairly unlikely to get a call/ping/inquiry from the manager on how they are. It is "as if some work is affected, but nothing more than that". There were other people who took a day off only to find her inbox promptly filled for next days deliverables.  The third example was of a team that appreciated their leader. A leader who was simply present during 1:1s, fully. No phones, no distractions - turn on video and fully present. And the leader did the same during long review meetings - asking good questions. The net result? An incredibly motivated and charged team - who says,...

When we get trained on coaching, conversations veer towards emotions. The assumption being that there is a significant emotion driving the person. The assumption is valid, but the reality is that a lot of corporate coaching is still at a cognitive level and a coach, one has to see it from this practical lens. Therefore, the job of the coach may not (always) be to get to the emotional level, but to watch out for patterns, ask questions that provoke deep thought, encourage the coachee to see and acknowledge blind spots, and move them toward action, expand their own identity by getting to step out of comfort zones and in all this, ensure that they are still focused on their strengths and remain authentic... As I wrapped the year with a few of my coachees, here is what they typically said: Sounding board Enable me to see blind spots Keep me honest Push me to go beyond comfort zone Identify patterns Support Systems [Initial thoughts...need to expand]

Working with leadership teams can be difficult. For mainly 2 reasons. One, they often come with a "been there done that" attitude. I say often because it is not so prevalent. And also because it is the lesser of the evils. And it is a solvable problem for a facilitator because they see themselves as experts in their domains not yours. They get to this stage if anything you bring (rather, much of what you bring) comes without any new perspective or insight. So if you see the audience get bored, distracted - most likely this is cause number 2. (How do I know? Because I have encountered facilitators who often come back with complaints about the attitude - and most likely this is one issue). The second issue is how much is the leader involved? invested? If the program/initiative is supported by the leader and endorsed, it is a win. But it is an even greater win if the leader is invested in it - and a part of it as well - actively participating, being a part of it without bei...

Trek guides have a difficult time. Their lives are filled with loaded questions of the "Have you stopped beating your wife" kind. No answer will be right. I have written about this earlier, on the learnings from a trek guide . The recent trek we undertook, the guide used a similar 'language'. The perfect balance between authority and free for all. The perfect balance between fear and abandon. The perfect balance between discipline and fun. He kept us on time - each time - he would give us a time and stick to it. He correctly estimated the time it would take for a bunch of people in their 40s and a bunch of energetic kids to reach the place (any place). He took a call on where we should be eating. He kept an eye on the weather and smiled each time his calls were proved right. He kept the group in sight by splitting the local guide to lead and himself bringing up the rear. And after all this, you have the laggards (us) asking him questions like, How am I do...

The story of Israel is inspiring. And this is a story by Shimon Peres, one of the founding fathers of the country, so to say. After getting a recommendation on reading this book, it waited on my shelf for its turn to arrive. The book itself is worth a read. More importantly, here are my takeaways on what it means to be a leader from this book. For one, A reader must prepare hard. Work hard. In different situations. Be Prepared for any opportunity that might cross her way. Listen; listen well; listen actively... Take risk: it is only after we see failure that we will know if we misjudged the risk. Open new possibilities Optimism and naivete are not one and the same... Make the hard decisions that leadership demands (and therein lies one of the most important tenets - as a leader you cannot escape facing and making tough decisions. If all one had to do was to take easy decisions, one does not need leaders.) Standing still is not an option, despite many successes Seek and hav...

Much has been written about the Indian cricket team and how one respected coach resigned (or was asked to resign) and how another one has taken over. There are reams written about it elsewhere on the mechanics of it, but here is my two cents on how this can play out. Think of a business. That is doing very well today. And like all businesses, it is caught in its own narrative fallacy - of how its business model, its mode of working is indestructible - until the nimble competitor knocks its socks off. This can happen to businesses, sports persons, teams, individuals - anyone who doesn't take life (or work or anything else) as a continuous developmental effort. Also known as hubris. Sometimes from the leadership. Sometimes as a culture. Whatever the reason, any business or individual or team who is complacent to believe that they are good enough will soon be knocked off their pedestal. For the cricket team - they are on a high now. The coach is expected to work with the team t...

A few weeks ago, we went on a fairly arduous (by our standards) trek. We had a guide taking us over somewhat difficult terrain. None of the trekking team members were experienced - they were as good as first timers with varying levels of fitness. There were many challenges - distance, climb, weather, terrain, language - and he had no idea who this team was and we had no idea who he (and his team) was. The trekking team was 5 members plus 7 helpers (cook, porter, helper) led by a guide. The team started with a lot of enthusiasm - as all teams do and burnt themselves before the first rest stop. Not that we realized it - except for the huffing and puffing - but he gave us an unscheduled stop and asked us to have lunch. That automatically slowed us down. Lesson: Pace your team Day 1 night there was a terrible storm - the kind of which I have never seen in my life. It was a blizzard, rains, strong winds, tents threatening to get uprooted - and while the team panicked, this guide was ...

This leadership chat by Raghu Raman is mind-blowing at many levels. Hats off to the Indian Army. What he talks about leadership is amazing though - something that can be equalled in air-conditioned conference rooms. This is raw stuff - the real stuff if  you will. Tempted to write a few quotes, but well, view the whole thing if you are in any way connected to leadership development. 

Started reading 'Talent Masters' and it started off with an example of GE. That got me curious - not that I did not know about it, but have not read about the Crotonville (Jack Welch) center of late. I found these two pieces, one from Wharton and one from HBR . Both are good reads, but more than that, the book and the above articles point to the fact which have been my theme in the recent past that 'Driving Change cannot be outsourced'. As a leader, as a manager, you have to get into it, be a part of the change driving process. That means, you need to be seen on the floor, leading, in the class, teaching, or coaching and mentoring. Without that, it will be, whatever proverbial equivalent you can think of. The good part of it is 'students' seeing their leaders lead from the front, teaching, interacting and so  - which is obvious, but it also helps leaders 'see' the next gen leader and become more aware of their own style and get a peek into what p...

I have written about this before , but, if you want to build change in the organization, would you not use your managers to drive it? I mean, engage an external consultant by all means, but your managers have to lead the charge and your leaders have to be viscerally engaged in the change process. That means it is not enough if your managers and leaders are certified in a (any) methodology and they regurgitate it. ( See here  on why that might not be enough.) But it is an interesting question. On how does one build change? Change culture? The answer is in the sustenance of the change. What happens at a session is an event. But culture change is not an event. It is a process. A long drawn out process. And it is necessarily led by the leaders. And their reportees. And their reportees. And so on. A friend was talking about an Indian services company to me. This company sponsors major running events today (yes, go take a guess). In this company, from the top down, the company i...

As someone who has led teams and been on teams led by a variety of leaders, I believe that the leader is accountable for anything you see on a team. Any thing you see on any team, there are only two ways to interpret it. Either the leader wants it that way or the leader is blissfully unaware of what is happening in the team. If there are issues in the team (of any nature), and the leader has not acted to resolve it - it only means that the leader has not done enough to change it or is happy to let the status quo continue. There is no third way at all. For a short span of time it is possible that the leader may not be aware of certain issues - but the moment she is made aware of it, the leader has to act - decisively. If the leader does not - there are only two possibilities - the leader chooses not to or the leader is not effective. PV Narasimha Rao, the former Indian Prime Minister once said - Not doing anything is a conscious choice and he was a master tactician - but not ever...

Yesterday, a historic election result happened in India. For the first time, a non-Congress party, the BJP got a majority by itself. This is unprecedented, even unexpected. But the last 10 years Congress has provided insipid, corruption ridden, uninspiring leadership that has led India slip in all possible indices. On the contrary, the incumbent, Narendra Modi has turned his state over his 14 year rule into a powerhouse. The leadership styles could not be contrary. I will not delve into the political nuances of it - since this is a blog on learning. What is leadership? Some lessons for people in the corporate ladder and worklife and perhaps in life as well - since leadership lessons largely tend to be the same everywhere. Leadership is being visible, being active, right at the front. Back seat drivers exist only in cars, not in leadership. It means, facing questions, talking, communicating.The Prime Ministers victory speeches exemplify this and his style of functioning so far - ...

I recently had the privilege of reading Business Sutra. The book is a thought provoking read to say the least. As any creative mind would say, in order for the mind to be creative, it is important for the mind to open, expand, gather in a greater range - this book does that by using Indic (mostly Hindu, but smattering of Jain and Buddhist) line of thought to explain some of the 'sutras' of business and management. It comes across a little different - because mostly we would not have encountered anything along these lines of thought.  Throughout business school, business is from seen from a mostly western perspectives (and the only Indian companies that we referred to are used to mostly as Lalaji businesses - with barely any good thing heard about them except perhaps the 'parta' system of accounting). Through many pages as I read it, I realize that Human Resources in India has much to harness from Indian Itihasa and Purana which it has not – with the r...