Every waking moment of our lives, we involuntarily weave stories; stories about people around us, about our context, problems / challenges and even stories about ourselves. Stories are powerful, they influence our behaviors, actions and decisions. This in turn impacts our reality. When we tell ourselves a positive story, our actions are affirmative and energizing, … Continue reading Incessant Stories We Tell
Tag: leadership
Culture shift – lessons from nature
Last few weeks, I have been intrigued by the hibiscus flowers in our terrace garden. In the first sun rays, I would see the buds hanging low, slightly bent under their weight. As I returned from my morning walk, the bright red hibiscus smiled cheerfully at the world. I wondered how long does it … Continue reading Culture shift – lessons from nature
‘Not to Judge’ – a difficult leadership lesson
We come across several situations in our lives – both personal and professional – when we tend to judge others’ actions as ‘right or wrong’, ‘acceptable or unacceptable’, ‘wise or not so wise’……. Let’s take an example: Say, a good assignment providing strong exposure and bright prospects for accelerated career growth has come up. Employees … Continue reading ‘Not to Judge’ – a difficult leadership lesson
Manager who always pushes the envelop
It is difficult to work with a manager who continuously pushes the envelope. However, this behavior enables his / her team members to learn, experiment, and do the very best, even surpassing their own expectations. They truly unleash the hidden potential. Agreed, working with such managers is not easy, can be truly frustrating… how about calling it the ‘cost of learning’, the ‘cost of becoming a better professional’ Maybe, it’s worth all the associated pain!
Visibility trap – beyond the chosen few…
It’s human to fall into Visibility Trap – not to take chances when putting together a team for key project or an important task. It’s natural to include people whom we trust, who have contributed in the past. It needs conscious effort to go beyond the obvious and continuously look for new people who can be included.
Making constructive feedback enjoyable 
Sharing constructive feedback is not something many people look forward to. What makes this conversation especially difficult is the difference in perspective: the person giving the feedback is likely to have a very different perspective from the person receiving it. It is hard for either member to know other’s perspective, and even harder to appreciate and acknowledge it. Four steps that can make this conversation inspiring 1. Start with intent 2. Understand the current reality faced by the receiver, share your feedback 3. Agree on common outcomes. 4. Explore options
The comfort of convention
Convention provides comfort… and natural gravitation towards it is understandable. Yet, what does it mean for our lives? work? organization? The same old! Same old everywhere…. Question for organizations, teams and individuals is to reflect: what can be done to break out of this comfort
Circle of Competence
The forty-five years of reign by Queen Elizabeth 1 was one of triumph and success, inspiring loyalty and creativity in her citizens. However, when she ascended the throne in 1558, her country was in a precarious political situation. What was her key to success? Of course, she had excellent education and was a survivor. However, … Continue reading Circle of Competence
Cultivate Naysayers
What emotions do naysayers stir in us? Irritation? Frustration? Anger? Or Joy? Relief? Imagine that you along with few members have worked on a solution for days or maybe weeks. You are excited and want to take inputs from larger team. What will be the natural tendency? To discuss it with folks who are likely … Continue reading Cultivate Naysayers
When deliverables are missed….
When deliverables are missed, lack of time management or prioritization are assumed to be the reason, there could be a deeper issue lurking behind..
Perspectives 