Moving Blog Posts to www.tojoeapen.com/blog

Dear friends, readers,

I have moved my blog posts to www.tojoeapen.com/blog.

This page, www.tojoeapen.blogspot.in will be removed in the coming weeks and all my future posts will be on the new page.

Thank you for following, your valuable inputs and encouragement.

Look forward to connecting with you on www.tojoeapen.com/blog.

Sincerely,
Tojo

Tojo Eapen

Fundamental Question To Ask Yourself In Any Interaction

We have all sensed, acted or reacted based on this and would think it makes sense, even if it may be unconscious during our interactions.  Most expert communicators and socially intelligent people have inherently known and used this approach.  Thanks to neuroscience research, the findings provide a solid reason to understand this.

The fundamental question to ask yourself in any interaction:

AM I CREATING A "TOWARD" (APPROACH) STATE OR "AWAY" (AVOID) STATE IN MY INTERACTIONS?

This applies to any interaction in our world of work and personal relationships.

According to neuroscience studies:

• Our brains are more tuned to picking up threats in the environment and the threat response is easily triggered.
• It is easier to cause aggravation than it is to help other think rationally and creatively.
• In the threat state, our brain is disengaged due to related activity and 'noise', resulting in reduced cognitive performance. There is also a high possibility of an "emotional hijack". We also know that emotions are contagious and can spread.
• The organizing, overarching principle of the brain is to minimize danger (threat state) and maximize rewards (towards state).
• If a stimulus is associated with positive emotions, it will most likely lead to an approach response; if it is associated with negative emotions, it will lead to an avoid response.  From our experiences, we know that we naturally try to avoid uncomfortable interactions, situations or difficult people.
• An approach response is synonymous with the idea of engagement and closely linked to positive emotions.

So next time you think about starting a conversation in person, over the phone or virtually, ask yourself: Do I want to create a "towards" (approach) state or an "away" (avoid) state? How can I create a "towards" state?

In the world around you, what percentage of "towards" state interactions vs. "away" state interactions do you notice?

Reference, Recommended Reading:
SCARF..., David Rock: http://www.your-brain-at-work.com/files/NLJ_SCARFUS.pdf

How Much Of You Is Your Job Title or Position? Importance of Humility & Wisdom

To my dear friends, colleagues and readers,

Here are some questions for you:

If you were to lose your important position, title or social status today,

1. What would happen to you?
2. How would you feel, behave?
3. How would your existing relationships shift? How would they respond?

Many people in today's world seem to lose touch with their authentic selves once they get used to the trappings of an important corporate job, title and perceived power.  Humility goes down.  Arrogance creeps in.  Ego grows rapidly.  Respect factor goes down. A feeling of invincibility kicks in.

One starts believing or over relying on one's belief, status of positions and unconsciously start feeling that these will last forever.  

Why does one need to reflect and be aware of the line between confidence and over confidence/arrogance?

Like most things in life, nothing lasts forever.  Life involves ups and downs, successes and challenges, pleasures and pains.  Sometimes, unexpected shifts in one's life can cause lots of pain, be humbling and bring one to reality that we are  all in fact mortal.  They may come forth in the form of unexpected job challenges, health issues with self or loved ones, losing someone close, personal issues etc.

If most of your relationships are formed and defined around your perceived social status and not your authentic selves, it may be helpful to be prepared for surprises and pains when life starts to present difficult moments. 

It is helpful to be in touch with one's own authentic self and values.  When the rough times appear, this prepares one more to maneuver through, similar to an anchor that holds a ship stable in rough waters. In today's socially networked world, corporate or social hierarchy does not necessarily indicate level of influence or impact. Therefore, it's helpful to be aware of arrogant behavior and where that may or may not lead one to. 

Letting go of the trappings even for a bit can be a refreshing experience and reality check for oneself and the world of relationships.

I think most of us go through similar scenarios as we progress in our careers and lives.  What is important is to build awareness, consciousness, learning and wisdom. This will help to navigate rough waters whenever they come next.

According to Professor Ursula Staudinger, a life span psychologist and professor at Columbia University, true personal wisdom involves five elements. They are self-insight; the ability to demonstrate personal growth; self-awareness in terms of your historical era and your family history; understanding that priorities and values, including your own, are not absolute; and an awareness of life’s ambiguities.

Wishing you humility, wisdom and true success in your journey.

Additional Suggested Reading: Top five regrets of the dying, http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/01/top-five-regrets-of-the-dying

Trust Guidance for Leaders

One of the common discussions that I've come across in leadership discussions in organizations is "How do we build trust?".  I've thought about this question from two perspectives - building trust at an individual level and at an organizational level.  If one wonders what the difference is, trust needs to start with individual actions in direct interactions and they have to be manifested to a wider audience or stakeholders through organizational processes, practices and systems. Multiple studies have found that trust is a crucial factor for team performance, including in sports. This applies to any type of organization.

This post focuses on the individual aspect.  Trust can be built more consciously at an individual level with fundamental actions - which I term as "Trust Guidance".  For someone wondering about how to build trust, these are useful starting points.  These come from direct observations, and work with leaders and organizations.

1. Be visible.
Don't get too busy with meetings and spend most time within closed doors.  All stakeholders especially your team members have a high need to see their leaders.  As human beings, visibility is reassuring and builds certainty and confidence (neuroscience research findings support this).

2. Be respectful. 
Being respectful in your direct and virtual interactions, irrespective of organizational levels are huge motivators for individuals. The lower you go, the more charged up and motivated individuals are when they feel leaders found time for them, even to have a short conversation or acknowledgement. People also go through good and bad phases at work or personal lives.  Respecting their space, especially during bad phases go a long way to building commitment and trust.

3. Be aware of self and impact of one's behaviors and actions on others.
Take time to understand yourself, what drives you, your values, principles, strengths, development areas.  Self awareness is the starting point of any development effort. Next stage is to understand others around you and your impact of actions on people around.  Trust is a two way street and someone needs to extend a hand forward first to get the process of interactions into motion.

4. Be authentic, consistent in behaviors and actions.  
Be yourself. Don't try to be someone else. Most people are smart enough to see through 'fake' personalities. This does not indicate the license to do whatever to be oneself, rather being aligned to  values and principles which are built as part of self awareness.  Practice what you preach.  Admit mistakes with accountability when they happen and share recognition when success is achieved.  It is also helpful to explain your thinking approach as people think differently about a certain topic and may struggle to see the rationale in another person's approach.

5. Be open to discussions, while being conscious of biases.
Having the openness to discuss aspects that you may not agree with and have a strong view about, may help you see many possibilities and ideas that are otherwise missed.  Sometimes, it helps to be open about the fact that you have a strong view for a certain reason.  It also encourages others to share ideas and thoughts with you without fear. Presence of fear is one of the biggest barriers to trust.  Nobody wants to be the 'emperor with the naked clothes' but there is a probability of unknowingly becoming one with and it becomes very difficult to call someone out when the perceived power distance is higher.  Being vulnerable, even to some extent is a big factor for others to see the humanness and accessibility.

6. Be fair in approach and communicate, especially tough choices.
People can live with tough choices if they feel it was based on a fair process and they're not being misled into believing so. Many times, lack of visibility to the process or the way it was communicated or absence of it, result in difficult scenarios and contradictions for everyone involved.

7. Reflect constantly and make necessary changes.
Take out some thinking time with yourself or with your social network, coaches or mentors who can help with your thinking process and getting to more clarity on changes and actions. Everyone has a different scenario to think about and there are no perfect answers that address all scenarios. Observing, reflecting and adjusting your approaches accordingly would help you figure out the best approach for your environment.

Are there any other fundamental starting points in your view?

Best wishes on your leadership journey...

Absolute ‘Must Haves’ For High Performing Teams In Any Environment

How many teams does one work with in a lifetime?  A collection of multiple teams working efficiently towards common goals are fundamental to the success of any program or organization.  It is therefore important for leaders to build a shared understanding and definition for high performance (individual and team).  After having worked in and with various diverse teams as a member and consultant (sometimes ones with major issues), the following factors or elements seem ‘non negotiable’, in order to develop a high performing team.  

1. Self & Social Awareness - Self awareness is the fundamental building block of any development effort, either at the individual or team level.  Strong self and social awareness are consciously developed using appropriate tools or assessments (eg. Team Management Profile) and conscious practices.  If practiced well in a consistent manner, they result in a high degree of personal trust, and creation of “friend, not foe”/“towards, not away” frames (Daniel Goleman’s ‘Social Intelligence’, David Rock’s ‘Quiet Leadership’). The leader spends time with team members actively listening, coaching and empowering (not controlling or answering questions always). He/she is conscious about keeping his or her own ego and biases under check. The perception of fairness within the team is strong. Enabling a learning environment ensures that team members are encouraged to stretch, acknowledge mistakes & learn to make necessary adjustments with accountability.  Team members feel encouraged to flourish and find meaning in their work, not restricted or controlled. 

2. Key Stakeholders/Outside-In Perspective - These teams are aware of and always work with the key stakeholder perspectives (Dave Ulrich & Norm Smallwood use the term, "Outside-In"), while developing their Points of View.  To start with, they map out key internal and external stakeholders and work towards building strong relationships.

3. Purpose of Existence - Through the leaders initiative and facilitation, the team builds together clear, inspiring answers to these key questions: Why do we exist as a team? What is our common vision and purpose? How do we achieve value for our key stakeholders?

4. Clarity of Roles/Responsibilities - There is a strong understanding of each others’ roles and responsibilities, and how they practically interface with each other. These are aligned with the core objectives. I’ve found this area to be a big cause of frustration and conflicts within teams and the reality is that it is very difficult to document everything into a single ‘roles & responsibilities’ document in today’s constantly evolving environments. In cases where misalignment or confusion appears, clarity needs to be forged through constant open dialogues (facilitated by the leader or an expert). This will work smoothly only if the social and self awareness competencies of the team have been consciously developed in the beginning.     

5. Diversity - For a high performing team, diversity in thinking, work preferences and approaches are essential. Mutually complementary and supporting skills ensure that there is a healthy spread of task, behavioral preferences and strengths.  Diversity has the potential to create more stress and challenging environments in the beginning, sometimes resulting in in negative conflicts but the potential for achievement is much higher if the social and awareness factors are addressed proactively. Constructive challenges help a team push a team further, without needing to wait for external stimuli.  Managing diversity can also serve as a strong test and development for the leader’s maturity, emotional intelligence and leadership skills. Michael Watkins (First Hundred Days) noted that organizations can be like organisms - they repel any new or foreign body entering the system. Diversity keeps a team open and sensitive to competitive challenges or strategic shifts and challenges 'herd' mentality.

6. Focus/Priorities - Most teams get inundated with demands over time and have the constant challenge of delivering more than they can support.  High performing teams and leaders build clarity around the right priorities and results, through reflection, active dialogues, alignment with key stakeholders and focusing their intense efforts accordingly. The performance management and reward systems are aligned accordingly. This also relates to clarity on goals, expectations and progress reviews at the individual level.  In his recent HBR article “The Focused Leader”, Daniel Goleman noted that a primary task of leadership is to direct attention.

For any leader of a team, it is helpful to ask oneself what percentage of time is spent reflecting on or discussing these topics - individually and with the team (especially during the early phases of a team’s forming and norming stages)? Most teams spend majority of their time discussing practical issues at hand or technical topics.  If a leader does not facilitate and enable the building blocks of team development especially in the early stages, and constantly follow-up on these elements, she or he will spend a lot more time later thinking about and sorting out related issues.  

It is never too late to start. This important team development capability needs to be built either internally with HR support or with external experts.  These factors become even more relevant and important for senior level teams with high impact on the overall organisation.  

Are there any other ‘must-haves’ in your view?

Best wishes...

'The Leadership Code' - Applications for Global Leaders

The topic of effective leadership has been thought about and dissected from various perspectives.  I have also spent quite a bit of time reflecting and learning from various angles (recent posts - http://tojoeapen.blogspot.in/2014/01/leading-world-food-for-thought-for.html, http://theillusionofwork.wordpress.com/2013/07/16/what-do-we-need-from-our-leaders/), while observing, experiencing and working with leaders on practical aspects.  

I got an opportunity to read the draft of 'The Leadership Code' book written by Dave Ulrich, Norm Smallwood, and Kate Sweetman few years back.  My recent RBL group partner certification on the topic got me thinking again about related experiences, and its relevance globally.  The Leadership Code work reviews various models and research works and presents a strong, consolidated ('meta') view.  Having worked with global leaders, managers and HR over the years, I felt it would be beneficial to share some related thoughts and observations.  From my own experience, leaders undoubtedly have a huge impact (through their direct or indirect actions and behaviors) on how people within an organization feel and engage with customers and external stakeholders, and thereby how the external stakeholders perceive an organization through their interactions, connecting to results.

TLC recommends that the fundamental areas of focus for an effective leader include Personal Proficiency, Strategy, Execution, Talent Management and future Human Capital Development. 

In my observation, many leaders seem to spent majority of their time thinking about and working on the execution area.  It is natural, as most individuals are promoted to their leadership positions because they are very strong in execution.  The 'leadership passages' (Leadership Pipeline - Charan, Drotter, Noel) or transitions require leaders to reflect and rethink their approaches and practices, as they progress through their journey.  When it comes to leadership development programs, a lot of the focus seems to be on Personal Proficiency.  This is of course an important area but hopefully would not be at the expense of others.  Building a strategy might be less complicated for some leaders but communicating it consistently across and engaging with the organization through to the front lines, making it practical and aligning with the performance management system (which enables right execution) are complex steps.  It is important to note the distinction between execution at an individual level and execution at the organization level (requires different approaches).  Talent management tools exist in many organizations but what makes them valuable is an indepth understanding of the organization's talent and key drivers through day to day interactions and applications.  When future Human Capital Development is not given serious attention, the succession pipelines dry up or we miss to look at the critical roles in a changing environmental context with the relevant talent, resulting in heavy business impact.

A recent post by GE's CLO & VP of executive development Raghu Krishamoorthy, mentioned that most of their leaders, including their chairman spent at least 30% of their time on people related topics. Competent HR professionals and systems can play a huge role as enablers and support in building a balanced view and practical approach.  

An important question I would leave you with is - to consider if you would need to and how you could find a healthy balance of these areas on your leadership agenda.  The proportions may shift depending on business life cycle and other practical considerations but if as a leader, you miss out on eg. future Human Capital Development area citing business and operational emergencies, the probability of never getting out of them increases and building a sustainable organization for the long run remains a dream.

It helps for every organization (starting with top leaders) to clarify how leaders help balance today's priorities and future success, and the important role that leaders play to build sustainable organizations for the long run.

RBL Group also finds that while around 60 to 70% of leadership competency models reflect TLC, around 30% would ideally involve differentiators related to the organization's strategy and brand (which leads to a distinct 'Leadership Brand').

Wishing you happiness, success and wisdom...

A Decade of Cross Cultural Experiences in Four Fundamental Practices

After spending over a decade of my life in Finland/Europe and the U.S., and having had the great opportunity to interact and work with talented individuals and leaders from various cultural backgrounds and journeys, I wanted to synthesize and share some of my key experiences and lessons in cross-cultural experiences.  

Working and living across countries/cultures may present great opportunities and at the same time, they hold numerous challenges. The ability to work effectively with, lead and manage across cultures are competencies that are becoming very important in a world that continues to get smaller and closer, due to rapid advances in technology and social media. As glamorous as it may seem from a distance, adapting to and succeeding in a very different culture are not at all easy. Those who choose to be ignorant of this topic will lose great opportunities for personal and professional growth.  

There're numerous studies and research articles on this topic and some of my thinking has been influenced by them.  

"If you come to another's turf with empathy, sensitivity and open ears - what the Zen masters call 'beginner's mind' - you're halfway home". – Tom Peters

1. Respect

Being aware, sensitive to and noticing some of the key themes, norms and behaviors in a new environment constitute an important starting point. This can help one to understand how things work, life patterns flow and what is valued in that setting. Many of the norms would be very different from one’s own conditioning and would seem strange initially. Being respectful to individuals and cultural norms helps to adapt faster to any new environment. One would also need to be respectful of the differences and try to understand the background without being judgmental. There is a possibility of feeling disrespected or ignored, in some instances. Chances are that, not everyone in a different culture is aware of the nuances of your culture and interaction styles. Irrespective of how you feel initially, your mature approach and respectful presence can increase your acceptance, credibility and prevent you from getting stuck in a frustration zone.  

2. Openness To New Experiences Without Judging

This is vital for making progress in a different cultural setting. Stephen Covey's teaching, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood" is a very useful advice to keep in mind while interacting with people from a different culture. It is useful to be aware of our own biases and that our biases and environmental conditioning may easily lead us into the questioning, judging, confusing and eventually distrusting zone.  Individuals from different backgrounds can look at the same scenario and perceive it very differently.  Categorizing something in your mind as superior or inferior, right or wrong, good or bad etc. will impact your own thinking ability and responses to situations and people.  Open communication with authenticity is fundamental to avoiding misunderstandings. During initial stages of interactions, it's useful to explain the reason behind doing or asking for something that impacts others, and clarifying the same with others without creating a ‘threat’ state, when there are questions in your mind. This avoids confusion, especially in the initial stages of relationship building.

3. Flexibility

As mentioned earlier, I realized that my own way of seeing a topic was very different from how others from a different background related to the same topic.  Being flexible relates to building self-awareness and using that awareness effectively to understand and manage through various scenarios.  This would also mean shifting/stretching ways of thinking and adjusting/ changing one's own approaches.  Taking the responsibility to tackle an unpleasant situation with maturity and emotional intelligence requires a lot of flexibility, to flex one's own thinking frames. It's very useful to have a positive 'forgiving' and 'forgetful/let go' attitude with unpleasant experiences, while being aware of one's own learning.  Very seldom does anyone win an argument of being right or wrong.  'Co-regulation' beyond 'self-regulation' is very helpful.  Vicious responses only result in cycles of vicious interactions and stress, which take the relationships further into the red zone.  On the other hand, not engaging in a proactive, positive conversation results in increasing distance.  

4. Coping with the unknown and fear of failure

There're a lot of unknowns in a new environment. Finding information through formal and informal channels and making personal connections are very helpful to put one at ease initially. One has to also find relevant ways to accept, understand and cope with stress related to uncertainties of the new environment. It generally will take a certain amount of time before adjusting and feeling comfortable in a different cultural environment.  Patience is fundamental to work through times of frustration, disappointment and negativity.  It may not be uncharacteristic to go through a feeling of ‘being lost’ at times.  It is really important to find one's own support from ‘comfort zones’, secure bases and ‘connections’ in those situations.

It is helpful to be prepared for mistakes and misunderstandings along the way. Fear of failure can inhibit people from experimenting or experiencing new things, which reduce the impact of the cultural experience, knowledge and personal development. The normal tendency might be to stay within one's own comfort zones most of the time. 

According to a leading expert in this field Fons Trompenaars, "We need a certain amount of humility and a sense of humor to discover cultures other than our own; a readiness to enter a room in the dark and stumble over unfamiliar furniture until the pain in our shins reminds us of where things are."

Your willingness and openness to step into the new world can take you to a totally new dimension of personal growth, deep connections and confidence.  Enjoy the journey.  Best wishes…

Please share your valuable learning and experiences!

 Note:  The topic of 'culture' can be reviewed at different levels or frames.  I've tried to focus on the country culture aspect here.  Some of these practices can be useful in working through other aspects, like organizational culture differences.  

Leading the world - Food for thought for Corporate Leaders in India

As someone following the world of leadership, human capital and organization development discussions, I could not resist sharing some observations and food for thinking for corporate and business leaders in India.  The following themes appeared to me across conversations and experiences during my time in India.  There are of course many exceptions but one would need to openly challenge some notions, if more Indian companies and leaders aspire to be relevant in today’s connected world and tap into the high promise potential of our younger generations. 

1. The Big Picture
The popular expression, ‘Seeing the trees and not the forest’ seems to be a major area for many leaders to reflect on.

There seems to be a general tendency to focus heavily on the details and costs, without sufficient emphasis on critical strategic leadership elements like value creation, organizational alignment and stakeholder engagement.  While the technical aspects and analytical skills seem to be an area of strength, it is important to remember that as leaders of organizations, your mandate is much bigger. It may be comfortable to focus on tasks and activities that are more tangible in nature (‘comfort zone’) than those like discovering new business directions, making strategic choices or understanding the emotional quotient in your organisation. Organisations should indeed be efficient bodies with improving process and cost management - yet the need for finding new directions, being agile, adapting in a constantly shifting world in a sustainable manner, and the ability to ‘connect the dots’ is critical.  An important example of a real time topic is the recent discussion around the future of India’s IT sector and how companies need to evolve and flourish in a shifting environment. Communication, language skills and influencing across stakeholders can be challenging, yet critical. Cross cultural awareness and openness especially for companies and leaders expanding across the world is fundamental for success.

In his latest book ‘Focus’, Daniel Goleman notes that for leaders to get results, they need three kinds of focus – Inner focus (our intuitions, guiding values), Other focus (connections to the people in our lives) and Outer focus (larger world).

2. Understanding and Realising the Power of Human Capital.
How many leaders see high value in investing in a product or physical assets vs. investing in talented people? Are investments on talent management, human capital or leadership development seen with similar importance and bottom line impact (starting with the self)?  Who creates great products, services, strategies or innovations in organisations, and what leads to those creations?  What is the amount of discretionary effort that an individual has and can stretch in any effort? Seeing the golden link between business results and highly effective employee practices are fundamental to sustainable success.

A lack of concerted development effort results in a vicious cycle for an organization – eg. lack of investment in leadership development results in lack of quality thinking, reflection and improvement of leadership effectiveness at an individual and organizational level.  I've heard from few leaders that they're so busy running that they don't have time to stop and think. As a result, the focus tends to become narrow across the board (often unconscious).  The organization can help consciously provide that space.

For the non-believer, it might be worthwhile to think about the disruptions in many areas (especially technology) and generational shifts we have seen in recent times. One also could think about the Indians who have flourished in global environments like the U.S. and what the difference is.  Core factors like Certainty, Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose, Relatedness, Fairness (ref. David Rock/NeuroLeadership Group, Dan Pink) are relevant everywhere and should be actively adopted by leaders.

3. Challenging the status quo and changing traditional management approaches.
This is a major area for change and the need to change traditional management approaches to reflect today’s world is extremely high.  We still cling on to many approaches from previous century to manage organizations and workforces in 2014.  Even factors like restrictive hierarchies and mindsets haven’t shifted sufficiently to realize the potential of evolved knowledge work and potential.  As technologies turn the talent pyramid upside down for potential disruptions, a leader has to find a way to understand and truly tap into reframing one’s own mind map.  This does not mean that old ideas and philosophies become totally irrelevant.  Even institutions like Harvard are actively adopting and applying the age old wisdom of mindfulness and meditation to the business environment. 

There seems to be a reluctance to empower and trust across the organization.  Some of this may stem from the historical, cultural and environmental /social aspects of heavy competition and conflict. As a leader, one needs to think how he or she can build true collaboration and change such a culture or value system to enable significant output.  Role modeling is fundamental and well-designed HR systems can be strong enablers.

4. Wellbeing, Effectiveness of self and others
Last but not least, many findings today relate to individual wellbeing, effectiveness and personal sustainability.  It is not uncommon to find young professionals in India who spend lots of overtime at work, ignore exercise and a healthy lifestyle.  Many leaders also today seem to be heavily distracted, over worked, juggling too many things while ignoring the options to engage/empower team members, and apply the same principles and role modeling to their direct reports. Multiple research studies show the negative impacts of continuous high stress on mental and physical health. Combined with these working habits, the lack of exercise and constant overtime at work leads to a tired brain in a constant ‘threat’ state and poor decisions.  Neuroscience studies indicate that a tired brain does not support innovation or fresh thinking.

As a leader, how would you rate yourself on curiosity, interest in learning and applying some of the recent studies/findings to your ways of working?  The leading consulting firm Korn Ferry found that ‘learning agility’ is a fundamental trait among successful leaders.

There is not much doubt that having high quality leaders and talent are fundamental success drivers for any organization or even a country.  The sooner a leader realizes it, the better for the system and the people in it. Leadership starts at the individual level (with self-awareness, management) and needs to be developed consciously at the systems level for truly high impact. 

Leadership in government functions is probably a different discussion, with higher priority due to the scale and scope of impact on general public and seeming lack of current attention to the topic. 

Institutions (especially Universities) and organizations also play a key role in leading the drive for influencing and changing practices at a systemic level, even beyond their own countries. There is probably a higher need to communicate that information and interact actively with individuals (eg. leading universities in the U.S. using social media to disseminate latest studies and discussions). 

If you aspire to be a respected, world-class leader, I leave you with three final questions:

1. What Leadership Brand (ref. RBL Group) would you like to build for yourself?

2. What would you want your Leadership Legacy to be when you are not around?

3. If you’ve found one useful takeaway from this reading, what will you do about it next?

Curious and interested to hear your thoughts about this topic...

I wish you the very best on your journey. 

Few Notes of Wisdom for Reflection from 'How Will You Measure Your Life?' (Book by Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth, Karen Dillon)

• Solving the challenges in your life requires a deep understanding of what causes what to happen.
• "The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.  And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.  If you haven't found it yet, keep looking.  Don't settle.  As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it." - Steve Jobs
• Too many of us who start down the path of compromise will never make it back.
• What's most important to you in your career?
• Problem is that what we think matters most in our jobs often doesn't align with what will really make us happy.
• Good intentions are not enough...spend your resources consistent with your intentions.
• The opposite of job dissatisfaction isn't job satisfaction, but rather an absence of job dissatisfaction.

Are you building a sustainable organization?

Very Important for all leaders and boards to reflect on: ARE YOU BUILDING SUSTAINABLE ORGANIZATIONS?

As the discussions focus on economic challenges, changes, unpredictable environments, global dynamics and impact on organizations:
* How are the actions of leaders in your organization linked or measured with creating long term value and building organizations to last long term? 
 * How are leaders measured on this dimension? What behaviors does that encourage? 
 * How do boards and organizations find the right ratio in requiring leaders to create short term vs. long term value?

Importance of 'Practice' in Training Programs & Leadership Development - From 'Primal Leadership'

Improving an emotional intelligence competence takes months, rather than days, because the emotional centers of the brain are involved-not just the neocortex, the thinking brain where technical skills & purely cognitive abilities are learned...But the basal ganglia & its links to the emotional centers learn differently: To master a new skill, they need repetition & practice. That's why it's hard to learn leadership abilities effectively in a classroom.

A teacher can't instruct your brain circuits that carry old habits of leadership to relearn new habits. What's needed is practice: The more often a behavioral sequence repeats, the stronger the underlying brain circuits become. People thereby literally rewire their brains: Learning new habits strengthens pathways between neurons, and may even foster neurogenesis-growth of new neurons.

Notes from the book "Life Strategies" by Phillip McGraw

Recently completed reading "Life Strategies" by Phillip McGraw. Sharing some of my notes.

* Ask yourself: Do you really have a strategy in your life, or are you just reactively going from day to day, taking what comes?
* Problems and challenges almost never resolve themselves; they don't get better with inattention.
* Forget about being right or winning the argument about who is right. If what you're doing is not working, change it.
* Sometimes, the hardest part in learning something new is unlearning the old way of doing it.
* You are accountable for your life...If you don't accept accountability, you will misdiagnose every problem you have...By convincing yourself that you are a victim, you are guaranteed to have no progress, no healing and no victory.
* Bottom line: You are not a victim. You are creating the situations you are in; you are creating the emotions that flow from those situations...You must be willing to move your position, and, however difficult or unusual it may seem, embrace the fact that you own the problem.
* It is at the very core of human nature to blame other people; it is fundamental self preservation to try to escape accountability.
* The bad news is that the burden is on you. The good news is that the choice is yours.
* Abstract thoughts have the power to produce tangible and dramatic physiological events...Your physiology determines your energy and action level.
* Our most active and consistent dialogue is the conversation we have with ourselves.
* The principle of reciprocity simply says that "you get what you give." The manner, style and level you use to engage people will determine how they respond to you.
* Break out of your habitual doldrums. Climb out of that rut and look around...The longer you have been trapped in an irrational and painful lifestyle, the harder it is to create a new one.
* Knowing what you need to know and knowing how to do it are two very different things.
* If you won't take ownership of your role in a situation-then you cannot and will not change it.
* Denial, is what kills dreams. It kills hope.
* You can know a hundredfold today than you knew a week ago, but if you don't do anything about it, you aren't any more effective than you were last week, in your unenlightened state..Life rewards action.
* Lives move by trends and momentum...If you begin to do different things,..your actions will gain momentum.
* Choose to give yourself the chance. It's normal to be anxious and afraid, but you can't be dominated by the fear.
* Identify the filters through which you view the world. Acknowledge your history without being controlled by it..If you continue to view the world through a filter created by past events, then you are allowing your past to control and dictate both your present and your future...You are undeniably accountable for how you react to it 'now'.
* Get to know your limiting beliefs so well that if one begins to show even a hint of its presence, alarms will go off and you will counteract it.
* Simply put, never in your life are you without problems and challenges.
* Long established fact of psychological functioning is that it is not so much the particular circumstance that upsets the person involved, as it is the violation of his or her expectations.
* You shape the behavior of those with whom you interact.
* Don't give in to your negative momentum. Require more of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and behaviorally.
* You are your number one worldly resource. Manage it and manage it well.

Best wishes for a happy 2011.

Six Ways HR Leaders Can Become More Effective Business Partners ("The Talent Masters")

From the book, The Talent Masters by Bill Conaty and Ram Charan.

1. Understand your business and industry dynamics
* Financials and key operating levers that affect your business
2. Build your HR vision and strategies around the business model
3. Become problem solvers versus problem identifiers
* Remove issues from the plate instead of adding to the existing pile
4. Take your work seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously
* Stay cool/provide a sense of balance and calm in the storm
5. Have the personal independence, self-confidence, and courage to push back or challenge the system when necessary
* Don’t salute every command..But pick your spots.
* Stay true to your personal values and convictions, those moments can make or break your career.
6. Never forget why you’re at the table
* Obligation to balance strong business partnership role with employee advocacy role
* People implications of decisions
* Never forget the “human” in human resources

Important Common Truths from "Life Strategies"

I'm currently reading the book "Life Strategies" by Dr. Phil McGraw. Thought this would be useful food for thought:

"The ten most significant common characteristics fundamental to human functioning I have identified are:

1. The number-one fear among all people is rejection.
2. The number-one need among all people is acceptance.
3. To manage people effectively, you must do it in a way that protects or enhances their self-esteem.
4. Everybody approaches every situation with at least some concern about "What's in it for me?"
5. Everybody prefers to talk about things that are important to them personally.
6. People hear and incorporate only what they understand.
7. People like trust, and believe those who like them.
8. People often do things for other than the apparent reasons.
9. Even people of quality, can be, and often are, petty and small.
10. Everybody wears a social mask. You must look beyond the mask to see the person."

Airports & Our Travel

Airports are increasingly becoming relevant to millions of people around the world as air travel becomes more accessible and infrastructure development picks up. I remember doing a study on airport management during my engineering days.

For most travellers, airports create the first impression of a location. Having a world class airport makes a big difference to the image and branding of a city and country. I've had the opportunity to travel through few airports in the U.S., Europe and Asia. It is sometimes surprising how some important basic elements are not given adequate attention even in large international airports. I'm sure some of you would have felt related frustrations.

1. Crowd/Queue Management
As simple as this may sound, this is sometimes the most frustrating aspect for many travellers. Even in airports that have great infrastructure, this sometimes can be an issue. Basic training on this topic would be useful for airline/airport staff and immensely beneficial for travellers.
2. Seating availability
Sufficient and ergonomic seating availability should be among the most basic requirements but surprisingly many airports lack quality seating facilities.
3. Automated Walkways and Elevators
Large airports and transfers that result from one terminal to the next, and the trek between two gates far apart can be very tiring for many.
4. Screens and Information boards
This can sometimes be surprisingly confusing for even seasoned travelers. There's got to be a better science of understanding how information for travellers is easily visible and understandable.
5. Airport Information Services
It is very useful to have direct customer service at the airports, to cater to the diverse groups of travellers who may not understand the language and services available. If one does not have enough time between connections as well, this is very helpful. Additionally, every airport should have a tourist information center with competent staff who should be able to address various questions about the city in multiple languages.
6. Spacing between baggage carousels and related information
The chaos around baggage carousels can be very frustrating. Information about the flights served should be conveyed through multiple large screens. Expected wait time for luggage arrival should be communicated to passengers - as the waiting times vary quite a bit. Quick, efficient and high quality lost baggage services should be present as these passengers can be expected to be impatient and frustrated.
7. Free wireless connectivity, Internet facilities and plug in ports
In today's connected world, this should be a basic expectation.
8. Good restaurants with multiple dietary options
9. Public and other convenient transportation connections to the city 24x7
The planning should take into consideration various flight times and frequencies. Quality of service and interaction should be assessed rigorously.

As in most services, the competencies of individuals providing customer service can influence and contribute heavily to a traveller's overall experience and perceptions about the local culture. Service quality and employee development should be assessed constantly with high expectations. An airport is a window to the city.

Flexibility in Management & Organisations

As the nature of work changes frequently (global with multiple time zones, virtual, diverse, varying levels of complexity), related efforts required from individuals also become complex and more demanding.

Organisations demand a higher level of commitment and flexibility from employees in order to deliver successful results. Smart organisations will realise that in order to get the best, sustained efforts from employees, they've got to be flexible to accommodate the unique needs of their employees. Needs and related priorities can be different for individuals. Flexibility has to be a two-way street.

The commitment and engagement levels of employees are much higher when the organisation is flexible to work with the unique needs of an individual. No policy or process can directly achieve this on its own. In my opinion, policies exist for a couple of important reasons - to adhere to the legal requirements and to maintain consistency/fairness across the organisation. The discretion of a manager or leader becomes the critical element here. The challenge is to find the right balance in maintaining fairness across the organisation within the framework of the policy and making it effective for an employee.

At the core, an organisation is a collection of individuals. For an employee, the organisation or company is represented by his or her direct manager and leaders. If managers and leaders can show that they genuinely care about their employees through their actions, in spite of the tough decisions that have to be made, it will go a long way in retaining the commitment and high emotional engagement.

Changing Jobs?

Almost everyone you speak with nowadays mentions some major change and related initiative happening within the industry or organisation.

Individuals are moving through different jobs with increasing frequency. The median number of years that wage and salary workers had been with their current employer in the U.S. was 4.1 years in January 2008.(1)

It therefore becomes critical that an individual understands the key elements for quick and effective transition across jobs and organisations, and develops the ability to learn and unlearn in shorter cycles.

Studies have repeatedly shown that the ability to learn from experience is what differentiates successful executives from unsuccessful ones. Successful executives have strong and active learning patterns from key job assignments. They learn faster, not because they are more intelligent, but because they have more effective learning skills and strategies.(2)

Peter Drucker wrote, "Knowledge becomes obsolete incredibly fast."

Almost all jobs have the following core learning components that are critical for effective delivery. I believe that strong awareness and mastery over these elements provide us with the agility to transition and succeed across jobs and organisations quickly.

* SUBJECT MATTER/BODY OF KNOWLEDGE
Every job involves some specific and core subject matter areas. These could most effectively be acquired and applied through a combination of on-the-job experiences and academic learnings.

* PROCESSES
Every organisation has a set of processes for most functional areas. Most of the work nowadays is defined through process flows. Building a good understanding of the organisational process flows allow us to determine what we need to do and how it impacts stakeholders.

* TOOLS/TECHNOLOGY
All organisations and jobs have specific tools and technologies that support work. Having a good understanding of how they work and are applied could substantially increase overall efficiency.

* PERSONAL NETWORKS
In my opinion, this is one of the most important elements. It includes both internal and external networks of personal relationships that allows us to function with a high degree of effectiveness. In many instances, the personal networks are critical for achieving the 'extra mile' of success and to managing crises. In most instances, people go beyond the specified requirements of a process if there is a strong existing relationship with the specific individual. These relationships are also critical links to tacit knowledge that're often unavailable on formal knowledge management systems or databases. Treating people with respect and empathy normally will get you valuable help and inputs on the organisational culture, especially during the tough transition phase. It also helps us to build our network quicker.

* USING EXPERIENCE/WISDOM
This is gained through the application of knowledge in a variety of situations and learning/adjusting from successes and failures (what has worked/not worked?) over time. This is very relevant and important for managers and leaders as a lot of judgment is involved in making important decisions. Many of those decisions would not have defined or single answers.

Understanding and focusing on the core elements of work transitions have a big impact on our effectiveness.

The elements mentioned above clearly relate to the concept of 'Learning Agility' (Eichinger & Lombardo), measured through four key facets: (a) Mental Agility (b) People Agility (c) Change Agility and (d) Results Agility.(3)

Please share your experiences and observations. This is a very useful and relevant topic for many individuals.

References:
(1) Bureau of Labor Statistics, Friday, September 26, 2008, EMPLOYEE TENURE IN 2008

(2)(3) The Korn/Ferry Insititute: Using Learning Agility to Identify High Potentials around the World by Kenneth P. De Meuse, Guangrong Dai, George S. Hallenbeck, King Yii Tang

Thoughts on Development for Developing Countries

I decided to tackle a different topic for my first blog post of 2010 due to its relevance and observations during recent travels. Various observations during my Christmas/New Year break travel to India (transiting through the Gulf country of Qatar) got me thinking about the topic of development for emerging economies. The underlying connectors of human capital/leadership development, effective management, decision making and innovation are clearly evident here as well. Many of the management principles that work successfully in private organisations can be effectively adopted by government bodies.

In my opinion, the three key basic ingredients for rapid development of any developing country are:

1. Financial capital
Availability of financial capital can have a huge impact on infrastructure development and public service systems. China's focused investment on infrastructure development has a high impact on its economic growth. Many of the gulf nations have been able to build strong infrastructures based on revenues from oil and natural gas assets. The scale/size of countries is one key factor to consider. Based on availability of resources, countries may first need to decide their most important locations to invest in, and develop for the short and long term.

2. World-class Infrastructure
Infrastructure development is not possible without financial capital. At the same time, the required expertise, know-how and commitment to execution is equally important. Infrastructure planning should not only include world class airports, roads, telecom infrastructure, public transportation facilities, ports etc. but also highly efficient and effective systems, technologies and processes. A basic example that has a direct impact on day-to-day living in India - with an extreme increase in the number of automobiles, traffic and parking management have become very challenging and frustrating elements.

Absence of total planning and comprehensive solutions package results in different government departments tackling their own issues in silos. Normally, all the requirements of a city are not taken into consideration together. This is also partly due to the ineffective structure of government bodies and organisations that have to be working together.

Emerging and developing countries have great opportunities to build innovative infrastructures for future environments rather than just copy systems that exist in developed nations. "Reverse Innovation" (a term referring to an innovation seen first, or likely to be used first, in the developing world before spreading to the industrialized world) is currently discussed widely. The best of existing systems in the developed world can be incorporated while innovating on future requirements and evolving needs (eg. energy evolution, technological advancements and changing human behaviors). All this can be possible only by having an open, learning approach and continuous interaction with the rest of the world.

At a basic level, the quality of public services including availability of drinking water (big issue for the future), energy, high quality healthcare/hospitals and computerised systems that're linked to all relevant networks, resulting in easy/quick transactions make a big difference to quality of day-to-day living. Corruption slows down development and destroys the trust of citizens. With the unpredictability element related to environmental/political scenarios and a closely connected world in all respects, the possibility of 'black swans' increase. Strong disaster management and emergency response services have to be instituted before it's too late.

3. Human capital
I believe this is the core element that makes development sustainable. Having the above two elements alone won't lead to sustainable development or ensure their successful implementation. How we effectively use and manage available financial capital is equally, if not more important than having them. Once the basic infrastructure is put in place, continuous development and competitiveness can only be sustained by having world class talent who're enabled and encouraged to innovate. Innovations in turn, can result in the creation of a virtuous cycle, attracting financial investment.

Talent becomes a key factor in almost every area of governance for developing economies. Strong education infrastructure that interacts with other global education systems is critical. Having the right talent alone is not sufficient. It is of utmost importance to have great leadership and processes in governments and organisations to enable execution, encourage through leadership behaviours - to challenge existing, slow governing cultures and drive initiatives to positive change. Speed of execution has to be a key focus.

Focused leadership development in government organisations will have to be prioritised due to the impact of governments on increasing global competitiveness (both in the developing and developed worlds). Even a handful of smart decision makers in key roles in government can have high impact on a country's future. Increased transparency due to the technological changes can also put pressure and accountability on governments to deliver quicker.

Countries focused on having a great future will need to figure out key elements to attracting world class talent from across the globe. Similar to organisations, countries will need to figure out their core capabilities and industries they intend to focus on and have related strategies in place. This is also an important constituent to the topic of continuous innovation.

No country can be a forerunner in the future by existing in its own silo, being arrogant about its natural resources (that will inevitably deplete at some point) or past achievements. Countries will have to adopt an open, global, continuously interactive and learning approach in all areas (social, cultural, economical, political, technological) to be among the leaders.

Notes on 'Leadership' from the book, "True North" by Bill George

I recently finished reading the book, "True North" by Bill George, former CEO of Medtronic. It was a great learning experience because it relates directly to real life experiences and shares the wisdom of over 125 leaders with varied experiences. I started consolidating some profound notes and felt they had to be shared. Here we go!

True North is the internal compass that guides you successfully through life. It represents who you are as a human being at your deepest level. It is your orienting point - your fixed point in a spinning world - that helps you stay on track as a leader. Discovering your True North takes a lifetime of commitment and learning.

* The difference with authentic leaders lies in the way they frame their stories. Their life stories provide the context for their lives, and through them they find their passion and inspiration to make an impact in the world.

* ..the worst thing people can do is to manage their careers with a career map...being flexible and venturesome in stepping up to unexpected opportunities..

* Your development as a leader is not a straight line to the top but a journey filled with many ups and downs.

Ann Fudge (Young & Rubicam CEO): "Don't worry about the challenges. Embrace them. Go through them even if they hurt. Tell yourself, there is something to be learned from this experience. I may not fully understand it now, but I will later. It's all part of life, and life is a process of learning. Every challenging experience develops your core of inner strength, which gets you through those storms. Nothing worth doing in life is going to be easy.........Leadership is leaving something lasting, whether it is how you treat people or how you deal with a problem."

Jeff Immelt (GE): "Nobody wants to be around somebody going through a low period. In times like that you've got to be able to draw from within. Leadership is one of these great journeys into your own soul."

* The key to learning from failure is to avoid denial and be honest with yourself.

Mike Baker (Arthrocare): What matters is not how often you have been on the canvas, but whether you get up, how you get up, and what you learn from it.

* The role of leaders is not to get other people to follow them but to empower others to lead. They cannot elicit the best performance from their teams if they are in the game primarily for themselves. In the end, their self-centeredness keeps other people from leading.

* When you become a leader, your challenge is to inspire others, develop them, and create change through them...Only when leaders stop focusing on their personal ego needs are they able to develop other leaders.

* Your journey to leadership is likely to take many unexpected turns. Life is full of challenging situations, including ethical dilemmas, midcourse career changes or burnout, seemingly intractable interpersonal challenges with colleagues, marriage and family issues, failures and loneliness. At times, you may feel you are losing your way or have gotten off course..Getting back on track alone is very difficult. That is when you most need your support team.

* Have you defined what success means for you and for your life? Unless you have thought through the answer to that question, you are at risk of letting others define success for you or trying to keep up with their definitions of success.

Ann Moore, CEO of Time, Inc.: "Follow your compass and not your clock."

Andrea Jung, CEO of Avon: ...Achievement was less about getting all A's and more about trying."

Anne Mulcahy, ex Chair & CEO, Xerox: "I get things done by identifying with the people in the company and by trusting them. I care most about building a good team to lead the company."

* Feelings of despair among leaders are quite common, but most do not have the courage to admit it. In times like these, you need the support of your colleagues.

Some of the things leaders do to gain the respect of their colleagues:
* Treating others as equals.
* Being a good listener.
* Learning from people.
* Sharing life stories.

Empowering people to lead:
* Showing up
Showing up at important events or at unexpected times means a great deal to people and enables them to see their leaders as real people.
* Engaging people
The most empowering leaders are those who engage a wide range of people. That means being with them face-to-face....and being open and vulnerable with them.
* Helping teammates
Merck CEO Roy Vagelos: "People love to have involvement of the leader. They feel you want to help them and are part of the solution."
* Challenging Leaders
Often, the most empowering response is to challenge people's ideas, to ask why they are doing something a particular way, and to help them sharpen their ideas through dialogue.
*Stretching People
Most people want to be stretched in assignments that enable them to develop. The leader's key is to sense when people are ready for such challenging experiences. Yet it is also important for your team to know that you will be there to support them if necessary. Just knowing you have support from your leaders if things go wrong is very empowering. It enables you to recognize that you will not be hung out to dry, so you can take on stretch goals and significant challenges without the fear..
* Aligning Around a Mission
Individuals usually have their own passions that drive them. If the leaders can demonstrate how they can fulfull their purpose while achieving the organization's mission, the alignment can occur.


As you think about your leadership style and power, ask yourself these questions:
* Is your leadership style consistent with your leadership principle and values? Is it even inconsistent?
* How do you adapt your style to the circumstances facing you and to the capabilities of your teammates?
* How do you optimize the use of your power in leading others?

* If you simply adopt an organization's normative style or try to emulate someone else's style, your lack of authenticity will show through. Under pressure and stress, leaders tend to revert to their least attractive styles - from being highly directive or passive aggressive to completely withdrawn.

* Authentic leaders understand they need power to get things done, but they learn to use it in subtle ways. They prefer to persuade others to adopt their point of view or to build a consensus rather than forcing subordinates to go along with them. In so doing, they win trust, loyalty and support of their teammates. That in turn leads to better decisions and a higher level of commitment to shared goals.

* In leading, you must always understand the situation in which you are operating, as well as the performance imperative. You should also think carefully about the kind of relationship (dependent, independent, interdependent) you want to have with your teammates and what type of relationship will enable your team or organization to achieve its business imperatives.

You cannot find the fulfillment of leadership by observing leaders from the sidelines...You have no choice but to get in there and get your face marred by dust and sweat and blood. That is what life and leadership are about...The fleeting symbols of external gratification will vanish like the wind. What will remain are the memories.

Learnings From My Cross-Cultural Experiences

Working and living across countries/cultures may present great opportunities but at the same time, they hold numerous challenges. Ability to manage across cultures is a competence that is becoming really important as the world gets flatter and more companies decide to go global. Adapting and succeeding in a very different culture are not easy. Some people choose to be oblivious of this topic and that impacts personal and professional growth. Though there're numerous studies and research articles on this topic, I would like to share some of my key learnings, personal experiences and observations. This list is neither comprehensive nor listed in the order of importance.

1. Respect
Being sensitive to and noticing some of the key threads in norms and behaviors in the new environment within and outside office is an important starting point. This helps to understand how things work and what's respected in the new setting. Many of the norms would be very different and may seem strange initially. The global professional needs to be respectful of the differences and try to understand the background with reasoning. Respecting individuals and cultural norms is a critical factor in adapting to any new culture.

Communication is key to avoiding misunderstandings. Many times during initial stages of interactions, it's useful to explain the reason behind doing or asking for something that impacts others. This avoids confusion and helps to build trust especially in the initial stages of relationship building.


2. Flexibility/Openness
This is vital for success in a different cultural setting. There is a possibility that one may feel insulted or not respected in some instances. Chances are that everyone may not be aware of the nuances about other cultures and interaction styles. Stephen Covey's teaching, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood" is a very useful advice to keep in mind while interacting with people from a different culture. In other cases, someone may just not be respectful or culturally intelligent. This could lead to frustrations. Being flexible and open helps to build a working relationship and trust. In my opinion, the burden of responsibility falls on the global professional to tackle an unpleasant situation with emotional maturity and intelligence. It's very useful to have a positive 'forgiving' and 'forgetful' (unpleasant events) attitude - easier said than done.

3. Coping with the unknown,fear of failure and patience
There're a lot of unknowns in a new environment. I'm not sure if anyone is perfectly comfortable facing unknowns. Finding information through formal and informal channels is very helpful to put one at ease. One has to also find appropriate ways to cope with stress related to uncertainties and the new environment. There may be different approaches for different people. Hobbies and avenues for entertainment provide useful options. People generally do take a certain period of time to adjust and feel comfortable in a new environment.

Even if one has good competencies, there will be mistakes along the way. On the other hand, fear of failure can inhibit people from trying out or getting exposed to new things. The normal tendency may be to stay within one's comfort zones. There will be misunderstandings. Having lots of patience to understand, learn from mistakes, adjust and work one's way through multiple and varied scenarios is important.

One of the leading experts in this field Fons Trompenaars advises, "We need a certain amount of humility and a sense of humor to discover cultures other than our own; a readiness to enter a room in the dark and stumble over unfamiliar furniture until the pain in our shins reminds us of where things are." Management guru Tom Peters writes, "If you come to another's turf with empathy, sensitivity and open ears - what the Zen masters call 'beginner's mind' - you're halfway home".