This week I am going to pull up the curtain on what I learned as a leader, while handling the intricate nuances of the corporate world.
Though I am a firm believer in the idea that lessons are best learned through experience, I also believe that wise are the ones who learn from others’ failures and successes.
So, here are some insights I gained on the path of entrepreneurship that might help you when you are in quicksand.
#1 Drop all of your identifications. Imagine you have EVERYTHING
Now, this may hit you right in the gut, but it is one of the most valuable lessons I learned. Yet, it’s also a difficult one to translate into practice.
In order to create something new and authentic, you first have to drop everything you identify with — any limitations, or any concepts about your own capacity. You need to rise above your cravings and aversions and stop thinking that “I am good at this particular thing or bad at the other”.
Drop all of it! This is the very first step.
The second step is imagining you possess everything you need.
The first step is to drop it all, and feel free. This could be a difficult exercise and this is where breathing techniques, such as Pranayama and Sudarshan Kriya have helped me multiple times. In certain instances when you are not able to move forward, they help you let go.
When you start something afresh, let go of all your past conditioning. If you really want to, you can pick it back up later.
Once that’s done, the next step is to imagine that you have everything you need. Know that you have equal opportunities for everything you want to accomplish.
These two things are the basic criteria from where you have to think and get started. Don’t worry about the means of implementation and how it will all happen in the end.
#2 Don’t live on a BORROWED VISION
This is very important — don’t live on anybody’s borrowed vision. If you do, one day you are either going to outgrow that vision, or feel frustrated about it, because it wasn’t your vision in the first place.
On the one hand, your mind can make you think big, but you should find out what touches your heart, because that is going to determine how persistent and passionate you will be. Hence, you need to have a defined heart to mind balance.
Make sure your vision is appealing to your heart. In my case, the more the vision touches my heart, the more persistent I automatically become with my effort.
#3. Have the guts to ask for what YOU REALLY WANT
I have been working in the industry for more than 14 years, and for a long time I never asked for anything from anyone. Be it in terms of resources, minor help, or money matters, I never asked for anything in my work.
And one day it dawned on me — what’s the worst that can happen if I ask?
Somebody could say no. But if I don’t ask, I am simply throwing away the possibility of receiving a YES!
So by asking, there is a 50% probability that you could get a YES! And trust me, this is a great number to get things rolling, and from here things can work well in your favor.
#4 Leadership is attained by setting an Example, not by hogging the limelight
Whether you take the responsibility for it or not, your team members are a direct reflection of your own behavior and work ethic.
Human beings have a tendency to model their behavior on someone they look up to. And when you are leading a team, you are that person. If you are seeing some stumbling blocks within the system, know that you are likely the one who is most responsible for it.
In all honesty, most times, it is your small, yet detailed work practices that inspire your employees more than those prolonged (yawn-filled) speeches.
#5. Let your Team Members Fumble.
One should not immediately jump in to save the day. This is something I have learned. I will show up to support when I don’t see bubbles lining up on the surface, but most of the time, I will give my people the space to learn on their own.
Bringing this lesson into practice can be excruciatingly difficult, but this can truly make your team members blossom.
The hardest thing as a manager is watching a team member fumble when you know you can take over and correct the course, but I suggest you don’t do it. Let your team members fall. Let them get bruised.
Whenever somebody comes to me with a challenge or a problem, I never give them the solution right away. What I give them is a possibility of the solution.
After some time, sooner or later, they eventually realize that the solution lies within them.That’s how we build leaders within the team.
#6. Be SENSIBLE, but also SENSITIVE
Be sensible but also sensitive. Compassionate leaders are always able to put themselves in other people’s shoes. Before a person comes to you to ask, give them what they actually need. One has to be skillful and sensitive when an employee comes to them, which is a very delicate balance.
In my case, I always think about my employees first. If you are taking care of their needs, your goals will automatically be achieved. In some cases, maybe even before the desired timeline.
#7 Aim to Humanize Tangibles
Oftentimes, leaders tend to focus more on a better ROI, big collaborations and insurmountable profits. And here is where one needs to shift their perspective a little.
Take that much-required step of keeping human values intact in your company ecosystem. Compassionate leaders always focus on this particular aspect.
Inspire your employees to give something back to society from their profits and earnings. This boosts their self-confidence and brings integrity to the overall personality of the team. Humanize their monetary contribution to invoke in them a sense of responsibility as well as fulfillment in giving back.
For example, if they realize that the amount they contribute can help provide education for hundreds of elementary school children in rural areas, it personalizes their contribution and touches their heart, inspiring them to continuously give back.
This specifically applies to the current situation when the world fights a deadly pandemic on a global scale.
Take, for instance, global spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who took the initiative of supporting daily wage workers through his #IStandWithHumanity initiative. Within a span of a few days, the movement has inspired thousands of volunteers and teachers working for the NGO to come together united amidst this COVID-19 outburst.
When you inspire people working under you to save a part of their earnings for a good cause, you feel empowered as an individual and leader, and so do all those who ardently follow in your footsteps.
