Here's how you can cultivate and empower future leaders in Business Operations.

Often organizations will promote individuals based on the individual’s willingness to go with the flow. This does not encourage growth and installs a leader who is not working towards the best interests of the people in the organization. Leaders should be selected based on their personal initiative, dedication to the work and desire to better the work environment for all of its workers. Organizations will thrive with the right leaders in place, and will stagnate or collapse under the wrong leadership.

Best way to identify talents are: 1. They do more work than assigned. 2. They help juniors in completing task. 3. They are proactive in doing tasks. 4. They always work more hours There was a time in my career where I was working in 9 to 6 shift and post 6 pm I was doing additional tasks which gave me a chance to handle OJT batch and later got promoted to Team leader.

*Key Insights for Business Success: 1-Opt for smarter methods over more laborious ones to streamline processes. 2-Attend to critical details to ensure the highest quality outcomes. 3-Enhance natural leadership skills through practice and refinement. 4-Contribute ideas and suggestions actively instead of just executing tasks. 5-Share knowledge and assist with challenging tasks to bolster team performance. 6-Listen actively and remain receptive to new ideas and perspectives. 7-Provide constructive feedback and recognize outstanding work to foster a positive and motivated work environment.

Provide mentorship, opportunities for growth, encourage innovative thinking, and foster a supportive environment. This approach assesses talent and provides a solid foundation for leadership development and organizational success.

Developing future leaders is crucial for sustained success in Business Operations. Here’s how: 1. Mentorship Programs: Pair experienced leaders with emerging talent to provide guidance and knowledge sharing. 2. Continuous Learning: Encourage ongoing education through workshops, courses, and seminars. 3. Delegation: Assign meaningful responsibilities that challenge and develop leadership skills. 4. Feedback Culture: Foster an environment where constructive feedback is valued and acted upon. 5. Recognize Potential: Identify and nurture individuals with leadership qualities. 6. Empower Decision-Making: Allow future leaders to make decisions to build confidence and experience.

Just as any other skill or trade, leadership training should be continually offered from a wide variety of sources both internally and externally. Some of these trainings should be de-escalation (conflict management), timekeeping/organizational skills, coaching, overview of policies and procedures, disciplinary protocols, and performance tracking.

As I always feedback without training is waste of time. We need to train people depending on our company requirements. Most of the basic training includes working on excel since data saves time and software skills training for effective communication. These 2 are the basic pillars to become a leader in any field.

Mentors are the real time gurus in corporate world. I was lucky enough to have good mentors and we have always something to learn from others. Continuous learning is the key here. Mentor should treat his team mate like a friend and teach him or else he won’t open and ask doubts.

A true leader can be seen on how he performs under pressure. Not meeting deadline and escalation from clients will put pressure on leader but that pressure gets to show the true colour of leader. Same hot boiling water makes an egg hard but makes potato soft. At the end it’s what we are made up of. Pressure is privilege.

Collaboration tools like ClickUp, Asana, and Monday.com can provide clarity and alignment on expectations and progress, promoting ownership, accountability, and trust. But this can backfire! Without proper training and autonomy (see #1), team members may perceive micromanagement and be reluctant to utilize platforms, rendering them useless. First, give your team members a reason to trust you, and then give them the tools they need to share progress, identify roadblocks, and address stalled projects together.

Working with other teams. True leader knows he won’t be efficient until he starts working with other teams. Examples: Operations team can’t excel without the help of good training team and HR team. Collaboration is the key!

Interestingly, organizations mature through risk-taking. However, as they achieve sizable growth, risk-taking is frowned upon - withstanding that this is the catalyst that propelled the organization from the point of being founded up to where it begins clamoring for safety. At no point do I advocate for reckless risk-taking. Leaders who judiciously and meticulously navigate the risk management labyrinth will guide their organizations to make chasm-crossing changes, that will consequently differentiate those organizations that die, or as many organizations are wont to do- trudge along like a drunk zombie, with those that bring about lasting and impactful change while conquering whole industries and sectors.

Shifting from intense action to strategic thinking involves moving beyond the daily hustle. Instead of reacting impulsively, leaders pause, analyze trends, and identify key opportunities. It's like switching from a sprint to a marathon—strategically pacing oneself for long-term success. This may need to be mentored and supported for a while before it becomes embedded. Leaders buried in work are as useless as an ostrich with its head in the sand.

Rather than hiring talents from outside, companies should encourage and groom existing employees who are at junior level. This saves them costs and is even better for the company, as the people being groomed know the operations from the root level and can resolve problems that can benefit the employer and the employees. Here's what they should consider. Look for bright employees who are good at organizing, solving problems, and working with others Let them work on real projects with a little more responsibility. This helps them learn new things and see the bigger picture. Pair them with experienced leaders who can mentor them. Offer training to help them develop key skills like leadership, communication, and data analysis.