Keep Calm and Take the Lead

Never has there been such a time when the concept of leadership has been challenged as it has been in the last two weeks. That being said, shouldn't we be considering what people are thinking about what a leader looks like?

The month of November has been very busy for me. First, of all I am so grateful to all the people who have believed in me and made tireless efforts to support me in work. Last weekend, I was announced as the winner of the Young Business Leader of the Year 2016 for the All Africa Business Leaders Award. To be honest, I view this to be a very huge achievement and I couldn't have done it without my parents, my brother and the Chandaria team that I work with very closely. I am truly grateful to all of them.

Since I started appearing on the venture capitalist show Lion's Den on Nation TV, I have been the focus for many young entrepreneurs. I am very inspired by how many aspiring entrepreneurs look to me for guidance and support. It is a great honor to be regarded in such high esteem by people I don't know personally, who feel inspired to reach out to me.

At The Founders Entrepreneurship Forum (TEFO2016) that was held at the Machakos Peoples Park, I was privileged again, to be invited as the key note speaker at the event that targeted 200 entrepreneurs from around Kenya. The event aims to bring them together with investors that can help them scale-up their start ups. I was speaking about on "How to Make it Work with your Finances" and it was my pleasure to interact with them.

Back to the opening paragraph of this article, I think we need to ask what do people at large want from their leaders? I think people are looking for leaders who appear to be able to get the job done. As much as I get numerous requests from people to mentor them, I think it is fundamental that we all understand what is required of us would-be leaders in the 21st century; we all want to lead in the area we have a passion for. Since that is the case, then I would like to point our a few things. How should we define the make-up a person with the ability to get results? Is it that they are smarter or more talented than other people? I think not! It is in fact, the attitude they have that makes the difference. They appear to handle stress better; operate with more mental clarity; have that air of confidence; and know exactly what they want, then get it! I am sure you have come across some people like those before. We all have incredible potential to achieve our goals, but there are particular qualities that if applied, will guarantee amazing levels of success in the areas of interest to you.

Are you serious about being the best?

I am often impressed and challenged by the hunger I see when I meet young people at some of the events I am called to attend. The hunger for success is palpable. Together with my team at the office, we try our best see how we can make a difference and transform their lives. However, from our experience some fall short. Here are some reasons why: some individuals don't have the drive to keep the fire going; there have been many meetings and communication between myself, my team and many young people seeking mentoring and some fall by the wayside too soon. But more than anything, I believe the real reason is many of them haven't thought out what they want to do and let their dream go just like that! The truth is commitment to your goals is very hard work. I have often said success is not a destination, but rather, a journey. The question is; what do you believe and do your beliefs hold true in your day-to-day activities? There could be some that are holding you back, for example, I will never be good or big enough to get a investor.

The second question is, how well do think you can handle disappointment? The thing is, how we handle our emotions will greatly determine how well we manage challenges. I often get asked a question about how to manage people. The simple answer to that is to know what you want and get intelligent about your emotions. Sure! That is easier said than done, but these are skills you muster as you go along. But the more important thing to acknowledge, is the emotional factor behind decision making. As you chase your dreams, you should seek counsel.

Thirdly, what habits have you formed and how do they impact your life? What do you have a tendency of doing? Over 90% of what you do is habitual. It is important to take stock of the things you do and the way you do them. Do your habits control you or do you control them? One habit that successful people always talk about is time management. You can never overstate the importance of managing time. I find that if you respect time, you will always be ahead and make sure you achieve your goals on a daily basis.

Fourthly, the associations you make will determine how far you go in life. I believe this is the one aspect that gets many young people to reach out to me. They would like to be associated with someone who has succeeded. I completely appreciate this and I try as much as I can to interact with as many people as I can, particularly on social media. I have found twitter chats to be very effective to answer any question that people may have. But I also encourage young people to broaden their scope in choosing people who can mentor them and build their careers.

Finally, your values are the real secret behind your success. People want to see leaders that influence others based on principles and not self-interest; they want leaders who create wealth through hard work and not ‘get-rich-quick schemes’ and they want to see leaders who experience pleasure always with a consciousness of those less privileged than themselves. Let's admit it, we are all human and the more authentic a leader you are, the better your chances of success will be.

I personally believe in transforming people's lives based on the mantra: "Success is a journey, not a destination!" I wish you all the best as you chase your dreams.

Darshan Chandaria