Leading and Collaborating in different times!

When written in Chinese, the word #crisis is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity – John F.Kennedy

This last year has been an extraordinary period without any past references to refer to in the situation that unfolded. But having spent several decades leading teams, one amongst many learnings that stood out for me once again is that “to lead by example is to lead effectively”. In fact more so than ever, since this time around, it was all about forging bonds and building shareholder value across ‘impersonal’ screens. 

I believe the success of every organisation is founded on 3 inherent pillars - Trust, Transparency and Teamwork. We often talk about delivering value ( trust) to our customers; similarly, we must focus on valuing our workforce - who together are the building blocks (teamwork) of our organisation. A people centric approach with empathy ( transparency) at its core helps strike a chord with the people who are truly steering the ship. The essence of a shared vision lies in creating cohesion and establishing trust amongst the people you work with. I have always believed in reiterating the ‘Big picture’ idea and establishing context to the work we do, especially during challenging times.

A life-lesson I like to share is : every meeting or every working hour spent with an employee, should have an element or conversation to help raise the proverbial Bar. And help them identify their own magical potential to lead the world of tomorrow. As leaders, we need to build a rich legacy with core values and the right culture, for our next generation. 

Frankly, the pandemic has made us learn and unlearn a lot and in the bargain, helped us emerge into a community of resilient and brave individuals. The 2020 batch of graduates, employees and leaders alike, have learnt to take the challenges of a crisis in their stride, adapted to the new normal and emerged victorious and well prepared to lead in the future.

My compliments to each of you out there for having gone above and beyond human boundaries with a smile on your face. This has been a defining year to establish yet again that “Unity is Strength.”

(Sharing some simplistic #lifelessons to help engage and empower the new workforce as they evolve into leaders of the future!)