Pilgrims on our way

Another year winds down. The slight winter chill eggs you on your morning run, and soon the warm sunshine envelops you, and you don’t want to go indoors, basking in this gracious warmth. My thoughts went to the year gone by. There is something about the end of the year that makes it ripe for reflection- I guess it is probably the end of an imaginary time period. And to provide closure to an ending, we reflect, celebrate, hope for better times, and move on. This reflection hopefully provides some learning, but for sure, it spawns optimism for the year to come!

So what did I learn this year? For one, my belief in the universal human values of trust, integrity and teamwork were strongly reinforced. At work, we had some unforeseen, significant random events- but what amazed me was how the leadership team rallied together and focused on what is right for the business. We also had some calamitous events- an accident, the death of an employee, hurricanes and cyclones, and so on. But the human spirit always triumphed- the amazing team spent sleepless nights to help others manage through these events. You can only marvel at the commitment and teamwork that people demonstrate, and thank them for it- again bringing to life the amazing quality of human spirit that makes things go round. This year, I also had the opportunity to lead the Bangalore Chapter of NHRD- the power of youth, and the value of trust and empowerment were wonderful lessons as we had volunteers from all across doing running mega events selflessly! Clearly, the power of the human spirit is boundaryless and can do wonders- but we have to get it right! That’s a challenge, isn’t it?

We also see the darker side of human behavior- I have encountered egos, the power equations, the biases. We all experience (and perhaps as perpetrators sometimes) a fair share of such destructive behaviours. What I have learnt is to deal with this through patience and a purity of intent – we need to be consistent with our values. I am convinced that human challenges are the biggest - human frailties, egos and ambitions are the root cause of many a challenge, and managing that is the key role of leadership. As these lines from a favourite song bear out, these are par for the course- â€˜Every breaking wave on the shore, tells the next one there’ll be one more’….!

Therefore, if I were to summarise, these are my lessons:

• Life throws up random events, therefore account for randomness in everything- both success and failures
• When I look back on what I could have done better, it is all about key leadership moments- I could have been more assertive or more demanding of people at times or just being more tough-minded! I can see some themes, and also see that there can be similar themes for others. That’s where the power of mentoring or coaching comes in – am increasingly convinced of the impact these can make. But there is a paradox. While you try and learn from experience, don’t change your core! Your style, your values make you what you are- after so many years. In times of change, I firmly believe that the value of integrity and trust is far more significant.
• The more tumultuous times of change we go through, I see people are seeking the comfort of continuity, some stability. That’s where the importance of process comes in- having the discipline in some key processes is paramount in times of change. While there is huge change all around, it needs to be supplemented by predictability and continuity in things close to people.
• One of my wonderful bosses in Unilever used to say this- ‘niceness is not greatness’! I thought of him again this year- how true! We can’t please everyone – but we have to make the right choices. (I remembered this from over a decade ago- such were the mentors we had then!)
• As we saw in the recent NHRD Showcase, there is a lot happening in the area of HR, using technology. A key insight I had was that these were now becoming more pervasive, and over time will change the way we work. We need to proactively adopt and experiment with them.
• And finally, I see that the greatest fulfilment I get is by seeing young people achieve things against odds. I guess the greatest gift that we can give is to support and mentor them. I have seen various examples this year, where with trust and empowerment, people have achieved wonders. I am further convinced that we can leverage the positive energy of the human spirit far more- shouldn’t that be our main purpose as leaders! Inspiring passion has great rewards. My favourite lines again- ‘If there is a light, don’t let it go out’ 

Well, these are just a few of my thoughts. Nothing that you wouldn’t have guessed, no brilliant insights. But I guess we keep reflecting and learning as we go along. Supporting each other as we continue our journey. We are after all, ‘pilgrims on our way’!

For me, the family has been a strong source of inspiration and support- they keep you on your values! I owe a lot to my family- sometimes we don’t thank them enough for all their support and the sacrifices they do. Work life balance is to fully integrate the family in your journey.

Wishing you a Wonderful New Year- with lots of learning, and may all of us experience more of the positive human spirit. Keep inspiring and giving– and don’t let the light go out!