Thought Provoking Leadership Quotes

A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. —Lao Tzu

The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant. —Max DePree

Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. —Jack Welch

A leader is a dealer in hope. —Napoleon Bonaparte

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. —John Maxwell

Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position. —Brian Tracy

Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes. —Peter Drucker

The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority. —Kenneth Blanchard

A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position. —John Maxwell

Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about the problems. —Brian Tracy

As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others. —Bill Gates

Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out. —Stephen Covey

Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal. —Vince Lombardi

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. —John F. Kennedy

Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better. —Bill Bradley

There are three essentials to leadership: humility, clarity and courage. —Fuchan Yuan

Session on Corporate Innovation

Yesterday (14 May 2013), I had the opportunity to conduct a session on “Corporate Innovation” to a diverse audience (3 to 10+ years experience). It was an interesting, and interactive session. The one strong view which was echoed from the participants was that there is VERY LITTLE INNOVATION happening at the ground level within most organizations!

Sharing below the key messages from my session

Overview to Corporate Innovation

1. Innovation has evolved from “Nice to Do” To “Good to Do” to “Must Do”. Innovate to survive
2. There is no “universal / standard definition” of Innovation
3. Innovation within an organization can happen at any time, at any place and from anyone. Innovation can occur at any level within an organization – from entry level to executive management
4. Innovation can be of technology, process, business, delivery methodology, product or user experience
5. What the wise have to say about Innovation. To read a set of interesting Innovation Quotes, click here
6. Focus of Corporate Innovation is how to “Simplify” / “Solve problems” / “Make things easier and better” / “Improve efficiencies” for internal (employees) and external (customers , partners, suppliers, vendors) stakeholders. Of course, corporate innovation initiatives focus on “Reducing costs” / “Improving Revenues”

* Innovation Life Cycle : Every innovation typically follows a life cycle as depicted below

* Importance of Corporate Innovation

1. Getting employees to “Think”, “Learn”, “Reflect”, “Experience”, “Comprehend” and “Apply” : Build a culture of innovation
2. Key Differentiator ; Competitive Advantage in the market
3. Additional “Revenue Potential” ; Non-Linearity
4. Better Customer Engagement
5. Market Positioning & Thought Leadership

* Lessons from my Corporate Innovation Journey

1. There are three distinct phases in the Innovation Life Cycle and each requires a different mind set
2. Your idea need not be unique; How you position your innovation makes all the difference
3. The Business Plan is just a baseline plan
4. When you start the GTM [Go-To-Market] activities can make all the difference
5. The first customer is the most crucial in your journey to success
6. Corporate Innovation should be a priority from the top
7. Internal communication and collaboration is critical to succeed

Extracted from paper published in the IIMB Summer Magazine (2012)

Innovation Quotes – Worth a read!

Innovation is the creation of the new or the re-arranging of the old in a new way – Michael Vance.

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower – Steve Jobs.

Innovation is the central issue in economic prosperity – Michael Porter.

Innovation is not the product of logical thought, although the result is tied to logical structure – Albert Einstein.

Innovation by definition will not be accepted at first. It takes repeated attempts, endless demonstrations, monotonous rehearsals before innovation can be accepted and internalized by an organization. This requires “courageous patience” – Warren Bennis.

Innovation is the process of turning ideas into manufacturable and marketable form – Watts Humprey.

Just as energy is the basis of life itself, and ideas the source of innovation, so is innovation the vital spark of all human change, improvement and progress – Ted Levitt.

Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it – Steve Jobs.

“The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.”— Dr. Linus Pauling

What influences your “Writing Style”?

I’ve been actively writing (as a part of my post-graduate studies, through my blogs, at work, as a part of publications, etc etc etc ) for the past 5+ years. As I write more, I have also started to read more.. They both go somewhat hand-in-hand.. And as I read more, I am more aware and conscious about the writing styles of different authors; and also my own writing style…

In this post, I have listed down the key factors which may influence one’s writing style – This is purely based on my observations, analysis and inferences!

(1) Your self-confidence

(2) Your view of the world (in general) – Good, Bad, Ugly

(3) Your past – Experiences, Life

(4) Your future outlook of life – Optimistic, Pessimistic

(5) Why do you write? – For yourself or for others

(6) What does “Writing” mean to you?

(7) Your basic personality / nature

(8) Your view on “sharing” – Writing is one form of active sharing

(9) Your educational background

(10) Your language skills (Command on the language) – You can write in any language!

(11) Your age

(12) Your culture

(13) Your upbringing

(14) The writing habits of people you know (friends / family / others)

(15) Your reading habits

(16) The reading habits of people you know (friends / family / others)

(17) Your immediate living environment

(18) Your teachers / mentors – especially during impressionable / vulnerable years

(19) Your inner network – friends / family

(20) Your self-discipline

(21) Your creatvity

(22) Your observation skills

(23) Your imagination skills

(24) The times (era) you were born in

What’s your view? What do you think influences the “writing style” of an individual.. Leave a comment to let me know

What makes a “GOOD SPEECH”?

I have always loved the TED Talks ; They are inspiring, informative, educational and many times open your eyes and mind to possibilities which you never knew existed. In fact, my personal recommendation to anyone would be if you can spend 20 minutes everyday in watching ONE TED talk for ONE month – Your life will change! I can say from experience… Try it!

Why I am writing about TED Talks here is this – After watching several TED videos, I was left wondering with a thought on “WHAT MAKES A GOOD SPEECH”..

Now I know that there is no universal definition of “GOOD”.. So what appeals to one may not appeal to another..
for some “a GOOD SPEECH” is one which is rich in data and analysis
for some “a GOOD SPEECH” means getting all the facts 100% right
for some “a GOOD SPEECH” is one which makes you think
for some “a GOOD SPEECH” is one which inspires you
for some “a GOOD SPEECH” is one which teaches you something new
for some “a GOOD SPEECH” is one which opens you to new worlds and perspectives
for some “a GOOD SPEECH” is one which has some Return on Time Invested (or ROTI as I call it)
for some “a GOOD SPEECH is all of the above

And yet when you look back at history or your own life; you will agree that there are some speeches which left a mark, which you recall with amazing clarity, which made a difference.

So coming back to the question “WHAT MAKES A GOOD SPEECH?”..
Before we start, Let’s just make a few assumptions
(1) The speech lasted for 20 – 30 minutes
(2) There was a decent audience size which was “interested in what you have to say” and “were actually listening when you spoke” (No matter how good a speaker you are, the audience does make a HUGE difference.So from my experience, even the best speakers deliver a different quality of output based on the audience size, interest levels and attentiveness) – And even I can vouch for this from personal experience
(3) There was a specific topic to speak about (It was not an extempore speech)

So what makes a GOOD SPEECH? Here’s my view:
(1) A well-thought STRUCTURE – With 3 basic sections : An Introduction / Beginning, the main body and a Conclusion
(2) A powerful opening – How one starts a speech usually makes all the difference in how interested and attentive an audience is in what you have to say. Starting with humor, a personal real life incident, some less know data / facts and figures are powerful ways to get audience interest and attention
(3) A POINT-OF-VIEW – A good speech should have a view. Either for a topic, against a topic or should present both view or state facts for what they are or explain a concept. And readers should be able to understand this from your rendition
(4) RIGHT Data and Facts – In today’s day and age, it is very easy for an average and interested individual to verify and validate facts on Google. So, get the data points right!
(5) Quotes from the WISE – Always quoting a wise / well-known individual to strengthen / emphasize your point is a great way to add some punch to your message. Of course, it have to be relevant and contextual
(6) A “CREATIVE” rendition – Makes so much difference. And by creative, I mean anything – Music, Actions, Videos, Photos, Acting, etc/ – Whatever helps to drive home the point
(7) The “RIGHT” pace - Too fast, and no one gets you. Too slow, and you lose the audience. It has to be just RIGHT for the average listener
(8) Humor – A dash of humor does a long way in making your speech memorable and impactful. Of course, you have to be cautious about this and not say something which you may regret later.
(9) A touch of EMOTION - Add a touch of the right emotion, and if your words touch an emotional chord with the average listener, the speech is likely to be a winner
(10) Personal anecdotes – Stating personal anecdotes from your own personal experience helps in making a co-relation, and also strengthens your credibility as you speak from personal experience

Last but not least, the SPEAKER profile does make all the difference – in terms of his / her brand image, position, authority, power, public sentiment for / against him / her, integrity & strength of character. So if the same speech is given by a politician / professor / business professional / social-worker / motivational speaker – It would have a different effect and impact!

What’s your view? Leave a comment to let me know….

What office perks do employees want?

I published a post about the possibility of an Afternoon Nap being made an office perk a few weeks back. That post triggered a lot of discussion and debate (Both offline and online), and as a result I have had the opportunity to hear what employees dream / want / need as “Office Perks”.

In this blog, I am listing the one’s which I personally found interesting.
(1) An Afternoon Nap on all working days (15 mins)
(2) House Cleaning and Maintenance Services (at least once a month)
(3) Creche / Child Care facilities within the office premiss / close-by
(4) Work from home 1 day a week (Mandatory)
(5) A weekend outing (at least once a quarter) – Movie, Good Food and More!
(6) An annual vacation planned and paid by the company
(7) A reliable domestic help (especially in India)
(8) A reliable cook (especially for working mothers)
(9) A beauty parlor within the office premises (Both the boys and girls wanted this)
(10) A paid massage (head / body) at least once a month
(11) A spa within the office premises
(12) An mandatory “business hour” every week to pursue a hobby of your interest (sport, painting, art, dance, music, etc.)
(13) Low Calorie Food at the Office Cafeteria
(14) A Dietician within the office premises
(15) A paid health check-up within office premises once a year
(16) A qualified medical practitioner within the office premises
(17) Music playing in the background at work through a speaker system
(18) Mandatory 30 minutes of walking time every day (Say 30 mins after lunch)
(19) Yoga sessions 3 times a week (within office premises). And continuous yoga sessions in office campus
(20) Discounts with retailers for popular goods (including groceries, clothes, foot-wear, accessories, etc.)
(21) Financial Support in terms of any personal exigency
(22) ZERO Hour every week (1 hour a week) where you don’t have to work
Did you find your dream perk in the list above? If NOT, leave a comment …

NOTE: I know that some organizations (especially in the IT sector) already provide one / many of these to their employees.

If you are a leader / influencer in your organization, the list above is food for thought

Does Twitter have a memory?

“Does Twitter have a memory?” is something I have been mulling about… Going down memory lane to what I studied in High School Computer Science Basics..

Is it comparable to a RAM (Random Access Memory)? – Fast, Anytime Anywhere access, And somewhat random in user tweets, reactions and responses? (akin to human behaviors, which are many times random)

Is it comparable to a ROM (Read Only Memory)? – No option to “edit” a tweet, can only delete a tweet

Is it comparable to a PROM (Programmable Read Only Memory)? – Using Twitter tools, you can program your tweets so that you’re Twitter activity is continuous, and not really dependent on your “real presence”!

Is it comparable to an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory)? – Yes! You can erase tweets once they are published, and can take tweets away from memory. Even otherwise, with the continuous stream of tweets, I wonder how long people actually remember tweets (their own and others)

Is it comparable to a EEPROM (Extendable Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory)? – And you can extend your Twitter connection in Twitter, and beyond Twitter (to other social media platforms) or even to real life

Or is it really a little of all of the above?

Participating in an Event? – 5 Points to Keep in Mind…

Event Participation is an important marketing activity for any organization. The key benefits of participating in any event include:

• Ensuring your organization’s presence in multiple external / relevant forums – This is vital for the company’s brand image
• Business Networking – An opportunity to build new relationships and strengthen existing one’s
• Lead Generation – Identification of prospects to position your service offerings
• An appreciation of industry trends and perspectives from multiple views
• Insights into where your competitors and partners are headed

Many organizations invest significantly in participating in events. However, do they get the real return on their investments? After all, event participation comes at a price – both in terms of the event participation fee and absence from work for the identified attendees. If you / your organization are participating in an event, do keep in mind the following:

1)  Objective of Event Participation – It is important to have clearly defined objectives of why you / your organization are participating in an event. Whatever be the objective, it is vital that this is explicitly communicated to the team attending the event and to the management who is approving the budgets for event participation. For e.g.: If you are participating in a Marketing Conference, then the primary objective for an organization could be to understand how to effectively utilize modern marketing platforms and social media as a part of your organization’s marketing strategy. On the other hand if you are a participant at Technology Product Event, your objective could be to understand the new offerings from the product vendor, build / enhance networks with peers / partners / customers & analysts and lead generation. While some of these objectives cannot be really quantified and measured, for other’s it is worthwhile to set an explicit target. For e.g.: Speak to at least 3 direct competitor’s to gain insights into their offerings OR to identify at least 10 qualified potential prospects who would be interested in your service offerings.

2) Selection of the Right Event Attendees – Any organization can get maximum benefit of its event participation if they identify and invest in sending the right individuals / teams to attend an event. For e.g.: If an individual who is playing a Marketing / Techno-Marketing role within an IT organization attends A Marketing event, then he / she will be able to appreciate, contribute and also possibly apply the learning’s from the event.

Also, Soft skills are an extremely important pre-requisite for the choice of an attendee – The key one’s being an ability to effectively communicate (and this really means an ability to be clear and brief in expression. And the pre-requisite for this is clarity in thought), an ability to build new networks with peers & strengthen existing relationships and most importantly, an openness to listen, learn, express and discuss your view-points in a larger forum. Of course, knowledge in the specified area needs no specific mention.

3) Action Plan for the Event – Many events tend to have a combination of speaker sessions, discussions, a networking lunch / dinner, etc. Based on the objective of your participation in an event, it is imperative to distribute the activities among the attendees. An internal discussion before the event is worthwhile as this enables in building a rapport among the attendees, and helps in articulating expectations within the team. A well-thought action plan provides a guideline to attendees on how they should structure their time during the event

4) Post-Event Activities – While there is great enthusiasm and fervor before and during an event, this usually dies down after an event. It is however valuable to invest some time in the following:

1. Post-Event Review with the attendees and management to assess the success with  respect to the stated objectives
2. Consolidation of Event related materials in a common space which is a good reference for the future
3. Knowledge sharing among colleagues / peers / teams on learning’s, insights, trends, interesting observations, data points, etc. One good best practice is to send out an event update communication (could be a simple mail) providing event highlights and key take-away’s
4. Continue to maintain relationships with the event organizers, peers, analysts, customers, etc. This is vital for both professional and personal growth

5) Lead Conversion for the identified prospects - Very focused efforts are required to qualify the list of potential prospects. A set of 5 – 10 criteria can be used for qualification. For e.g.: Level of interest in your services, budget availability, historical spend-trend patterns, alignment of your offerings with customer’s requirements, etc. Once the qualification is complete, a discussion with the potential prospect is the next logical step to plan the way forward based on the customer’s need, priorities and interest.

What do you keep in mind before your participate in an event? Leave a comment to let me know

 

A Student’s Dilemma – The Course or The College…

It’s that time of the year when many students have to make important choices with respect to their future education – Especially the decision of the Graduation college (after completion of 12th standard).

A lucky few students (by virtue of their academic performance / personal wealth & affluence/ personal networks) manage to secure an admission in a college of their choice, and with a course (subject) of their choice. But this usually translates into very small percentage of the overall student base.

What about the vast majority of the students?
The dilemma comes down to a choice which they need to make
The Choice between the COURSE and COLLEGE..
And that’s a choice
Which can potentially change their life
Which can potentially change their earning potential
Which can potentially change their quality of life
Which can potentially change their way of thinking
Which can potentially change their views of the world..
Which can potentially change their HAPPINESS QUOTIENT in LIFE..

It’s a TOUGH CHOICE to make..
For students and for their parents..

Here’s my VIEW:
Having been through all these phases myself (right until post-graduation) & also having seen friends / colleagues / family / people around me go through the journey of life and how their lives eventually turn out – My personal and honest answer is “IT DEPENDS on the STUDENT“

Let me explain my point further..

At these phases of life, I have broadly seen students fall into 2 categories:

(1) Students who are deeply passionate about a subject / cause and know for sure what they want to study and eventually become. For e.g.: A friend of mine was very clear that she wanted to study Genetics; and be a researcher in this area when she was in 12th Standard. At that time though most of us knew vaguely what genetics was, her personal interest and passion on the subject was unparalleled. She would read extensively about the subject, subscribe to magazines / periodicals, etc etc & any conversation with her which lasted beyond 5 minutes would be steered to Genetics. Eventually, she went on to do her PhD in Genetics, and has dome some amazing research work in this area.

Whatever be the area of interest – Be it engineering, medicine, genetics, finance, yoga, fitness, fashion design, jewellery design, acting, music, cooking, etc. etc. etc. – If you are deeply passionate about it and are sure about it, that’s a GREAT PLACE and STATE to be in life.

So as a student / individual, if you are deeply passionate about a subject / cause, then my recommendation is one should CHOOSE the COURSE over the COLLEGE.

(2) Now coming to majority of the other students (Applies even to most of us even in adult life) – They really don’t know what they want to study or eventually become. Some of them have favorite subjects at school, but their not sure if that’s what they want to pursue further (For e.g.: It’s not necessary that if you like Maths, you want to become a Mathematician, or Accountant, or a Business Finance professional). For many, they don’t even have any favorite subjects – They just study everything because its part of their school curriculum.

For such students, my recommendation is one should CHOOSE the COLLEGE over the COURSE. Of course, you should try to look for a course in which you have some level of interest.

Simply because if you join a better rated college, you will have the following advantages:

One, the quality of teaching staff would probably be (And again, there may be exceptions here.) better; and a good teacher can sometimes do a phenomenal job in introducing you to new subjects / new worlds, make you curious about learning, open your to mind to new possibilities and help you discover subjects / passions which were waiting to be unearthed. Also recommendations from reputed / well-known teachers of good institutes adds up in your resume – for job applications / future studies.

Two, the overall quality of student base would probably be better. Interacting and building strong friendships and relationships with the right people at this phase of your life can make all the difference in how you think, the kind of activities you associate with, the experiences and exposure you get as a student and  the lessons of life you learn as a student.

Three, and most importantly a better rated college would probably also expose you to options and possibilities after you complete a course by virtue of their associations and collaborations with other regional / global organizations, and these can give you a head-start in your career.

Fourthly and most importantly, the job / career prospects are better if you’ve studied in a good college. Organizations looking at recruitment usually tie-up with colleges which are ranked better. Of course, all organizations have their own criteria for identification of colleges that they will recruit students from, but as a general guideline the better ranked colleges are preferred.

Fifthly, the college alumni plays a very important role in the branding of the college in the corporate context, and the contributions they make to grow and improve the institute. Most good colleges have a dedicated focus on connecting, engaging and interacting with alumni, and do gain phenomenally from these alumni interactions. Consequently, the current student base do get to benefit for these alumni networks in terms of career counseling, guest lectures, industry connects and even job recruitment drives.

Lastly, 10 years after you’ve started working most people associate you with an educational institute than with a specific branch. So for e.g.: You’ll hear of Ms X as a Harvard alumni more often than Ms X as an Engineering student.

That’s my view. Would love to hear your views. Leave a comment to let me know

And if you need to make the decision now, GOOD LUCK to YOU

Offline Status = Anti Social, Online Status = Super Social???

Human Behavior has always fascinated me a great deal – Both in the real world and in the “virtual” world. And ever since I’ve been active on Social Media for the past few years, I’ve noticed a few behavioral patterns in people I know.. Something which intrigued me, interested me and even puzzled me…

Broadly, I noticed the following categories of behaviors (primarily FaceBook and Twitter)

Category 1 : Offline Status = Super Social, Online Status = Anti Social
These are the kind of people who have a zillion friends in the real world. Everywhere they go, they know someone, or are well known within specific networks. They have an active social life, actively participate in one / many activities of interest to them. What I broadly call “Super Social” as far as the real world is concerned. As for as their online presence in social networks goes, it almost does not exist. In some cases they have a profile on FaceBook or Twitter, but hardly connect with any of their friends neither do they post updates about their active social life. I asked a few such people I personally know about why they were not so active on Social Media (given the whole world is headed there). Several valid responses, the Top ones were “Not interested in connecting virtually when I can do the real thing“, “No time as the real-world keeps me busy enough“, “Don’t still get how you can be social in the virtual world!“

Category 2 : Offline Status = Super Social, Online Status = Super Social
These are the kinds of people who are “Super Social ” in the real world – They have friends everywhere they go, They are well known and popular in the circles / groups / communities they’re a part of. And they carry this side of their personality to the online world as well. So they have a zillion connections on FaceBook, Several thousands of followers on Twitter (& also follow several thousands of people), etc etc. They are active on most of the Social networking sites and every day there are several updates from them. My only thoughts are “Just how do they manage to do it?” and “Don’t they ever sleep?” – However they do it, hats-off to them!

Category 3 : Offline Status = Anti Social, Online Status = Anti Social
This is the kind of people who keep pretty much to themselves : both in the real world and in the virtual world. They have very few social connections in the real world, and keep it this way even in the online world. Many of them don’t even have profiles on FaceBook, and while some of them do, they barely connect with anyone or update their status. Their favorite responses “Not interested” or “I really don’t know what to say ” or “Who’d be interested anyways!“. Hmm. Well as long as they are happy with their status, who can say / do anything?

Category 4 : Offline Status = Selectively Social, Online Status = Selectively Social
This is the category that most people I know usually fall into. They are selectively social in their associations and connections in the real world (Some past / history, common interests, hobbies, topics of conversation, etc. usually drive engagement), and exhibit similar behavior in the virtual world. They typically connect with people they know or want to know better for a specific reason, are restrictive about their privacy settings, and guarded about what they share on Social Media.

Category 5 : Offline Status = Anti Social, Online Status = Super Social
This last category of individuals intrigues me the post. They are “Anti Social” in the real world – No smile, No greeting, No Hello (even if they know you), barely have an active social network or social life in the real world. And when you see their online status (read FaceBook, Twitter, etc.) you will be pleasantly surprised (in some instances almost shocked) to see their activities, connections, how frequently they share content, how much they disclose about themselves.. They are completely “transformed” individuals – Almost like a “dual” or “split personality”.

I wonder often what triggers such a drastic change.
Is it because they don’t have a real world social life they try to compensate in the online world?
Is it because they can start afresh & build new connections with people across the world?
Is it because they enjoy the freedom & choices they can make in social media?
Is it because they are more comfortable to connect, engage and interact “virtually” – without Face-2-Face interactions

On one hand it’s good. As Aristotle said “Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human. Society is something that precedes the individual. Anyone who either cannot lead the common life or is so self-sufficient as not to need to, and therefore does not partake of society, is either a beast or a god.” . So better to build social connections – even if it is in the “virtual world” than have none at all!

On the other hand, I wonder how one can have such contrasting sides to their personality?

NOTE: By pure logic, I am sure that several other combinations of status are possible. However, I have listed above the one’s I have pre-dominantly observed.

ADDENDUM – For ease of understanding, I have depicted this in a Matrix.. Refer below

What’s your view? What categories of behaviors have you seen? Leave a comment to let me know…