Food for Thought

We all have important tasks that we keep putting off for one reason or the another. Yet, we are aware that addressing such tasks quickly and completely is the key to success. If you are wondering how to get that done, read on! "An average person who develops the habit of setting clear priorities and getting important tasks completed quickly will run circles around a genius who talks a lot and makes wonderful plans but gets very little done." First things first, setting priorities is essential for getting things done; but, it would be impossible to set priorities if one lacks the clarity of their goals and objectives. Lack of clarity can be killer as it impairs the ability to take actions and taking appropriate actions forms the crux to achieve success. Having clarity is essential; but i ts easier said than done! It requires developing some good work habits which in turn  requires lots of discipline and determination. First step is to determine precisely what y

Often people struggle to come up with logical and practical solution to the problems at hand. This happens because we tend to approach the problem with combination of viewpoints. In his book Thinking Fast and Slow, the author Daniel Kanheman breaks down these view points into two systems of thinking- fast and slow. Understanding hows and whys of these systems will help us in taking a better approach of handling situation at hand making better decisions. System One: Fast Thinking This mode of thinking is based on emotions and sub-conscious reactions. The biases and personal experiences are the foundations of this thinking system. It is what we commonly call the 'gut instinct'. At times, it may be irrational and flawed. When faced with a situation requiring decision making, the brain naturally makes associations and referencing to the past experiences. The natural tendency is to find solution quickly with minimal efforts. This reaction is subjective and has ele

Ever wondered why certain organizations reach the zenith while others struggle to make a leap or sustain? What makes organizations reach certain height? How do they transit from 'good to great'. Is it the strategies they choose, or their visionary leader, or is it the team team they employ? Read along to find out the essential ingredients on the incredible transformation. Good is the enemy of Great! On contrary to the popular belief the transition does not happen due to larger-than-life charismatic persona of the leader but it is due to systematic process that an organization undergoes. Author Jim Collins, in his book  Good To Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't , outlines a framework of this based on his research. The framework has three components, namely, 1. Process: This involves taking the first step towards greatness and continuing in the same direction (indicated by build up in the above diagram) till you reach an inflection point

The inspiration of this blog is the amazing book by Eric Harvey, titled 'Leadership secrets of Santa Claus: How to get big things done in your "workshop"- all year long'. The author uses Santa Claus as a metaphor of terrific leadership. Santa’s number-one priority is his mission of 'delivering high-quality toys to good little children' and he makes sure his elves and reindeer understand how they connect to it. This is actually the role of the leader.   Santa Claus faces fluctuating demands, a challenging production schedule and a hostile work environment. He has to attract efficient employees and convince them to relocate to the North Pole. He also must adapt his production workshop and retrain his people annually to build the gifts that are 'in demand' each year. Despite the challenges, Santa Claus loves what his job. Santa and his team are delightful and productive because of their mission. The team in North Pole know the mission, and

“Leadership skills determine the level of your success - and the success of those who work around you.” The above adage clearly implies the significance of developing the leadership skills for an individual. Now, one may argue that the leadership skills are innate; but, I have a different perspective to this opinion. This perspective of mine can be backed by a famous illustration as stated. A group of people was strolling through a village. When they passed an old man, one of them asked condescendingly, "Were any great men born in this village?" "Nope," the old man answered, "Only babies." The moral of the story: Although some people seem to be "born leaders," most need to learn leadership from experienced role models. Based on the book "Developing the leader within You" by John C. Maxwell, one can come up with ten basic principles to embark on the journey of leadership. Principle One: "The Definition of Leaders

Book: 12 Disciplines of Leadership Excellence: How leaders achieve sustainable high performance Authors: Brian Tracy, Dr. Peter Chee Summary The authors describe 12 principles to succeed as a Leader. These can be developed over time by practice and experience. These are listed below: 1.  The Discipline of Leadership Excellence Current age employees most of the times look for what is in-stored for them in any work. Thus in current era, two types of leaders are more valuable as per author - charismatic transformational leaders who inspire people to do their best and transactional leaders who possess the ability to work with and achieve through others. Great leaders connect their team with the larger purpose by articulating their vision effectively and adding meaning to their team's work. As a leader one should make decisions and take actions and be accountable for the results. Leader should be prepared for adversity by planning for the worst-case scenario. Open, direct

Book: 5% More: Making Small Changes to Achieve Extraordinary Results Author: Michael Alden "You can increase your productivity in virtually every aspect of your life by just 5%, and it will have long-term and life-changing benefits.” Everyone wishes for a better life; but, many fail in achieving this due to either unrealistic expectations or lack of action. The success comes by doing (acting) and not just day-dreaming about it.  The book suggests putting 5% more efforts in the direction of the goal one wishes to achieve. This may not bring-in 5% more results but will definitely take a step closer to the set target. To achieve 5% more, one must hold him/herself accountable. Start by writing down daily and weekly goals and be honest and realistic about it. (This can also be done for a team i.e. setting team goals and communicating them with the team). Incremental adjustments can be made eventually to the goals (targets). Author's colleague Brian encouraged him to