The Benefits of Servant Leadership in 2023

Servant leadership has gained momentum as a popular management style in recent years, and its importance will only increase in the coming years. As we move into 2023, servant leadership will become even more critical for businesses that want to remain competitive in this ever-changing landscape. It's time to start considering why servant leadership can positively affect your business.

What is Servant Leadership?

Servant leadership is a leadership style that focuses on the well-being of employees, customers, and other stakeholders. The idea behind servant leadership is that when leaders are focused on providing support and creating an environment where everyone feels valued and respected, it creates a healthier working atmosphere and leads to higher performance. This means that businesses that employ a servant leadership approach are more successful than those that don't.

The Benefits of Servant Leadership

The benefits of servant leadership go beyond just creating a better work environment; it can also help you stay ahead of your competition. When employees feel supported by their leaders, they are more likely to be productive and creative, which can increase productivity levels and help you find new solutions faster than your competitors. Additionally, customers respond positively to organizations that practice servant leadership; they are more likely to trust those organizations with their business because they know their needs will be respected. Finally, investors are often attracted to companies with solid servant-leadership practices because it signals organizational stability.

Why Servant Leadership Is Critical In 2023

As technology evolves astonishingly, businesses must innovate quickly or risk being left behind by their competition. To do this effectively requires strong communication between all organizational stakeholders—this is where servant leadership comes into play. By fostering an environment where employees feel supported enough to voice their ideas without fear of retribution or ridicule, organizations can create innovative solutions faster than ever while keeping everyone involved feeling empowered and respected. This allows them to stay ahead of the competition and create an atmosphere that encourages collaboration between departments, leading to further innovation down the line. 

Servant leadership has long been touted as one of the most effective ways for organizations to foster innovation while creating a culture that values respect above all else without sacrificing productivity or profitability. As we look ahead toward 2023, these benefits will become even more critical as businesses adapt quickly to stay competitive in an ever-evolving technological landscape; those who embrace servant leadership now will be best prepared for what lies ahead.  The time for businesses to take advantage of all that servant leadership has to offer is now!

The future of collaboration strategies in Organizations | Leadership Perspectives

Collaboration is a crucial element to success in any organization. In the ever-changing business world of 2023, leaders need to be prepared with the right strategies and tools to ensure successful team collaboration. By understanding the importance of collaboration and how it can be implemented, leaders can create better workflows and processes that lead to increased productivity and better results.

The Benefits of Collaboration

Successful collaboration strategies, such as improved communication, increased efficiency, and better decision-making, can benefit organizations. Teams collaborating effectively can leverage one another's strengths and knowledge more efficiently. This leads to more excellent creative solutions and reduced costs. Improved communication also increases team members' morale and motivation as everyone feels their opinions are being heard and valued. Additionally, when collaboration is done correctly, it can help mitigate conflict between team members that might arise due to differences in opinion or lack of understanding.  

Tools for Successful Collaboration

For collaboration strategies to be successful, leaders should ensure that their teams have access to the right tools for effective collaboration. Several tools today provide easy-to-use platforms for collaborating on projects or tasks remotely. These include virtual whiteboards, task management applications, file-sharing, video conferencing, and more. Leaders should ensure they have selected the right tools to meet their team’s needs while providing a secure environment where sensitive information can remain protected from unauthorized access or manipulation.                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Leadership Techniques For Successful Collaboration

Leaders play an essential role in setting up a successful collaboration within an organization by creating an environment where communication is open and encouraged. They should act as facilitators who foster creativity among team members by encouraging them to think outside the box when working together on projects or tasks. Furthermore, good leaders will establish clear expectations from the start so that everyone knows what is expected from them regarding the quality and timeliness of the work product. Finally, leaders should provide feedback regularly so team members feel supported in their efforts while also keeping them accountable for meeting deadlines or achieving outcomes during collaborative sessions.

Collaborative strategies play a vital role in organizational success by enabling teams to leverage one another’s strengths more effectively while improving communication between members, leading to increased morale and productivity. Leaders must recognize this importance by providing their teams with the necessary tools for successful collaborations while creating an atmosphere where ideas are openly shared without fear of criticism or judgment from others on the team. With proper implementation of these techniques now, organizations will be well-prepared for future collaborations well into 2023.

The Growing Need for Entrepreneurship Education in India

In recent years, entrepreneurship education has become increasingly important in India. This is because there are now more than 5 million entrepreneurs in the country, and this number is proliferating. Over the last decade, the Indian economy has undergone a significant transformation, with an increasing focus on innovation and technology-driven startups. As such, there is a need for individuals who are knowledgeable about entrepreneurship and have the business acumen to succeed in their entrepreneurial endeavors.

What Is Entrepreneurship Education?

Entrepreneurship education is a higher education program designed to develop an individual's knowledge and skills for starting a business venture. It teaches students how to develop ideas for new businesses, conduct market research, develop successful strategies, obtain financing, and manage operations. Typically, courses cover management principles and practices, marketing strategies, finance and accounting basics, legal considerations, problem-solving techniques, team-building skills, and customer service approaches.

Why Is It Important?

Entrepreneurship education is crucial because it gives entrepreneurs the essential knowledge they need to start a small business or launch a startup. Access to these resources before launching their venture into the marketplace can help entrepreneurs avoid costly mistakes and ensure success in today’s competitive environment. Additionally, entrepreneurship education helps increase awareness about the importance of small businesses in driving economic growth in India by creating jobs and contributing to GDP growth.

The Role of Colleges & Universities

Colleges and universities are essential in providing quality entrepreneurship education programs that can equip aspiring entrepreneurs with the necessary skill sets to start their businesses or join existing ones. Many institutions offer specialized courses such as venture capital financing or product development, allowing budding entrepreneurs to hone their skills further. Moreover, many colleges also provide support services such as mentorship programs or access to funding opportunities. These can be invaluable resources for new entrepreneurs looking for ways to get off the ground quickly.

The Role of Media

With more people looking to make their mark as entrepreneurs, the media should have a role in providing educational guidance by offering practical advice, industry insights, and organized tools for aspiring entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship coaching can be provided through various forms of media, such as radio shows, magazines, and websites sharing tips from success stories. Furthermore, video content featuring industry experts discussing the challenges faced by entrepreneurs can help demystify the complexities of launching a business or scaling to reach a new audience. Media is invaluable in motivating individuals with their entrepreneurial pursuits while assisting them in developing effective strategies to ensure long-term success.                                                  

In conclusion, entrepreneurship education in India is becoming increasingly important, given its potential impact on economic growth and job creation. With the proper training and resources from educational institutions like colleges & universities around India, aspiring entrepreneurs can gain valuable knowledge that can help them create successful businesses that contribute positively to society. The importance of entrepreneurship education cannot be overstated; it is essential for any aspiring entrepreneur who wants to be successful in today’s competitive environment.

Realizing the Power of Diversity and Inclusion in Leading Teams by 2023

It is no secret that diversity and inclusion in the workplace are essential components of a successful business. This has been true for many years now. Still, as we move into the future, it will become increasingly important to prioritize diversity and inclusion in leadership teams. By understanding why this is essential and implementing strategies to foster an inclusive environment, businesses can achieve tremendous success by 2023.

The Benefits of Diversity and Inclusion

Many reasons a business should prioritize diversity and inclusion in its leadership team. Firstly, fostering an inclusive culture helps to attract a broader range of talent for top positions. This allows businesses to tap into a larger pool of potential employees with varied skill sets, experiences, and perspectives, which can help them innovate more effectively. Secondly, embracing diversity and inclusion helps to create an environment where everyone feels respected, appreciated, and heard. This can improve employee satisfaction, leading to higher productivity amongst staff members. Finally, diverse teams are better equipped to understand customer needs more accurately as they come from different backgrounds. This can lead to increased customer loyalty and better customer service overall.

How Can Businesses Foster Diversity and Inclusion?

Businesses need tangible solutions beyond lip service to cultivate an inclusive atmosphere within their organizations. One way they can do this is by setting up specific initiatives, such as mentorship programs that match senior leaders with junior staff members from diverse backgrounds or by creating dedicated teams that aim to promote diversity within the organization. Companies should also review their recruitment processes to ensure that candidates from all backgrounds have equal opportunities for advancement within the organization. Finally, companies must also focus on retention efforts, such as offering competitive compensation packages or flexible working options that allow employees from all backgrounds to feel valued by their employers over the long term.

Creating A Culture Of Acceptance

Creating a culture of acceptance within an organization takes time and effort but is essential for success. Companies should focus on creating an environment where everyone feels valued regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. This means actively seeking out candidates with different backgrounds and experiences during recruitment processes and providing fair pay for all employees regardless of their backgrounds or job titles. Additionally, employers should strive to provide equal opportunities for all staff members to take on leadership roles regardless of their background or experience level. 

Investing In Training & Education

Businesses must also invest in training and education initiatives focusing on diversity and inclusion issues. This could include seminars from guest speakers on topics such as unconscious bias or workshops dedicated to developing skills related to managing a diverse team.. Training like this helps improve employee understanding of these issues, which will help create a more inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued. It also ensures that leaders have the tools necessary to manage teams in a way that respects each individual’s unique contributions while working towards common goals.

Evaluating Employee Performance

When evaluating employee performance, leaders must also pay attention to any bias they might be displaying towards specific individuals or groups. Performance reviews should focus on the quality of the work, not on preconceived notions about the individual’s race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, etcetera. By removing any potential bias from the equation during performance evaluations, organizations can create a more equitable environment for everyone involved.

In today’s competitive marketplace, businesses must recognize the power of embracing diversity and inclusion in leading teams by 2023. By understanding why this is so important for organizations today, creating tangible solutions for fostering an inclusive environment through mentorship programs or reviewing recruitment processes, businesses can prepare themselves for even greater success in the future. Only by prioritizing these efforts now can we set ourselves up for success down the line!

Future-Proofing Your Leadership Skills for 2023

The business world constantly changes, and executives must stay ahead of the curve. One of the key ways to do this is by preparing your leadership skills for the future. By planning and anticipating what will be needed in 2023, you can ensure that you are well-positioned to lead your company successfully into the new decade.

 Develop a Strong Digital Presence

The digital age has drastically changed business operations. To stay ahead of the competition, executives must have a robust digital presence. This means having an active social media presence on multiple platforms and maintaining an up-to-date website with relevant content. Additionally, executives should take advantage of emerging technologies such as AI and machine learning – many companies are using these tools to gain competitive advantages over their competitors.

Find Ways to Improve Your Team’s Performance

A great leader knows how to motivate their team and get them working together efficiently towards a common goal. To do this effectively in 2023, finding innovative ways to foster collaboration between team members and create an environment where everyone feels comfortable taking risks and trying new things will be critical. Additionally, executives should strive to develop strategies that measure progress accurately and hold employees accountable for their work.

Be Prepared for Change

The business landscape constantly evolves, so executives must be flexible and adaptive regarding changes within their organization or industry. Executives should be prepared for rapid changes in technology, customer preferences, market conditions, or regulations, which could significantly impact how they lead their teams into the future. It’s also essential for executives to stay abreast of industry trends so they can anticipate any potential changes before they happen and plan accordingly.

Embracing Technology

Executives must be willing to embrace new technologies as they become available to stay competitive in an increasingly digital world. This means staying up-to-date with technological advancements and understanding how they can be utilized in your business practices. Investing in research and development may also be beneficial as you seek out new ways to use emerging technologies.

Adaptability

Being able to adjust quickly and comfortably when needed is a skill all executives must possess. As technology evolves, so must businesses. Being able to pivot and change direction easily will put you one step ahead of your competitors, who need to adapt more quickly. Executives must have a good understanding of their company’s vision and goals to make decisions that will benefit their business in the long run rather than just trying to keep up with short-term trends.

Networking

In today's tech-driven world, networking has become even more critical. Executives should use online platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram to build strong professional relationships with other industry leaders, potential customers, and partners. Networking can open up collaboration, innovation, and growth opportunities that would otherwise only be possible with having these connections built beforehand.

Focus on Communication Skills

Good communication skills are essential for any leader – they are crucial in effectively leading and motivating your team members. To prepare for success in 2023, it’s critical to focus on honing your communication skills. This includes understanding how to communicate effectively with different types of people, reading body language during meetings and conversations, and learning how to convey ideas effectively through written and verbal communication. These critical components of good communication will help you succeed in any business environment. 

Stay Up-to-Date

Leaders in 2023 must stay up-to-date with current technology and business practices trends if they want their businesses to remain competitive and successful. Staying informed about industry news, advancements, and changes will help you stay one step ahead of the competition while also giving insights into what strategies may work best for your company. Keeping abreast of industry news will also allow you to understand better where potential opportunities may lie. 

Leadership skills are essential for success in any industry but are especially crucial in 2023, when there will likely be significant technological advances that profoundly change the way businesses operate. By staying ahead of these changes by developing a solid digital presence, improving your team’s performance, and being prepared for change, you can ensure that you will have the leadership skills needed to remain successful.

Leaders ability to set goals in a VUCA environment

Today’s volatile environment continues to evolve, and while things continue to return to a new normal, there is much skepticism of the unknown future. In such explosive environments, the organization and the employees look for leaders to charter the course to focus and rely on leaders to define the path for them. But many individuals and leaders fail to charter practical goals for the organization and individuals. 

 Leadership is about setting goals for organizations, teams, or individuals. Leadership is not just about getting people to do something; it’s also about helping them believe in their abilities and taking the initiative. Leadership involves motivating others to take action, which requires setting clear goals that are realistic and achievable. Leadership also means providing direction when there are no rules or precedents available—and then figuring out how to make things happen when you don’t have all the resources you need. Leadership skills can help any leader navigate an increasingly volatile environment by giving them the tools they need to act decisively in times of uncertainty. 

Leadership’s critical competency is about goal setting.

One of the most critical aspects of leadership is setting goals. When leaders set clear goals, it gives their team a sense of direction and purpose. It also helps to motivate team members and keep them focused on what needs to be done. In a VUCA environment, leaders need to set clear and achievable goals and communicate those goals clearly and often. 

Leaders need to be inclusive, honest, and fair with their teams during goal setting. For example, if a team might not reach its goal, the leader should acknowledge possible and explain why (and how) that could happen. Leadership means leading others through difficult conversations with humility and honesty. Leadership also means motivating others to persevere even when things become challenging. This includes encouraging team members to find new ways of doing things and finding resources that might not have been considered before. Leadership requires leaders to be flexible and adaptable when necessary while also setting appropriate boundaries on the resources they commit. Leadership is about building up a team so everyone can succeed—and knowing when people aren’t meeting their goals or expectations is part of that. Leaders need to be compassionate and supportive with team members who are struggling and decisive enough to hold them accountable when they aren’t producing the desired results. 

Goal setting is essential for your business.

 Setting goals is an essential part of any business. When you set goals, you can focus on what you want to achieve and develop a plan to reach those goals. Without goals, it can be not easy to know where your business is headed or what you should be working on.

When you set specific and measurable goals, you can track your progress and make adjustments as necessary. This helps ensure that you are always moving in the right direction and that your efforts are producing results. Additionally, setting goals can help motivate your employees and keep them engaged in their work.

Goal setting is an essential tool for any business leader, and it should be a part of your regular planning process. Not sure where to start? You can set a specific goal or choose a broad target that you want to reach. It would help if you planned for the long-term and the short-term – there are different goals for each period – and break down your overall strategy into smaller steps. When setting goals, the critical focus should be on the output vs. input goals. Many leaders fail in defining goals, where the direction is mainly looking at operational goals, which are predominantly the means to achieve the results.  

Leadership starts with setting goals 

Leaders can help and manage the ever involving volatile environment.

Leadership skills can help leaders recognize, create, and seize opportunities that may not have existed previously. Leadership is about more than just getting things done; it’s also about helping others believe in their abilities. Leadership is motivating others to take action, which requires setting clear goals that are realistic and achievable. 

A practical framework for goal setting, which many successful business leaders and entrepreneurs have used successfully for years, is the five steps framework: 

1. Envision a desirable future state; 

2. Articulate this vision; 

3. Get the alignment of your team behind the vision; 

4. Identify critical steps (the strategy), and 

5. Plan for contingencies.

Each of the stages in the framework requires conviction and focus from the leader. While many leaders focus on the first stage, they need to ensure they are present and focus across definition, implementation, review and ensure that if there are learnings (failures), they are celebrated and communicated. 

Organizations without practical goals are directionless and are bound to fail in a volatile environment. 

The Importance of Experimentation for Leaders

In a constantly changing world, it's more important than ever for leaders to be able to experiment and learn new things. As industries change and technology advances, it becomes more challenging to stay ahead of the curve. That's why experimentation is vital for leaders; it allows them to explore new possibilities and learn about new technologies. Leaders who can experiment and learn will be better equipped to face future challenges. Experimentation is never too late, so you should never be afraid to try something new. Experimentation could lead to an innovative solution or a discovery that makes life easier for everyone. Experimenting with something new doesn't have to be complicated; all it takes is a little courage and patience. Experimentation can help you grow as a leader and learn more about yourself. Experimenting allows leaders the opportunity to see if their assumptions are correct, which can save time in the long run rather than making mistakes that they will have to change later on. Experimenting with something different is how the best ideas are discovered because people can come up with brilliant solutions by thinking outside of the box and challenging themselves. As we progress through our everyday lives, we need to experiment with things to keep our minds sharp and ready for anything.

Experimentation is a leader's ticket to progress. Experimenting shows your employees that you are willing to try new things and take risks, which can also help motivate them. Experimentation can be applied to any industry or position because it's never too late to learn something new. A good leader knows when to change course and tries new things to stay successful. Experimenting becomes more critical as we enter the age of technology; we need leaders who understand how vital experimenting is with technology if we want the change and improvement this field offers. Experimentation helps us discover what works and what doesn't work, so we know where we stand and what steps we need to take to get to where we want to be. Experimentation can help you discover new ways of doing something, but it's essential to have a vision and understand the bigger picture while experimenting. 

Experimenting is a great way for leaders to explore new possibilities and learn about their employees. Just like anything else in life, experimentation should be done with caution because failure can sometimes lead to regret. Experimentation helps us move forward, so we don't spend too much time on the past, allowing more time to focus on our future. Experimenting with different aspects of your career or business will give you the skills necessary for any challenge that comes your way; we all need to experiment every once in a while to grow and excel. Experimentation is a great way to explore your options and grow as a leader. Experimenting allows leaders to see how their decisions affect other people, which gives them a better understanding of what they do best. Experimenting should be done with another person or group because it can help you learn more about different opinions and make better decisions for everyone involved. Experimentation should be encouraged no matter who you are or where you work because it helps us find new ways of doing things that make life easier for everyone.

With new technology getting introduced every day and so much hype about various new technologies in the market, it is difficult for leaders to keep up and stay ahead of the curve. For leaders to understand the evolution and application of technology within the industry they operate, they must understand and experiment with the new technology. Denial or the thought that the trend/technology will not apply to my industry is a bad strategy. Hence all leaders must drive a culture of experimentation and learning. 

With concepts like Metaverse, Web 3.0, NFTs, Headless Commerce, and many more, what are you experimenting with today? I have started to create my digital art, and it has been a fun and enriching exercise. What is your experimentation?

The Leader at the end of the tunnel looks different

There was a telling WhatsApp forward going around during the early days of the coronavirus crisis – What entity has brought the most significant digital transformation to your organization? The answer was not the CIO or the CEO, but the Coronavirus Pandemic. Along with the near-global lockdown and economic disruption, the pandemic brought, at best, inconstancy and uncertainty and, at worst, severe anxiety and depression to a vast majority of people. In this scenario, leaders within organizations found themselves changing track overnight—from a predominant focus on achieving business goals to supporting the people behind them—yes, as enablers of business goals and as extensions of leaders themselves, threads of shared humanity. And the shift in focus towards people and their changing work and consumption habits necessitated a change in technology models to support new ways of thinking, working, living, and engaging.

As I see it, there are four principal leadership needs emerging as we move into the future, regardless of whether we call it the "next to normal" or the "never normal"

1. Servant Leadership

In Hermann Hesse's book, Journey to the East, he tells the story of Leo, a servant among many others in a traveling group. When problems start cropping up in Leo's absence, the other servants realized how Leo had kept the group together and that he was, in fact, more of their leader than a servant. Leo's story inspired Robert K. Greenleaf to later define 'Servant Leadership' as a management style where the leader's chief focus is to 'enable other people to develop and perform to the best of their abilities. 

Over the past few months, the term servant leadership has held growing personal relevance for me. As my team members moved to remote working in unusual circumstances, I often found myself on team calls and one-on-one calls to discuss our personal lives more than work. Everyone knew their job and was doing it – where they needed help was managing stress and uncertainty and the nitty-gritty of work-personal life balance. As leaders in our organization, it became our predominant role to support our teams in every possible way only – emotionally and in terms of resources, with clarity and transparency in communication. More than anything else, it was the acknowledgment of our shared vulnerability during the pandemic that significantly brought everyone together, with a greater resolve to unite and tide through the times – together.

2. A larger perspective on Diversity and Inclusion

In recent years, most organizations have become increasingly aware of different kinds of biases we all have and have been actively trying to find systemic and personal ways to eliminate discrimination, especially in terms of class, gender, and race at work and life outside work. Yet, organizational culture is siloed in more ways than we routinely think. Leaders, rather than entire teams, think about strategy and direction. We discuss work issues with our colleagues more than with our family or friends. We expect great ideas to come from a particular set of individuals. The pandemic blurred our usual lines of interaction, families started occasionally joining in on work calls, and teammates joined in on virtual needs more often than they may have in person. We often found some of the most valuable ideas and solutions come from unexpected quarters – from children who are digital natives or relatively junior folks in the organization with fresh perspectives.

““An inclusive leader welcomes everyone as an equal collaborator. They create an environment where everyone can be themselves, play to their strengths, ask for help, and work together to get better solutions,””

— says Ben Renshaw, leadership coach, and author

The most successful leaders of the future will be those who value all voices equally, and in turn, get an equal representation of ideas from the rich spectrum of human experience.

3. Agility and not being a "know all' 

Last year has proven that even great leaders or managers may not have the "farsight" to foresee what's coming, what would change, or what actions are needed. Individuals and companies who have survived or thrived have either adapted or learned to become agile. Agile leadership primarily focuses on building collaborative learning environments, quickly acting on feedback from the larger ecosystem (Partners, Customers, Stakeholders, Shareholders, and Government) to drive the business forward. Agility is not about living in the moment and taking it as it comes; the focus should be on taking incremental steps toward the larger goal and purpose. 

Organizations and teams look at leaders to answer or solve every question or need statement. In technology, where knowledge is created and curated faster than the speed of light, leaders need to embrace humility and ask for help or guidance for all types of situations. Even if they know or have experienced scenarios, there is no harm in reaching out to their teams or trusted advisors to seek a better way or get guidance on her/his thought process.

4. Fluid teams augmented with real-time insights

The business of the future will be a fast-moving and shape-shifting creature. As the gig economy grows and remote working catches on, your workforce will likely need to be an agile, adaptive entity – shrinking and expanding to suits the demands of a project or situation. What you will need in that scenario are excellent insights systems that augment new teams with real-time, contextual insights to help them rapidly get up to speed and deliver optimally from the get-go.

Instead of hiring a workforce for life, bearing enormous costs of attrition, and losing business through gaps in knowledge transfer, organizations must think of systems – not as clunky repositories – but as agile support tools that can instantly and powerfully empower teams with the knowledge and machine intelligence they need to perform their best. As AI technologies mature and meld with cognitive intelligence, the scope to drive a genuinely insights-powered, lean, and intelligent organization is as broad as it is compelling. Timely information with the right insight has always been a game-changer, but it's your essential survival kit in a changing world.  

“The Leader at the end of the tunnel looks different ”

— Anees Merchant

Power Series: Humility

When I started writing the article, I had a different perspective of being humble; however, the current situation which the world is facing due to COVID-19 has taught me and changed my view of what humility is all about. 

Today's scenario is challenging all the norms and processes which we have set in our personal and professional life. There is no benchmark or blueprints available in the world which can either prepare, prescribe, or allow us to take action, which we don't know the outcomes or measures. The world is in an experimentation mode, everyday new methods, information, and aspects are enhancing or changing our experimentation methods. Humans have survived, and we would all survive this phase of the world. 

The phase of the world also demands we, as human beings, take a step back, evaluate and appreciate what is around us. Today there is rage, fear, and a sense of hoarding which is brewing amongst us. We need to calm ourselves down and also evaluate how we manage the situations which are evolving every day and every hour. What is being requested of us is to demonstrate humility across the walk of life. Humility is a quality of being humble and a form of self-control that is neither having pride (or arrogance) nor indulging in self-deprecation.

Having a sense of humility in the business context allows individuals to build sustained relationships. In the age of digital, building relationships would test all the previous myths (in-person, handshake, body language, personal appearance, and many more). Displaying humility and being considerate of others' needs before yours would allow businesses to scale through the current and global scenario of the world. Functions in an organization like sales, marketing, finance, and even the board members sooner than later would need to adopt humility as a leadership style to weather the storm and also sustain the business in the short and mid-term. 

Recent research suggests that humility is a quality of certain types of leaders. For example, Jim Collins and his colleagues found that a particular kind of leader, whom they term "level 5", possesses humility and fierce resolve. Humility is being studied as a trait that can enhance leadership effectiveness. The research suggests that humility is multi-dimensional and includes self-understanding and awareness, openness, and perspective-taking.

I am no expert in humility but have been consciously and unconsciously practicing it since the last decade. If you have perspectives on it further, please do leave your comments below. Chao. 

Power Series: Kobe Bryant The Great

Black Mamba, Kob-Me, Employee #8, Mr 81, Kobe Wan Kenobi, KB8, KB-24, Neo, Ocho, The Dagger, and many more

26th January 2020, a dark day in the history of sports, the world lost one of the greatest athletes of all time, Kobe Bean Bryant. KB8 though, was gifted; if you know about his strong ethics, he has worked hard to be and achieve greatness through hard work and perseverance. His death caused mass hysteria across the world and his fans were deeply saddened. He left a great impact, apart from being a great athlete, he was a great human being too.

However, he didn’t reach his greatness easily and worked hard over the years to achieve what he did in his lifetime.

1. Focus your destination: Per Kobe Wan Kenobi, everything he did either on the court or off the court was with a single objective that he wanted to be the greatest at his art. If you have that only goal, the universe aligns and shares the only target with you to drive everything around you to make it happen

2.  His work ethics: He didn't compromise a single day to divert from his goals. He focussed on his strengths and weakness and worked upon them to ensure he can work towards his goal

3. Understand your limitations: The Dagger understood his weakness like his vertical jump was not compared to some of the greatest, his palm was not that big, and he wasn't the fastest on the court. So he had to understand the game, study the game in detail, get more skilled combined with the basics of basketball to define his success. 

4. Getting into the zone: Neo mentions across his interviews and in his book that whenever he entered the court, there was a mental switch that allowed him to get focussed on the game. It was almost like a 'Switch' once turned on; it made him feel like a live wire. 

5. Emotional strength: We are very self-conscious and the worst critics of ourselves. Kob-Me recommends we all get over ourselves, and it is not just about us. 

6. Consult the best in the game: Nothing to be shy to consult who are celebrated in their field. Ask on how did that, and what made them succeed in the game they played and what are the key learnings from their careers. He referred to the great as "Goat Mountains."

7. Relationship with near and dear ones: KB8 understood to achieve greatness; he had to give up or lose something on the way. For him, his goal was to be the best in what he endeavors in the game. He didn't take breaks to take time off with his family or near and dear ones. The reason for that, when he retires, he doesn't need to repent that could have put more time into what he could have achieved greatness. The people around him understood his path and let him be what he wanted to be. Great learning, communicate, and discuss your passion and ensure the individuals around you know 'why' and 'what' you are doing. 

8. Your Customers are essential: For Black Mamba, his fans who have paid money to come and watch him. They expected him to be in his best shape and also not get intimated with any of the opponents even if he is not fit. Come what may, he always put his 'A' game for the fans.

9. A coach: Once KB8 retired, he started working with folks, to enable and get the best out of them. He is creating a platform for the folks to understand and deliver their best

10. Parenting advice: During the game against the Golden State Warriors, where they had a close game, the Black Mamba is called to take a shot. Just before the shot, the Achilles happened. He stood up, made the free throws, and walked back to get the surgery done. In the locker room, his kids waited for him, and his message to them was, 'I would be all right'. His word to all of us that we shouldn't get defined by this one incident. I am going to be in control and ensure that I come out of it. 

Wow, just wow, and his passing was a big set back to the entire world. I haven't watched him play much, but the more now I understand his past, the biggest fan I have become. To 'Black Mamba'...

If you want to read more about his life, I would personally recommend the book:

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

Power Series: The leaders of 2020...

The last decade has been the most exciting decade, which has redefined, challenged, and also made the world think about Technology, Leadership, and Environment needs. What made it compelling is the growth of a new breed of leaders, which has made us think about how we need to think about leadership going forward.

The three companies which I admire and follow: Microsoft, Google, and Adobe have not only seen a new breed of leaders, but these leaders have transformed and led the companies to become category leaders. All three of them - Satya Nadella, Sundar Pichai, and Shantanu Narayen, have challenged the status quo and transformed the companies to set examples of business models that new and old companies are seeking to adopt. Stepping into a Chief Executive role, have debunked the myths that successful and potential career paths should be either in Sales or Marketing. The background and the career have common traits that I have done my best to enlist for all of us to recognize and take cognizant. 

1. Education: All three of them have completed their graduation, and also got a master's degree. The focus puts back on an excellent education that debunks the earlier decade myth that education is not necessary to succeed. Each of them has studied engineering and then went to get an MBA.  

2. Product Management: Career choices and paths are an essential factor for you to be successful. More importantly, I would highly recommend gaining knowledge on how to focus on product management and build skills around that. The last decade saw a significant shortage of individuals with excellent Product Management skills, and this shortage would continue. Being a successful Product Management professional requires to have multiple skills and perspectives to manage successful product management lifecycle. 

3. Humility and Bold: I firmly believe that being humble in your day to day personal and professional is a crucial trait. Even though being a CEO of such large and global giants, all three of them have more than often not have come across being humble. Humbleness doesn't mean that you shouldn't challenge the norm. All three of them have tested the standard in their companies and helped transform the company to become category leaders. Boldness requires one to relook at things, the ability to take risks, appreciate diversity, analyze culture nuances in a corporate setup and lastly, accept failure as well. 

4. Build industry partnerships: Partnerships can be daunting or detrimental, and if it is with an entity that can be considered as competition in the near or long term is perceived as a bad strategy in the corporate world. However, each of them has done the reverse where they have embraced competition successfully and announced partnerships that have challenged the norm. It has not only positioned them and but also their companies as inclusive. The approach has allowed their respective customers to appreciate their move as many customers do not want to get tied into an ecosystem and would like to have the sense of decision making in their own hands. 

5. Global and Growth Markets: The world has now transformed and compelling businesses to go global and consider local nuances. More so, there are significant and emerging markets that are shifting focus from west to east and south and requires leaders to think about how the economies function, thrive, and consider their decisions. Each of them since had an upbringing in India and appreciated the diversity, inclusion and innately understand what moves the largest democracy in the world can apply similar principles in the other growing economies. 

I hope this article inspires each one of you, and I look forward to seeing your career excel in 2020 and the decade to come. 

I would also recommend reading Satya Nadella's book 'Hit Refresh.' The book gives insights into his life, work, and his approach to things in life.