Leadership

I Voted for change and My candidate might loose!

noreply@blogger.com (Nanjunda) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 06:10:00 +0000

I voted for change and I voted for a candidate who is
1. Qualified - Academically
2. Capable - Has had a job with Largest employer in the Country and has been good in his job.
3. Accomplished - Turned around a barren land into one of the most productive land as a converted Farmer.
4. Successful - Became an Entrepreneur and created the new Low cost carrier, which redefined Air Traveling in India and on selling it made a fortune for him self and the share holders.
He has plans for the future of India from the perspective of being a People representative to the Lok Sabha as a Member of Parliament and this perhaps best suits the role he wants to be elected into.
He is vocal and Independent, two of the traits which are not very acceptable to be a successful Politician.
Every Man/Woman, as a Brother/Sister, Father/Mother or a Guardian the look out for a suitable alliance inquires the Match's credentials to be considered as a match for their loved one. Why? Because they care. They care so much that they disapprove of their own finding of another person for a Partner, if they do not find them good enough.
Why is it that they do not employ the same seriousness and concern in identifying their Representative to the Assembly or Parliament?
Why is there such an apathy?

I am beginning to think that the work has to start at the ground level.
We as a Nation has been failed by our Political System and Politicians and for a long time now. The system has got into our veins to pick the better of the lot or the Lesser evil always.
We as a society are degenerating into picking the loosers because they are better than some body else. Our ability to make a choice and decide for something good has been short sold long back that we don't even think any longer in that manner.

Getting back, given this background, we are no longer casting votes and if at all we do, we vote our Caste (borrowing, Master Hirannayya's words).
Does my Candidate has a chance to win,?
I don't think so.
i I not know this before,?
I clearly did.
Why did I Waste my vote?
I did not waste it, I wanted to encourage him and his ilk.

People like me might just enable a third or forth front to come to power at the centre and take India to the dark ages..??
Come on, whom are we fooling anyway?? Who can ever believe that even the Congress or BJP can come to power on their own? They will form a government if at all they do with the support of the 3rd or the 4th and they have done so in the past also and how beneficial this has been we all know.
Should we give up hope for better future today in the pretext of keeping lesser evil in power?
I don't think so. I am happy I still voted and I am not sad that my candidate will not win.

Are we a Democracy? partially, partly, probably...

Surviving Difficult Times ahead for Entrepreneur

noreply@blogger.com (Nanjunda) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:50:00 +0000

For the difficult times ahead...
Entrepreneurs have tough times ahead. Its not that others have anything less, but as an Entrepreneur risk or reward gets magnified as much. Get the priority right and I think, most of the things will fall in place there after.
Here are 10 thoughts, that may just be useful to set your priority.

accept the fact that market is bad and it is going to be difficult. Many a times accepting the situation to be so is the first step to work towards managing the situation or responding to the situation better.
in bad times known Devil is better than unknown God. Work towards improving what you already have strengths in rather than trying to get into some thing you have no clue of.
Cut Cost, Save Money. Every time you have a spend in your Office, how ever you may have that bill revisiting you, take another look and ask what if we have to do without it? If your answer is "We can still do without" then you know where to cut Cost.
Measure everything. Performance, Deliverables, Time lines, Goals met, Goals unmet, Target achieved, Targets unachieved, Short Term impacts, Near term impacts and Long term impacts.
know what you are doing? if you don't know, you are beyond any help. Ask why and worry about How, if you want to make it through this bad patch.
are you answerable? If not, time you become answerable. You have enjoyed carrots, time to get the stick right upto the Leadership teams and even among Founders.
do not duck tough questions. Do not ask tough questions only for your employees, Ask tougher questions for yourself and your Partners and Leadership team.
act now, Act when it matters. Do not delay in taking actions but do not act in haste either. When you know things have to change and you have figured out what has to change, ACT.
stay sane and Breath hard. Do not react when uncertainty surrounds you. Talk to some one who can relate to yuor situation and also listen before you act.
Get innovative, do things differently. Clear mind and focus on purpose can help you cross the bridge.

My Favourite info source

noreply@blogger.com (Nanjunda) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:05:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Nanjunda) — Tue, 27 May 2008 05:28:00 +0000

Leader In-Security

Leadership is the most abused word in Corporate perhaps next only to democracy in Politics and love in relationship. Place of a leader is most desired ever since history got on record. It may have been so otherwise, but there's no record of the same, unless we could consider the mythologies to be preceding the recorded history. From the pages of mythologies to this day balance sheets, Leaders have displayed great character and at the same time most have acted on insecurity.

Crassus, the Roman General who defeated the army of slaves led by Spartacus was one of those powerful leaders whose insecurity made him the most unpopular. Remembered to this day with disgust for crucifying 6000 people along the Via Appia. The contrast of character in leadership comes from Spartacus for whose sake 6000 men allowed them selves to be crucified. Contrast in character here was Insecurity versus Trust / Adoration.

Leader gains the trust of his team by the merit of his or her character and that was seen with Sugreeva gaining the support of the army of Monkey people against the then leader and his own brother Vali(who was the king earlier). While the insecurity in the leader has led to the degradation of the character of that leader in effect losing the trust of his or her own team. In today's scenario, a leader is more on-guard and insecure and the actions directly reflect the (borrowing British Policy in India under their subjugation), Divide and Rule.

Insecurity is a challenge for today's leader and every entrepreneur's decision is marred by it. Most Entrepreneurs first mantra would be 'Never Trust Anybody'. This is where it all starts, Beginning is made with such a mantra can never be independent of Insecurity. Trust is never responded with distrust and vice versa. Most Leaders of this genre (entrepreneurs) tend to believe that they can buy trust and loyalty the very thought and action puts them into the perennial distrust and insecurity.

A Leader has to win the confidence of his or her team. This calls for an unlearning as much as learning. One needs to be able to listen as much as talk. One should be able to react to the situation and at the same time be able to restrain while reacting without complete information. Vision is one of the key traits of a true leader. One should be able to foresee the projected proposition and give proper direction to the same. Leaders insecurity could curtail his or her, own vision forcing one to react to immediate situations without realizing the impact of the same on the long run or their own vision.

It is but natural to face unforeseen situations in a long drawn plan and one can not be prepared fully to face each and every such situations which may crop up unless they are very broad in nature and peculiar to the industry. This is where the test of true leadership happens. One should not loose sight of the goal while handling any immediate situations, should make sure that actions taken then should not come in the way of meeting the desired goal in future. Most importantly, one should not be too unforgiving, as it is but natural to make mistakes and what is necessary is to be able to take it on one's stride and quickly correct the course. There by controlling the impact of the mistake on the vision or long term purpose.

There are always testing times for a leader to foresee how a decision will impact and what could be the damage, the same might cause immediately and much later. The same can never be thought of in the mind plagued by insecurity. Such a mind will always and only think of saving ones reputation at that moment and would let go the future repercussions, which in effect fails the leadership over a period of time. Also, ones a leader proves their mettle its not sufficient. One should be able to carry it farther till they effectively find another one to carry the baton further.

Good Leader always inspires more leaders and attracts more leaders. An insecure leader always tries to kill the leadership talent in others or in their own team and thereby chases away leaders. Undaunted trust can attract and hold the trust of the best. Even though Karna knew that Duryodhana was wrong, he supported him and fought against his own brothers, this is not just friendship, the trust shared mutually between two able men and leaders. Most importantly if one fails to respect another individual for the talent they hold and the attitude they display, there can be nothing but insecurity.

Most Leaders believe that Leadership means subordination of the rest. Unfortunately, it is not so. It is the mutual admiration, trust and respect to individuals capabilities gained and displayed that makes one leader. Here again. We may take the example of karma, he did subordinate Duryodhana in a wrong deed it was more due to the trust, love and admiration to the person whose greed had taken over and not because he feared Duryodhana. Construing or interpreting subordination to be weakness and rule over them will only create and sustain insecurity.

Leadership is to create the comfort and confidence in the ability of the team while being together and working towards the vision and displaying character to stand by the team and the vision in achieving the goal set collectively. This can be achieved only through will and character to lead along with and not from front and bestow the trust upon ones team. Any amount of insecurity will only harm the future though might, protect ones interest in the short term.

This can be achieved through a mantra of Trust and Trust and Trust.
Trust, ones ability
Trust, the goal is achievable together
Trust, the change is inevitable and only thing that is definite.

You can only lead if you can anchor properly to support the rest and its only by trusting you that others may risk to climb.

I have borrowed my own understanding of Characters and situations in Ramayana and Mahabharata, the two great epics of India have applied it in the Business Management and Leadership contexts.

Please feel free to share your thoughts on the writing.

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