Lessons From Leading 20,000 Soldiers In Iraq To Coaching Corporate America | Fast Company | Business + Innovation

Inspiring lessons from an army veteran-turned Leadership Consultant/Coach:

An interesting perspective on Work-Life Balance.  This is one thing that deserves lot of positive focus, but not negative obsession.

It is also our perception of ‘work’! When work is a way of life and very internal, it is already in balance. Ask an entrepreneur!

Finding battle rhythm may be a lot more appropriate. She suggests ”that could be as simple as going for a 30-minute run or taking a few minutes each morning for quiet reflective time”.

Lead with emotions (not emotionally lead), coming from an army general is a powerful reminder.
Through active, empathetic listening.

When you are confused, speak up: This is useful even when not confused. Coaching approach to leadership takes the leader to reach out, communicate. Being vulnerable and not hesitating to exhibit it may not be recommended in army. But surely works elsewhere.

Honesty always pays in the long run (Just received a quote on What’sApp: If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway – Mother Teresa. Loved the timing & ‘coincidence’)

Let ‘s take care of mind, body & spirit!

 
Lessons From Leading 20,000 Soldiers In Iraq To Coaching Corporate America | Fast Company | Business + Innovation

Transformational Leaders, Sikka & Mulally

Infosys is a hugely successful start up. An inspiration for an entire generation, now passing out of India’s universities.

- One more case of an iconic founder returning, but not making much of an impact in the second innings. But, NRN steps down with humility and hands over reins to a professional, hand-picked. They could have done better succession planning? An area where Microsoft perhaps fumbled, but Apple did not?!

- Sikka means ‘money’. A self-confessed ‘fake punjabi’, brought up in Gujarat and successful at Silicon Valley. But what Infy will look for is proverbial ‘Midas touch’.

- What Infy needs is Sikka the executor. (The Hindu)

- Interesting to note one of his fav books is Hermann Hesse’s, ‘Siddhartha’.

- Asked about Sikka's appointment, Chairman of the Nominations & Governance Committee KV Kamath said: "At this point in time, what is happening all over the world is transformation. We basically had a bias for the transformational leader." (Economic Times)   

While the media was busy with the ‘returning’ of a son-of-soil, another transformational leader was in India too.

- But he was here to say ‘good bye’, after turning around another iconic brand.

- Alan Mulally came from a totally different background to lead Ford out of bankruptcy. His ‘One Ford’ strategy saw Ford ‘selling off luxury brands, Volvo (to Chinese), JLR (to Tata) and Aston Martin, and transforming the company into a globally integrated orgn’.

- A 53 yrs young, Mark Fields, succeeds him. Sikka is younger at 47 yrs!

- Mulally will continue to inspire us, just as NRN & KVK.

- The future belongs to Transformational Leaders. Leaders have a choice now. To Be or Not To be… a Transformational Leader. 

Why cos hang on to the bell curve

It is appraisal time!!! So many friends in corporate world (senior) are sad about its impact on team dynamics and personal confidence. 

Bell Curve is more like The Duckworth-Lewis Method in cricket. (If not worse!) Everyone is aware of its imperfections. But for want of a better alternative, everyone hangs on to it. 

Thankfully, some global companies, known to be people-oriented, are taking the courage to dump it. 

Till such time a "new, improved" method (with all its jargon & complications) comes on scene, we got to see if we can be more professional and at the same time empathetic to staff. It is not impossible to look at some simple methods, within organisations, that will suit them better. It need not be complicated, to confuse intelligent folks at an organisation. 

Simplicity is a great virtue! 
 
Let us treat employees as 'human beings', at its holistic level!

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinions/36119596.cms

Top 5 Professional Coaching Myths - Need for right Coaching certification/credential

Came across this article “Debunking The Top 5 Life Coaching Myths”.

Coaching, as defined by #ICF is a ‘thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Coaches honor the client as the expert in his or her life and work’. 

As such it is different from Counseling (myth#2) or anything similar, mentoring to consultancy!

As a coach that is one of the key ‘un-learning’, not to prescribe! The focus thus shifts from the coach to the client, totally. The right training to become a coach puts us on that path! Hence, the need to select the right training institution that lead to #ICF credential. 

Check myths:http://christianlifecoaching.com/top-5-professional-life-coaching-myths/

#ICF Coaching-Certification/Training@Chennai

Source of Music and everything else

ILAYARAJA On not reaching saturation point even after scoring music for thousands of songs…

“ The reason is simple. It is not my property. It is not my mental concept or presentation or for that matter, my effort. It (music) comes all by itself and I give it to others. Only when I harbor the thought that I have accomplished all this will this question of what will I do next arise. I do not have that thought at all. It comes all by itself and therefore, I give it as I receive it”

Courtesy: TOI, Chennai

#ICF Coaching-Certification/Training@Chennai

#ICF Coaching-Certification/Training@Chennai

To choose a doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation... - Yann Martel

#ICF Coaching-Certification/Training@Chennai

Coaching celebs for life

Celebrities are hiring coaches…. YOU are a celebrity too, are n’t you? Every one of us is a celebrity. We may not be ‘visible’ like some of other contemporary celebrities! But, I personally would rather be an invisible celebrity. Which is also being one in the eyes of Master/Guru/God/Creator!

Thus I also get to coach celebrities to reach the level of #RegalUnlimited!

Royal, Kingly by tapping into our unlimited potential.

http://www.asianage.com/bollywood/coaching-celebs-life-956