“Mission to moon”, which started with the presidential speech of John. F. Kennedy in 1961, was accomplished so well by NASA. “Mission to moon” has become an inspirational slogan, so much so that even today many a challenging missions are given names linked with the historic mission. July 20, 1969, was a day that symbolized American superiority in Space technology and today after 40 years it is viewed as the greatest achievement for humanity in general.
One has to admit that even today it still is a giant leap for mankind and no further step by man, as far as space exploration is concerned. There has been a general criticism that enthusiasm of “Mission to moon” could not be sustained by the Americans.
This is not unique either to the Americans or the Space conquests. This is what we see frequently – in all facets of life. Once you reach the most cherished goal, suddenly you find that you have nothing else to chase – a state of no purpose or goal, which is not only dangerous but a real killer too.
In business also, we see the enthusiasm, creativity and performance which once helped organizations to stage a remarkable comeback are not sustained for long afterwards. They rejoice their achievement and complacence makes sure that whatever aspiration they have had of future are turned into wishes.
If mission accomplishment brings you excitement and top of the world feel, it also brings relief and contentment. This explains why moon landing could not serve as a stepping stone for further manned space exploration.
It in fact is a lesson for all of us, who have had our own versions of “mission to moon” and settled for it happily ever after. Our “mission to moon” could have been topping the class or earning a decent job – the lesson here is that at the accomplishment of a mission we must find ourselves a higher purpose to strive for. We must call the “Kennedy” in each one of us, who can inspire us by setting us a goal to live by and not let the vacuum that lies beyond the goal engulf us.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
It is Teamwork after Leadership
Since yesterday, television news channels are flashing images of Pakistan victory in the T20 Cricket World Cup. Conquests of a team that was considered underdog right through are being glorified. The team deserves every bit of praise that is showered on it. Pakistan once again lived upto its reputation of being the most unpredictable team and always a difficult proposition when its team chemistry works.
If leadership was one differentiating factor that emerged from IPL T20 competition in South Africa, the T20 Cricket World Cup has brought team work to fore front – A great lesson for professionals in every walk of life.
Teams that combined well made it to later stages in the tournament and those which could not rallied behind.
Indians, were at best a loosely packed bundle of talent, which never worked together or in tandem. The result, the pre tournament hot favourites could register wins only against teams like Bangladesh and Ireland and losing all the super eight matches against majors.
Aussies, a side, full of hard core professionals, seem to have forgotten all about team ethics and their professionalism could not get them any where.
Sri Lanka was one team that had variety in bowling and batting departments and exhibited a lot of enthusiasm on the field. This team played great cricket till the finals where law of averages caught up with them.
Pakistani outfit, with their back to the wall at each stage of the tournament had started to click as a team as the tournament progressed. In the finals, all their bowlers delivered. Batsmen exhibited the kind of discipline required against a superb bowling attack of Lankans. It was indeed a triumph for the team.
Cricket like any other team sport will be won by individuals thriving on their talent, professionalism, intelligence and discipline only when backed by their teams. Impeccable execution of plans hinges on coordinated efforts by the team and not on brilliant performance of individuals alone. So the need of the hour is that captains and coaches must create a context for unity of purpose among the team members and see that the unit delivers as a team.
If leadership was one differentiating factor that emerged from IPL T20 competition in South Africa, the T20 Cricket World Cup has brought team work to fore front – A great lesson for professionals in every walk of life.
Teams that combined well made it to later stages in the tournament and those which could not rallied behind.
Indians, were at best a loosely packed bundle of talent, which never worked together or in tandem. The result, the pre tournament hot favourites could register wins only against teams like Bangladesh and Ireland and losing all the super eight matches against majors.
Aussies, a side, full of hard core professionals, seem to have forgotten all about team ethics and their professionalism could not get them any where.
Sri Lanka was one team that had variety in bowling and batting departments and exhibited a lot of enthusiasm on the field. This team played great cricket till the finals where law of averages caught up with them.
Pakistani outfit, with their back to the wall at each stage of the tournament had started to click as a team as the tournament progressed. In the finals, all their bowlers delivered. Batsmen exhibited the kind of discipline required against a superb bowling attack of Lankans. It was indeed a triumph for the team.
Cricket like any other team sport will be won by individuals thriving on their talent, professionalism, intelligence and discipline only when backed by their teams. Impeccable execution of plans hinges on coordinated efforts by the team and not on brilliant performance of individuals alone. So the need of the hour is that captains and coaches must create a context for unity of purpose among the team members and see that the unit delivers as a team.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Nano Car – the power of foresight
Following lines are taken from Power of foresight, a fine article on foresight of leadership.
"It is essential that leaders are endowed with foresight as it has the power and potential of transforming the industry. In the absence of which, the organization is deprived of opportunity of having a peep at the future even before it actually arrives and reaching there ahead of the competition would certainly be missed. In other words opportunity to create market leadership position in the future is lost. Leaders with foresight can put their organization ahead of competition by changing the very basis of competition and thus charting a path for transforming the industry."
As I was reading the article, I could not help thinking of Nano project of the Tatas.
Power of foresight was exemplified by the Nano project. Ratan Tata’s decision to embark on the challenge of providing the most affordable one Lakh car for the typical Indian middle class was not just another business decision. It is in fact leadership foresight at its best. This “affordable, all whether transport” would not only give other small cars a run for their money but also will compete with two wheelers which served as family transport for typical urban and rural middle class in India.
He generated an all round curiosity about the project by promising the Indians of 1 Lakh car. Time and again, he repeated his promise with a reassurance that come what may, a promise is a promise and would be kept even in the face of odds such as moving his factory midway from Singur and rising costs.
A great innovation from India, which promises to change the way business is done or thought of for two wheelers and low end cars.
"It is essential that leaders are endowed with foresight as it has the power and potential of transforming the industry. In the absence of which, the organization is deprived of opportunity of having a peep at the future even before it actually arrives and reaching there ahead of the competition would certainly be missed. In other words opportunity to create market leadership position in the future is lost. Leaders with foresight can put their organization ahead of competition by changing the very basis of competition and thus charting a path for transforming the industry."
As I was reading the article, I could not help thinking of Nano project of the Tatas.
Power of foresight was exemplified by the Nano project. Ratan Tata’s decision to embark on the challenge of providing the most affordable one Lakh car for the typical Indian middle class was not just another business decision. It is in fact leadership foresight at its best. This “affordable, all whether transport” would not only give other small cars a run for their money but also will compete with two wheelers which served as family transport for typical urban and rural middle class in India.
He generated an all round curiosity about the project by promising the Indians of 1 Lakh car. Time and again, he repeated his promise with a reassurance that come what may, a promise is a promise and would be kept even in the face of odds such as moving his factory midway from Singur and rising costs.
A great innovation from India, which promises to change the way business is done or thought of for two wheelers and low end cars.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The second sigmoid
Long time back I happened to read a book called The Empty Raincoat by Charles Handy. Here I share with you a thought from the book – “An ‘S’ shaped curve” called sigmoid curve. Sigmoid curve epitomizes the story of product life cycle, organization’s life and even our own lives. We start with faltering steps before rising to the heights and then the downfall.
Secret of sustained success lies in ensuring a series of successive sigmoid curves even before the earlier ones fade out. Organizations that sustain their performance over long periods have managed to put themselves on to the second sigmoid when they were at point A along the first sigmoid. The unequivocal message from the curve is that organizations require leaders who when at point A can see the future and embark on the change programme to take the organization on to the second sigmoid curve.
Those few organizations that have the foresight to move on to the second sigmoid have to face challenging time depicted by the entrapped area between the two curves. This typically is the period when change is actually happening. There is change in all related facets of organizational life be it leadership, strategy, culture or technology. This is where the implementation capability and discipline of execution of leadership comes to the fore.
Though most of the times it is only at point B that leaders see the urgency to change and by then it usually is too late.
I found this curve to be a great leadership lesson and have seen it happen in organizations some of whom made it to point C and many others to B. Personally too, I found this curve an inspiration to focus on my long term goals and take on the second curve at the right time to reach there.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Obama's first speech to the Congress
An excellent speech - true to his repuation of being a great orator.
The speech had all the ingredients of a historic communication that will be remembered for a long time to come. There was that attempt to inject unifying force where eleced representatives from across the political boundaries can find a common ground to debate on.
The speech had the elements of inspiration when he remembered subtle and yet extraordinary efforts of common people, in the face of adversity and their indomitable spirit of "we are not quitters".
I can simply go on and on about this speech. Why don't you check this out yourself here
The speech had all the ingredients of a historic communication that will be remembered for a long time to come. There was that attempt to inject unifying force where eleced representatives from across the political boundaries can find a common ground to debate on.
The speech had the elements of inspiration when he remembered subtle and yet extraordinary efforts of common people, in the face of adversity and their indomitable spirit of "we are not quitters".
I can simply go on and on about this speech. Why don't you check this out yourself here
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Problem with good ideas
Good ideas are controversial and difficult to implement. I have experienced it many times. Good ideas tend to shatter the generally accepted norms in our environs. It takes a lot of hard work to gather data in support of your argument and erase the patterns of data arrangement and established insights around them. Even if you get over this obstacle by successfully convincing people with your rationale, you only land up at another in seemingly insurmountable barrier of implementation.
It being your idea, and it was you who ran from post to pillar to get clearance for implementation, it will undoubtedly be you who stands to gain the most with successful implementation – is how the whole affair is seen by the people. This is where most of the good ideas are stuck. It is where implementers ponder over different options to find the way forward.
It may be the point where whole thing gets wedged, but the problem definitely does not belong here. The problem started with the projection of idea as yours. The problem started as soon as you came up with your idea.
Tackle the problem early on - throw the problem at your team and help them define it precisely and guide them in finding the solution in such a way that they eventually land on the most viable solution – which could exactly have been similar to the idea that you had in your mind. This exercise gives the sense of invention to your team and they suddenly take the ownership of your idea. Now your team drives the idea and for you the challenge shifts from forcing the implementation effort to matching their eagerness with astute facilitation and resource mobilization.
In brief it is about overcoming the ego and letting the team take prominence.
It being your idea, and it was you who ran from post to pillar to get clearance for implementation, it will undoubtedly be you who stands to gain the most with successful implementation – is how the whole affair is seen by the people. This is where most of the good ideas are stuck. It is where implementers ponder over different options to find the way forward.
It may be the point where whole thing gets wedged, but the problem definitely does not belong here. The problem started with the projection of idea as yours. The problem started as soon as you came up with your idea.
Tackle the problem early on - throw the problem at your team and help them define it precisely and guide them in finding the solution in such a way that they eventually land on the most viable solution – which could exactly have been similar to the idea that you had in your mind. This exercise gives the sense of invention to your team and they suddenly take the ownership of your idea. Now your team drives the idea and for you the challenge shifts from forcing the implementation effort to matching their eagerness with astute facilitation and resource mobilization.
In brief it is about overcoming the ego and letting the team take prominence.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Trying to be all things to all people?
Never do it. Heard of the story of a boy who had tried to emulate all types of boys who had girls interested in them? Here was a boy trying to copy all the “winning behaviours” and became nice, wild, polite, conservative outspoken and what not. But girls falling for a nice guy would lose interest in him for his wildness. Girls attracted by his politeness would leave him when they discovered his one-upmanship and thus the boy finally ended up with none.
I have come across guys, who at work, try to be all things to all people and end with satisfying none. These are the guys who think they are working hard all the time and yet the end result is loss of credibility and labeled as irrelevant to the most.
Instead of casting a wide net, the strategy of targeting a niche area or a specific area of expertise works better. Focus is the key word here. Focus all your attention to it, so that you make a distinct impression of yourself in others’ mind for what you are very good at. This is the area of work, where you will be seen as 100% relevant and an expert.
Differentiate yourself from the crowd. Unique identity comes from improving your credibility in the chosen area by consistently delivering at “higher than expected” levels. This will certainly enhance your chances of “being noticed”, of building a strong image and for creating a path for your career progression.
I have come across guys, who at work, try to be all things to all people and end with satisfying none. These are the guys who think they are working hard all the time and yet the end result is loss of credibility and labeled as irrelevant to the most.
Instead of casting a wide net, the strategy of targeting a niche area or a specific area of expertise works better. Focus is the key word here. Focus all your attention to it, so that you make a distinct impression of yourself in others’ mind for what you are very good at. This is the area of work, where you will be seen as 100% relevant and an expert.
Differentiate yourself from the crowd. Unique identity comes from improving your credibility in the chosen area by consistently delivering at “higher than expected” levels. This will certainly enhance your chances of “being noticed”, of building a strong image and for creating a path for your career progression.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)