LEADERSHIP- Revised & Recreated!
Monica Swamy
Listed among Top 100 Powerful Personalities in India/Awarded As Career Transition & Progression Coach of the Year 2023/Speaker/Trainer
Weekends are time to relax, live our space, do what we love and prepare for next week. This is what I have strongly believed in and have practiced ever since I stepped from campus to corporate. I am sure all of you would be having your own definitions of living it up. But today I underwent totally different therapy for my fixed mindset which lead to an impactful paradigm shift for me.
It was today at 7 PM when I was returning from a tiring day after shopping at the END of Season Sale in mall. Like always I practised my philosophy of “Shop till Drop” which lead to almost no energy left in me. While stepping from the escalators in mall a man slipped as he carried heavy weight, I believe he was the logistic guy of Dominos. Everyone was busy in their own actions despite of seeing it, frankly I was too, till a boy age 10 shouted quite loudly “Oh someone help him, he needs to be treated or else it would impact his health and job. He is really a poor man. HELP! HELP! Please HELP!”
It was an icebreaker in a busy mall.
I realized that I have been practising all my leadership mantras in office all this while by being empathetic, helping and training my people. How can I miss this? Was I really a Leader while living my professional life or I was just living upto my designation of being a Manager? The thought was in my mind all the while when I was involved in helping the injured for his first aid and till I concluded while writing this article.
Yes, dear friends Leadership is not just what we wear as a blazer while entering our office elevators nor it is what we feel when we sit on those extremely comfy flexible chairs in our cabins or highly tech conference rooms. Leadership is all about practising empathy and then working towards those common goals which could not just lead to financial upliftment’s but lead to just impressive heights of mental and social impacts. Though most of the times while practising it we are so much focused on reaching the end point that we miss living the journey of Leadership. The Journey which strongly should constitute:
1. AVAILABILITY – It is one of those most basic elements of Leadership. To be available for our people when they most need us rather than living the flashback at PMS discussion. Availability is mostly misunderstood by budding leaders on doing things perfectly but it is more of viewing things while our people: Fail, Fail, Repeat and SUCCEED.
2. EMPATHY – Understanding the potential, circumstances, failures, actions and success of our people. As leaders we should be all time aware of what are people are undergoing when they need the pull or when they actually need a push. What impacts them and what help them to grow.
3. INTEGRITY – As a leader we should be aware of a basic rule “Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing, Right is right even if no one is doing”. Our integrity should be all the time so high that we could build our followers by our deeds and not just by the designation we carry. We should not bother how leaders have done in past but should try recreating our own standards.
And in words of Warren Bennis: “Management is doing things right; Leadership is doing the right things”. And it should be all the time in our mind while we live our life of Leader in office, society or at home.
Yes, all of us have our own style of leadership which has brought us were we are but the scope of improvement goes on because “What Got You Here Won't Get You There”.
Looking forward to understand, learn and live the leadership style which impacts.
Aspiring to be a Impactful Leader!
Monica Swamy
Executive & Leadership Coach | Team Coach | Mentor | Speaker | Advisor | Secretary, Board of Trustees, ICF Foundation | Top 40 Global Change Management Gurus | 100 Most Influential Coaching Leaders (India)
5yAwesome and well written article Monica Swamy 👌👍. Living the journey of Leadership and by "being" a Leader always has the largest impact. Best wishes 😊
Transforming logistics through Mamastops
5yMonica Swamy You demonstrated how unconscious we have become as leader Good one 1.availability also mean removing fear from people n connecting. Availability also improves engagement of people toward job. 2.empathy if leader is aware of his feeling n can understand what other are thinking or feeling. We should appreciate team feeling by having conversation. 3. Integrity also mean what we say and what do should be same. This can create trust Well done
MSc Management with Business Analytics, B.Eng
5yAwesome!!
Chief Revenue Officer | Speaker | Servant Leader | Blogger | Activist | Managing Director, India Operations
5yLove the way you have put across your points Monica Swamy. While you have touched upon a good few traits associated with a Great Leader, I would want to share my view on why empathetic human beings make great leaders. Empathy is a leadership competency – like no other skill- that can make a big difference when it comes to leadership. Empathy means being able to understand the needs of others. It means you’re aware of their feelings and their thinking. It doesn’t mean you have to agree with their point of view, but- it means that you’re willing to understand and appreciate it. Many people are quick to empathy as a touchy-feely skill. But in truth, it can be difficult to master and demanding to maintain, and it has major impact on leadership. At the core leadership is ultimately about others. It means inspiring them to take actions beyond their capabilities, leading them in a direction that is compelling and inspiring. And empathy is the foundation of those actions.
Associate Director - Talent Acquisition @ Zepto | Global Talent Acquisition
5yWorth reading!