I know you have had your share of “manager versus leader” debates, articles, studies, info-graphics comparisons, and even memes! It’s overwhelming. And I don’t want to burden you with more proof or my perspective on this pointless debate. Yeah, leadership is sexy. Everyone wants to be a leader, and nobody wants to be “just-a-manager.” I…… Continue reading Manager vs leader
Category: Coaching
Don’t give me problems, give me solutions
I’ve always hated the “don’t give me problems, give me solutions” approach. For two reasons: If people were to solve problems themselves, why would they need you?As a leader, you’re the one carrying “food and water” for them so that they can do their best work. If you can’t do that, how exactly are you…… Continue reading Don’t give me problems, give me solutions
People are different; don’t treat them the same
People are different, yet leaders have a hard time treating them justly. Most have a broad-brush approach that’s ‘fair’ and uncontroversial. And given that leaders are almost always in the spotlight, who would want to ruffle feathers or wrestle with other people’s opinions and judgment of their leadership in their right minds. No wonder treating…… Continue reading People are different; don’t treat them the same
Yeah, but…
“Yeah, but…” is a conversation killer. It suppresses emotions, creativity, and an opportunity to understand the other person better. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve completely switched myself off during a conversation because the other person said, “yeah, but….” Why? Because that’s the point when a conversation transforms into a monologue in which…… Continue reading Yeah, but…
You don’t need mentors
I never realized having a mentor is one of the up and coming fads. It seems everyone’s got a mentor (and you don’t?). They’ve got mentors for startups, for senior leaders, for artists, and for every successful people you might know. But are they successful? That’s subjective, primarily because not every startup is successful. Not…… Continue reading You don’t need mentors
The truth about the path to mastery
I don’t believe the 10,000 hours theory. You don’t need to log in for that many hours. It’s probably closer to 20,000 or more, and no, there aren’t any shortcuts. Now that’s out of the way, I would still encourage you to say on your path to mastery because the pursuit will teach you many…… Continue reading The truth about the path to mastery
Don’t let “what-aboutism” get in the way of progress
“What-aboutism” is a disorder where the patient often searches for excuses for why a particular methodology or idea won’t work instead of giving it an honest try or finding ways to make it work. They are often found saying variations of “yeah, but…” or “let me play the devil’s advocate here.” If that sounds eerily…… Continue reading Don’t let “what-aboutism” get in the way of progress
The haters will always be louder
Go to amazon.com and check out a bunch of articles that you’ve been planning to buy. Or perhaps, the stuff that you have already purchased in the past month or so. Now, check out the reviews. If you’re like me, you will go for products with the highest average rating and the most number of…… Continue reading The haters will always be louder
Skin in the game
As a principle, I choose not to work with clients who have a passive approach to engagements. You know the kind, the drifters who want to get a “taste” of how it’s like to be coached or consulted by an expert. And I will be the first in line to say that most of the…… Continue reading Skin in the game
What ties did you break this week?
I loved this piece by Justin Bariso on Inc.com, where he explores Sundar Pichai’s learnings from his mentor, Bill Campbell (the football coach turned Business Coach). It highlights the one question that Bill asked Sundar repeatedly, which consequently changed the way the latter leads. What was this question? “What ties did you break this week?” Bill…… Continue reading What ties did you break this week?