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On working with like-minded people
I’ve long believed that having like-minded people around makes our lives much more bearable, personally and professionally. Although, I would err on the side of moderation, especially if you care about a high-performance culture at the workplace. If that sounds odd, hear me out because you’re either confused or are pretty comfortable in your current…
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Internal communication isn’t about creating content or sending newsletters
One of the biggest misconceptions of leaders, managers, and even marketers across organizations is that they think of internal communications as a role reserved for junior people. Marketers consider it a stepping stone to the big leagues, marketing to other businesses or a target market. Most leaders think that internal communications are about rolling out…
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Manager vs leader
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…
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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…
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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…
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Leave them alone
These days it’s rare that I bump into something that’s genuinely refreshing and makes me go, “wow, that’s deep.” And one of those rare moments occurred last evening when I bumped into this beautiful paragraph from the English version of the Tao Te Ching. When taxes are too high,people go hungry.When the government is too…
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Don’t let gossipmongers ruin your company’s culture
Everyone loves to gossip, but nobody likes to admit they do. It’s a fact. And I don’t care if you’re shaking your head right now. Understand the true definition of gossip as per the dictionary: a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others rumour or report of an intimate nature a chatty…
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How do deal with team members and peers who say they want to grow but don’t want to listen to you?
Now and then, I strike up an interesting conversation with one of my team members or peers outside work, where I discuss some of the challenges they’re facing at the workplace. While most people are just okay with whatever is going on, some don’t want to commit to a solution. Often, I have a conversation…
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Honing your craft matters much more than your hustle
Despite that, I highly encourage professionals to pick up projects on the side; I’m not a massive fan of hustle porn or the side-hustle culture. It beats the purpose of having a side project, to begin with! The idea of having side projects has less to do with making money but getting better at your…
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Levelling up mentally
While getting promoted is one of the significant milestones in a person’s career, it also comes with many expectations, responsibilities, and caveats. Unfortunately, this isn’t clearly understood or accepted by the person in question. At least not all the time. Part of the problem is the leadership’s expectation that this person would level up mentally…