- A Business Week Article
How do you deepen relationships and drive growth when customers pull back? The Corporate Executive Board's Sales and Marketing Practice surveyed more than 5,000 individuals at its members' customer organizations to find out what makes them willing to 1) keep buying from that supplier, 2) buy even more over time, and 3) advocate on that supplier's behalf across their organization. The results reveal clear, if somewhat unexpected, strategies for winning that kind of loyalty in a down economy.
Conclusion No. 1: It's Not What You Sell, but How You Sell It
Conclusion No. 2: It's Not About Discovering Needs, but Sharing Insights
Conclusion No. 3: Don't Lead with Your Differentiators, Lead to Them
Conclusion No. 4: Ignore Advocates at Your Own Risk
Click here to read the complete article with more explanation of the conclusions made above.
Monday, March 16, 2009
How to Lead When You're Not the Boss
- A Harvard Business Publishing Article
Real leadership is never a matter of mere formal authority. Leaders are effective when other people acknowledge them as such--by listening seriously to their ideas, valuing and following their suggestions for action, and turning to them for advice.
Opportunities to lead aren't limited to times when you have formal authority over a particular team or venture. When you step forward and demonstrate leadership, you will contribute value to the project or enterprise--and strengthen your leadership skills.
In their book Lateral Leadership: Getting Things Done When You're Not the Boss (2nd ed., Profile Books, 2004), Harvard negotiation specialist Roger Fisher and coauthor Alan Sharp lay out a useful five-step method for leading when you are not formally in charge. Its steps can be applied to virtually any project you're involved in or team or meeting you participate in.
Five-Steps include:
Real leadership is never a matter of mere formal authority. Leaders are effective when other people acknowledge them as such--by listening seriously to their ideas, valuing and following their suggestions for action, and turning to them for advice.
Opportunities to lead aren't limited to times when you have formal authority over a particular team or venture. When you step forward and demonstrate leadership, you will contribute value to the project or enterprise--and strengthen your leadership skills.
In their book Lateral Leadership: Getting Things Done When You're Not the Boss (2nd ed., Profile Books, 2004), Harvard negotiation specialist Roger Fisher and coauthor Alan Sharp lay out a useful five-step method for leading when you are not formally in charge. Its steps can be applied to virtually any project you're involved in or team or meeting you participate in.
Five-Steps include:
- Establish Goals
- Think systematically
- Learn from experience--while it's happening
- Engage others
- Provide feedback
Click here to read the complete article with more explanation on each of the five steps mentioned above.
New Story of the Hare and Tortoise
- Shared by Piyali Mantha. Thank You!
Old Story
Once upon a time a tortoise and a hare had an argument about who was faster. They decided to settle the argument with a race. They agreed on a route and started off the race.
The hare shot ahead and ran briskly for some time. Then seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he thought he’d sit under a tree for some time and relax before continuing the race.
He sat under the tree and soon fell asleep. The tortoise plodding on overtook him and soon finished the race, emerging as the undisputed champ. The hare woke up and realized that he’d lost the race. The moral of the story is that slow and steady wins the race. This is the version of the story that we’ve all grown up with.
New Story
The hare was disappointed at losing the race and he did some Defect Prevention (Root Cause Analysis). He realized that he’d lost the race only because he had been overconfident, careless and lax. If he had not taken things for granted, there’s no way the tortoise could have beaten him. So he challenged the tortoise to another race. The tortoise agreed. This time, the hare went all out and ran without stopping from start to finish. He won by several miles. The moral of the story？- "Fast and consistent will always beat the slow and steady."
If you have two people in your organisation, one slow, methodical and reliable, and the other fast and still reliable at what he does, the fast and reliable chap will consistently climb the organisational ladder faster than the slow, methodical chap. It’s good to be slow and steady; but it’s better to be fast and reliable.
The story doesn't end here. The tortoise did some thinking this time, and realised that there’s no way he can beat the hare in a race the way it was currently formatted. He thought for a while, and then challenged the hare to another race, but on a slightly different route. The hare agreed. They started off. In keeping with his self-made commitment to be consistently fast, the hare took off and ran at top speed until he came to a broad river. The finishing line was a couple of kilometers on the other side of the river. The hare sat there wondering what to do. In the meantime the tortoise trundled along, got into the river, swam to the opposite bank, continued walking and finished the race. The moral of the story? - "First identify your core competency and then change the playing field to suit your core competency."
In an organisation, if you are a good speaker, make sure you create opportunities to give presentations that enable the senior management to notice you. If your strength is analysis, make sure you do some sort of research, make a report and send it upstairs. Working to your strengths will not only get you noticed but will also create opportunities for growth and advancement.
The story still hasn’t ended. The hare and the tortoise, by this time, had become pretty good friends and they did some thinking together. Both realised that the last race could have been run much better. So they decided to do the last race again, but to run as a team this time. They started off, and this time the hare carried the tortoise till the riverbank. There, the tortoise took over and swam across with the hare on his back. On the opposite bank, the hare again carried the tortoise and they reached the finishing line together. They both felt a greater sense of satisfaction than they’d felt earlier. The moral of the story? - "It’s good to be individually brilliant and to have strong core competencies; but unless you’re able to work in a team and harness each other’s core competencies, you’ll always perform below par because there will always be situations at which you’ll do poorly and someone else does well."
Teamwork is mainly about situational leadership, letting the person with the relevant core competency for a situation take leadership.
Old Story
Once upon a time a tortoise and a hare had an argument about who was faster. They decided to settle the argument with a race. They agreed on a route and started off the race.
The hare shot ahead and ran briskly for some time. Then seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he thought he’d sit under a tree for some time and relax before continuing the race.
He sat under the tree and soon fell asleep. The tortoise plodding on overtook him and soon finished the race, emerging as the undisputed champ. The hare woke up and realized that he’d lost the race. The moral of the story is that slow and steady wins the race. This is the version of the story that we’ve all grown up with.
New Story
The hare was disappointed at losing the race and he did some Defect Prevention (Root Cause Analysis). He realized that he’d lost the race only because he had been overconfident, careless and lax. If he had not taken things for granted, there’s no way the tortoise could have beaten him. So he challenged the tortoise to another race. The tortoise agreed. This time, the hare went all out and ran without stopping from start to finish. He won by several miles. The moral of the story？- "Fast and consistent will always beat the slow and steady."
If you have two people in your organisation, one slow, methodical and reliable, and the other fast and still reliable at what he does, the fast and reliable chap will consistently climb the organisational ladder faster than the slow, methodical chap. It’s good to be slow and steady; but it’s better to be fast and reliable.
The story doesn't end here. The tortoise did some thinking this time, and realised that there’s no way he can beat the hare in a race the way it was currently formatted. He thought for a while, and then challenged the hare to another race, but on a slightly different route. The hare agreed. They started off. In keeping with his self-made commitment to be consistently fast, the hare took off and ran at top speed until he came to a broad river. The finishing line was a couple of kilometers on the other side of the river. The hare sat there wondering what to do. In the meantime the tortoise trundled along, got into the river, swam to the opposite bank, continued walking and finished the race. The moral of the story? - "First identify your core competency and then change the playing field to suit your core competency."
In an organisation, if you are a good speaker, make sure you create opportunities to give presentations that enable the senior management to notice you. If your strength is analysis, make sure you do some sort of research, make a report and send it upstairs. Working to your strengths will not only get you noticed but will also create opportunities for growth and advancement.
The story still hasn’t ended. The hare and the tortoise, by this time, had become pretty good friends and they did some thinking together. Both realised that the last race could have been run much better. So they decided to do the last race again, but to run as a team this time. They started off, and this time the hare carried the tortoise till the riverbank. There, the tortoise took over and swam across with the hare on his back. On the opposite bank, the hare again carried the tortoise and they reached the finishing line together. They both felt a greater sense of satisfaction than they’d felt earlier. The moral of the story? - "It’s good to be individually brilliant and to have strong core competencies; but unless you’re able to work in a team and harness each other’s core competencies, you’ll always perform below par because there will always be situations at which you’ll do poorly and someone else does well."
Teamwork is mainly about situational leadership, letting the person with the relevant core competency for a situation take leadership.
OTHER LESSONS TO BE LEARNT FROM THIS STORY
- Note that neither the hare nor the tortoise gave up after failures. The hare decided to work harder and put in more effort after his failure.
- The tortoise changed his strategy because he was already working as hard as he could. In life, when faced with failure, sometimes it is appropriate to work harder and put in more effort. Sometimes it is appropriate to change strategy and try something different. And sometimes it is appropriate to do both.
- The hare and the tortoise also learnt another vital lesson. When we stop competing against a rival and instead start competing against the situation, we perform far better.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Inspiring Video on Nick Vujicic
– Shared by Rahul Kunderan. Thank you!
A must watch video of about 3 mins that beautifully conveys the message – “It does not matter how many times you fail in life but what matters is that you finish strong”. Nick’s positive attitude to life is truly contagious. I am sure this video will make your day!
To know more about Nick Vujicic check his website - Life Without Limbs.Org. Because of Nick's unique personal story, he is able to speak to groups of all kinds. It gives him entree with both the young and old, impoverished, imprisoned, business people, children, young people, peoples of all races, those with disabilities and those without them.
Below, I've added some more videos on Nick that you might like as well.
Nick's Story
Nick Vujicic, No Arms, No Legs, No Worries!
Nick - "I Love Living Life, I Am Happy!"
Nick Vujicic Revolution Video
A must watch video of about 3 mins that beautifully conveys the message – “It does not matter how many times you fail in life but what matters is that you finish strong”. Nick’s positive attitude to life is truly contagious. I am sure this video will make your day!
To know more about Nick Vujicic check his website - Life Without Limbs.Org. Because of Nick's unique personal story, he is able to speak to groups of all kinds. It gives him entree with both the young and old, impoverished, imprisoned, business people, children, young people, peoples of all races, those with disabilities and those without them.
Below, I've added some more videos on Nick that you might like as well.
Nick's Story
Nick Vujicic, No Arms, No Legs, No Worries!
Nick - "I Love Living Life, I Am Happy!"
Nick Vujicic Revolution Video
What a Real Leader Knows
– Shared by Narayan Khushalani. Thank you!
This article on MindTools.com claims that one can learn to be a leader, just as long as you put in the time needed to learn the fundamental skills needed. How these skills are applied on a day-to-day basis, however, is what sets good leaders apart from mediocre ones.
J. Sterling Livingston, a professor at Harvard Business School, studied the connection between formal education and successful leadership. In 1971, he published "The Myth of the Well-Educated Manager" in the Harvard Business Review. One of Livingston's conclusions was that a formal business education, such as an MBA, was not a good predictor of leadership success in the long term. This finding is much less surprising today than it was back in the early 1970s. However, his other main observation is as relevant today as it was back then – namely, that four key skills define successful leadership:
By developing your skills in these fundamental areas, Prof. Livingston argued that you can lead people, and inspire them to change. You can also be dynamic and effective in how you tackle the problems and challenges you face on a daily basis.
This article on MindTools.com claims that one can learn to be a leader, just as long as you put in the time needed to learn the fundamental skills needed. How these skills are applied on a day-to-day basis, however, is what sets good leaders apart from mediocre ones.
J. Sterling Livingston, a professor at Harvard Business School, studied the connection between formal education and successful leadership. In 1971, he published "The Myth of the Well-Educated Manager" in the Harvard Business Review. One of Livingston's conclusions was that a formal business education, such as an MBA, was not a good predictor of leadership success in the long term. This finding is much less surprising today than it was back in the early 1970s. However, his other main observation is as relevant today as it was back then – namely, that four key skills define successful leadership:
- Effective decision making
- Successful problem finding
- Effective opportunity finding
- Leadership style
By developing your skills in these fundamental areas, Prof. Livingston argued that you can lead people, and inspire them to change. You can also be dynamic and effective in how you tackle the problems and challenges you face on a daily basis.
Key points:
- Leaders aren't created overnight. Strong leadership is something you need to work on every day.
- Leadership is more than learning how to solve problems and make decisions – you must focus on making your organization better through everything you do. This means that you need to understand how and when to make a decision, recognize problems before they appear, constantly look for opportunities to improve, and be aware of your leadership style.
- When people believe in you, they'll likely trust your decisions and actions –and that's the mark of a true leader.
Quotes on "Attitude"
- Shared by Herman Carneiro. Thank you!
The only disability in life is a bad attitude.
- Scott Hamilton
I've never been poor, only broke. Being poor is a frame of mind. Being broke is only a temporary situation.
- Mike Todd
Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got.
- Betty Ford
The significance of a man is not in what he attains but rather in what he longs to attain.
- Kahlil Gibran
I take nothing for granted. I now have only good days, or great days.
- Lance Armstrong
Human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes.
- Norman Vincent Peale
The only disability in life is a bad attitude.
- Scott Hamilton
I've never been poor, only broke. Being poor is a frame of mind. Being broke is only a temporary situation.
- Mike Todd
Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got.
- Betty Ford
The significance of a man is not in what he attains but rather in what he longs to attain.
- Kahlil Gibran
I take nothing for granted. I now have only good days, or great days.
- Lance Armstrong
Human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes.
- Norman Vincent Peale
Monday, January 12, 2009
Best of 2008
- The best leaders have not only ridden out the crisis so far but also gleaned valuable, often profitable, lessons from it. The worst? Well, some helped set the economic crisis in motion; others became paragons of bad judgment in a time of trouble. Here are the leaders of 2008 with all their successes and failures.
- It’s not easy to measure excellence in a year like 2008. While some managers can be judged by the bottom line, others merely had the good fortune to be running a food company instead of a financial firm. Then again, with volatile commodity prices, succeeding in the food business wasn’t such an easy task.
- BusinessWeek has singled out 12 executives who did a remarkable job of navigating stormy waters. Some have posted stellar results. Others are struggling. But there are lessons to be learned from each of them.
- Fortune surveyed nearly 100,000 employees from 406 different companies and asked them to evaluate their employers. Click here for the full list of America's top 100 employers, including detailed company profiles, top locations, and contact information.
- Interbrand takes many ingredients into account when ranking the value of the Best Global Brands. Even to qualify for the list, each brand must derive at least a third of its earnings outside its home country, be recognizable outside of its base of customers, and have publicly available marketing and financial data.
- Click above to see the list of all the 100 top brands
- Click here to see the slide show and get a snapshot of each of the 100 brands.
Best and Worst Tech Products of 2008
- The year in tech had its share of superb follow-ups, like the practical and hip Flip Mino camera and Mozilla's instantly popular Firefox 3. But there were plenty of spectacular surprises as well, from Google's out-of-left-field Web browser to Netflix's entrance into the hardware business.
- Click above for the 20 best tech products of 2008, as selected by BusinessWeek's technology writers and editors, as well as five highly anticipated products that failed to meet expectations.
Best Business Architecture of 2008
- As commercial construction falls deeper into recession, it seems fitting that the winners of this year's BusinessWeek/Architectural Record awards show the payoffs of investing in smart design.
- The contest, in its 11th year, honors buildings that adhere to the sponsors' semi-official tagline: "Good design is good business." A jury of editors from BusinessWeek and Architectural Record (both owned by The McGraw-Hill Companies (MFP)) analyzed more than 100 submissions from around the world, paying particular attention not to showy facades or flashy foyers but rather to the impact of a design on a company's bottom line.
- Click above to check out the best business buildings of 2008.
- For the 3rd time in 10 years, Singapore Airlines has been named World's Best Airline, winning the 2008 Airline of the Year title in the latest World Airline Awards.
- Over 15 million eligible survey interviews were completed during the 11 month Survey period. From Seoul to Sao Paulo, Copenhagen to Cape Town, the scale and breadth of the 2008 survey further strengthens the well-established reputation as the World's Largest Passenger Survey.
- Click above to find the Top 10 airlines of the Year 2008.
- Click here to get the 2008 Worldwide results breakdown in terms of Best Regional Airline, Best by Cabin Type, and Best Low-Cost Airlines.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Click, Ten Truths for Building Extraordinary Relationships, by George C. Fraser
Book recommended by Harold Schroeder. Thank you!
Harold Schroeder always makes it a point to share something interesting and inspirational in the New Year. Thank you so much for keeping up the tradition.
In his email, Harold states “Vishal, as you may know, I believe that ...it is all about relationships. So within that context, I believe the book "Click" might interest you as an inspirational piece for the New Year. The book offers Ten Truths on how to find your social voice, cultivate beneficial offerings to others, and how to truly click with like-minded counterparts. Traditional networking is broken and backwards. A different way of meeting, greeting, and ultimately clicking with colleagues and friends is required. Networking is goal-based. Clicking is value-based. Networking is often selfish and one-sided. Clicking is mutually beneficial. Hope you enjoy the read. Again, wishing you a very happy New Year!”
Brief Summary:
In Click you will discover the Ten Truths for connecting with people. In today’s high-tech, isolated world, individuals have a difficult time connecting with others. Networking offers a venue, but Fraser’s Ten Truths can help individuals truly click:
Below you will find a 9-min movie where the author George Fraser talks about his new book Click. I think the first 6-mins of the movie where George introduces the concept of the book is pretty interesting.
Harold Schroeder always makes it a point to share something interesting and inspirational in the New Year. Thank you so much for keeping up the tradition.
In his email, Harold states “Vishal, as you may know, I believe that ...it is all about relationships. So within that context, I believe the book "Click" might interest you as an inspirational piece for the New Year. The book offers Ten Truths on how to find your social voice, cultivate beneficial offerings to others, and how to truly click with like-minded counterparts. Traditional networking is broken and backwards. A different way of meeting, greeting, and ultimately clicking with colleagues and friends is required. Networking is goal-based. Clicking is value-based. Networking is often selfish and one-sided. Clicking is mutually beneficial. Hope you enjoy the read. Again, wishing you a very happy New Year!”
Brief Summary:
In Click you will discover the Ten Truths for connecting with people. In today’s high-tech, isolated world, individuals have a difficult time connecting with others. Networking offers a venue, but Fraser’s Ten Truths can help individuals truly click:
- Be Authentic — Be true to real self
- Communicate With Your Heart — Cultivate a new source of intelligence
- Love, Serve, Give and Add Value First — Good deeds return to the giver tenfold
- Nurture Your Relationships — They are the core of personal and professional success
- Bless Them and Release Them — Cut damaging unions loose and move on
- Trust First; Distrust Must Be Earned —Trust breeds more trust, and open communication
- Tailor Your Relationships — Consciously create the "perfect fit"
- Make Peace, Not War, With Words — Use the power of speech and writing for good
- Be Open to Everything — And attached to nothing
- It Takes Teamwork to Make the Dream Work — Seek caring, creative allies
Below you will find a 9-min movie where the author George Fraser talks about his new book Click. I think the first 6-mins of the movie where George introduces the concept of the book is pretty interesting.
Finding Joy - Movie by Mac Anderson
- Shared by Sangeeta. Thank you!
Mac Anderson: “As we all know, for many people, 2008 has been filled with personal and professional challenges. Therefore, I hope you'll reach out to encourage those who may be going through difficult times. Sometimes a kind word at the right moment can change a life forever. There are times when I need to remind myself that life can be complicated, but happiness is really pretty simple. Like everyone else, I have doubts, fears and disappointments in my life, and need to remember what's most important. That's when I turn to Finding Joy. In just a few minutes it puts a smile in my heart when I need it most. The music, the photos and the words always take my breath away".
Click here to watch the inspirational movie "Finding Joy".
Mac Anderson: “As we all know, for many people, 2008 has been filled with personal and professional challenges. Therefore, I hope you'll reach out to encourage those who may be going through difficult times. Sometimes a kind word at the right moment can change a life forever. There are times when I need to remind myself that life can be complicated, but happiness is really pretty simple. Like everyone else, I have doubts, fears and disappointments in my life, and need to remember what's most important. That's when I turn to Finding Joy. In just a few minutes it puts a smile in my heart when I need it most. The music, the photos and the words always take my breath away".
Click here to watch the inspirational movie "Finding Joy".
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