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SKY is the limit

SKY is the limit

For the academically qualified and the educated youngsters who are waiting to join the workforce, the key mantra should be SKY is the limit. Quite literally.

Skill, Knowledge and Yes attitude are the three SKY things which can take the youngsters to sky highs in their professional careers. 

Skill is something very different from what we study in our academic lives. Skill is something which is beyond our academics and is acquired in order to stand apart from the crowd. When the rocks are chiseled they become most beautiful statues. So as the skilled youths. Most employers these days rely on the skill sets of the prospective employees and not just on the academic laurels and qualifications. Skill sets are something which can create or add value to our academic qualifications in order to bring the best out of the self in an organization. Many in the existing workforce are getting redundant due to lack of upskilling. Skill mindset is possible only if the youngsters are in a perennial learning mode even after their academic pursuits.

Knowledge - Knowledge is different from information which is abundant in Google. When the raw information is filtered and processed becomes valuable knowledge. Knowledge is critical for the youngsters who are waiting to join the workforce. Knowledge about the industry, businesses, the domains in which they are planning to operate becomes imperative for the prospective employees to be successfully absorbed into the workforce.

YES attitude - Having a positive attitude and mindset is a crucial element of success for the prospective employees. With enough academic qualifications and skill-sets, if the youngsters lack in attitude they still can't make due progress in their careers and work life. The youngsters need to have the right kind of attitude if they want to progress in their professional careers.

If the prospective employees and the people wanting to join the workforce possess Skill, Knowledge and Yes attitude then SKY is their limit for growth...

V Gopalakrishnan

Founder & CEO

Money Avenues

Editor - UptheCurve

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Focus - the successful mantra of success

Life and business is all about focus. Most successful people, be it businessmen/women, sportsmen/women have some common traits in them; and all of them, invariably will have 'focus' as their main trait. In simple words, getting laser like focus in life & business gets you success, without doubt. Large corporations and already successful people lose their path mainly due to de-focus from what they were doing. Focus is what brings in unlimited success and the lack of focus is what brings in failures in life.

How successful people get their focus right?

Crystal clear goals - Successful people before their success journey, mentally frame up their goals and objectives. And many write down their goals and objectives. Having crystal clear goals about their life and business makes the focus much easier and success more achievable. Having clearly laid and well thought about goals are key to getting the focus right. Needless to say, without goals no one get a focus on what needs to be done.

Visualization - Many successful people have the habit of visualizing their goals, objectives, their journey and success. Visualizing the whole process gives the right focus for their goals and objectives. For instance, many successful sports persons actually visualize their cup winning moment much earlier than they actually win. Such is the power of visualization. Visualize what you want to become in the next 1 year/3 years/5 years and so on.  Revisiting their goals and plans - Having goals is just not fine. Many times, goals and objectives undergo some changes due to circumstances in life and business. Revisiting the goals and objectives periodically puts the focus on the right trajectory. When the goals and the objectives are not updated then the focus gets misplaced on them. 

By having clearly laid out goals, by visualizing the successful journey and by revisiting goals periodically gives the right kind of focus for people in their respective fields. 

V Gopalakrishnan

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ABCD of branding in the times of social media

Branding has undergone rapid transformation over the decades. Starting from the magazines, newspapers, theatre halls, hoardings and radio in the 60s & 70s; then on adding television to the list in the 80s & 90s, the present branding ecosystem looks extremely different from the past. Those lovely songs in some of those brand advertisements still linger on in our memories. Today, social media is shaping every aspect of the life around us. Gone are the days when branding was all about something being pushed by the companies into the market and into the minds of the consumers through various conventional media routes. 

But the World is changing rapidly for good and bad. The opportunities and the pitfalls for a brand in the era of social media have thrown up some interesting developments. Like every other business or industry or a concept, branding too feels the impact of social media. The likes of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube & a host of other social media channels have opened up a huge World to the brands to be reached out to the relevant audience. 

Using social media to promote & project a brand in the appropriate way has both the opportunities and challenges rolled into one. Opportunities include reaching out directly to someone relevant is more easier in social media than the conventional media. Challenges are that the brands can suffer backlashes very easily through social media in case of miscommunication. One can be reminded of boycott campaigns against brands after some unpleasant developments around the brands and the companies. And such fires can undo the reputation and the goodwill of the brands in no time since the social media campaigns can get extremely fast and furious.

What are the ABCDs of branding in social media?

Audience - Audience relevant to the brands always remains the cornerstone of branding. That never changes in the times of social media as well. Reaching out to the relevant audience is much easier than the earlier times as personal messages to the prospective clients are a reality. Stitching a branding campaign needs to keep the audience in mind and reaching out to them through the appropriate social media channels. Fulfilling the aspirations of the audience by the brands assume greater significance as any unpleasant experience can easily backfire on the brands. Targeting and nurturing the relevant audience is all the more critical in the era of social media as the brands can be made or marred by the social media enthusiasts.

Branding strategy - The strategy for the old world media and social media differs vastly as the nature of the presentation is very different from the two. Social media requires a fresh set of tools for branding to reach out to the much younger set of audience who are more glued on to social media than the regular media like the TVs. The same brand may have different sets of presentations across various channels of media. Needless to say, branding strategy in social media requires a fresh set of ideas and thinking to suit the emerging audience who may be just used to only social media sans other conventional media. 

Communication - Sending out the right tone & tenor of communication is extremely important for social media branding. Communication is not only about verbal/oral but it can also be visual and silent communication. Every bit of communication is critical and should be intended to reach the right set of audience. We have seen in the recent days of brands getting embroiled in controversies arising out of miscommunication. India being a diverse nation with a diverse set of audience, getting a uniform and acceptable communication through branding is extremely important.

Decision influencers - These sets of audience have emerged as a core constituency for social media branding. While the direct audience is the major component, but these influencers have become an inseparable part of social media marketing. With a substantial part of the audience being the followers of these decision influencers, taking care of this segment has become extremely crucial for social media branding.

On the whole branding in the social media era has become exciting and innovative for the brands which have incorporated the nuances of the social media reach out. But a lot needs to be done by the brands to fine tune their brand strategies to get the full mileage out of this wonderful media of brand communication.

V Gopalakrishnan

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Job cuts in the present scenario - Humane HR perspective

Job cuts/slashes have become the norm of the day with many companies particularly in the internet/IT industry slashing jobs to save costs in what is seen as a precautionary move to tackle the recessionary phase of the businesses. With many of the global tech giants such as Twitter, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook and many more resorting to huge job cuts, the careers of professionals are in jeopardy given an unhealthy job market environment in the current scenario. 

Economically, one can understand the corporations' un-viability of holding on to too many jobs in a recessionary environment but ethically and morally the job cuts create a cascading impact across various spheres in the society. It's equally true that the corporations & private sector cannot offer job guarantees as they battle a varying business environment and they are forced to resort to job cuts to save the company's financials from further deterioration. That said, the companies should also weigh in their reputation and the futures of their employees when they are all of a sudden left in the lurch. 

What should be the ideal balancing act in a job slash scenario?

First of all human resources must be seen as human capital, a capital which propels the corporations to greater heights. In the light of this the corporations should adapt 3C approach towards their human capital.

3Cs -

Care - Organizations should follow the basic principle of showering care on their human capital during times of business distress. The people who are sacked are the ones who toiled hard during tough times like that of Covid led pandemic. Corporations do have compulsions to streamline their financial capital, but they also have a greater responsibility of protecting and nurturing their human capital in their respective organizations. End of the day, corporations in the pursuit of better financial capital should not sacrifice human capital. However tough the times are, it is a singular responsibility of the corporations to safeguard the interests of the employees who have given their heart and soul for the growth of the companies. Compassion - In the current World, one is left wondering if the companies have forgotten a word in the dictionary called 'Compassion'. Though the contract between the employer and the employee stipulates parting of ways mutually, the employers are expected to deal with the distressful phase with utmost compassion. Corporations must engage with the fired employees by giving them psychological assistance to deal with the unexpected distress. Corporations should help the fired employees with all possible support to deal with the emotional, psychological and financial stress one goes through during such trouble times. Collaboration - Organizations must collaborate with the employees to upskill the people who are found wanting in the necessary skillsets. Get skilled or get killed is the norm of the present scenario. In the times of distress, the companies by and large tend to sack employees who are low on skills and high on unemployability factors. Companies must provide opportunities for the employees to get skilled in their own functional areas. Worst is many employees are getting sacked even if they are good at skillsets. Most importantly, the companies should collaborate with its peers to facilitate suitable jobs for the fired employees who are reasonably good at skillsets and who may well opt for a low paying job rather than being jobless. Engagement with the employees who are fired is the most component in the whole process and that makes the job slashes less painful, both for the organizations as well as the fired employees. High time corporations do follow the 3C approach while dealing with their human capital. After all, the human capital is much more important than the financial capital for the growth of corporations.

It is time for the corporations to get humane about their human capital...

V Gopalakrishnan

upthecurve@gmail.com

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9 Management lessons from India's SF defeat

The most richest Cricketing nation has the most poorest team in terms of Cricket. Indian team's shameful drubbing at the hands of English team left the fans & the fraternity stunned, grasping for answers for an embarrassing defeat. Though their debacle will be dissected & analyzed for future performances, the whole result can offer wide variety of management lessons which may be useful for the practitioners of business & management.

Let's see the key aspects which were found wanting in the Men in Blue's campaign in Australia -

Winning attitude - From the beginning, the winning attitude was missing from Team India. Their campaign had few pieces of luck favouring them. Unlike few teams which went into brink & came back very strongly, India never had the winning attitude. Business needs winning attitude. All the energies must be focused on getting the winning attitude.

Confidence - For the word go, the team lacked confidence despite winning a high profile match against Pakistan. The players appeared tentative throughout the series leading to a severe drubbing. Confidence is the foremost thing for any management practitioner. Confidence can be about anything - the products, the self & the company. Confidence should be felt in words, actions and appearance. The body language of Indian players at most times reflected the obvious nervousness which can undo any great performance potential. Have confidence in self & in service. Preparation - The outing showcased the poor planning of the team & its administration, which includes coaching staff & other enhancers. The team was ill-equipped to handle the high pressure event, barely scraping through in few matches. It clearly shows the preparation was woefully inadequate looking at the way the team struggled in crucial matches. Be prepared for any kind of business battle is a key learning from team India. If someone is prepared fully well, 90% of the goal is already met.

Precision Planning - Planning is critical for any sport. Be it team sport or individual sport. Team India was terribly under planned if someone scans their performance throughout the series. They just did some 'in the situation' performance to bail themselves out in the league matches. Their poor planning was exposed in the semi final in no uncertain terms. Plan, plan & plan should be the key words for someone succeed in their business initiatives. 

Plan A, B, C, D, E..... - Not just mere planning, but alternative plans should always be in place. Team India not only went unplanned, but they never had other plans to tap in case of situations. They just blinked when the pressure went into their head. For all the business practitioners, planning alone is not sufficient, but having plan A, B and so on is a must as many dynamic situations will alter the original plans.

Effortless execution - Whatever the planning & preparations are, the execution is key. Even assuming Team India planned & prepared well for their campaign, their disgraceful exit clearly showed they failed miserably in execution. For the business managers, execution is key. All kinds of planning & preparations are fine, but if they are not backed up strong execution, the project may fail just the way Indian team.

Team work - In a sport like Cricket, it is the team work which matters. No single individual is above the team & any successful campaign can only be team work oriented. If we look at some of the successful teams, their success emanates from synchronized team work. Indian team was a disaster in team work. It was all left to few players to take the team home in most matches. Build a great team for a successful business venture.

Knowing your competitor - KYC is very important for any sport. Knowing the opponents & competitors, their strengths & weaknesses is key to success. Some of the best teams know their opponents like the back of their palms. Team India's homework is now under question on analyzing their competitors. For successful businesses, knowing the competitors & their moves is very important to outsmart them in the business battles.

Not to take things for granted - India took things for granted in the World Cup. Even if their intention was not, but that was the message one gets if their actions are analyzed. Perhaps their sense of accountability is almost zero which makes them take things for granted. In business & management, taking things for granted is a big No No. One needs to sweat it out & make things happen for the self or for the team. Being accountable is key to avoid taking things for granted.

Being in business & management, its important to draw lessons from sporting successes & failures. Team India's ignominious exit from the T20 WC has huge lessons to learn, not just for the sporting fraternity, but for all the management practitioners!

V Gopalakrishnan

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Keep the wheels of growth moving

Growth is the most common objective for everyone in their own lives. Growth for people can be financial, career, personal and in many other areas. Many a time, growth comes to a grinding halt for a lot of people, again in various ways. Losing the focus on growth could be a common cause of losing track of growth. For many, growth may not be in the radar too. When we get extremely busy in our own lives & careers, we tend to forget or miss the sights on the growth path we had set for ourselves.

How to keep the wheels of growth moving?

Formulate goals for each of the areas - Having clearly articulated goals on each of the areas is extremely important. The areas in focus could be career, financial and personal. Every area needs specific set of goals to achieve them in a stipulated time frame. But without goals, the journey will be like an anchor-less ship. Writing down the growth goals & the means, ways and methods of achieving them will be a great idea. Unless we pen down our growth goals, we have lesser chances for a achieving the optimum growth in lives. It's true that many X factors come into play in our lives which may make growth goals drift away from our focus. But that should not stop one from laying down clear goals on the growth path.

Prioritize those goals in your day to day life - Once the goals are jotted down, prioritize them in your day to day lives. Make your moves on achieving those growth goals on every single day. Once it belongs to your DNA, the growth goals will never go out of your mind or sight at any point. Keep your thoughts and actions revolving around your growth goals. Only if you start prioritizing the growth goals in a crowded mind space, one has a fair chance to achieve them with reasonable success.

Keep tracking the progress of growth - Keep a track on those stated growth goals and that becomes very important to understand where you stand vis-a-vis on your growth goals. By tracking them closely you have a fair chance to realize those stated growth goals. Tracking also helps you understand the actual progress made against the actual goals set for yourself.

Revisit them if there is a need to re-work - Always revisit the goals if the need be. And re-work them if the need be. By keeping a track on the growth goals, you have a clearer picture of the growth path. That gives you a fair indication about the need for any re-thinking or re-working about the goals you have framed for yourself. Certainly not all goals will be on the same path you had envisaged and they may drift away from your objectives. By re-visiting the goals, you can re-work those goals based on the current circumstances.

Remember, you should always keep the wheels of growth moving, even if it is an inch or a mile. Growth is growth.

V Gopalakrishnan

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Greater accomplishments need the 7i approach..

World has witnessed a paradigm shift over the last Century or so leading to unprecedented transformations in our society, with so many ideas, inventions and discoveries in the wide spectrum of fields, not just in or few. Post the WWII, people started working on some crazy ideas to transform the World for a better living. Man's landing on the moon, space missions, advent of computers, Apple devices, Microsoft tools, Emails, Google and many more life changing moments redefined the way the people thought and worked over the years. 

Many of these unheard and unseen accomplishments, which were once thought as impossible, started with the self belief that things can be changed with the stretched imaginations, if pursued in a diligent manner and convert them into workable ideas. Many of those huge accomplishments were possible because some people thought they are possible and they pursued with the 7i approach. It would be interesting to recall Roger Bannister’s 4 minute mile run which was previously considered humanly impossible, but Bannister broke that barrier. 

Greater accomplishments need 7i approach -

Imaginate - Imagination is the mother of discoveries and inventions. Whenever people had wild imaginations to change the way we and the World functioned, life changing experiences have taken place. What was once considered impossible, became possible because someone thought firmly so. Imaginations do attract lots of criticisms and doubts, but overcoming those hurdles & blocks and converting those imaginations into reality is something wonderful, a mankind has achieved and can achieve for its development. Nobody in the 80s thought the World could switch into computers seamlessly before someone thought it was possible. No one in the 90s thought we could get information at the touch of the button. All these things and many more happened because someone imagined. Let your imaginations go wild.

Ideate - Mere imagination would remain a fantasy if its not ideated upon along the relevant lines. Ideas would emerge based on imaginations and ideating happens when the imaginations are put into logical blocks for them to fructify. To give a proper shape for an imagination is the most challenging thing one encounters in an idea life-cycle. On many cases, one imagination can lead to multiple ideas. For instance, a smart phone idea came not just for talking, but also packed music & cameras and host of other features into them to make it more useful to the users. Ideation is extremely critical to make dreams & imaginations work in a logical manner.

Integrate - Integration of ideas, imaginations and dreams are crucial to arrive at a logical & workable solution to re-imagine a thought process. All those ideas & imaginations remain on paper if they are not integrated into the right and workable package. Integration also involves sharpening the ideas and cutting out the irrelevant things by making them fit to be put into proper use. Initiate - It's a bit easy to imagine and ideate, but a lot more difficult to integrate and initiate working solutions turn those dreams and imaginations into reality. Many of the dreams and imaginations remained on paper for want of the courage to initiate and take it to the relevant forums. Possibly that explains the reason for several claimants for the same idea in the past. Not just imagine, but initiate with a proper presentation to make them turn into a reality.

Implement - The greatest of all challenges is to implement an imagination or an idea on a workable condition. The implementation requires lot of inputs, like pricing, production, availability of resources and so on. Many of the imaginations were struck in the papers for want of resources. To make any imagination work, the implementation is key.

Improvise - Imaginations and ideas need not just the implementation, but a constant monitoring mechanism to make any kind of improvisations needed in the ideas. It is impossible to for any product or idea to seamlessly function without proper checking once a while. Once rolled out, an idea should be glitch free on all parameters and that requires constant improvisation all stages of the life-cycle. Even after the roll out, the improvization is a key function to make ideas work better.

Innovate - An imagination or an idea ends only if it lacks innovation. Innovation is a crucial block in the whole value chain starting with imagination. Innovation helps crystallize imaginations and ideas to make things work in a desired manner. World is fast changing and only innovation can keep the idea stay relevant in all times. What started with a huge PC evolved as a laptop over the years, making innovations improvising the imagination and ideas. Innovation is needed for constant betterment of an idea life-cycle, else it may turn obsolete over a period of time. 7i not just works for larger and bigger ideas, but works fine even for the smallest ideas we may have in our day to day lives. The more we crystalize our working styles, better they are in terms of results and outcomes. Let’s imagine, ideate and make things work in 7i forumla.

V Gopalakrishnan

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3D approach to leadership

Leadership is a science and art. Some of the finest leaders across the wide spectrum in the society follow more or less a similar pattern in their leadership roles, many of whom are natural and equal number of them having nurtured leadership skills over the years by way of experiences. There can be dozens of key traits which may be similar across many leaders but some traits are most important and very common among the leaders and they help the leaders stand apart from the rest of the pack.

3D traits of the leaders -

Discipline - Most successful leaders are highly disciplined in their work approach. After all the best leaders know that the results are the direct outcome of a disciplinary approach in work. This can be visibly seen in the sports teams when they are led by efficient captains and effective coaches. Leadership with a disciplined approach leads to long lasting results in any field or industry.

Diligence - Successful leaders follow a diligent approach in their businesses or in any other fields. To conquer a market or a space, leaders need to be diligent and this is a common trait among most successful leaders in the various fields. Diligence along with discipline plays a vital role in the success of a leader and needless to say without these two the leaders can never cultivate a long lasting leadership in any field.

Delegation - If we observe the successful leaders, they don't carry all the load on themselves but share it with others in the teams. Delegation becomes crucial for the success of a leader as he/she cannot perform every other role on their own. Also when the teams are empowered through delegation, the results and successes become a shared phenomenon and the people get a sense of ownership in the projects.

Leadership is a science in a sense, leaders work on a scientific basis to chisel them as successful leaders. It's an art which can come only by carefully crafting it over the years by carefully cultivating the leadership traits.

V Gopalakrishnan upthecurve@gmail.com

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Leaders should not have these 4Ps

There are many 'to-have' qualities for the leaders and the CEOs. In fact various studies have identified a common thread of 'to-have' qualities to become successful leaders and CEOs. Having said that, there are some definite 'not-to-have' qualities which have reduced many leaders and CEOs as sore losers in public lives and businesses.There are these few important traits which can be termed as 4Ps which are must 'not-to-have' qualities for the leaders and CEOs.

What are the 4Ps?

Poor Communication - Having poor communication, both in terms of language and tone & tenor of message make a terrible leader or CEO. In the age of social and new age media, lots could be at stake if the leaders present themselves as poor communicators. It is not only important to have the right language, tone and tenor but it is important to know how and when to communicate to the World at large. Many leaders slip because of poor communication. If a leader feels he isn't great at communicating, it is best to keep mum and deliver the message through his/her work. But having poor communication is the ultimate pitfall for any leader.

Pessimism - Leaders cannot be pessimistic even when the skies are about to fall on the Earth. Leaders just can't afford to sound pessimistic even to the size of a grain, if they are to become great leaders. Remember, being a leader, he/she has to communicate the most unpleasant things to the followers in the most appropriate manner even if the situation is in dire straits. Many sporting leaders have fallen from grace because of excess pessimism in the dressing rooms. Pessimism is a strict no no to any leader in any field.

Personality ego - Leadership is all about personality. But poor personality trait can mar a leader. Many leaders discover their Waterloo because of excessive ego. Leaders can do great things, but if they falter on their personality with bloated egos, the end could be sooner than later. Leaders are expected to carry every stake holder along in their journeys, whichever field they are in. Smashing the egos could take the leaders close to the grassroots and understand their business or principles much better than leaders who are loaded with bloated egos. A good leader should not have the smallest element of ego if one were to remain a good leader forever.

Procrastination - This is an element which breaks many leadership stories. Leaders are expected to work at a hyper speed and visualize & execute things much ahead than the others down in an organizational value chain. By dragging their feet on important decisions, ideas and tasks, leaders could soon face their slippery zone in their growth. Successful leaders are super speed executors of any given idea. Leaders should not have the habit to procrastinate or seem to be procrastinating in an organization and that could well trigger a wave of procrastination down the chain.

Leaders have the choice to possess and follow 'to-have' qualities, but they don't have a choice of ignoring 'not-to-have' qualities. 4Ps are something which a leader or a CEO cannot ignore if he/she were to have fantastic growth prospects.

Gopal.

Founder - iLEAP 

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Great companies will need 6As for business leadership..

Why the best companies not only survive, but grow faster than the others?!

In the corporate world, many companies survive, lots shut down and few companies grow faster than the others in the industry. There are several reasons for the companies to just survive, or shut down or grow faster than the rest. Though there are lot of external factors like the product life cycle, business cycle and host of other issues which impact the companies, most companies face the doomsday not only because of the external factors, but largely due to their internal issues. Companies which follow 6As not only survive, but grow faster than the rest.

Adaptability - Businesses are all about adaptability. Adapting to newer market realities, newer technologies, newer products, newer services and so on. Best companies are the ones to adapt to the changing business dynamics. In most cases, markets determine the business dynamics and the companies need to have their antenna on an alert mode at all times. Market intelligence is extremely important for the companies to adapt to newer business dynamics.

Agility - Many companies in the past managed to grow well but could not sustain because of the bloated nature of the organization. When the systems get bloated, the decision making becomes cumbersome and the bureaucracy creeps into the system, Companies have to be agile and keep abreast with the changing and emerging scenario, both internally and externally. Most successful firms are agile in nature and the agility needs to be nurtured within the organizations. Agility comes from the speed of thought.

Ability - Able companies not just survive, but grow faster than the rest. Ability to spot newer avenues of growth in the business area is critical for the companies to succeed and do better than the rest. Many companies, in fact, shut down because of the inability factor to identify newer trends and opportunities. Able companies are the ones which stay ahead of the rest in every industry. Best companies ably manage their customers, manage their teams, manage their goals and vision better than the rest.

Astuteness - Companies need to be astute in the rapidly changing business environment. Great companies display the highest degree of astuteness while navigating the company's fortunes even in the toughest external environment. Astuteness is not only about identifying business opportunities, but also getting the teams on a 'war ready' basis for taking on the business challenges. Astute leadership is all about commanding the troops to ever ready mode in the changing business environment.

Assertiveness - Great companies are always assertive. Assertiveness is all about being a game changer in a crowded business space. Many companies outlive their peers and remain successful because of their ability to set the trend and showcase their assertiveness. Assertiveness is all about setting the trend and not following the trends.

Audacity - To break the status quo. Companies which are business leaders have grown on their audacity to break the status quo. By breaking the status quo, the companies are able to lead the industry or the sector with uniqueness. Many companies are done and dusted because of not having the audacity to challenge the status quo. Some of the greatest companies keep challenging the status quo on every aspect of the business. 

Running businesses is not very complex, provided the companies are equipped to handle any kind of internal and external challenges. Most companies which emerge stronger and have the urge to grow will have all of those in 6As. Companies can rest assured for failure if they do not imbibe those qualities for the business leadership!

V Gopalakrishnan

[upthecurve]

Leaders should not have these 4Ps

There are many 'to-have' qualities for the leaders and the CEOs. In fact various studies have identified a common thread of 'to-have' qualities to become successful leaders and CEOs. Having said that, there are some definite 'not-to-have' qualities which have reduced many leaders and CEOs as sore losers in public lives and businesses.There are these few important traits which can be termed as 4Ps which are must 'not-to-have' qualities for the leaders and CEOs.

What are the 4Ps?

Poor Communication - Having poor communication, both in terms of language and tone & tenor of message make a terrible leader or CEO. In the age of social and new age media, lots could be at stake if the leaders present themselves as poor communicators. It is not only important to have the right language, tone and tenor but it is important to know how and when to communicate to the World at large. Many leaders slip because of poor communication. If a leader feels he isn't great at communicating, it is best to keep mum and deliver the message through his/her work. But having poor communication is the ultimate pitfall for any leader.

Pessimism - Leaders cannot be pessimistic even when the skies are about to fall on the Earth. Leaders just can't afford to sound pessimistic even to the size of a grain, if they are to become great leaders. Remember, being a leader, he/she has to communicate the most unpleasant things to the followers in the most appropriate manner even if the situation is in dire straits. Many sporting leaders have fallen from grace because of excess pessimism in the dressing rooms. Pessimism is a strict no no to any leader in any field.

Personality ego - Leadership is all about personality. But poor personality trait can mar a leader. Many leaders discover their Waterloo because of excessive ego. Leaders can do great things, but if they falter on their personality with bloated egos, the end could be sooner than later. Leaders are expected to carry every stake holder along in their journeys, whichever field they are in. Smashing the egos could take the leaders close to the grassroots and understand their business or principles much better than leaders who are loaded with bloated egos. A good leader should not have the smallest element of ego if one were to remain a good leader forever.

Procrastination - This is an element which breaks many leadership stories. Leaders are expected to work at a hyper speed and visualize & execute things much ahead than the others down in an organizational value chain. By dragging their feet on important decisions, ideas and tasks, leaders could soon face their slippery zone in their growth. Successful leaders are super speed executors of any given idea. Leaders should not have the habit to procrastinate or seem to be procrastinating in an organization and that could well trigger a wave of procrastination down the chain. 

Leaders have the choice to possess and follow 'to-have' qualities, but they don't have a choice of ignoring 'not-to-have' qualities. 4Ps are something which a leader or a CEO cannot ignore if he/she were to have fantastic growth prospects.

V Gopalakrishnan  

[upthecurve]

What the name "Meta" means to Facebook

Facebook announced its new corporate name and logo, META to usher in a new growth path for the company's social tech initiatives. Borrowed from the Greek world meaning “Beyond”, the roll out comes at a critical time when Facebook is facing backlash from all quarters, ranging from regulators to lawmakers on the role they consider is dubious on part of Facebook. The social media giant also got embroiled in an unseemly election oriented controversies in the past too. People across the globe have been wary of Facebook’s overarching role of collecting personal data from its users, which many feel are a breach of privacy on the platform.

Around this backdrop, the change of name for Facebook Inc to Meta becomes imperative as more and more scrutiny is being mounted on Facebook by various agencies across the World. Its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg announced the name change in order to provide a wider scope for the company's new initiatives rather than being identified only with Facebook, the most popular social media platform across the World. The name change serves the purpose to take away the fire of Facebook on the entire group as also to brand individual businesses on their merits. Facebook’s other brands like Instagram, Whatsapp and Oculus seem to be left out in the older version and they all will now come under a common brand. 

This is probably in line with Google's attempt to rename itself as Alphabet Inc to diversify into other related areas of business. Probably, Facebook is also under pressure to look beyond Facebook and venture into growth areas, as some sort of fatigue is setting in on Facebook usage across the World. Like this author having started to disengage Facebook on a day to day basis and making it a minimalist platform to be social. That said, there are innumerable opportunities on the social technology space to tap from and that is exactly what Facebook seems to be targeting at. Will the new name measure up to its name and meaning? Only time will judge that.

V Gopalakrishnan

upthecurve@gmail.com

Twitter:@upthecurve

[upthecurve]

Monk like leadership of MS Dhoni

Leadership, as many falsely perceive, is not about individual brilliance alone, but being a leader of a pack to collectively win something. Be it in business or war or sports. The collective leadership is more relevant in sports like Cricket which involves mobilizing the forces in the shortest possible time towards winning a game or a cup. That is what Dhoni led CSK did in the recently concluded IPL by winning with the collective leadership. MS Dhoni must be credited for being an ideal leader to command his army of players and using them very effectively against some of the best teams in the IPL. 

What makes him a special leader in the modern era of Cricket?

MSD has those monk-like leadership skills which some of his peers like Virat Kohli and others do not have. And that is the reason he has been a very successful captain despite not having the best stats like some of his peers in the business.

Being calm and composed: MSD's calmness even in the most adverse conditions make him stand apart from most of the current crop of the leaders in the game. Not everyone is blessed with that unique quality which makes him work like a Monk on the field. We can see that quite often and even in the present edition, he displayed an enormous amount of calmness when situations were adverse and hostile to CSK's campaign.

Ego-less approach: Great and revered leaders shun ego from their dictionary. And that is a hallmark of monk-like leadership. When ego is shunned, the leader becomes more inclusive and gives more credit to his/her team than to self. MSD is someone who displays no ego at all, on and off the field. Someone who is known to be a team player sans ego is a great quality of MSD and that has made him a great leader admired by one and all.

Focus game by game: Focusing one game at a time is another unique feature of his leadership. When we climb a hill, we need to focus on each step rather than looking at the steps beyond us. Treating each game on its merit and importance is a key success to MSD's monk-like leadership.

Never let the past hurt your thoughts: This is an important ingredient for a successful leadership cutting across sports or business. Most leaders are bogged down by the past events and that effectively put a block on the future as well. MSD led CSK made a hasty and disastrous exit in the last edition of IPL and that did not deter MSD from winning this year's edition. He never let his past hurt on this year's outcomes. 

Use the resources optimally and effectively: With the limited and available resources, a leader needs to get the maximum results. That is what MSD did during this edition. When some of the players did not perform as per the expectations, he utilized the available resources to best possible means. A great leader must use his or her resources very effectively in any given condition.

Not letting wins and losses enter the head: A true leader will always know wins and losses are part of life and they must never enter into the heads. And such thoughts entering into one's head will impact the game either positively or negatively. MSD never lets the wins and losses enter his head and that is a critical reason for this spectacular turnaround this year after a dismal last year.

Be humble: Humility is a virtue in the modern times and a rare commodity in the World dominated by arrogance and high handedness. MSD's leadership is defined by his level headed attitude and staying grounded despite laurels and successes. A true leader will never act in an arrogant manner but will remain humble and to the ground whatever be the situation. 

MSD's remarkable leadership has out shined his individual brilliance and leadership is all about team and not about self. Some of the greatest individual players in the modern era have turned out to be damp squib captains since they lacked collective leadership. MSD's monk-like leadership will stay in the game as a leadership case study for long for the students of the game to imbibe. In fact MSD’s leadership could be a case study for many of the corporate leaders as well.

V Gopalakrishnan

[upthecurve]

Can the brand SRK bounce back or boil further?

Open any channel and SRK is there talking to parents about Byju’s app and its utility to their children. And that makes SRK, the most visible Bollywood brand ambassador for a host of products and services in the recent times. Unlike the other Khans of the Bollywood, his presence on the small screens are more often and outnumbers the other Bollywood actors. His presence in the ad world are one the rise even though his movie career is seemingly on a downward spiral. The reason for his ever green popularity is simple - SRK is perceived to be a 'humble man' who worked up his way in the highly competitive Bollywood movie industry fighting the legends and their children who rule the roost in Bollywood. He is also seen and perceived as someone who belonged to the middle class resonating with the segment.

All that has crashed now. His son's involvement and arrest in the drugs case has caused serious damage to his brand value, reputation and perception about his personality which has so far been remarkable in the public eyes. Branding is all about creating the right perception about the product & the service in the minds of the consumers. Brand ambassadors are carefully chosen to position the right perception. Going by that, SRK's image has taken a huge beating even as people questioned the lifestyles of the kids of such super stars. With social media at hand, many in the country came down heavily on the brands and the companies endorsed by SRK.

The first casualty of the peoples' anger is Byju's app which aims to sell its products to the student and the parent community. SRK's son getting caught in a serious crime would obviously send a terrible message to the parents and the students alike. The company quickly pulled out the ads featuring SRK fearing a perception backlash. A humble man’s son getting arrested on a drug case is too much to digest for a middle class person. Many ads involving SRK may face a similar fate at least for the time being. Brand ambassadors getting into scandals or controversies either directly or indirectly can cause a huge damage to the brands they endorse, as the endorsements are more about perception.

Against this backdrop, can the brand SRK bounce back or boil further is the question. Eventually it is all about public memory. Currently SRK’s son’s arrest is on the headlines of the newspapers and TV news channels. As long as they are headline grabbers. the issue will be on the boil and be in the limelight. Once they get out of headlines and things settle down, there are possibilities of some damage control for the band SRK. After all, public memory is short. Having said that, SRK's case is no ordinary but more serious given the involvement of his son in the dark World of drugs. SRK, on the contrary, rides on his humble and middle class persona so as his brands.

Such a controversy has already created a huge dent on his 'humble man' perception and that is not good news for the brands endorsed by SRK. It may not be an easy comeback for SRK in the ad world as his image has been hurt very badly after this controversy. This is also a lesson for the celebrities who endorse various brands and a reminder for them to mind their personal lives by keeping it clean from controversies of any kind. As companies approach SRK with utmost caution in the present circumstances, only time will tell if the brand SRK can make a comeback with a sheen. As some say, Kuch kuch hota hai..!

V Gopalakrishnan

[upthecurve]

Can Tata group make Air India fly high?!

History was made when Tata group acquired the ailing Air India, which is a homecoming for the carrier after several decades. The euphoria around the acquisition is high and would be naturally so given the emotional attachment of the Tata group towards the carrier. But once the dust settles down, Tata group will have a humongous task of reviving the bloated and undisciplined airline which had a perfect recipe for its disaster. Bureaucratic mismanagement, unviable financials, huge and an expensive workforce, out of sync customer service are some of the ills plaguing the carrier.

Being a prized PSU, none of the predecessors to the present government dared to privatize it with any seriousness. In fact, the privatization efforts were mocked at regular intervals. Now that the prized airline has fallen on the lap of Tata group, it is a million dollar question about the sustenance of the airline given the outnumbering amount of mismanagement issues.

Airline is a tough business, World over. Given the very dynamic and volatile nature of the airline business, it is generally perceived to be tough as many external factors like crude prices and global economic outlook have a very very strong bearing on the sector's fortunes. Many global airline companies have consistently struggled to make money from the business given the threatening external environment and the price sensitive nature of the business. Passengers always want the best of service at the lowest possible prices in air travel. That has led to intense competition among the airline companies on offering the lowest prices with cutting edge services.

Volatile global crude prices always give sleepless nights to the airline management and leave them on the edges of their seats. In the not so distant past, fluctuating crude prices have left the airlines reeling under extreme financial stress leading to shut down of several airline companies across the World. The current scenario is no different by any means, even as we witness a steady rise in crude prices. Added to it, the pandemic has left a huge hole on the pockets of the airline companies which are struggling to normalize their business operations given the huge restrictions the industry is facing, both on governmental travel restrictions as well as travel hesitancy as more and more people are adapting to video calls and other means of connect. The industry will probably limp back to normalcy but no one knows when as the raging pandemic still keeps the airlines on their tenterhooks.

Given such a challenging scenario, Tata group has a huge task at hand on resolving the internal and external challenges. Foremost challenge is to set right the work culture at Air India which has so far used to enjoy the perks and advantages of being a star PSU. People at the airline are accustomed to being unaccountable on any of the work parameters followed in an airline business. Right from the inflight services to financial matters, the airline has had no sense of accountability whatsoever and that is the precise reason for the airline to turn sick and remain sick for a prolonged period.

Tata group needs to urgently address this flaw and make necessary changes to make Air India more customer and business centric. Though the existing jobs at the airline are guaranteed for some time, it would be imperative for the Tata group to realize it cannot move forward with this ageing and out of sync work force and methods. The group can do lots of management level and process changes which are well within the control of the group. The external environment for an airline is largely dynamic as crude prices and pandemic situation are not in anyone's control. But the external threats can be managed effectively only if the internal management and working becomes more agile and adaptive to changing scenarios. Sooner Tata group realizes this, better it will be for the company as the cost of acquisition and expectations have soared high. Once the emotions and celebrations settle down, the task of reviving Air India will be one of the toughest business challenges in the modern times!

V Gopalakrishnan

[upthecurve]

Leadership lessons from Belgian Hockey team

Everyone in India must be elated with the way our sportsmen and women put up a spirited fight in every possible game. To top it all, Indian hockey which until recently a pale resemblance of its glorious past, won the coveted Bronze medal giving more hopes for the sport in the country, which is otherwise in a state of utter neglect. 

In the same event, Belgium, a small European nation with a population of just about 11.5 million won the Gold medal beating the mighty Aussies in an exciting penalty shoot out after a regulation time draw. Unlike India, Belgium Hockey does not boast of an impressive legacy and like some of the Hockey nations like Australia which has been at the forefront for several years now. Previously, Belgium Hockey team won a Silver in the Rio Olympics and have followed it up with a prestigious Gold medal in the Tokyo edition.

Looking closer at its performance, Red Lions’ steady rise to glory in Men's hockey appears sudden, but isn't a sudden, also not a matter of luck or providence, but an outcome of sheer hard work and plenty of planning by Belgian hockey federation. Hockey, as a game, historically is played around the World in different formats. There is this European style which is more of passing the ball and converting into goals; and the Australian format which is an aggressive hit and run format. And then comes the Asian format which blends some of the techniques. 

Belgian hockey team, which rose up the ladder of prominence, was never able to win a World championship or an Olympic Gold though the team came close to the top on several occasions. And that led to the Belgian Hockey federation to examine the reasons for such roadblocks and prepare a blueprint for the hockey team to reach the top of the medal table. To begin with, Belgian hockey federation had some of the best coaches from the World to train the players on techniques and tactics to win the matches. 

But the federation felt the players were good in techniques and tactics but lacked the winning spirit and killer instinct to convert the opportunities into Gold whenever they competed at the highest level. BHF roped in quite a few leadership experts who have worked and trained some of the World's top sports coaches on converting their teams into winning power houses. Sports, at the end of the day, is all about possessing the right mental ability and mindset to win the matches. 

Techniques and Tactics take the teams to a certain level, but a sturdy mindset and tough mental ability can only make a champion team. By employing a clinical leadership scan on the team, the management was able to get the best of each one and the result was to be seen at the Olympics. They lifted the gold in a nail biting finish, which required an agile mind and never say die attitude and approach. 

1. Going for the win

2. Never say die attitude

3. Focus on strengths

4. Work on the weaknesses

5. Work as a team

6. Convert the opportunities

These are some the leadership lessons the Belgian Hockey offers to the earnest listener.

Belgium hockey's turnaround in a fairly short time frame is a good lesson for Indian hockey which has talent and techniques, but lacks the winning spirit at the highest levels. Indian hockey federation too needs a smart approach to tighten up the mental ability and toughness to regain the lost glory! 

Belgian hockey turnaround is also a good leadership case study for the businesses, when companies compete in high voltage business environment.

V Gopalakrishnan

[upthecurve]

Ways to get out of hustle work culture

In the pandemic era of work from home environment, hustle culture still hasn't lost its relevance because of the peoples' mindset towards the culture. Pandemic, perhaps has eliminated the physical meetings and office presence, but people are glued on to Zoom and other digital meetings one after the other, connecting with colleagues, clients, associates and other related people in their businesses. Being in the corporate world, people take pride in the hustle work culture, a phenomenon which equates to workaholism.  Such a culture, without doubt, has its share of woes for the mind and the body.

Hustle culture is a lifestyle which makes people falsely assume that overworking is the only way to earn respect and recognition in an organization or in a society, whether it be from others or yourself. Perhaps, many think being overworked and appearing extremely busy is a display of efficiency and productivity, which unfortunately may not be a reality. Many of the corporate czars take pride in hustle culture, noting very little time they have at their disposal for other personal things in life in pursuit of building their businesses. Perhaps, this hustle culture has started taking its toll on the health of the professionals who take care very little about themselves. In the current scenario, people have already started complaining about the toxic work from home culture which has a thin line of difference between work and personal lives. 

What are the ominous signs of hustle culture and what leads to it?

Extended, unending and exhaustive work hours.

Lack of adequate sleep and rest for the body.

Being mentally and physically tired.

Fear about career and future. 

Lack of cheerfulness.

Lack of enthusiasm to work. 

Sense of despondency and depression.

Feeling guilty about taking day breaks and leave breaks.

Hesitation of saying no to impractical tasks and targets.

Having no time for personal tasks and family.

Sense of restlessness.

Lack of mental compartments between work and personal lives.

Chaotic mental thoughts clogged by so many tasks.

Sense of dissatisfaction of work.

Attitude of giving up on life.

Hustle work culture, no doubt impacts one's physical and mental health in a big way. Hustle work culture, if imbibed will people, is obediently followed by mental agony, depression, stress, anxiety, restlessness, fear and what not. It also leads to deteriorating health conditions.

How can someone overcome the hustle culture syndrome?

Realization of our role - People should realize the fact that we can't change things in this World, all alone. Be it in the corporates or in society. We are part of a larger system, wherein everyone contributes to his/her own might in making a difference in the lives of the company or the society. Most people with a hustle work culture assume they are indispensable to a corporate or to the society. 

Creating a "me space" and time - This is extremely crucial to eliminate hustle work culture. Diversion of mind to other activities can help people overcome hustle culture in a very effective manner. It's imperative to have a definite time and space for self in a work day/week to reduce the harmful effects of hustle culture. Hobbies, meditation, yoga, physical exercises, walking, jogging, music, family times and other diversions are necessary to mitigate the risks of hustle culture. Devoting 24 hours less sleep hours to work is extremely toxic. 

Have a good sleep and take a good rest - Nothing heals like a good sleep and a better rest. It soothes the mind and body to the fullest possible extent. One must have adequate hours of sleep coupled with timely rest in between the work schedules. People can attempt work table exercises to give a good break for our body.

Compartmentalization - Mental compartments are necessary to handle multiple tasks in our lives. Creating a division between official and personal tasks based on timelines and schedule makes life a bit easier to eliminate the excessiveness of hustle culture. 

Slow down, contemplate and reflect - Hustle culture never allows people to sit back and contemplate on things in life. It is a kind of life which is always on the move, both physically and mentally. Sit back and relax. And reflect on things to be accomplished in life on different time scales. That will allow us to rationalize our energy levels. That will allow people realize there many things in this World apart from work.

Bring in work/life discipline - Hustle culture can be ended if the discipline is put in place. One cannot endlessly work or endlessly be away from work. A proper schedule and work map needs to be in place in order to get things under control. Keep a more or less a steady work timings and never allow that to wildly fluctuate on a day to day basis. 

Discuss with your teams and bosses - The work culture needs to be in sync with the teams and the hierarchy. If the top and bottom is struck with hustle culture, the middle layer also gets struck in a sandwich. Talk it out to the teams up and down and get them to understand your feelings and emotions of this kind of a culture. 

Talk to your friends and family - If you feel you are struck with hustle culture issues, talk to your friends and family members who could understand and appreciate the concerns. Of course, no one can decide on your behalf, but outside inputs can help one to decide on taking a decisions on these issues. Let out and ventilate the thoughts and one many find a light at the end of the tunnel.

The World may take some more years to get back to normalcy from the pandemic induced work environment. Work from home or office, people must make efforts to minimize the hustling in work, in order to extend the work years with the same amount of enthusiasm. Moderating hustle work culture will certainly help people on achieving that objective!

V Gopalakrishnan