the message of the Guru to the masses and I have a smile of satisfaction as to how it all started.
I feel this colossal project experience stands good for point 1&2 – ‘Letting go of control’ and ‘Sense of trust.’ Please let me know your views on the alignment of this to your needs.
2. Sense of trust: My model of leadership was based on complete trust. An absence of this vital essence of life would make me sad, insecure, helpless, miserable and dependent and would make all my action in the present moment weak. Leading with my organizational goals, I chose to develop a strong sense of belonging with everyone I came in contact with. This helped me communicate with the masses through my presence and not through mail and words alone. I lead from the front.
3. Developing the right mindset: This is central to any leader’s style of delivery. We must learn to harness the power of our mind and only then will intuition and innovation transform the ordinary to the extraordinary. An authoritarian mindset will always feel that only he/she can do something and we know that delegation can only happen when we step out from the shoes of the authoritarian mindset.
Operationalizing 1500 stores with franchisee and store staff, trained and ready to sell in 6 months, was an inconceivable task and a recipe for failure. This was the mindset of many seniors and peers who were part of this project.
I was playing a pivotal role for the successful completion of this project and having to coordinate between procurement, land acquisition, sales, human resources, engineering and construction teams, was a project in itself. Each department being headed by stalwarts and interdepartmental coordination was a huge challenge.
Through weekly meetings, I had to ensure that we let go of our personal positions, become empathic, and keep the end goal in mind, while accepting the challenge of people management.
At the end of 6 months, we had 900 stores ready for launch as per the SOP of operations. I put myself in others’ shoes and saw things from their perspective too and got the credit for being a good communicator. I always had the end goal in mind, which required a few sacrifices from my end, and this was viewed with respect with all team members. Finally I accepted all the challenges that came my way since I was alert and aware, did not get disturbed by them, and had a sense of the opportunity in each one of them.
So what did these principles give me in return? Peace of mind, a calm demeanor, and acceptability with seniors, peers and juniors? All traits mentioned here are indicative of my strength of 4Cs. Connectedness with people helped me manage large and diverse departments of bright workers. Courage, a hallmark of a good leader, enabled me to accept the challenges of the video conferencing event and the roll out of the project. In both cases, the dependency on external factors was high, which may have given some a sense of uneasiness. Compassion is a secret ingredient that can infuse more dedication into teams and society at large and it gave me the acceptance of many people in the group, which made the work more group and fun centered, rather than a chore. Commitment, doing your job to the best of your ability in the manner that gets the job done, uplifted the mind and lives of all those who were involved with the project. The 4Cs were the silver lining of the projects illustrated above, and they won me laurels, good friends and learning of a lifetime, which I today integrate in all my keynote speeches and training workshops.
Practice of yogic postures or exercises makes our body supple and increases energy levels. Pranayama, the art of controlling your breath (the flow of vital air is called prana in Sanskrit), makes the vital air flow deeper and more rhythmically in our bodies, making them less prone to disease, and making us more present, centered, and sharp. Finally the art of staying still (Meditation) makes us calmer from inside, helping us cope with life situations more effectively and with ease. These are the proverbial tip of the iceberg mantras for me being a better leader. The characteristic trait required to perfect this art is relentless practice with honor and respect.
Seshadri Ramaswami (“Sesh”) lives in Bangalore, India and has worked for 27 years in the corporate sector. His firm, Mentorkraft Management Solutions, provides leadership/life coaching, organizational development workshops and business advisory services. Prior to starting his firm, he was the CEO at Reliance (one of the largest telecom companies in India).