Decision pressure at work is something most of us face. Learn how to make decisions with limited information, recover from mistakes, and lead with clarity under pressure. Read More>>
On the evening that news was breaking of Mrs May, UK Prime Minister, agreeing to a draft Brexit deal, I was driving to see friends who live a 1.5 hour drive away. I listened to Mrs May’s speech outside Downing street and the immediate reaction on the journey out. On the drive back I listened to a late night chat show with members of the public giving their views.
What I noted was an overwhelming emotion of anger. All were angry – the extreme Remainers, the extreme Brexiteers and everything in between. How could all be angry with the same deal? Mrs May has an unenviable job of trying to draw people together to reach an agreement.
What I reflected on was that only four days ago on Remembrance Sunday, the national rhetoric was one of:
Remembering the past to create a better future.
As a nation have we learnt anything from the experiences of World War I and II and every conflict since then?
Wars are created because somebody has something that somebody else wants
We all, at one time or the other have wondered what the formula for Success is? In fact, many of us look for ways to achieve Success in one form or the other. What most of us fail to realise is the Power to Succeed is within us all along. None of us are born with fear of failure, but yet as we grow, we develop the fear of failure due to various reasons. We value others opinions and look for external validation in order to proceed with our journey.
As adults we see failures as stumble blocks rather than a stepping stone. All the successful inventors and leaders such as Thomas Edison and Walt Disney wouldn’t have been able to materialise their dreams if they stopped at failure. As a leader we need to be able to accept Course-correction but having the Vision clearly in our mind. One can explore various methods of action plans to achieve the goal. Once the most successful method is adapted, one needs to follow through and with persistency and focus.
Though Agility and Adaptability are crucial we need to evaluate and analyse the outcomes carefully before we decide to change course. Many of us spend our lives looking for the “key to success” like it’s hidden somewhere; like we’re going to find it and if we do, our entire lives will change.
The secret of success is to Have a clear Vision by looking inwards and finding your ‘WHY?’. Set a Goal for yourself. Consistently plan and take actions to align with your Vision. Evaluate your outcomes and do Course-correction if needed. Be ready to adapt to change and be forward thinking in your ideas.
Observe – carefully observe the trends which will impact the industry and in particular the organisation in the future. Always be forward thinking and ask wise questions such as what would happen if….? And how would we change our practices to adapt and excel to these changes.
Think Creatively- record and objectively analysis your observations. Learning what is happening in your industry. Be proactive instead of being reactive which will help to inform the critical steps you need to take. Continuously analyse the patterns of change and create an action plan to adapt to the change.
Change – In today’s environment, the only thing that is constant is change. Hence, we need to have a mindset ready to adapt to change to maximise our productivity. By managing ‘Unexpectedness’, we become more robust and ready for change. Agility is an indispensable trait for a Leader.
Challenge – No organisation can grow without taking calculated risks. Therefore, it is important to be able to conduct effect risk management. Every innovation will have some amount of risk attached to it. To limit the risk of challenging the status quo, we could research the business and social economic environments along with current and future trends. Knowledge is empowering when implementing change in our own business.
Elimination – Achieving change often comes with fear of failure leading to procrastination. It is important to eliminate indecision and inaction to achieve success. We need to consistently be able to create solutions to overcome any setbacks or problems the organisation faces. Although analysis is vital in business, over analysing creates its own pitfalls.
Adapt – In today’s business world, acquiring knowledge and new skills is essential to be able to sustain a professional career or business. Personal development to gain expertise in your chosen field along with the ability to adapt can eliminate self-doubt, enhance self-confidence and increase the chances of success.
Empower – Empower team members and encourage a culture where each team member feels authorised to make the right decision for a client or the organisation at the time it is needed. Although the hierarchy in an organisation has its place, in the modern age each team member should have situational vigilance and the ability to make the right decisions after due consideration. The management framework should seek to develop the quality of the evaluation before a team member decides.
Questioning – As an organisation you should question the current business processes and assumptions. Question those based on past success models. It’s worth asking stakeholders for input and to brainstorm ideas with team members. This can create more forward-thinking business and management models along with leadership.
Growth – The priority of any organisation should be continuous growth. Growth is primarily achieved by diversifying (increasing the range of products and services) or by increasing the client base while still being effective and efficient. Innovation and creative thinking can aid growth. Your organisation’s future is created by the actions you take today. We are in a Global Village and we need to grow globally to succeed!
Act– Finding the why or purpose is crucial to any business. It helps you and the other team members to be motivated and empowered to act. It is important to have a vision and goal for the organisation. Re-evaluating the set of missions to achieve the goal enables quick decision making and the ability to act.
Guest author Menaca Joji
After successfully practising dentistry for over 20 years and building a practice in London, she now advises dentists on their client skills and how to build a successful business.
Menaca would love to hear from you. She can be contacted at menaca.kaliyai@gmail.com
We are all leaders albeit of ourselves, a team or a company. To develop yourself, you need to understand where you and your organisation are now in the range from Crisis Manager to Visionary.
It is hard to be a great chef when you have never experienced a fantastic meal, looked at a recipe or felt the ingredients. You can learn the techniques to be able to lead yourself and your teams.
Enabling change from the inside out: to do this you need to gain insight into your strengths, potential need to change certain habits, the values you hold and determine your goals.
7 steps to achieving success:
Know yourself – Identify what stage you are in your leadership and life. What you have learned so far? Have you acquired any bad habits? Discover what change is needed.
In many cultures and communities, men are the leaders at work and at home. They earn a living for the family and have more limited involvement in rearing the children. Of course much of this is changing but it is not ubiquitous yet.
Recently a 55-year-old man from a traditional mining community confided to me he decided not to follow the traditional male role and to express his appreciation of the benefits that mindfulness brought him. He is a grandfather and decided not to work so hard so he could be more involved with his grandchildren. He wished he had done it with his own children.
Being mindful gave him the strength to do what he felt was right for him and not what his culture dictated. On Facebook he sought out and posted on his timeline beautiful posts on being in touch with your own feelings. His circle of male friends laughed at him. However several took him to one side and said they felt the same. They admired his courage to go against the norm and asked him to keep posting.
No our men are not going soft. They are being honest to themselves. Who are women to say their menfolk should not respect themselves and do what they feel is right.
It only takes one person to start the tide of change and others will follow.
Book an appointment with Alison Wem for intuitive life guidance, creative therapy or mediumship. Available face-to-face or via Skype depending on location.
