Leadership is often associated with achieving goals, taking risks, meeting deadlines and so on. But if we look closely, being a great leader has much more to do than just managing people and work. It’s about understanding the people you work with, seeing them as much more than resources and task doers and all this while ensuring that the tasks and deadlines are met!
We have put together eight important leadership lessons that will bring in a fresh perspective of how leadership has to do more with your attitude than position or titles. These lessons will create a culture of empathy and understanding in your teams.
1. Playing along politics positively
When you recognize politics in any group, it is an opportunity for you to be centred and not get affected by it. You can do that without blaming the group, without running away from people, and without giving up. It can enhance your skill to act while keeping your balance.
2. The rule about respect
Why do you respect someone? You respect them because of good qualities such as honesty, wisdom, love, and talents. But all these changes with time and when they change, you start losing respect. Someone does not need to be great in order to be respected. Respecting others shows your magnanimity.
Two golden keys:
- Do not look for respect from others - that makes you weak.
- Have respect for yourself and know that no one can take away your self respect.
3. Praise and not flatter
Often, when you praise, you praise in comparison to someone else. In order to praise one person, we put down someone else and when we want to point out somebody's mistake, we praise another.
Some insights about a simple thing called praise:
- Some people are stingy in praising, while others are shy.
- And some others are simply not used to either praising others or getting praised themselves.
- Some praise with motives, and some others, just to elevate the other.
- Others praise themselves in order to hide their low self-esteem.
- The real praise comes from a space of contentment and belongingness.
4. Getting over humiliation
Know that humiliation does not weaken you - it strengthens you. When you have a sense of belongingness, you cannot feel humiliated. The more egoistic you are, the more humiliation you feel. When you are childlike and have a greater sense of belongingness, you do not feel humiliated.
5. Rising above conflicts
An intelligent person knows how to resolve conflicts in oneself and in the surroundings.
When you meet people with an open heart and mind and understanding, when you project that you understand them and where they come from, then you are able to build a bridge between conflicting parties.
6. Problem-solving skills
Whenever there is a problem, we either deny it saying there is no problem or sit to solve the problem and make it a big issue. Neither of these help. A problem does not disappear when you deny it. And it does not get solved when you sit to solve it.
5 steps to solve a problem:
1. Acknowledge the problem - it is there.
2. See it as a small problem, and do not say it is big.
3. If it concerns people, keep in touch with them instead of avoiding them.
4. Talk less and give time a chance.
5. Get together and celebrate. When you celebrate and put the problem on the back burner, you will see that the problem will get solved by the way.
7. Don’t make a mistake by pointing out mistakes
Do not tell a person a mistake he knows he has committed. By doing so, you will only make them feel more guilty, defensive or resentful and this will only create more distance.
Before pointing out a mistake:
- Think of the usefulness of your comments.
- See whether your comments in any way will help to improve the situation, foster love or bring harmony.
- A magnanimous person would not pick on the mistakes of others and make them feel guilty. However, they would correct them with compassion and care, not through words but through attitude.
8. The power of apology
Have you observed:
- Often, in establishing your righteousness, you are insensitive to others' feelings. When someone is hurt, arguing with them and establishing your righteousness will be in vain.
- By saying a simple ‘sorry’, you can uplift the other and take away the bitterness.
- In many situations saying ‘sorry’ is better than establishing your righteousness. It can avert much unpleasantness.
This one word of five letters, when said sincerely can remove anger, guilt, hatred and distance.
These simple sutras will change your workplace. True change begins when individuals experience an inner shift. Create that inner shift for yourself.
Based on wisdom points from Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s book, Celebrating Silence. You can buy the book here.
