Saturday, November 28, 2009
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Value Exist
A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?"Hands started going up.He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up.He then asked, "Who still wants it?"Still the hands were up in the air."Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air."My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.
We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are special - Don't ever forget it
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Practise Effective Leadership
There is much that is written about leadership; leadership styles, techniques and also biographies of leaders that have inspired people to action. While this is true, there is the everyday leadership and a slightly different outlook to leadership as well. Here are a few of them.
1. There Are Different Kinds of Leaders
Among leaders are formal and informal leaders. Formal leaders are elected to their positions like congressmen, senators and office bearers of clubs. Informal leaders on the other hand are those we look up to because of their experience and wisdom. This could be your parents, grandparents or elders in your community. Informal leaders can also be those that are respected because of their expertise and contributions in certain fields such as Albert Einstein in Theoretical Physics and Leonardo de Vinci in Arts. Whether formal or informal, these leaders practice certain styles. This could be
a. Lewin's 3 basic leadership styles
- autocratic or authoritative: the leader takes decisions without consulting with others
- democratic or participative: the leader involves the people in the decision-making
- laissez-faire or delegative: the leader's involvement in decision-making is minimized
b. Likert's 4 leadership styles
- exploitative authoritative: the leader has a low concern for people and uses such methods as threats and other fear-based methods to achieve conformance
- benevolent authoritative: the leader adds concern for people to an authoritative position
- consultative: the leader makes genuine efforts to listen carefully to ideas, but major decisions are still largely centrally made
- participative: the leader makes maximum use of participative methods, engaging people lower down the organization in decision-making
c. Goleman's 6 emotional leadership styles
- visionary: the leader inspires, believes in own vision, is empathetic, and explains how and why people's efforts contribute to the 'dream'
- coaching: the leader listens, helps people identify their own strengths and weaknesses, counsels, encourages, and delegates
- affiliative: the leader promotes harmony, is nice, empathetic, boosts moral, and solves conflicts
- democratic: the leader is a superb listener, team worker, collaborator, and influencer
- pacesetting: the leader has a strong drive to achieve, has high standards, initiative, but low on empathy and collaboration, impatient, micromanages and is numbers-driven
- commanding: is commanding, threatening, has tight control, monitors studiously, creates dissonance, contaminates everyone's mood, and drives away talent
2. Leadership Skills Can Be Developed
For some people, leadership seems to be most natural, that it makes us wonder if it is a quality that they are born with. Even if this may be true, without exposure to the right environment, it is possible that they may not develop to their full potential.
One can learn how to become a leader. Attend leadership trainings or leadership seminars. Read books on leadership. One can observe the leadership skills in his/her daily interactions not only in the working environment but even at home and social environment. This becomes obvious when something goes wrong and one sees how this person responds and sets things right.
Observing both formal and informal leadership modes, leadership insights can be picked up and that may further knowledge on leadership skills.
Though leadership styles are not learnt in a day. It needs daily use to learn from daily experiences and to put learnt knowledge and skills to the test.
3. Practice Makes Perfect
Theoretical knowledge alone is not sufficient to develop leadership styles. The best way to develop it is to apply it at every opportunity. As one get better at it, people will recognize that him/her take charge when he is around.
Leadership is not only handling situations. It is also how one carry oneself. How one interact with people be it his/her work colleagues, family, friends or the guy at the bookstore. It is also reflected in how well one manage his/her personal and organizational responsibilities.
If one keeps applying his/her knowledge, leadership should become a habit to him/her.
4. Successful Leadership Requires Trust Between The Leader And Team
There is no leader without the team members. The responsibility of achieving objectives is a shared responsibility as the leader alone cannot achieve them.
A person may be made leader as a formal position but this does not necessarily mean that he or she can bring the team together to complete the tasks at hand. Each member will have their own skills that makes them informal leaders in those areas.
The formal leader needs to be able to work together with the team and generate trust to build a cohesive group. Just words are not enough. Appropriate actions will be required to foster trust and to build confidence.
5. Situational Leadership
The type of leadership varies depending on the situation at hand. One cannot just apply the last technique one learnt without due consideration to the situation.
In emergency situations, like a fire, one cannot be consulting everyone on the decision. It is different during normal times, especially when he/she needs everybody's buy-in. In this case, he/she will want to take a consultative approach.
The style one chooses will also depend on the skill level of his/her team. For a highly skilled and motivated team, he/she may use a combination of high delegative and moderate participative styles. But if the team has low competence, he/she may need to use a combination of high coaching, high supporting and high directing leadership styles.
Leadership styles need to be continually learnt not only through leadership training and books but also from observing other good leaders. Most importantly, practice because the best learning will be that which you learn from your own experience.
1. There Are Different Kinds of Leaders
Among leaders are formal and informal leaders. Formal leaders are elected to their positions like congressmen, senators and office bearers of clubs. Informal leaders on the other hand are those we look up to because of their experience and wisdom. This could be your parents, grandparents or elders in your community. Informal leaders can also be those that are respected because of their expertise and contributions in certain fields such as Albert Einstein in Theoretical Physics and Leonardo de Vinci in Arts. Whether formal or informal, these leaders practice certain styles. This could be
a. Lewin's 3 basic leadership styles
- autocratic or authoritative: the leader takes decisions without consulting with others
- democratic or participative: the leader involves the people in the decision-making
- laissez-faire or delegative: the leader's involvement in decision-making is minimized
b. Likert's 4 leadership styles
- exploitative authoritative: the leader has a low concern for people and uses such methods as threats and other fear-based methods to achieve conformance
- benevolent authoritative: the leader adds concern for people to an authoritative position
- consultative: the leader makes genuine efforts to listen carefully to ideas, but major decisions are still largely centrally made
- participative: the leader makes maximum use of participative methods, engaging people lower down the organization in decision-making
c. Goleman's 6 emotional leadership styles
- visionary: the leader inspires, believes in own vision, is empathetic, and explains how and why people's efforts contribute to the 'dream'
- coaching: the leader listens, helps people identify their own strengths and weaknesses, counsels, encourages, and delegates
- affiliative: the leader promotes harmony, is nice, empathetic, boosts moral, and solves conflicts
- democratic: the leader is a superb listener, team worker, collaborator, and influencer
- pacesetting: the leader has a strong drive to achieve, has high standards, initiative, but low on empathy and collaboration, impatient, micromanages and is numbers-driven
- commanding: is commanding, threatening, has tight control, monitors studiously, creates dissonance, contaminates everyone's mood, and drives away talent
2. Leadership Skills Can Be Developed
For some people, leadership seems to be most natural, that it makes us wonder if it is a quality that they are born with. Even if this may be true, without exposure to the right environment, it is possible that they may not develop to their full potential.
One can learn how to become a leader. Attend leadership trainings or leadership seminars. Read books on leadership. One can observe the leadership skills in his/her daily interactions not only in the working environment but even at home and social environment. This becomes obvious when something goes wrong and one sees how this person responds and sets things right.
Observing both formal and informal leadership modes, leadership insights can be picked up and that may further knowledge on leadership skills.
Though leadership styles are not learnt in a day. It needs daily use to learn from daily experiences and to put learnt knowledge and skills to the test.
3. Practice Makes Perfect
Theoretical knowledge alone is not sufficient to develop leadership styles. The best way to develop it is to apply it at every opportunity. As one get better at it, people will recognize that him/her take charge when he is around.
Leadership is not only handling situations. It is also how one carry oneself. How one interact with people be it his/her work colleagues, family, friends or the guy at the bookstore. It is also reflected in how well one manage his/her personal and organizational responsibilities.
If one keeps applying his/her knowledge, leadership should become a habit to him/her.
4. Successful Leadership Requires Trust Between The Leader And Team
There is no leader without the team members. The responsibility of achieving objectives is a shared responsibility as the leader alone cannot achieve them.
A person may be made leader as a formal position but this does not necessarily mean that he or she can bring the team together to complete the tasks at hand. Each member will have their own skills that makes them informal leaders in those areas.
The formal leader needs to be able to work together with the team and generate trust to build a cohesive group. Just words are not enough. Appropriate actions will be required to foster trust and to build confidence.
5. Situational Leadership
The type of leadership varies depending on the situation at hand. One cannot just apply the last technique one learnt without due consideration to the situation.
In emergency situations, like a fire, one cannot be consulting everyone on the decision. It is different during normal times, especially when he/she needs everybody's buy-in. In this case, he/she will want to take a consultative approach.
The style one chooses will also depend on the skill level of his/her team. For a highly skilled and motivated team, he/she may use a combination of high delegative and moderate participative styles. But if the team has low competence, he/she may need to use a combination of high coaching, high supporting and high directing leadership styles.
Leadership styles need to be continually learnt not only through leadership training and books but also from observing other good leaders. Most importantly, practice because the best learning will be that which you learn from your own experience.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Birthday celebrations of Lord Krishna
Sri Krishna Janmaashtami also known as Gokulaashtami is one of the most widely celebrated Avatar days in Sanaatanic vedic traditions.
This year Gokulashtami (Krishna Janmaashtami) falls on August 23, 2008 for the whole world except New Zealand and Fiji (These countries would celebrate Janmaashtami on August 24, 2008).
Sri Jayanthi falls on August 25, 2008 for all Eastern longitude countries, while it would be celebrated on August 24, 2008 in USA, Canada, etc.
It is a day to rejoice, to pray to the almighty for the wellness. On the auspicious day devotees observe fast and keep vigil till midnight.
Most of the people visit the nearby temples of Lord Krishna and offer prayers in large crowds. The prayers and worship starts in the evening and continues till midnight and the devotees offer fruits and specially prepared food to Bal Krishna.
The festival is celebrated for the birth of Lord Krishna with lot of splendor & joy.
The popular ceremony known as 'Dahi Handi' takes place where the matka (pot) containing curd, milk and other ingredients is tied up in clay pots as high as they can. Youths will then form human pyramids to try to break them open. People enjoy going from lane to lane, to watch the Govindas break the dahi-handi.
During the puja (prayer) the image of infant bala Krishna is bathed with Panchamrit and than decorated with new costumes and other makeup.
During the midnight the aarti is performed by blowing conch and ringing of bells.
Devotees house would be decorated with rangoli.
Tiny feet of the Lord were drawn leading into the house, guiding Him to come in and partake of the offerings.
Lord Krishna's avatar leelas are a live example of a karma yogic path - complete detachment from the results and perfect performance of one's duties as per one's station in life. Remembrance of how he playfully enacted various leelas and in the process decimated demonaic forces in various garbs is sure to inspire us to achieve great things in life. He taught us the efficacy of "effortless perfection". His Bhagavad Geeta is a magnum opus that can be a friend, philosopher, guide, counsellor, all rolled into one - it carries the essence of the whole Upanishadic Wisdom.
This festival of Janmashtami brings good luck and prosperity in every one's home & creates an ambiance of devotion and happiness among the devotees.
This year Gokulashtami (Krishna Janmaashtami) falls on August 23, 2008 for the whole world except New Zealand and Fiji (These countries would celebrate Janmaashtami on August 24, 2008).
Sri Jayanthi falls on August 25, 2008 for all Eastern longitude countries, while it would be celebrated on August 24, 2008 in USA, Canada, etc.
It is a day to rejoice, to pray to the almighty for the wellness. On the auspicious day devotees observe fast and keep vigil till midnight.
Most of the people visit the nearby temples of Lord Krishna and offer prayers in large crowds. The prayers and worship starts in the evening and continues till midnight and the devotees offer fruits and specially prepared food to Bal Krishna.
The festival is celebrated for the birth of Lord Krishna with lot of splendor & joy.
The popular ceremony known as 'Dahi Handi' takes place where the matka (pot) containing curd, milk and other ingredients is tied up in clay pots as high as they can. Youths will then form human pyramids to try to break them open. People enjoy going from lane to lane, to watch the Govindas break the dahi-handi.
During the puja (prayer) the image of infant bala Krishna is bathed with Panchamrit and than decorated with new costumes and other makeup.
During the midnight the aarti is performed by blowing conch and ringing of bells.
Devotees house would be decorated with rangoli.
Tiny feet of the Lord were drawn leading into the house, guiding Him to come in and partake of the offerings.
Lord Krishna's avatar leelas are a live example of a karma yogic path - complete detachment from the results and perfect performance of one's duties as per one's station in life. Remembrance of how he playfully enacted various leelas and in the process decimated demonaic forces in various garbs is sure to inspire us to achieve great things in life. He taught us the efficacy of "effortless perfection". His Bhagavad Geeta is a magnum opus that can be a friend, philosopher, guide, counsellor, all rolled into one - it carries the essence of the whole Upanishadic Wisdom.
This festival of Janmashtami brings good luck and prosperity in every one's home & creates an ambiance of devotion and happiness among the devotees.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Great T.E.A.M L.E.A.D.E.R Essentials
There is no I or Me in a team. There is only the team. But team needs a leader. It’s a well known fact, human psychology, we need leaders. It is something we might not admit to or not even know about it. We will look up at a guide or a inspiration that will lead our work, correct our mistakes or give advice.
Sometimes team leaders are developing during the process of team formatting (beginning of the team) as a natural process, sometimes they are being assigned to do the job.
After few years of IT experience, I can say that I have worked with few good and few bad team leaders.
What makes a good team/technical leader then? Whatever makes a good leader plus strong technical capabilities.
Good listening skills.
It means that you will be listened and your opinion will be taken seriously. I have worked on few occasions with people who just couldn’t listen to any proposition and everything had to be done their way. It ended up usually in waste of time and slide in project delivery. I do have to admit that some of them took all the blame and did extra hours to work out the problem.
Flexibility and openness.
This one is a brother to good listening skills. I have worked with a tech lead whose openness and flexibility lead to many great technical discussion with entire team and brilliant ideas.
Ability to make a decisions in difficult moments and change any decision if necessary.
As much as flexible and opened team leader can be, she/he always needs to make a decisions when it’s necessary. All the discussion we had as a team about technical and non technical issues on a project will never end if someone did not put his feet down at some point.
Point out mistakes and appreciate good job in person.
When talking to a bigger forum or entire team should not discuss individual success or mistakes. Taping someone in a back in front of the entire team will only tell others that they have not worked hard enough to deserve it. Same with criticising anyone, will make everybody else on a team feel better then the one poor geek that got earfuls. All that destroys team spirit and integrity.
Be good motivator.
People need motivation. I do. If there is no other driver in the team at least team leader should inspire and motivate.
Have vision and approach things with passion.
Passion works like a motivation sling. It gives extra boost to entire team if there is at least one person that is so passionate about the tasks that team is facing. I’m damn convinced that at least team lead should be that person.
Presence and appearance.
Being present and appear when needed is most essential.
Technical skills.
Last on this list but equally important. I was working with team leaders that were making good decisions because they had expertised technical skills.
I’m sure this is not the complete set & The list is not in any specific order. I believe all the points are very important and you can’t have great team leader without all the skills. I am also aware that in real life this will be far away from true. Even great leaders in the world history had their flaws. After all we’re all humans !
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Toppers in Olympics 2008
The others should give up dreaming of landing at the top two in this 2008 Beijing Olympics. It's now US vs China. Currently, statistics as of Aug 21st - China is on the lead with 35-25-21(total 81), Gold-silver-bronze medals. US is in far second at 27-28-28(total 83), but still leads in medal total. In determining the winner, we all know that it's the number of gold that counts.
But there are so many who complained about the judging and all sorts of accusations. Here are some of them:
1. Obscure tie-break system in judging particularly in the gymnastics
2. Titanium robots as divers
3. Underage gymnasts looks like the chinese are really underaged. Or they are just cute.
There was even one medal count table which displays the rankings based on the number of medals won. Of course, it's the US on top. But it won't be for long. And when you browse on some sites and blogs that features the Olympics, it's mostly the US athletes on the front page. Michael Phelps won 8 golds alright. And it can't be disputed. But there are really sour-graping posts.
As to the judging, it is a fact that judges are prone to errors. But they are the best people for the job. In boxing, the best way to avoid biased judging is to knock out the opponent. But I don't know how they do it in gymnastics, diving, and other sports which are won by judges scores.
US & China are the two world superpower in sports. Their rivalry is fun to follow. I hope the politicians will not involve theirselves here.
But there are so many who complained about the judging and all sorts of accusations. Here are some of them:
1. Obscure tie-break system in judging particularly in the gymnastics
2. Titanium robots as divers
3. Underage gymnasts looks like the chinese are really underaged. Or they are just cute.
There was even one medal count table which displays the rankings based on the number of medals won. Of course, it's the US on top. But it won't be for long. And when you browse on some sites and blogs that features the Olympics, it's mostly the US athletes on the front page. Michael Phelps won 8 golds alright. And it can't be disputed. But there are really sour-graping posts.
As to the judging, it is a fact that judges are prone to errors. But they are the best people for the job. In boxing, the best way to avoid biased judging is to knock out the opponent. But I don't know how they do it in gymnastics, diving, and other sports which are won by judges scores.
US & China are the two world superpower in sports. Their rivalry is fun to follow. I hope the politicians will not involve theirselves here.
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