So what does it take to have a successful professional life? Not much! Let us take a look at the 10 quick mantras that can be your building steps for professional success.

Kick start your day with these ’10 quick mantras of success’

1. Decide to succeed

Success comes to those who dare to dream, to people who truly want to succeed. It does not come knocking the doors of people who only wait for things to take happen on their own. There is no success spell, so if you want it, go get it.

2. Be bold

Success does not come easy. If life throws you a challenge, fight back hard. You might fail numerous times to achieve your ambition. But never let failure be an end as there is always light at the end of every tunnel.

3. Plan and execute your promotion

Your career is in your hands. The best career map can only be made by you for yourself. Smart work, time management, and visibility of your efforts are the essential keys of a good career plan. A manager can at best facilitate the people under him to attain their goals, but it is an individual’s responsibility to draft a career plan and execute it.

4. The Push-Pull theory

One of the best ways to grow in any organization is to force the manager to grow upwards. A manager’s promotion can translate into your promotion if you are next in line. A manager can thus pull you up rather than employing a new candidate. Trying to restrict someone’s success in your group will only give birth to frictions within the team members. So, if someone has to grow up the corporate ladder, it must be you, your lead, or your manager.

5. Complain up and motivate down

The higher management is responsible for any change in a company or a team. So they better be criticized to improve things. Positive criticism brings good energy to the organization. On the other hand, a complaint downwards may be viewed as a senior’s outlet to vent out frustration. This will only increase negative energy in the company.

6. Growth is always organizational

People grow as the company grows. Company profits are a result of the hard work of its employees. A company in loss can never assure a promising future to its employees. It is thus important that each individual must work for the best interest of the company.

7. Hard work and hardcore fun

You are not a machine. So work hard, but party harder. Only work and no fun will make your life dull and stressful. Give yourself a weekend break. Open up, go out, indulge in adventure, go for a drive, a dinner, or a drink with friends. Relax and rejuvenate. A healthy body and mind will always reap superior results.

8. Work you portion but know the big picture

If you are paid to do a job, you are obligated to do it on time. However, you must also be aware of why the work is done, the purpose of doing it. You must understand the goal of your project; make it your goal and then march ahead.

9. Know your company

Knowing your company is important to your project. Attain the maximum possible information about your company, be it the company’s management, organizational structure, offerings (products and services) and so on. This will help you work better or even become a brand ambassador of your company, thus fueling yours as well as company’s growth.

10. Competitor analysis

Know your rivals, analyze their business, and help your company counter the competitors. With you bringing profits to the company, you also pocket a promotion or a bonus. And if things don’t go as you expected, you know where to go next.

Well you’ve got your recipe but do not forget to add the secret ingredient of the winning attitude. If you believe it, half is already achieved. Be passionate about your profession, love what you do and do what you love. The prize of victory may be high, but so are the rewards. Believe that you are the best and then make sure, you are!

Let me know how you like the article.

- By Bhupendra Khanal
Bhupendra Khanal is the Founder & CEO of Dogsee Chew, a pet-food company selected as Asia’s Top 100 Start-up by Red Herring.
Republished from Medium.com with the permission of the writer.

Imagine yourself going to work tomorrow. You are walking into your office building with energy, enthusiasm and excitement. You are making plans in your mind about the meetings you need to attend, the calls you need to make and the reports you need to present. You get past the revolving door, the turnstile, the lift lobby. You take the lift to your floor and you enter your office premises.

As you walk in, you realise the mood is sombre. Colleagues are speaking in hushed tones. The CEO has decided to restructure again. Many have been laid off. That’s sad. Then you realise you too are fired!

Do you say “Why me?” OR “What now?” OR “Oh! Well, I know what exactly to do next!”?

“RECESSION is when your neighbour loses his job. DEPRESSION is when you lose yours.” ― Ronald Reagan

Why do I bring this up? Recently, I have been meeting many talented people, who have been working for 10, 15, 20, 25 years, but never have a strategy for this eventuality. It is not IF, it is WHEN your company will stop loving you. You never know what plans your company has for you, unless you are in the know.

What if it happens to YOU? The sad fact is that many in senior positions are not able to get another role at the same income or stature. There are many holding senior level positions who have families to feed, kids to educate, aging parents to support and mortgages to pay, who can’t get a job unless they are willing to take jobs thats pay significantly less at a much junior level. This is not always a case of lack of suitable jobs, especially in big cities. This is largely because they haven’t been staying ready. What about you?

Here are three questions you need to consider now.

• What do you plan to do when your company stops loving you?
• If you are fired tomorrow, who is going to hire you at a better income and role?
• Have you been staying ready?

Next Level Readiness is the mantra for sustainable leadership success.

“How can they do this to me? That’s my company’s fault!”…. NO!

You are never too BIG to be fired. During my leadership coaching sessions and public programs, I meet many talented people who still believe “My company will take care of me.” OR “My department is super important for our organisation.” OR “The project I am working on is cutting edge, there is no one else to execute it than ME!“.

Think about this. Even Steve Jobs was fired from the company he founded.

During “restructuring” entire departments are wiped out, projects are culled at a moment’s notice, hundred are laid off without mercy, as the company’s plans changes quarter to quarter.

What is going on? What can you do?

“Love your job but don’t love your company, because you may not know when your company stops loving you.” ― Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

Here are 7 things you need to reflect upon to stay ready, BEFORE your Company stops loving you.

How well do you know your Team 1, 2, 3?

By Team 1, I mean the team comprising of your peers at work. Team 2 is the team comprising of all your superiors(a.k.a. bosses). Team 3 is the team you manage. Raise your profile and build relationships with people who matter. There is not much point getting the admiration of people who can’t help you! The higher you are in the organisation, you could get easily carried away by the power and even by opportunistic sycophants, who make you feel good for their own good. Don’t allow yourself to fall into the ego trap.

How well-known and well-connected are you in your industry?

The higher you go, the harder you fall. You need to be known in your industry. Go out, meet people. Be seen and be known. Don’t shy away from industry conferences and opportunities to meet new people in your industry. Speaking at conferences is one easy way to be more visible. Being shy or introverted is no excuse anymore. Take help if you need to.

Have you been helping others when they are in need?

Many people are so disorganised and busy with the busyness of life that they do not spend time and effort helping others in need. These could be the very people you might need to turn to for help in the future. Make deep connections with people you meet. Nurture those relationships.

What’s the best time to find your next job?

The best time to find a job is when you already have one. If you ever become a jobless person looking for a job, you can become desperate and often be forced to settle for less. Remember, your severance pay doesn’t last for long and doesn’t replace the need for being meaningfully engaged. Don’t be the bird in the cage that’s well fed, but can’t find food by itself when let go.

What’s your personal brand?

What do others think about you, feel about you and perceive about you? How are you building, nurturing and advancing your personal brand and executive presence. Whether you realise it or not, you have a personal brand. Make sure it is one that favours you.

How easy is it to replace you? Have you been waiting for someone to invest in you?

Most salaried people will never invest in themselves. They expect their employer to train them and keep them relevant for the future. The fact is that the organisation is focussed on its own goals and how you can help achieve those. Retaining you is also a goal, till your utility drops. If you have to grow in a certain direction or achieve specific goals, you need to invest in yourselves. When was the last time you invested in your personal development? Are your current skills relevant for your company and industry and your next level? What new skills will make you more effective and keep you ready for the next level?Have you been asking for help? What can you do to increase the perceived value you bring to your organisation and future employers?

If your company can replace an overpaid senior employee with two junior employees, they will.

How well have you Recession-Proofed yourself?

As mentioned in my recent interview on BBC, and in my previous posts, there are FIVE core skills that help you to stand out and fast track your career. These are skills you need to make yourself recession-proof.

Call to Action: Reflect on what’s stopping you from getting to the next level of your career or profession. Raise your Confidence. Raise your Presence. Raise your Influence. Stay employable at the same level or next level. To stay ready for the next level of your career, visit NextLevelReady.com.

Manoj Vasudevan is a Next Level Leadership Readiness expert, management consultant, and the World Champion of Public Speaking who helps executives and entrepreneurs to breakthrough to the Next Level of their career and life. Manoj is known for his expertise in simplifying complex topics into practical strategies. He is the CEO of Thought Expressions and holds an MBA from Imperial College, London. His books include the international bestseller Mastering Leadership The Mousetrap Way. He speaks at international conferences, multinational companies, universities, and around the world. As a coach, Manoj has proven track record in personal transformation and achieving leadership breakthroughs. CEOs, Senior Executives, UN Diplomats, Celebrities & Professionals from 27 nationalities have benefited from Manoj’s coaching and public programs.

Please share this article with your network so that it reaches someone who will benefit!

Originally published: Before your company stops loving YOU

CareerXchange asked Amitava Ghosh, CEO of The Empire Business Centre, Mumbai, who has excelled at a number of senior-level sales roles in diverse industries what it takes to build a successful sales and business development career. He shares some valuable tips, based on his personal experiences. Edited excerpts from the interview are featured here.

What makes sales & business development such an exciting career?
Amitava: The most exciting thing about a career in sales is the fact that you are the most visible “brand ambassador” of the organisation. It is gratifying that the organisation also looks up to the sales professional for inputs on product, pricing, strategy and positioning. There is the innate thrill of success upon closing a sales deal, which is readily measurable and gets attributed to the individual.

The other big plus is that your work takes you to different markets and meet different people. There is a constant throb and “life” to what you are doing. A sales person also develops and improves decision making, communication and empathy as additional skills as they go along their career.

What are the essential skills that a person must possess to succeed in a sales role?
Amitava: I think the most important attribute is to be relentless. A self-motivated individual who faces every day with a great level of positivity and belief is likely to succeed. To do well in sales, it is critical to have a strong mind, show grit and resilience.

Beyond this, you should be good with numbers and have analytical skills, be an effortless communicator and possess a pleasant persona. Patience is a great virtue to possess in sales.

Contrary to what many people perceive, good sales people have the ability to deep-dive into a subject. In an enterprise or institutional sales situation, you have various stake holders to deal with and the sales professional has to understand the needs and wants of the different stakeholders.

What personality attributes must a person develop to do well in sales?
Amitava: Being an optimist and a social person is an absolute plus. If you are well aware of current topical discussions, have an opinion and are able to build an exciting conversation, it is an added advantage. The general awareness acts as great ice-breakers and conversation starters, which is often how many sales deals start.

An important aspect- though oft-repeated and obvious- is the willingness to persistently pursue and ask for a sale.

How differently should a sales person approach a product sale vis-a-vis a service or concept sale?
Amitava: In concept sales, you need to ask far more questions to understand the need and then build the story from there on, always keeping in mind what you heard. In product sales, it is a bit of a mixed approach, you need to do the bulk of speaking to start with and invite the other party into a conversation. In the latter, you get benchmarked easily while in concept sales, you can keep building value. A product sale often has a shorter sales-cycle i.e. you get the answer a lot faster.

10 To Do’s in sales

> Ask questions

> Spend as much time as you can in understanding the prospect

> Be bold to quote a price

> Prepare adequately with background study

> Find common areas of discussion

> Earn trust

> Ask for the sale

> Listen to objections

> Be formal unless you are sure and have struck a personal bond

> Be ready to negotiate. Leave a way to come back.

… And some Dont’s!

> Do not rush

> Do not undervalue any stakeholder

> Do not be too loud and do not be soft

> Do not over do the push!

Amitava Ghosh has almost 25 years of sales and business development experience across multiple sectors including hospitality, online media, consumer financial services, and corporate services. Immediately prior to joining The Empire Business Centre, a provider of private office rentals and virtual offices, he was the Chief Marketing Officer at Newbridge Business Centres in Bengaluru.

As one goes higher up in the hierarchy in an organisation, one of the essential management skills is the ability to organise and conduct productive and results-oriented meetings. In my professional career spanning almost two decades, I’ve had the opportunity to be part of lots of really effective meetings and some not-so-good ones. My definition of a “successful meeting” is one in which all attendees can leave with the feeling of having accomplished the stated objectives of the meeting with clear action points on the way forward. Based on my experiences, I’ve listed some tips to ensure that you can conduct effective and efficient business meetings.

The eventual success (or otherwise) of a meeting is dependent on not just what happens during the meeting; what happens before and immediately after the meeting also play an important role in determining the final outcome. So, let’s look at what needs to be done at each of these stages.

Pre-meeting actions

Define objectives and the agenda: Be clear about the objectives and desired outcome from the meeting. Use this to specify the agenda for the meeting, which should be circulated to all attendees before the meeting, so that they can come adequately prepared.

Identify the audience/invitees for the meeting: You don’t want to invite people who may not have much to do with the items on the agenda and waste their time or miss out on inviting people who may have a stake in the project.

Book the meeting in everybody’s diary: Arranging meetings amongst people of different teams, especially multi-locational teams, can be a challenge. So, it is best to check the availability of the relevant folks and book time in their diaries, say by sending an Outlook Calendar to invite.

Assess the attendees’ level of familiarity with the subject matter of the meeting: Typically, from my experience, almost 70-80% of meetings will comprise of people with a very diverse audience with significantly different levels of familiarity with the topic of the meeting. This understanding is important for you to be able to conduct the meeting or present to them in a manner that they can easily understand the topics being discussed. Depending on the mix or extent of the difference in the level of understanding of the topic, additional background materials may need to be presented.

Prepare relevant materials for the meeting and share them with the attendees well in advance: The materials required for each meeting will vary. For example, use workflow diagrams if applicable or relevant. In my role in web-based product development, workflow diagrams are an effective means to communicate what we require a particular system to do or how a particular system will work. This helps bring all participants to the same level of understanding.

It is also useful to share options/ spreadsheets as relevant— which describe the options, highlights the pros/cons, effort entailed, cost, launch dates (as applicable). Prepare recommendations. It is important to position the material well.

Send the materials prior to the meeting—with reasonable lead time- to the invitees for their review

Be organised to start the meeting on time: On the day of the meeting, it is important for the meeting organiser to ensure that they are fully set-up to commence the meeting on time. So, if you are expecting to need to use the projector in the meeting room, or dial in other participants for a video conference, ensure that all of these are set up before the actual meeting time. This saves a lot of time for everyone concerned.

Start the meeting with a roll-call of all attendees/ participants and re-stating the objectives. Remind the audience the duration of the meeting and the meeting agenda. Setting the stage for meeting well by clearly outlining the outcomes expected is a great way to start a meeting.

Walk people through materials: Address questions or provide clarifications during or at the end of the meeting. Personally, I recommend taking all questions or having an open discussion after a presentation rather than during one.

Give an opportunity for people to speak – encourage all members to participate, by giving little nudges. Not everyone is expressive enough and some attendees may need to be prodded more than others to get their inputs.

Keep track of time: Lead towards decisions or clearly defined action items with timelines. Bring the focus back to the meeting in case of digressions. If there are serious disagreements that can derail the meeting, you will need to take a call on-the-fly whether a decision can be deferred on the contentious matter or if it needs to be addressed immediately. If the way forward is the latter, then work towards identifying the root cause of the disagreement and what options are available to get to an agreement. Ensure that there is an “advance warning” about the time for the meeting to end.

Always ensure detailed minutes: Capture key inputs, comments, feedback, concerns from the participants. This is really important and one of the reasons why many people claim meetings to be a waste of time. Often the discussion points and follow-up action points are not recorded and/or ignored, which eventually results in a lot of wasted time.

Check if the objectives are being met: Along the way, continue to monitor whether the meeting is proceeding to achieve the stated objectives. Look at getting agreements.

Close the meeting restating what has been agreed on, and the steps including actions: Thank everyone for their contributions and inputs. Indicate the tentative timeframe for the next meeting as necessary.

Post-meeting follow-ups

Send out an e-mail of the minutes: Summarise the discussion with the agreed upon to-dos and the persons accountable.

De-brief key team members who may or may not have attended the meeting: Summarise the outcome and send to the group that attended the meeting.

Repeat the process for the follow-up meeting.

I hope these essential meeting tips will be useful and will help you run good meetings. I have no doubt that a manager who can run effective and results-oriented meetings will definitely make faster career progression.

–By Seema Nirwal

Seema Nirwal is Head of Customer Service & Buyer Needs Analysis at one of Asia’s largest B2B media companies. In her previous role as head of product development, she managed multi-functional, multi-locational, multi-cultural project teams.

Here are five ways to develop your personal brand:

1. Find the one thing you like to associate with:
   Find out the ONE adjective that defines you and resonates with your heart. A few sample adjectives for your reference are creative, adventurous, compassionate, diligent, dependable, humorous, royal, witty, etc. The words that resonate with me are motivating, inspiring, versatile, and passionate, but the word that most defines me is motivating. Know what to stand for, because if you don’t have anything to stand for, you can fall for anything. Find out the one theme that defines you.
2. Find out ways to communicate that one thing:
   Actions speak louder than words. People don’t believe what you say, but they believe how you act. When you think of Rahul Dravid what one word comes to your mind – Mr. Dependable! List down actions you could take that project your right image to people around. I love to convey my personal brand through various means – I write motivational articles, conduct high-energy seminars, and have authored success books. Check out my Success Books to know how I communicate my message.
3. Associate with right people:
   Flocks of the same feather fly together. You are not only judged by who you are, but who you spend time with. Motivational speaker Jim Rohn says, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Be with people who appreciate your personal brand. A flower can’t grow in weeds; you need to provide the right culture.
4. Market yourself the right way:
   If your personal brand says that you are ‘inspiring’ and all your social media statuses are filled with complaints and hate messages, people will see a misalignment and you will dilute your brand. Keep a check on your social media – LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. to project the right you. Whenever I get an opportunity, I market my talents through speaking engagements, books, blogs, social media, articles, and more. Everyone who is serious about developing a brand must invest in marketing; Narendra Modi, Tony Robbins, and almost all Bollywood and Hollywood celebrities spend huge amounts on developing their personal brands.
5. Create raving fans:
   Your work is your autograph. Leave a mark on your customers, vendors, colleagues, friends, and family with your work. I continuously work hard to serve my customers by finding out ways to delight them. One way I do that is by investing in my own development so that I can be of service to people around me. There’s nothing better than having people talk positively about your personal brand.

So, finally, the question I love to ask: Are you ready to inspire your team to do more, sell more, inspire more, and be more? Let us help you organize a high energy, power packed seminar for your team. Write to us at info@focusadventure.in.

–Article by Nishit Lal.

Originally published on Focus Adventure : Five Killer Strategies To Develop A Personal Brand.

Someone might be a great individual contributor in say a sales role, but leading a team of sales people is a completely different ball game. Yet, this seems to be the career path open to most people who are doing well in individual contributor roles.  How do we address this gap? The first step for organizations is to have multiple career paths available for individuals – for example, I know quite a few successful individual contributors who are very happy doing what they are doing and do not want to take up a people management role. We are slowly seeing more and more companies trying to create such lateral movement options available for such people by opening up more global roles and larger portfolios to manage instead of people.

Having said that, majority of people still aspire to manage teams and be people managers in the long run. We have had some experience in designing and delivering new manager training interventions for clients, who have sought our assistance in equipping new managers with the right skill sets in their journey ahead. If you do get an opportunity to lead a team of people, below are a set of 5 tips which could come in handy for you.

1. Share your values -
Values based leadership is slowly gaining popularity in the business world and for good reason. It is important for the team to know what are the unshakeable values that their manager stands for. Comparisons with your predecessor are also to be expected – one of the common laments we hear from new managers is “It is so tough because my predecessor was an amazing manager. They compare everything I do with what he/she did!” Yet, the other way to look at is, if your predecessor was a great manager, chances are you would have inherited a good team and that is the best start you could expect.  In the initial period, when the team is getting to know and evaluate you as a manager, there is no harm in re-emphasizing these values frequently and demonstrating them in day to day situations. For example, if you say timeliness is one of the Must-haves for your team, and then turn up late for every team meeting – your credibility is likely to take a nose dive.  Consistency in behaviors is key in this aspect. While situations might change, the values you stand for should not.

Secondly, it is important to articulate behaviors associated with these values – otherwise they remain very abstract (as unfortunately happens to many companies’ core values!) and the team might not be able to grasp the essence of the behaviors that contribute to those values.

2. Say Thank you as often as you can -
Seems simple, isn’t it? Yet, most new managers get so caught up in day to day transactions that they forget to take a moment out to say Thank you to the team for a job well done. It could be through an email note sent after an especially difficult month, where team has pulled out all stops to deliver a tough sales target or a challenging production cycle in record time. Picking up the phone and saying thank you with specific mention of instances where the team has gone the extra mile is even better. Celebrating team successes is the next step in this. Too often, we find that new managers start initiatives like a regular team dinner(with the noblest of intentions!), but they soon fall victim to time pressures and slowly die out as a practice.

I remember working with a motivated and driven sales team, who after giving their best every month used to go out for a “Let down your hair” dinner session with their manager. On more probing, many of them confessed, that the team dinner was one thing which they looked forward to pull them through some of the more difficult months.

3. Do what you say you would do (DWYSYWD) –
Most new managers lose credibility with their teams in this aspect. People like working with managers who are predictable in their behavior, rather than ones which spring surprises. We have interacted with managers who complain – “What is the big deal if I forget to return a phone call?” The answer is simple – it shows you don’t care. Imagine this scenario – One of your team members calls while you are in the middle of an urgent meeting and you (the manager) do not answer his call. You send an auto response from your phone –“I am busy. Will call back”.  Later the call back unfortunately gets missed out due to your busy schedule. What if the team member had been extremely disappointed with the yearly appraisal and wanted to schedule a discussion for that. The message he gets is – this is not important for my manager. No wonder then, that the new manager’s credibility takes a nose dive after a few such incidents! DWYSYWD should be your mantra in all your team interactions, be it as simple as returning a team member’s phone call or more complicated aspects like annual appraisal discussions and setting team policies.

4. Be honest and open –
Sounds simplistic? It is easier said than done. The team-manager trust is like a bank balance, when you as a new manager do something to reinforce the team’s trust, it is a deposit in the trust account. However, when you do something which breaches the team’s trust, it is a withdrawal on the trust balance. The best way to avoid trust balance withdrawals is to be as open and honest as possible.

One of the common breaches of trust we hear from teams is about managers asking teams to work in one particular fashion at the start of a quarter or year and course correcting mid-way without any explanation. The team naturally feels let down as they have to adjust to the new processes/directions without even knowing the reasons behind the decision. Being open also includes the aspect of listening to the team’s inputs and ideas on issues and critical aspects of their work. Sometimes, the feeling of not being heard can bring about huge dissatisfaction within the team.

5. Know when to step back –
New managers are usually guilty of adding their inputs to every idea they hear from their team. Sometimes in their zeal to add value to a discussion, they cannot help adding their two cents to every idea they hear.

One of the common complaints we have heard from teams is – “We never feel it is our idea after a team meeting. Regardless of how good the idea was, our manager would always add – This is a good idea, but why don’t we add this bit as well?” Knowing when to step back and listen is a crucial skill for a new manager to master – the common refrain we hear from managers is “But if we don’t step in, things don’t get done right!” However, the bigger problem is that if you keep stepping in all the time, the team never would have the chance to make mistakes and learn from them.

Do you have any tips for new managers that you would like to share. Join the conversation….

–Article by Rakesh Balachandran.

Originally published on Focus Adventure : 5 Tips for New Managers.

With a spinal tumor 17 years ago that paralyzed her from the waist down, Deepa Malik’s passion kept her spirits high. Three surgeries on her back could not dampen her energy. Today she is a proud silver medalist, creating history to become the first Indian woman to bag a medal at the Paralympics. The media is not only talking about her achievement as a Paralympian, but also about her journey to achieve her dreams. It’s a story of living your passion beyond challenges.

Here are the three powerful lessons we can draw out from the iron woman Deepa Malik on living beyond your fears –

1. Learn to take tough calls:
Deepa Malik experienced her first paralytic shock at the age of 8 and then once again at the age of 26. The doctors diagnosed a tumor in her spinal column and she was left with limited options – either she could get the tumor removed and suffer paralysis or let the tumor grow and face certain death. She chose life over death. Leaders too will face such situations in business and life. In the book Decide and Deliver by Marcia W. Blenko, Michael C. Mankins, and Paul Rogers, the authors mention that leaders must identify critical decisions which make or break the business. This is because each critical decision affects the profitability and growth of the organization. Instead of living in ignorance, it’s time leaders face tough moments and take the right call.

2. Keep a positive attitude:
Deepa prepared for the tough times post-surgery because her lifestyle was about to change. She made changes to her home for her needs and also sought help from others to support her. These preparations provided some, if not complete, relief to her life post-surgery. She didn’t stop at that; she took up swimming after her surgery to find a way to cope with change. In business, leaders too need to plan for tough times. Nokia failed to plan for the future, and they failed miserably. During the press conference to announce Nokia’s smartphone division being acquired by Microsoft, the Nokia CEO ended his speech by saying, “we didn’t do anything wrong, but somehow, we lost.” Failing to plan is planning to fail. Be ready with your plan, but if life throws a curveball, simply learn to adapt.

3. Lead by example:
Deepa didn’t let her disability stop her from learning new things. You will be surprised to know what she did even after she suffered from spastic paraplegia (paralysis below chest level) early in her life. She has achieved success as an athlete, a businesswoman, a rally car driver, and a swimmer! She believes in spreading her message of hope all throughout the country. I am sure that after seeing or hearing her, many people will find the inspiration to do more than what they thought they could do. She reflects authenticity because she is leading by example. In business circles, leaders are called authentic when they live their message. Lip service is not enough. Leaders must not expect a development plan from the organization; they must set up their own learning agenda on living their message. Just like artists who work on their craft day in and day out, leaders must work on themselves to find their own authenticity.

There are several Deepas in the world who are just waiting for the right word to realize their potential. Let FOCUS Adventure carry the message of leadership to your team. We would love to serve you and your team and help you reach the next level in your business through our leadership offerings.

Keep reading, keep sharing!

Source: Deepa Malik: Mettle path to a silver medal

–Article by Nishit Lal, Facilitator and Author, Dance to the 7 Tunes of Success.

Originally published on Focus Adventure : Deepa Malik: Leadership Lessons from the Paralympian.

Some movies you like to watch, while some movies you like to experience. Kung Fu Panda 3 was an experience for me. I connected instantly with the characters in the movie and received a few life lessons too. A blend of animated characters and a meaningful story made the movie phenomenal, but it was all possible because of the web of words connecting all of the story elements. Here are a few dialogues that made a mark in my memory –

1. Master Shifu to Po: I’m not trying to turn you into me. I’m trying to turn you into you.
Lesson: As a leader you will be tempted to motivate or even push employees to become like you. You may appreciate when employees make decisions like you, behave like you, act like you, and become like you in many ways! But this is a dangerous trap because employees will never be able to become you; they are meant to be who they are. When you begin appreciating people for who they are, they begin to shine. Every human is unique (check your DNA, fingerprints, etc.) and is made to do something special in their own way.

2. Po: Cut the chit-chat!
Lesson: Talking straight helps leaders pass on the right message with the right impact in the organization. The sole differentiating factor between a successful and an unsuccessful leader is the ability to communicate the vision across the organization. In 1961, President Kennedy shared his vision clearly when he said, “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.” With this statement, the whole nation began working towards the goal and achieved it successfully. When you cut the chit-chat, you touch people’s heart and get things done.

3. Shifu: If you only do what you can do, you’ll never be better than what you are.
Po: But I like who I am!
Shifu: You don’t even know who you are!

Lesson: Stretch beyond your limits to find your true potential. The Wright brothers pushed the possibilities to find a way to fly an airplane. Larry Page and Sergey Brin stretched beyond the technological limits to make everything available on an online platform. Jeff Bezos went beyond logistical limits to deliver products across the world. When you begin stretching beyond limits, new avenues open up. They give you opportunities to grow your enterprise financially and socially.

4. Shifu: Time is just an illusion; there is only the now.
Lesson: Leaders must learn to stay in the moment and focus on the task at hand. The word priority originated from the Latin word, prior, which means first. But over the time, we have pluralized the word by making it priorities. It is because there are so many things to do at a time. Leaders must refocus their energies towards the task at hand and remove the clutter. This happens when the leader is in the now, being mindful of the current moment. He can’t afford to let the future problems or past mistakes blur his focus from the now. Being in the now is ultimate power.

I believe everything happening around us has a message to deliver. Kung Fu Panda 3 came at the right time for me because I was looking out for answers and I got them after watching this movie. Life is so mystical – the universe always finds ways to communicate. Enjoy the movie and the message! There might be something special for you!

–Article by Nishit Lal, Facilitator and Author, Dance to the 7 Tunes of Success.

Originally published on Focus Adventure : Leadership lessons from Kung Fu Panda 3.

I never knew my visit to the beautiful Dal Lake could teach me powerful lessons in selling. When I received an opportunity to conduct a workshop for one of the world’s leading chemical companies I was thrilled because it was also my first time visiting Kashmir. Before I could plan for the program, I planned the places to visit near my hotel – one of them being the beautiful Dal Lake. The shikara (a type of wooden boat) ride was one of the attractions that I didn’t want to miss because of the experience of the boat ride amidst the scenic view of the valley.

After the workshop, my team decided to take the shikara ride which takes you across Dal Lake to the famous floating market. Our shikara moved across packed waterways surrounded by houseboats and at last, stopped at a wood craftsman houseboat. A fragile, lean old man stepped forward to greet us and I got my first lessons in selling –

Be Enthusiastic:
I never knew this old man would have so much energy up his sleeve –he acted with a sense of urgency to welcome us. He lent his hand to welcome us on his houseboat and we were filled with warmth about the place. I learned that it is not how much you know but how much you care that makes the difference.

Be Engaging:
On his houseboat, I could see a variety of products ranging from a nut cracking machine to a five-foot large model of a shikara. As he was showing us around the place, he engaged us during the entire process. At one moment he asked me “Cigarette peete ho? (Do you smoke?),” to which I answered “Nahi (No).”
Then he handed over a cigarette box and asked me to open it. I tried my best, raking in all physical effort, but failed. Next, he asked my friend if he smokes and handed over the cigarette box. He said, “Haan, mai cigarette pita hu (I do smoke),” so he asked him to open the box, and within a millisecond, my friend opened the box. I was shocked! He followed up with a joke that, “Only the ones who smoke cigarettes can open the box.” We all laughed at that moment. How that was possible I will share later in the article, but the lesson is when you make the buying process fun, you tend to drop the customer’s resistance.

Be Educated:
When we asked him about certain craft products, he was able to specify which wood was used in each product. He shared the differences between walnut wood and ordinary wood, educating us on how to find the difference between the two and not to be duped by shops in the local market. He was the Einstein of his houseboat. It was as if he used his knowledge to become our friend and not a salesman.

Be Expansive:
At last, we wanted to take our leave, so he asked if we liked anything in specific. We said, “We liked a lot of things, but we would not like to buy anything specific.” To my surprise he was not at all disappointed, but rather he became happy! He said you are here in Kashmir so don’t go home empty-handed, I will gift you something for your family. He took a piece of wood, asked my family members names and chiseled the wood piece while smiling. He took a minute and handed over the most beautiful wooden piece I have ever seen. He had chiseled a lotus on the piece, with my family members names on each petal and leaf. He smiled and said, that’s a gift from the people of Kashmir. It was such a special piece because he personalised it and gave it with his blessings. It took him only a minute but he touched our hearts. What am I trying to say here is if you are expansive and not pushy you can win over your customers! It is not always about selling, sometimes it is about making people feel special.

Seeing that gesture, not only me but my friends also purchased a whole lot of wooden craft products from that houseboat. He taught me some classic lessons on how to treat your customers and win them by living the 4 Es – Being Enthusiastic, Engaging, Educated, and Expansive.

Now the story of the cigarette box – when he took the box from me and handed it to my friend, he did his magic. He covertly pressed a small wooden slot on the box before passing it to my friend, which opened the lock of the box. And my friend was able to open it without any effort. I still laugh thinking about his sleight of hand and his humor. 

–Article by Nishit Lal, Facilitator and Author, Dance to the 7 Tunes of Success.

Originally published on Focus Adventure : 4 Secrets To Become A Sales Sensation.

Delivering an effective and impressive business presentation requires precise planning and preparation. While addressing the audience, you will be scrutinized for every word you say. Your appearance, tone, body language and the content of presentation will all have a major impact on the quality and reception of your presentation. Business presentations are of various types including formal and comprehensive to casual and interactive and anything that falls in between.

Here are some great tips that will help you to deliver an inspiring and engaging business presentation that will leave the audience spellbound.

Be focused

A concise and well planned presentation that will take the audience through an interesting sojourn should be your basic objective. No one will be impressed with an incoherent presentation style. You should therefore be well focused and prepared to handle the presentation from start to end in a stylish and elegant manner. Your purpose must cater to the interests of your listeners or they will lose interest. Chalk out the structure of your presentation in such a way that your audience will find it interesting.

Storytelling
Spice up your presentation with stories and anecdotes and encourage them with a call to action. An inspirational tone will make the presentation interesting that will get the audience engaged. An effective presentation always involves fostering an emotional connection and reaching out to your audience. A personal and honest style of presentation will strike a chord with the audience easily than a formal and superficial style of presentation. The more personal your style is, more will be the response you get. Make stories that motivate and inspire people to heed to your call of action. Pep up the presentation with jokes and interesting moments that will keep them literally at the edge of their seats.

Let’s be frank about it. Everyone loves stories and we are all naturally inclined to listen to interesting narrations. Make sure to adopt a simple and interesting style sans too much technical information that may put off the average people in the audience. The best way will be to start with a snappy introduction of the topic and explain your passion for it and present a call to action for the audience.

Presentation style
Make sure to adopt an interesting presentation instead of reading it out from a teleprompter. A powerful body language and voice modulations will make the audience feel the passion and energy. Not just give yet another business presentation, ensure them a memorable experience and a life changing instance. Create a script and memorize the key points so that you do not lose out the flow. Before the big day, rehearse your speech and watch yourself on video to polish your presentation and diction. Make eye contact and let the dynamics inspire your audience.

Do not overuse presentation tools
Presentation tools like PowerPoint and videos should have only a supplementary role in your presentation. Do not read from the screen in the presentation which might make your audience think that you could have simply emailed the presentation CD for the same effect. Add a slide or video only if it is absolutely essential in getting across a point. It is better to leave the projector off otherwise and focus on your performance skills.

Create a long lasting impression
Having delivered your best presentation ever, your job is half done. Now you need to give them a souvenir in the form of a booklet or a flyer that will remind them of your inspiring story and the action they should take. Be clever and subtle so that people will appreciate your thoughtfulness as well as your ideas.

Image courtesy: uy.emedemujer.com