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To Introspect Or Not To Introspect?’ with you

To Introspect Or Not To Introspect?’ with you

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To Introspect Or Not To Introspect?’ with you

Summary: Wouldn’t you like the world to respond differently to you than it has ever before? A good leader is the one who is able to draw out as many brilliant ideas from their team as possible by bringing together the right bunch of people, while being transparent with their feedback, and maintaining work-fun balance, hence prudently steering a process that actively designs workable solutions.

Like most things in life, being a star leader requires balance as well. To think that a business leader can choose between having a motivational or sole people-centric approach, and a completely no-nonsense result-oriented way, and achieve success, would make a great example of naivete, at best. Studies and surveys have proven time and again how a results-focus or a people-focus attitude on its own is never helpful to producing consistent good results. It is the combination of the two that make the ‘dynamic duo’, that help bring persistence to creating success stories.

Here’s how leaders focus equally on people as well as results, motivating them to be their best, without ever losing sight of the larger picture. It is this balance which enables them to achieve remarkable results.

They Know How to Balance Work With Fun
Having too much fun at the expense of results, or not having fun at all – both belong at two extreme ends of the work-fun spectrum, and both are equally harmful. A Star Leader knows how to pause and reflect to create a good balance. More importantly, they have the wherewithal to motivate their employees to bring the same kind of balance in their lives as well. There is time to push yourself to be your best, and then there is time to appreciate or simply slow down and take a break. Scheduling specific time to reflect allows leaders to relive the moments of fun and maximize the values of gratitude.
They Know How to Put Together The Perfect Team
Getting the right results is all about finding the right approach to tackle the problem and bringing together the right bunch of people. While good leaders can be relied upon to put together a perfect plan, it requires a Star Leader to pull an expert team of people together who are equally motivated too. Star Leaders using reflection, know what they need in the team and what they want from the team; hence, they believe in cultivating a team based on every team member’s individual authentic self and the whole team’s overall strength. That is how they infuse their result-oriented outlook with an astounding people-focus.
They are Sincere Yet Kind While Delivering Their Feedback
While feedback should always be objective and accurate, the tact of delivering it should be thoughtful and inspirational. Star Leaders, being innately balanced in their approach, know how to be result-focused and people-focussed, simultaneously, while giving feedback. Due to reflection they take their employees’ feelings and perspectives into consideration, they don’t hold back while showing how much gratitude they have for the contribution of their team towards the project, and are still able to deliver the message they need to hear to perform better. Even as they give unfavourable feedback. Leaders use this feedback to help them reflect on their work and improve on it.
Impact on Leadership
When leaders take time to reflect they develop greater self awareness. This helps leaders to move from reacting blindly to reacting thoughtfully. It helps leaders identify what the team needs from them, and it helps them clearly communicate what they want from the team. Behaviors such as Reflection can be found in leaders such as Ratan Tata, Narayan Murthy, Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey all practice reflection.
3 Immediately Applicable Action Points

If you as a leader require to bring more balance to your approach towards success, here are 3 simple tips you might want to inculcate:

  1. Engage in micro-practices, such as breathing meditation, or a 10-minute nature walk, and urge your employees to do the same as well.
  2. Build a positive workplace culture that inspires your team members to be their own self, voice their opinions, and not shy away from tabling their own creative solutions.
  3. Be sincere and transparent while giving negative feedback, but also be considerate of them.
References
  1. EPI assessment. Executive Presence : Assessment, Coaching, Training. (2021, July 8). https://coachvikram.com/epi-assessment/. 
  2. Göker, S. D., & Bozkuş, K. (2017, February 1). Reflective leadership: Learning to manage and lead human organizations. Intech Open. https://www.intechopen.com/chapters
    /52166    . 
  3. Meneghello, K. (2020, June 15). Become A Better Leader By Taking Time To Reflect. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/
    forbescoachescouncil/2020/06/15/
    become-a-better-leader-by-taking-time-to-reflect/?sh=4d1f6f6ce3e0     
  4. Porter, J. (2017, March 21). Why you should make time for self-reflection (even if you hate doing it). Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2017/03/why-you-should-make-time-for-self-reflection-even-if-you-hate-doing-it

Authored by Coach Vikram

Vikram is an Executive Presence Coach who supports CXOs and senior leaders to make an impact, influence, and lead with ease. He advises C-level leaders and teams to strengthen business performance through their executive presence and star leadership. 

Vikram works closely with Boards and senior leaders to align leadership needs with strategy. His forte is his ability to develop trusted partnerships with senior leaders at some of the most recognized companies in the world. Vikram coaches senior leaders to draw upon their best selves, while growing their business and their leadership capabilities.

Vikram and his team have developed a groundbreaking model of executive presence and an Executive Presence Index (EPI) Assessment, the first frequency based, scientifically validated tool to measure executive presence.

Connect with him if you want practical and immediately applicable strategies to accelerate results, develop your people, and influence others to make a positive difference in your organization.

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