drsonaliduttabaanerjee

Gratitude Quotient can be your passport to H3|

Simple act of gratitude in work place or in our daily environment can go a long way in making us happier, improves our moods, and makes us feel more connected to others. It can enhance the sense of belonging and respect at work, which is related to higher job performance, less sick days, and lower turnover.

Work life can be stressful – especially in a management or leadership role. Did you know that expressing gratitude can be a way to manage stress? In fact it improves our health-harmony and happiness, thereby generating better profitability-productivity. This, in turn, helps create positive emotions and feelings of joy, which translates into increased engagement, productive interactions and a win-win mindset! Gratitude Quotient can improve your H3 – Happiness -Harmony -Health!!

4 Ways that you can improve your GQ as a leader or change maker-

Respect the investment of time -Respect when people spend their time with you! They are actually giving a part of their life to you. Sometimes when we are paying for this we take it for granted, however acknowledging this also creates a sense of responsibility and appreciation for others.
Appreciative Enquiry – Ability to appreciate the right efforts and practices takes merit. According to Anthony Robbins (one of the renowned coaches) feeling significant while doing your work is essential for productivity and great results. Thus appreciative enquiry facilitates excellence in whatever you or others are contributing to in life.
Being a Role model -As a catalyst of change it all begins with you. Thus being the role model for others is a critical step. Organisations can specially reward leaders who drive this change to highlight its importance, in a productive environment. Behaviours are infectious, thus you want to encourage more of the right ones to build a positive -profitable -productive mindset.
Authentic Leadership -Faking gratitude doesn’t work, thus one needs to practice authentic leadership to ensure people involved feel it, genuinely.

How do you feel when you express gratitude? Do you think it makes you feel H3 once you express gratitude to someone or something?

University of Berkeley has devised a small questionnaire if you would like to. measure how you are doing currently on your GQ! Click here for the questionnaire.

To know more explore the following reads:

The Little Book of Gratitude

Leading with Gratitude

Designing Online virtual training| Knowledge Transfer Methodology|

Online sessions can sometimes be very creative and supportive to knowledge
transfer or a behavioural change; based on the methodology and design. During
pandemic online courses became extremely popular and were a way of
entertainment for learning enthusiast!!! Some of the best trainings, that I
have attended have been online. Some of the notable ones being I-coach academy
program on coaching certification, Harvard program for Design Thinking and also
Svyasa -Yoga certification! All were skill based programs with active
participation to demonstrate the skills we were learning.

Facilitation of an online session is very different from a classroom or face
to face workshop. Thus the activities -pre-work, learning iteration and
participant engagement needs to be premeditated. Learning often becomes a tick
mark activity unless the facilitator or the program owners keep engaging with
their respective cohorts. Thus it’s imperative to focus on the learning
transfer strategy, even if the topic of training is very simple.

Its not the time taken to design the solution that gives it depth,
its the clarity of objectives and outcomes of the intervention.
Sometimes when I talk to program designers, I feel they focus too much on their
models of Blooms taxonomy or ADDIE and forget that engagement with stakeholders
who want the program. The proof of the pudding surely is in the outcomes seen
in creating a learning culture, subsequent touch-points to receive candid
comments from target audience or even the business results. As a learning
evangelist and content designer, I feel the design of any learning material can
be better accomplished when we are clear about the outcomes and also the target
audience involved.

The 6 important aspects of creating and running a successful virtual session are following:

Design -The design of a virtual program is very critical as participants tend to multitask if the content is not powerful. Thus replicating a classroom session into a virtual program can be disastrous. Design should also be customised to the job roles and context of the target audience and not be generic one size fits all.
Pre-work -The objective of a pre-work is to set the context at least a week prior to the program, so that the participants are looking forward to come for the program. The pre-work could be like a trailer to the upcoming knowledge gain. Apart from evaluating the participants’ current skill or knowledge level, the pre-work should be able to create a pull factor to the program.
Knowing your audience – Understanding the profile of the audience and customising the examples, anecdotes, story telling can be very helpful in holding the attention of the audience. Case in point if the audience is from a aviation background/domain and your examples -role plays etc are aligned to bird sanctuary the training objectives maybe compromised.
Using technology effectively – Running quick poles, breakout room activity, using chat window. and using virtual while boards. Also making being on camera one of the mandatory requirements as a part of the pre-read and invites sent.
Interactive sessions – Apart from context setting on the topic right at the onset of the program/session, sharper slides, POV sharing by some participant volunteers… its also critical to keep the session interactive by quick energisers (customised to online environment) Calling out active participants to sharing understanding of the knowledge or topic from time to. time is also critical to keep the audience engaged. The topics of discussion should be related to your training.
Experienced & Agile Facilitator -The facilitator needs to be able to.evaluate. the audience engagement and tweak the flow accordingly. If it is a session and not a talk that is being delivered, the facilitator needs to be actively involving the participants as per their experience. The energy and confidence of the facilitator would also impact that of the audience, thus the more receptive they are to the participants’ reaction the better would be the learning outcomes.

The topic of the learning session also determines the modality and the methodology of the program. Thus one needs to be watchful of what is it that one is training on before deciding the method. Knowledge based lectures with specific learning outcomes seem better suited to online webinars. For behavioural changes or competency enhancements a face to face workshop or a well designed self paced e-learning module (scenario based) works better. Depending on the time and commercial investment, organisations can always plan the same.

Do share your experiences while running webinars or virtual sessions and what has worked best! Experience sharing on this regard can go a long way in best practice leverage.

For more on this you could explore the following reads:

The Virtual Training Guide Book

The Art of Conducting Powerful Virtual Training

Feedforward| An Excellence Tool|

One of the great tools for leadership is ‘Feedforward’ often used even by sports coaches. I first came across this word while going through my coaching journey almost a decade back. Leaders can often have a negative impact when the feedback is not well communicated, it becomes more of a download than a well meaning input that can nurture the team member. In a knowledge economy, every human capital is critical for the team, thus creating a positive environment of nurturing talent is most important after hiring right.

Many organisations are realising that the key is empowering teams to seek their ultimate best in productivity, ingenuity, customer relations, emotional intelligence and communication. However, some methods are more effective than others. As a coach, I feel a culture is built on the approach of synergy and transparency. Though organisations understand this, rewarding the right behaviours and practices are sometimes missed which in turn promotes toxicity. Organisational culture is founded on the behaviours and practices of the leaders. Feedforward is a great tool for the leader and when practiced effectively can yield world class results!

4 Ways that you could use this tool better are following:

Purpose : To unleash the hidden potential. Mostly when feedback is given from a negative space the results are counterproductive. Thus preparing as a leader before you go for the session is critical. The important aspect is to focus on the future state of excellence. Case in point if you are coaching an olympian you would highlight how they can improve their speed -accuracy rather than harp on their inadequacy.
Ask vs Tell -Mostly as leaders are running against time; preparing to ask -discuss and create goal around the skill is hardly prioritised. Thus one needs to find time to prepare ones notes before going into a feedforward session. Tell is fine when you are working with D1 or D2 person (Situational Leadership) who has no experience or exposure and still doubting the process. Its an ineffective approach when ‘tell/direction’ is used with D3/4. Another approach that works well is INJ approach. (follow. my blog to know more about INJ in my later blogs)
Customisation.-Preparation in accordance to personality style, background, environment and exposure of the person is also an important aspect to look into. The recipe needs. to be customised as per the person -situation and outcome you would like to derive.
Support the Reframe -Leaders should use language that moves people forward and support their growth. When leaders are able to create a safe environment of metamorphosis for team members they are creating future leaders, alternatively they are just using power to subjugate others around them.

Feedforward is a way to create organisational best practices and behaviours for speed and agility, rather. than staying in a static phase. The goal is that employees and leaders both feel they consistently have empowering, transparent conversations and are able to share insights, expectations and blindspots. The process sure requires vulnerability and the investment of time and energy, however the outcomes sure impact organisational top-line and profitability.

What are the outcomes you have got from your recent coaching sessions…How do you think you can use feedforward to optimise your leadership and coaching quotient…

For more you could explore reading the following book:

What. got. you here wont get you there by Marshall Goldsmith

KAPIL DEV AN INCREDIBLE LEADER| 83| POSITIVE NUDGE|

A LEADER’S MISSION TO INSPIRE AND ACHIEVE VICTORY…

Recently when I saw the movie 83, Kapil Dev’s leadership style truly touched my heart. A leader who is always keeping a close watch on his team and supporting them with anything that they need to be at the top of their craft. Whether it’s replacing Balvinder’s shoe or a nudge to Gavaskar to show up in the field.

In short, the movie brought back memories of one of India’s most epic triumphs. While Kapil Dev and his team wrote history for Indian Cricket, and cricket became a religion in our country, the leadership insights from the saga cannot be overlooked. Kapil’s inspiring leadership vision and his humble demeanour are something that every leader needs to uphold, to live in the hearts of the people they lead.

MEMORIES OF HISTORICAL ACHIEVEMENT OF INDIAN CRICKET FROM 1983 WORLD CUP

3 Leadership Lessons to pick up from this legendary win and its cinematic play are:

Leading with Conviction & Faith – While the cricketing world in the 1983 world cup had discounted the Indian team, the skipper of the team had a different plan. ‘Jitke Aana’ was his only mantra and conviction that his mother had instilled in him for every match that he had ever played. While the entire team and also other officials took this to be a nice holiday to England, one man had the faith to win for his land! Whether it was the press ridicule or any other negative press release he ignored everything with his conviction to lead his boys to victory. His strong conviction, despite the numerous odds, was the force that not only changed the mindset of his team members (Srikanth’s monologue in one of the parties) but also made history for the nation. The cool mantra for the team was a statement by their skipper ”As they say when you have tasted success once the tongue wants more!!!”. ‘The stronger the leader’s faith and conviction the better are the chances for the goal accomplishments and braving all odds.
Rising to the occasion in Crises – India had gotten off to a good start in the tournament, winning two on the trot. Then, they were successively brought down by the West Indies and Australia. The skeptics were rubbing their hands together in pride of their predictions! And when India was down 17 for 5, in a qualifier match against Zimbabwe, the obituary writers began sharpening their quills. That was when Kapil Dev played one of the most splendid innings defying all conventions. His 175 not out, not only transformed the game, and the tournament, it also turned around the perceptions of an entire nation about the possibilities of limited-overs cricket. Everything changed from that moment on. This inning was never recorded, yet it broke all records in the cricketing history of its times. This is also a classic exhibit of how a leader can face a crisis with inner wisdom and resolve, though he may not be an expert in that facet of his domain. In the movie we see Kapil bracing every crisis with true conviction and self belief…whether it was with press or his team members, or adverse conditions when the West Indies caused them injuries… he held his head high to lead the team to the best destination of holding the cup in their hands!
Leveraging every Talent meticulously – As a leader first getting talent onboard and then playing them right is an art! An interesting facet of the 1983 winning Indian team was not only their key skills but also their alternate skills that were beautifully leveraged. Most of the players had more than one skill with reasonable competence. Apart from Kapil Dev who was an awesome allrounder the other players like Kirti Azad(batsman with bowling skills), and Madan Lal, Roger Binny were all bowlers with reasonable batting skills. Thus cross-skilling was not only harnessed it was played with strategic prioritization. Whether a corporate leader or a start-up leader being an all-rounder or a professional with reasonable knowledge and expertise in other skills is a need for every industry.

Who is your cricketing hero and what leadership acumen have you learnt from him? What is your learning from 1983 world cup victory? How would you like to go against all odds to accomplish your goals? How do you react to critics?

CLIENT DELIGHT STARTS WITH INTENT|

A lot gets debated and discussed on client delight and experience. However, the ground rules for all client engagement starts with intent. Whether internal or external clients(your employees or your end clients) the intent plays a critical role. When we prioritize our needs over client needs we automatically build room for doubt in the client’s perspective. A meticulous study needs to be performed from time to time, to understand what you are offering vs the market availability. In an age where needs and options are unlimited, we need to calibrate from time to time, to keep pace with the ecosystem, and also re-visit what we offer. Very often we take things for granted and fall into a trap of losing our best accounts!! It happens to us not just in business, the same thing is true even for relationships you value, health, and every aspect where we sink ourselves into complacency. It’s a different matter if you have decided to recalibrate some clients or relationships which may not be worth your efforts and time. It is better to part on a good note with clients rather than work for compromised commercials or terms you are not happy with…as that brings dissatisfaction on both sides.

The cycle of ATTRACT -ENGAGE -DELIGHT is something that is a regular phenomenon and not something which is a one-time client acquisition process. Thus one needs to constantly figure out ways to keep up the promises and also delivery practice! Engagement DEFICIT can decline your NPS (Net Promoter Score) While you keep prospects and older clients warm, a strong focus needs to be there for your CBA (Cost-benefit analysis) while promoting your services. A lot of times low pricing can cause burnout to the system thereby impacting delivery qualities. Also too aggressive in cross-selling can have negative impact which can damage an otherwise great impression on a client.

Recently I had a great experience which was soon compromised as the service provider tried to cross-sell too soon! While this is a rampant experience in the health care industry, this one was an incident with an electronic products outlet. I wanted to get a LED tv for my son for his birthday…I wanted the product to be delivered on the same day! While the outlet kept their promise and the manager personally came and delivered on the same day and delighted me… he soon started a cross-sell process of TATA sky etc and all for a higher rate than the market which disappointed me. As TATA SKY installed my old connection at no additional cost. Today’s customers are way more informed thus one must keep up to speed in offering the best price with the best support…that’s what has potential for delight.

6 Ways to revisit your intent and CDI(CLIENT DELIGHT INDEX) -Works for all client delight matrix –

Prioritize Client Need over yours -Think of the client first rather than your needs. The moment this long-term client need is married to a genuine intent to be your best, ideas will keep coming to you. Its a daily management and not one time fill it – shut it plan!!! A daily weekly evaluation needs to be optimized.
Survey the Market vs Your Offers -Optimize your R&D and sales team to keep a watch on what you can offer next rather than basking in counting your revenue numbers. Nokia is a perfect example of how they lost the market share to Samsung and iPhone.
Retain with WWW (Work WIN-WIN) -When you have win-win in mind your sweat reduces and your game to delight is enhanced. Even if you have a single client the ‘triple W’ can keep you and your client happy!!
Replace Complacency with Attract/Incentive -Delight is not the destination, its the trigger for a new starting point of attraction. When your incentives for attraction are magnetized the cycle continues and so does your presence.
Engage with Enthusiasm & Encouragement -Is your engagement flat customer service survey requests, experience assessment or a force for cross-selling!! Think of engaging your client with enthusiasm and engagement for the new possibilities. One great example that I witnessed was the BMW event where they have their vehicle testing experience for prospects and the public. A great way to expose your products’ unique features to new prospects.
Know & Refine your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) -As a product -service or entity exploring and refining USP is one of the best ways to remain on top of your game. You can be a market leader or follower based on how you define your USP.

What is your intent while serving your target audience? How do you manage your triple W? Do share with us your USP defining process and how you constantly AED (attract -engage and delight)!! Do you feel this AED can be applied in your personal life for more happiness -harmony and health…Where can you start for best results?

LEADERS LEARN FROM OTHERS| SUSPEND EGO|

Very often we say I learn from my previous mistakes!! However, in today’s world of pace, we barely have the luxury of making endless mistakes and learning from them. The best way to learn is to learn from the mistakes of others!!
Rather than reinventing the wheel, the stories and live case studies around you are the best examples to support your leadership learning. Observing what works and what doesn’t can be strong evidence of how you can create your leadership legacy.
I have often shared leadership stories of famous personalities who we all know. Today’s example is someone who I had seen in one of my previous organizations.
As a department head, he had to get the goals accomplished and he took a lot of pride in doing so as well! However, in the closer analysis, I found that the way he made it possible was to sacrifice people without any prior notice. It is important to set a high vision and inspire others, however, playing dynamic games to achieve the means to the end is a tricky one. One also needs to be aware that the wrong that you do, may one day be served to you. Needless to say, our protagonist had a similar fate one day… Most of us learn strong lessons from such leaders who rise at the cost of others and soon feel hollow within about their conduct and where they stand. As leadership is not an individual sport where you defeat others to stand on the podium and hog limelight, it is a team game, and when the team is sacrificed for the goal, there is hardly much to showcase.
Yesterday I was reminded about this learning from stories around us when I saw ”AMI JOY CHATTERJEE‘, a Bengali film where the protagonist undergoes a similar fate due to his killing instinct and achievement orientation; and then finds his redemption through a coma and eventually OBE-out of body experience. An interesting drama that drives home the age-old fact that you are the creator of your bliss and burden in life.

A MOVIE ON BEING EMPATHETIC WHILE ACHIEVING GOALS!

What are the lessons you have learned from others’ mistakes? Do you think it’s a good idea to learn and engage with your teams, in occasional labs where you discuss such case studies and drive home the best practices and avoid disasters?

CURIOSITY IS YOUR MUSE TO INNOVATION|

CURIOSITY INSPIRES INNOVATIVE THINKING & DISCOVERIES…

Children have the innate knack to pick up any skill as they are constantly curious to know things around them. As we become adults our ability to stay curious diminishes and so does our ability to learn and ideate. Some of my best professors and teachers have been ones who are still willing to be curious beyond their skills and knowledge. Their wisdom is an outcome of their willingness to learn, ideate, explore and stay curious with their ecosystem! Our universe is a magical place that is constantly evolving… nothing is cast on stone! Thus the more we stay nimble and curious, the better is our potential to create and be an innovative leader.

Einstein‘s child like curiosity led him to explore the world of problems and concepts that most people were oblivious to. His nonconforming mindset enabled him to question fundamental conventions and assumptions, which ultimately facilitated dramatic insights into discoveries. Being passionately curious established him as a leader in his space.

Very often we limit our potential as a leader-creator -artist by limiting our thinking and suspending our curiosity. Curiosity is the best muse to our creativity -innovation and going beyond conventions. The best of thinkers -artists -philosophers of all times were able to accomplish their destiny by curiosity.

Curiosity is a critical competence for transformative growth and change. Very often it is ignored and undervalued by leaders as something very juvenile. Keeping the childish curiosity alive in us is a great way to face life and constantly go beyond the stereotypes.

Curiosity is asking smart, strategic, thoughtful, and targeted questions to create a new reality. In my journey as a leader and a coach, I often found business leaders feel lacking while being curious…as they prefer knowing all answers rather than being a person who asks bold questions…

Modern-day start-ups have curiosity as a value to be practiced regularly. Leadership upholds the value of curiosity to inspire the same in all employees. Curiosity can truly unlock the potentials of your millennial workforce, and encourage them to ask more questions and to dare to tread the line of the unknown! When we know all answers the new remains unknown!!

How curious are you? Do you believe in creating great results through a curious mindset? Where and how would like to start using curiosity as a value?

YOUR ACTIONS DEFINE YOU| DON’T WAIT FOR FAVOURS|

DETERMINED ACTION OF TODAY BUILDS THE WORLD OF TOMORROW!

Often we are moved by what people say and promise, only to find later that it was something that was never brought into action. Words and actions are two different domains, while the former makes us feel happy and elated, the latter is what brings results we desire.

Recently when my spouse’s passport had to be renewed for an urgent travel requirement, a dear friend’s advisor, said you need to get your authenticity validated by a government official, IPS, or politician!! I was shocked to hear this, as something as simple as renewal should be happening online, isn’t it? While the kind and reassuring words of this person were soothing his non-action didn’t change my reality!! Though I had applied for TATKAL, nothing seemed to move!! On one hand, I felt let down by the system, on the other, I was determined to find a professional who could get it done. Finally, I landed up with an agent who re-applied and got us an appointment in Hubli!! Though we have never been to the place, we took a flight and finally did the needful to complete the process. Eventually, when we got the passport in hand, I realized that while words of many keep us preoccupied in feeling helpless and believing that things will not work…there are actions that we can take to accomplish the task in hand!!

Though this is a trivial incident, the same moral or principle can be applied to anything that you wish to do or accomplish. There is no end to the comforting words of others and your own words to delay actions! The best way to progress on any agenda is to reach out and also figure out your action plan. As my dear friend, Vikas always says bash on regardless of results and accolades. Your actions today can be favors to others around you and yourself in the journey towards your destiny! Your choices of today will define you and your actions for tomorrow. Your brand value is built on keeping up to your words to yourself and to others.

The biggest statement that you can make as a leader is to make your choices and act on them. When your thoughts -words -actions and promises are in alignment, you become an effortless leader of choice people can trust. Till such alignment, people might have reverence for your position or chair… your glory would be limited to your designation and status. The biggest example of a leader who lived beyond his status and power, worshipped by his team and an inspiration to every leader around, is our very own MISSLE MAN APJ Abdul Kalam.

3 Ways to motivate yourself towards the actions rather than words:

Explore to Find your Answers -We live in an age of skepticism and rule out things very fast thereby refusing to explore at times. The best leaders of actions never stop exploring the best solutions. Once you know your purpose and goals, it’s time to explore the best options that need to be chosen and acted on. As they say, ”where there is a will there is a way”… so do you want to explore the way or give up prematurely!!
Figure Your Offers -The moment you decide your goals, start thinking in lines of what favors or gives you can extend. As a leader, your give is more important than your ask! When you are confident of your offers, you can step into the barter. The world is built on an ecosystem of GIVE & ASK!! When you know your gives are strong you don’t need to wait for favors, you can command your barter mechanism. Every aspect of nature endorses the barter mechanism of life…Thus finding and building a market for your skills -competence and attributes is a way to build your strong offer! Whether you are in product or service, it boils down to the Need & Supply of what you offer.
Time Limitation Reminder – We all have limited time and how we want to exploit it, decides our destiny on the D- Day! Recently one of my colleagues brought up this topic, if we have another decade left, would we waste it in remorse of what couldn’t be done…or act on things in our power!!!? I think we all get a wake-up call sometime or other to make the best choices… and that’s when we can make our fate change it’s course for the better!

What are your goals? What choices would help you reach your goals? How do you want to get started on your choices? Do share with us how actions have played a role in your life.

SERVANT LEADERSHIP STYLE|ASSESS YOURSELF AS ONE|

Servant Leadership is one of the best styles from ancient times. If we look at the best of leaders in our scripture, they all believed in service rather than autocracy. Dealing with complex dilemmas within and outside the organization is best addressed by a leadership that is willing to serve rather than dictate. Though servant leadership sounds like an oxymoron, it serves the purpose of being a leader.

This leadership style has been best exemplified by all our spiritual leaders like Jesus, Buddha, Krishna…servant-leadership dimensions are present in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Taoism. Most of our global leaders like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela are all amazing examples of servant leadership and its far-reaching impact.

A servant leader focuses on contributions rather than personal gains, and eventually facilitates more success and thriving capabilities in others. They stay out of the center of attraction pedestal and encourage the team to take the stage. Their approach creates high employee loyalty and a positive aura in the organization. They focus on how they can applaud the right practices rather than appraisal -carrot and stick game. Servant Leadership has many advantages that elevate the employees and thereby the organization.

Take the quick assessment below to evaluate yourself as a Servant Leader Proponent. You can score yourself on a scale of 1-5 (1being lowest and 5 being highest) on how often you practice the following thereby ascertaining your score –

When things go wrong you try to understand the issues rather than blaming team members. You prioritize the team’s morale and motivation rather than penalizing people.
You like facilitating the growth and visibility of your team, rather than highlighting your accomplishments at all times.
You engage and empower your team members to make decisions and drive projects rather than micromanaging or governing their moves.
You hire talent based on meritocracy and competence rather than how you can control your team. You hire without bias of age -gender or perceptions.
You like building change based on employee inputs and working together rather than a top-down approach.
You facilitate growth laterally -vertically or horizontally to build employee competence with a focus on building new-age skills. You are not dictated by the fear of losing talent, you are guided by achieving loyalty by building opportunities within the system.
Your clients know your team handling various responsibilities rather than constantly depending on you. Your presence is felt as a catalyst to the growth of others rather than your deficit.
Everyone around you feel heard, supported, and encouraged; rather than managed.
You have an inclusive style of management and leadership, rather than alienation.
People around feel confident -talented and enthusiastic and not drowning into oblivion.
As a servant leader, you bring in the play of passion -purpose -performance. You can balance emotions, thinking, and a no-nonsense and serious approach to life, with passion, beauty, humor, and playfulness.

Servant Leadership has many positives for the organization and also the ecosystem. If you’ve not chosen to become a Servant leader yet, it’s a good time to nurture your skills around the same. As a servant leader, you can work on the welfare and growth of your team and organization in the long run. Though things are not done for personal gain, eventually the leadership style helps you live beyond your time in organization or life.

What’s your score as a servant leader? Have you experienced servant leaders in your journey? How would like to start practicing servant leadership? Do you think it’s worth your focus? Do share with us your perspectives…

JEFF BEZOS’ LEADERSHIP FOCUS| QUALITIES THAT SETS HIM APART|

When I had Amazon as a client in HGS, I learned some of the tenants of best customer service!! As an Operations training team, we were sure on our toes, whether it was giving the best experience or trusting the client’s perspectives. Most organizations focus on making their employees feel part of a team, Amazon makes even the client feel part of the organization. The ads that run for Amazon and also the business model…are a tremendous game plan of how the customers can make the most from the platform.

Jeff Bezos the Chairman & CEO and founder of Amazon is one of the greatest leaders of our era. An engineer, innovator, entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist is the emperor of the e-commerce-online shopping industry and the 5th richest man on earth. (Net Worth 80billion+) His success is attributed to his leadership vision, skills, and traits.

3 Leadership Qualities and Focus areas, that set Jeff apart as a global icon are –

Prioritizing Customer Delight: Though all services and product companies focus on customer service, the methodology that Jeff and the team have leveraged is very unique. They have complete transparency even in internal meetings and discussions where Jeff has a tradition of keeping an empty chair to include the customer perspective. Forbes magazine has many articles on this that can give you more nuances on the same. Amazon has a very detailed performance matrix for goals related to customer experience.
Thinking Crazy Ideas: Jeff is also known for thinking outside the box, redesigning it, or discarding the same. He gives a lot of weightage to ideation and innovative thinking. His priority to constantly evolve as a platform for providing the best is unsurpassed in the online shopping sector. What started as a book shopping platform, today has everything you can think of. During the pandemic, the platform has lived up to the expectations of providing customers the best service quality.
Make Clients & Employees Think like Owners: The most unique of all Jeff’s leadership style has been his ability to embrace his internal and external clients, his employees, and customers. Jeff not only believes in attracting the best talent, but he also attracts the best partners -affiliates and customers who have a long-term relationship of trust with the organization. Making people across the world feel like an owner is truly the hallmark of epic leadership.

Some of the other leadership practices -qualities -skills and traits of Jeff Bezos are:

Have Perseverance and Resilience
Always do Experiment
Become An Inventor
Give Customers An Option
Know Your Passion And Wait For The Right Time
Focus on Process, not Failure
Build a culture that’s right for your company
Base your strategy on things that won’t change

How do you want to implement Jeff’s leadership qualities? What are some of the leadership traits that you can emulate? Do share with us your perspectives of Epic Leadership.