What are your most powerful leadership techniques?
Nawal Sharma (NS): I have a very simple take on leadership. Its about effectively managing yourself in varied situations, taking unbiased framework driven decisions, empowering people & binding them together to enable achievement of set goals which are in sync with the ecosystem (read society).
In essence it’s not about managing others but managing yourself. A true leader is driven by “action” & not “reaction”.
At operating layer: My style is I engage intensely at strategy layer & framework layer post which I believe in delegation & empowerment. My only focus is to ensure that all frameworks work in sync & people enjoy their journey.
Aristotle once said -the hardest victory is the victory over self.
What are the self-mastery secrets that make you the world class leader that you are? (any tricks or techniques you have that help you stay ahead and keep you abreast with the latest changes –in today’s exceptionally fast changing world)
(NS): Again no complex techniques. One just has to clearly define oneself i.e. Who am I? I am a soul wearing this body for a certain time and have been given a mind to operate in this physical world which is an illusion& I have to leave it one day empty handed. We need to follow certain strong spiritual hooks to ensure that we operate in this world with the realization stated above.
Just one realization & rest of the things automatically fall in place. I always remind myself the great saying of saints: “Mind is a very good servant but a very bad master”
What according to you is the one most important quality of a leader?
(NS): He has to have a very strong “CORE” driving him. This core is how he defines himself & what drives him in life & what he intends to accomplish in life.
This strong core enables him with a high “Wisdom Quotient” (IQ is hygiene). And the rest of the things automatically fall in place.
My belief is qualities like vision, strategy, team work, transparency, people sensitivity etc. etc. are not input traits but outputs of a strong core. One will automatically acquire all these if the core is right.
Can we teach people to become better leaders? (is it an inborn skill or can it be taught)
(NS): Let me answer your question differently. If one wants to become a great leader chances are very difficult. Why because the core attitude is driven by ego i.e. “I” want to become a good leader.
Lets look at things from a different perspective. If some one says I want to know myself, my purpose of life & how can I achieve the true goal of life…then chances are bright that in this journey of exploration he will automatically acquire the traits of a great leader. Because he is humble enough to say “I don’t know” “I am nobody”.
In this modern & materialistic world what different programs teach us are symptoms & signs of a good leader. Let me take two examples to illustrate.
Example 1:
A person A who wants to become a spiritual leader thinks spiritual leaders have a long beard so let me also grow one. He may look like one or behave like one but soon will get exposed because he doesn’t know why gurus have a long beard (because they are so absorbed in God’s love that they don’t have time to maintain one self hence the long beard is an outcome of a mindset)
Example 2: Good leaders are concerned about their team’s welfare hence keep connected at all levels of the hierarchy. Modern management says skip level is a good framework so if for the sake of it one follows the skip level framework it will be of no use…
So in essence one may acquire the outward behavior of a good leader but cannot become one by just following these frameworks. However if one attempts to change the core then without any deliberate efforts one will transform himself into a great leader.
How important is team work in achieving success ?The secret to building a strong and efficient team?
(NS): Talk about anything worthwhile it can’t be achieved by a single person. It has to be a team effort.
Secret of strong & effective team is:
- Goals need to be crystal clear. Vague goals lead to arguments.
- While rewarding people do give weightage to their karma & not only their output. A person with 80% achievement who is clear on RCA & RCF & targets to fix the problem in defined timeline is better than one who has achieved 120% but has no clue how he has done that…
- Be sensitive to their personal issues. These are wonderful opportunities to build bonds with people & build their loyalty towards the organization.
All the above will ensure a positive vibration within the organization which will bring people together and once people work together half the battle is won.
The secret to getting more done in a day as compared to others.
(What are the most important day to day habits that help you get the maximum out of the day? Your secret of effective time management)
(NS): 1. Respect for time (whether its yours or your subordinate’s) i.e. disciplined meetings with defined agendas
- Delegation is an on going process. Keep looking for opportunities to “EFFECTIVELY delegate”
- Conscious effort to identify & eliminate activities which are no longer relevant in the current context
- Effectively use technology for effective program management across the organization
The motivation secrets of a leader-how do you inspire and sustain motivation?
(NS): True motivation & enthusiasm is derived internally & not from external activities & achievements as these are short lived. For a 24×7 motivation one needs to detach from the goals & get attached to karma. With this philosophy there are no failures or demotivation as you only focus on your karma as a servant of God. If you win it’s His grace & if you lose then go back to the drawing board with double the passion & focus on karma.
Positivity is also infectious & spreads positive vibrations across the environment.
The secret to handling failure effectively ?
(NS): There are no wins or failures in true sense. Our problem is that we define the goal achievement as win or loss and this is a very shortsighted approach. eg. If an IIT aspirant defines his goal as to follow a defined plan to crack the exam & then follows it with heart and soul without having any attachment to the end goal then post results he will neither be too excited nor demoralised but at peace with himself as he has followed his karma. He will only do a scientific introspection if the outcome is not achieved.
How do you prioritize work and life?
(NS): Everything has a defined relevance in life. Too much emphasis on a particular area will lead to problems in life. I compartmentalize my life into spiritual, personal & professional.
Spiritual: Goal of my life & my spiritual pursuits.
Personal: is my family, friends & society.
Professional: is work I am doing to earn my livelihood.
Priority 1 is spiritual followed by personal & then professional. This prioritization drives my life. On a regular basis I take stock of situation and in case I go overboard I correct myself.
Leaders you admire?
(NS) There are so many great leaders the world has given us. We can learn from everyone. My efforts have been to “Practice” the spiritual teachings of great saints in my day to day life so that I can live a meaningful life & be a good & humble human being. First let me become a good human being & then I will talk about leaders.
Your views on the leadership skills of the next generation of leaders?
(NS): Next generation of leaders are more technology savvy &more short term and speed focused considering the requirements of the changing world.
Since one rises very fast these days it has got its pros and cons. If the young generation tries to absorb the rich spiritual content then they too can develop a very strong wisdom quotient (they already have high IQ) & with technology enablement can achieve things very fast.
Best advice you can give to the future leaders
(NS): Focus on the core which has never changed since the creation and will never change till the end. What changes is only the presentation layer. eg. earlier people used to talk through letters & now people communicate through mobiles. Strong core will help you achieve the real goal. eg. with latest technology communication has become faster but is it resulting in bringing people closer ? Well that’s debatable. Lets focus on the end goal also while the means is equally important.
Lets also focus on how we are evolving as a society, as human beings & on fundamental values.
