I have had the privilege of being the country manager for Poly India & SAARC for over 3 years and one of my
biggest learnings so far is: becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable. As a business leader, you will have
to be decisive, take tough decisions (and stand by them), and see how you motivate your team to achieve the
best outcomes.
If I could impart five tips and learnings from my personal leadership journey, it would be :
- Take that giant leap of faith. You never know; it might just be worth it, and the decision to make that jump may end up changing your life and career.
Often, growth happens when we step outside our comfort zone. Have conviction and self–belief in yourself and your abilities, and take a giant leap of faith when you are presented with an opportunity. It may be scary at first and you may even end up failing, however, you would have had the satisfaction of having tried.
- Give in your 100%, no matter what you are doing
The Bhagavad Gita also says, “The wise man lets go of all the results, whether good or bad and is focused on the action alone.”
I want to take this a step further and modify it by saying, give it your 100%, whatever actions you perform, personal or professional, give it your all, and whenever you do this, despite the fact that you may not get your most desirable or ideal outcome, the results still won’t be half as bad because your hard work and efforts never go to waste.
- Master the art of intrinsic motivation
Even when no one else is watching you, or there is no one to support you or push you to deliver your best, you owe it to yourself to discover your own potential. When you learn to motivate and push yourself without any external motivators like a manager watching over you or even when there are no sales numbers or deliverables that are attached to your performance, is when you have become a true leader and a great performer.
- To be a good leader, you need to learn to lead with your head, heart, and hands.
The head to envision the future and the priorities that are needed to succeed, the heart to inspire and empower my employees, and the hands to ensure innovative and agile–execution capabilities.
- Be decisive, loyal, and committed
As a leader, you will have to sometimes make tough decisions. Make these decisions and stick by them. There is no shortcut to hard work; learn about loyalty and commitment and embody its principles. Be loyal and committed to your organization, customers, and partners. Always put yourself in your customers’ shoes and think about their pain points and how you can support them. Be committed not just to your own professional growth but also to the organization’s overall growth and success.