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Nadiya Albishchenko: Leading in Turbulent Times

24th February 2022, An another war on my Mother land Ukraine… Born in the mid 80s’ all my generation was born idealizing communist ideas of society, we were brought up learning Russian, being proud of being achieving our titles of a little Octobrist, until Ukraine officially declared itself an independent country on 24 August 1991, when the communist Supreme Soviet (parliament) of Ukraine proclaimed that Ukraine would no longer follow the laws of USSR and only the laws of the Ukrainian SSR, de facto declaring Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union. The country changed totally after Independence now we were so proud to be Ukrainians.

We were a part of Russia for over hundred years sharing common language, similar culture, political views, a part of its Economy and after over a century the change was not easy for any Ukrainian. But we stood strong and we stood tall as we believed in ourselves and in our Country, the Country know for its Blue Skies and its Yellow harvest fields known to be one of the world’s breadbaskets with its agricultural production amounting to 10% of global wheat exports and 17% of the global Corn exports to the whole world.

In July 2013 Russian put an embargo of Ukrainian goods that resulted putting all Ukrainian importers to the “list of risk” by the Federal Customs Service of Russia this trade sanctions launched against Ukraine imports by Russia resulting in Russian customs began unreasonable, inspection of all vehicles that transported Ukrainian goods. Harassment to the transporters and importers with “red tapism” resulting in Ukrainian goods laying idle at the Ukraine – Russian borders causing a lot of losses for Ukraine companies resulting in major unemployment in the country shaking-up the complete country’s economy. This resulted in awakening of my entrepreneur sense from its long hibernation mixed with my patriotism making me resign from a stable Multinational National career to being self employed and to start my own business predominantly focusing and working with Ukraine manufacturers and producers to sell in the region of Middle East and North African.

With long and strong experience in the region over the years INAS ExIm LLC accelerated with great success. Even under the Covid-19 challenges we managed to overcome it with our strong will power and determination. Leading an all women team I worked on marketing and awareness of Ukrainian produce through social media. This resulted in successful awareness of Ukrainian goods to many new regions, which eventually helped us open new export markets for Ukrainian produce through our company .

On 20 February 2014, the Russo-Ukrainian War began when Russian forcefully entered Crimea and took over. This created an anti-Russian feeling cross the country resulting a sense of insecurity among the Ukrainians about future.

This surfaced Russia’s true intentions of taking over the country, it seemed to go unfulfilled and close to impossible hence, February 24, 2022 Russia launched a major invasion on my country affecting all Exports from Ukraine to the world.

My company INAS ExIm LLC a company made by a Ukrainian women entrepreneur for Ukraine goods was completely frozen with no supplies out of Ukraine all the capital and business were under threat. It was a total blackout and my mind was not working we could not understand what would be the solution to the problem. We had many people discussing the challenges and many more expecting this war would end soon. But INAS ExIm LLC could not just be a part of assumption we had to take a call and we needed to survive. I had to know the corns and pros (if any) under the situation and started to analyze the situation.

At the moment what seemed right was to run the company at the bear minimum to help it survive. God always has a very mysterious way to execute things, the two employees of INAS Exim based from Ukraine that were most supportive during Covid had jointly quiet and joined a company that was in similar trade just a few weeks before the war. I was broken at the time but was in two minds if I want to replace them or should I manage it for a few months to see if I could do it without additional help, this turned out eventually to be a blessing. I had only the expenses of my United Arab Emirates operation to manage but would it be possible with zero trade from Ukraine?

The simple answer was “No!” how would it be possible for a company to take care of expenses without income? Soon the unavoidable expenses such as rentals, visa and license expenses, phone and electricity bills started to eat into the savings of the company and I had to look for alternative solution.

I started to have discussion with the Ukraine companies INAS ExIm was already working with, most were operational but exporting the goods out of the country seemed challenging. I coordinated with our freight agents they were already brain storming on possibilities but this time I was not only working with options from Ukraine as I needed to survive and putting all eggs in one basket had already got me into a situation. I was quick to think of getting alternative suppliers from Europe and started discussions with Poland, Turkey, Romania, Germany, India and even with the manufacturers in the U. A. E. plus, other possible regions to help with supplies. Also, as Ukraine produce was not available for export and due to war the energy prices were soaring at the time gave me an advantage of being an early bird with alternatives. I managed to book a few containers with alternative sources allowing me to buy time to help sort out exports from Ukraine and mean time take care of my company expenses. Survival of INAS ExIm was on the top priority and all my focus was on it. We managed to diversify getting supplies for new arrange of goods from India, I managed to close some deals with U. A. E. producers and other regions from Europe. What was important at the point was to keep the show running and my technical know-how of the products, my networking, my contacts all together helped me find right alternatives and be present in the market.

It was soon that the Black Sea embargo was removed and Ukraine started to export again. Today even though I am supporting Ukraine exports the most I am keeping my options / alternative options open to secure and keep stability of my company.

What this taught me was three major lessons:

What ever happens if for the best reason, when my team left me, I felt broken but stayed calm with believe that it was for the best and it was to my advantage.
Diversification is a key to any and all successful businesses.
With your resilience and persistence you can fight any situation be it business, personal or life. The only condition is you have to believe in it completely and give your best at all times no matter what.

The Importance of Strong Business Leadership: Key Traits and Strategies

Business leadership plays a crucial role in the success of any organization. It is the driving force behind a company’s culture, strategy, and overall direction. Effective business leaders are able to inspire and motivate their teams, make tough decisions, and steer their organization toward success. In this blog, we will explore the importance of strong business leadership, the key traits of effective leaders, and strategies for developing strong leadership skills.

Why Strong Business Leadership is Crucial for Success

Strong business leadership is crucial for success because it sets the tone for the organization. Leaders are responsible for creating a culture that promotes collaboration, innovation, and productivity. They are also responsible for developing a clear vision and strategy that guides the organization towards its goals. Without strong leadership, an organization can become directionless and close.

Effective business leaders also can navigate challenges and make tough decisions. They can adapt to changing circumstances, identify potential roadblocks, and develop solutions to overcome them. This ability is more important than ever in today’s rapidly changing business landscape.

Key Traits of Effective Business Leaders

There are several key traits that effective business leaders possess.

Visionary: Effective business leaders have a clear vision of where they want their organization to go. They are able to communicate this vision to their team and inspire them to work towards a common goal.
Decisive: Business leaders must be able to make tough decisions quickly and confidently. They must be able to weigh the pros and cons of each option and choose the best course of action.
Strategic Thinker: Effective leaders are able to see the big picture and develop a long-term strategy that aligns with their vision.
Strong Communicator: Leaders must be able to communicate their vision and strategy effectively to their team, stakeholders, and customers.
Empathetic: Leaders who can understand and empathize with their team members are more likely to build trust and foster a positive work environment.
Adaptable: Business leaders must adapt to changing circumstances and be flexible in their approach to problem-solving.

Strategies for Developing Strong Business Leadership Skills

Seek mentorship and coaching: Working with a mentor or coach can provide valuable guidance and feedback on your leadership skills.
Attend leadership training programs: Many leadership training programs are available to help individuals develop their skills and knowledge.
Build strong relationships with team members: Leaders with strong relationships with their team members are likelier to inspire loyalty and commitment.
Continuously learn and improve: Effective leaders always look for ways to improve their skills and knowledge.
Embrace feedback: Leaders who are open to feedback are more likely to identify areas for improvement and take action to address them.
Develop a growth mindset: Leaders with a growth mindset believe that their abilities and skills can be developed through hard work and dedication. This mindset encourages continuous learning and fosters resilience in the face of challenges.
Practice self-awareness: Effective leaders deeply understand their strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots. Self-awareness can help leaders make better decisions and build stronger relationships with team members.
Build a diverse team: Leaders who build diverse teams are likelier to foster innovation and creativity. A diverse team brings a variety of perspectives and ideas to the table, which can lead to better decision-making and problem-solving.
Lead by example: Leaders who model the behaviour they expect from their team members are more likely to inspire trust and commitment. Leaders can encourage their teams to adopt similar behaviours and attitudes by setting a positive example.
Foster a culture of accountability: Leaders who hold themselves and their team members accountable are likelier to achieve their goals. By setting clear expectations and following through on commitments, leaders can create a culture of accountability that drives results.
Develop strong emotional intelligence: Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and manage one’s own emotions and the emotions of others. Leaders with strong emotional intelligence can better navigate conflicts, build strong relationships, and inspire their team members.

Using these strategies, individuals can develop strong business leadership skills and become effective leaders who inspire their teams, make tough decisions, and drive their organizations toward success.

Leadership in the 21st Century: Navigating Complexity and Inspiring Change

Leadership has always been a crucial aspect of human society. From tribal chiefs to modern-day CEOs, leaders have guided their communities and organizations towards progress and success. However, the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century require a new kind of leadership that can navigate complexity, inspire change, and positively impact the world. This blog will explore the key characteristics and practices of effective leadership in the 21st century.

Embracing Complexity

The world we live in today is more complex than ever before. Technological advancements, social and political changes, and global interconnectivity have created a web of interdependencies and unpredictability. Effective leaders in the 21st century must be able to embrace complexity and navigate through it. This requires strategic thinking, adaptability, and a willingness to learn and grow.

Fostering Innovation

Innovation is a key driver of progress and growth, and effective leaders in the 21st century must be able to foster it. This means creating a culture of experimentation and risk-taking, encouraging creativity and collaboration, and providing resources and support for new ideas. Leaders must also be willing to challenge the status quo and embrace new technologies and methods.

Building Resilience

In a world of constant change and uncertainty, resilience is critical for leaders. Resilience enables leaders to withstand setbacks and challenges and bounce back stronger. This requires focusing on self-care, mental and emotional strength, and a commitment to learning from failures and mistakes.

Leading with Purpose

Purpose-driven leadership is becoming increasingly important in the 21st century. Leaders must articulate a clear and compelling vision for their organizations and align their actions with that vision. This requires a focus on values, ethics, and social responsibility, as well as a commitment to positively impacting the world.

Cultivating Empathy

Empathy is a key trait of effective leadership in the 21st century. Leaders must understand and connect with the diverse perspectives and experiences of their team members, customers, and stakeholders. This requires active listening, open-mindedness, and a willingness to learn and adapt.

Conclusion:

Effective leadership in the 21st century requires unique skills and characteristics. Leaders must navigate complexity, foster innovation, build resilience, lead purposefully, and cultivate empathy. By embracing these practices, leaders can create positive change and make a meaningful impact on the world.

The Art of Leading: 5 Strategies to Improve Your Leadership Skills

Leadership is essential to any organization’s success, whether it’s a business, nonprofit, or government agency. Effective leaders motivate their team members, set clear goals, and create a positive work environment that fosters growth and development. However, leadership is about more than just giving orders and managing people. It’s an art that requires unique skills, including self-awareness, communication, and the ability to motivate and inspire others. This blog will explore five strategies to improve your leadership skills and become a more effective leader.

The Importance of Effective Leadership

Effective leadership is essential to success. It sets the tone for the organization’s culture and influences employee motivation and productivity. Leaders who can inspire and motivate their team members to perform at their best will achieve greater success in the long run. Effective leaders also understand the importance of communication, empathy, and creating a positive work environment.

Developing Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is an essential element of effective leadership. It involves understanding your strengths and weaknesses, recognizing your emotions, and knowing how your behaviour affects others. A self-aware leader can make better decisions, build stronger relationships with team members, and create a positive work environment. Self-awareness also enables leaders to identify their blind spots and seek feedback from others to improve their performance.

Communicating with Clarity and Empathy

Communication is another critical element of effective leadership. Leaders who communicate with clarity and empathy can build stronger relationships with their team members, motivate and inspire them, and create a positive work environment. Effective communication also involves active listening and seeking feedback from team members. Leaders who can communicate effectively can also build stronger relationships with clients, partners, and stakeholders.

Creating a Positive Workplace Culture

Creating a positive workplace culture is essential to effective leadership. Leaders who can create a positive work environment can improve employee motivation and productivity, reduce turnover rates, and improve job satisfaction. Positive workplace culture involves treating team members with respect, providing opportunities for growth and development, recognizing and rewarding performance, and fostering community and teamwork.

Fostering Growth and Development

Fostering growth and development is another critical element of effective leadership. Leaders who can provide their team members with opportunities for learning and development can improve their skills, increase their job satisfaction, and improve their productivity. Effective leaders also provide regular feedback and coaching to help their team members improve their performance. They also encourage their team members to take on new challenges and provide them with the support they need to succeed.

Conclusion:

Effective leadership is an essential element in any organization’s success. It requires unique skills, including self-awareness, communication, and the ability to motivate and inspire others. Leaders who can develop these skills and create a positive work environment can improve employee motivation and productivity, reduce turnover rates, and achieve greater success in the long run. By following the strategies outlined in this blog, you can become a more effective leader and achieve greater organizational success.

The Importance of Business Leaders and Their Role in Driving Success

As the driving force behind any successful business, effective leadership is essential to achieving both short-term and long-term goals. Business leaders are responsible for setting a clear vision, motivating their teams, and making strategic decisions that drive growth and innovation. We’ll explore the importance of business leaders and the key qualities and strategies that make them successful.

The Impact of Effective Leadership on Business Success Effective business leadership can significantly impact a company’s success. When leaders provide clear direction and support to their team, they create a culture of excellence that fosters innovation, creativity, and productivity. This results in increased profitability, greater customer satisfaction, and a stronger brand reputation.
Qualities of a Great Business Leader Great business leaders possess key qualities, including strong communication skills, strategic thinking, empathy, and the ability to inspire and motivate their team. They are adaptable, flexible, and able to handle uncertainty and change. They have a clear vision for the future of their company and the ability to make decisions that align with that vision.
The Importance of Communication in Leadership Effective communication is critical to successful business leadership. Leaders who are able to communicate their vision and expectations to their team ensure everyone is working towards the same goals. Additionally, strong communication skills are essential for building strong relationships with stakeholders, including customers, investors, and partners.
The Role of Innovation in Business Leadership Innovation is crucial for staying competitive in today’s fast-paced business environment. Effective business leaders can foster a culture of innovation within their organization, encouraging their team to think outside the box and take risks. They can also identify new opportunities for growth and expansion and make strategic decisions that position their company for long-term success.
Building a Strong Team Through Effective Leadership Great business leaders understand the importance of building a strong team committed to the company’s goals and values. They prioritize team building and invest in employee development, providing opportunities for growth and advancement. They also recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion, creating a workplace culture that is welcoming and inclusive.
The Need for Adaptability in Business Leadership In today’s rapidly changing business landscape, adaptability is key. Effective business leaders can navigate uncertainty and change, pivoting their strategy to stay ahead of the competition. They are also able to anticipate and prepare for potential challenges, ensuring their organization is equipped to handle any obstacles that come its way.
Leading by Example: Setting the Tone for Company Culture Business leaders set the tone for their company culture, and their behaviour and actions can significantly impact the rest of the organization. Leaders who model the behaviour they expect from their team create a culture of accountability, trust, and respect. They also foster a sense of purpose and mission within the organization, inspiring their team to work towards a common goal.
Developing Future Leaders: The Legacy of Effective Business Leadership Great business leaders understand the importance of developing future leaders within their organizations. They invest in employee development and mentorship, providing opportunities for emerging leaders to learn and grow. This benefits the organization in the short term and ensures long-term success.
The Importance of Ethics in Business Leadership Ethics plays a crucial role in effective business leadership. Leaders prioritising ethical behaviour and decision-making build trust and credibility with stakeholders, including customers, investors, and employees. They also ensure compliance with laws and regulations and avoid reputational damage from unethical behaviour.
The Role of Risk Management in Business Leadership Effective business leaders understand the importance of risk management in achieving long-term success. They assess potential risks and make strategic decisions to minimize them while maximizing opportunities. This requires balancing taking calculated risks and maintaining financial stability and sustainability.
The Value of Continuous Learning in Business Leadership Great business leaders never stops learning. They seek out personal and professional development opportunities and encourage their team to do the same. This improves their leadership skills and helps them stay ahead of the competition and adapt to a constantly evolving business landscape.
The Importance of Transparency in Business Leadership Transparency is essential for building stakeholder trust and credibility. Effective business leaders are transparent in their communication and decision-making, clearly explaining their actions and engaging in open dialogue with their team and other stakeholders. This fosters a culture of honesty and accountability, improving employee engagement and boosting customer loyalty.
The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Business Leadership Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage one’s emotions and those of others. Effective business leaders possess high levels of emotional intelligence, allowing them to empathize with their team and stakeholders, build strong relationships, and make decisions that consider the emotional impact on others.
The Importance of Resilience in Business Leadership Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks and challenges. Effective business leaders are resilient, can maintain a positive attitude and persevere through difficult times. This resilience benefits the leader and inspires the team to remain focused and committed during challenging times.

In conclusion, effective business leadership is essential for success in today’s fast-paced business environment. Great leaders possess key qualities, including strong communication skills, strategic thinking, adaptability, and emotional intelligence. They prioritize ethics, risk management, continuous learning, transparency, and strength and invest in employee development and mentorship. By doing so, they create a culture of excellence that fosters innovation, productivity, and long-term success.

Business Leadership: Key Words for Effective Leadership

In the world of business, leadership is a crucial component of success. Effective leaders possess certain qualities that enable them to inspire, motivate, and guide their teams toward achieving their goals. One way to become a successful business leader is to master keywords and phrases that communicate your vision, values, and expectations to your team.

Will explore some of the most important words for effective business leadership.

Vision

A strong leader is defined by their vision. It is the driving force that sets the direction for the entire organization. To communicate your vision effectively, you need to use inspiring, clear, and concise words. Some examples include “innovation,” “excellence,” “growth,” “customer-centric,” “diversity,” and “sustainability.” Using these words consistently in your messaging can motivate your team to work towards a common goal.

Accountability

Accountability is a critical component of leadership. It involves taking ownership of your actions and holding your team accountable for their performance. As a leader, you need to use words that emphasize the importance of accountability, such as “responsibility,” “transparency,” “integrity,” “discipline,” and “consequence.” Using these words in your communication can create a culture of accountability that promotes high performance and ethical behaviour.

Communication Effective

Communication is key to successful leadership. It involves listening to your team, giving feedback, and providing clear instructions. As a leader, you need to use words that facilitate communication, such as “listen,” “clarify,” “feedback,” “empower,” “collaborate,” and “trust.” By using these words in your communication, you can establish open channels of communication that foster collaboration and innovation.

Adaptability

In today’s fast-paced business environment, adaptability is critical for success. It involves being flexible, agile, and responsive to change. As a leader, you need to use words that encourage adaptability, such as “flexibility,” “agility,” “innovation,” “resilience,” “risk-taking,” and “experimentation.” Using these words in your messaging can create a culture that embraces change and encourages your team to adapt to new circumstances.

Empathy

Empathy is an essential quality of effective leadership. It involves understanding and caring for your team members’ needs and perspectives. As a leader, you need to use words that demonstrate empathy, such as “compassion,” “understanding,” “emotional intelligence,” “support,” “inclusivity,” and “humility.” Using these words in your communication can create a culture that values diversity and promotes psychological safety.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, effective business leadership requires using keywords and phrases to communicate your team’s vision, values, and expectations. You can become a successful business leader who drives your organisation towards success by mastering words that inspire, hold accountable, facilitate communication, encourage adaptability, and demonstrate empathy. Remember, words have the power to motivate, inspire, and transform. Use them wisely.

Leadership Words: How to Communicate Effectively as a Leader

Leadership is a vital skill in today’s world. Successful leaders’ ability to inspire, motivate and guide others towards a common goal is an essential characteristic. Effective communication is a key component of leadership, and the words we choose to use as leaders can significantly impact how our message is received. In this blog, we will explore some key leadership words and how they can be used to communicate effectively.

Vision

A leader must have a clear vision of where they want to go and be able to communicate this vision effectively to their team. The word “vision” is powerful, as it conveys a sense of direction and purpose. When communicating your vision to your team, use inspiring and motivating language. Paint a picture of the future that is both compelling and achievable, and use language that creates a sense of excitement and energy.

Empower

Empowering your team is an essential aspect of effective leadership. When you empower your team, you give them the tools and resources they need to succeed. The word “empower” conveys a sense of trust and confidence in your team. When communicating with your team, use language demonstrating your belief in their abilities and your willingness to give them the autonomy to make decisions and take action.

Accountability

As a leader, it is important to hold yourself and your team accountable for achieving results. The word “accountability” conveys a sense of responsibility and ownership. When communicating with your team, use language emphasising the importance of taking ownership of their work and being accountable for the outcomes. Use language that encourages your team to take responsibility for their actions and to work together to achieve their goals.

Collaboration

Collaboration is an essential component of effective leadership. When you collaborate with your team, you create a sense of shared ownership and vision. The word “collaboration” conveys a sense of teamwork and cooperation. When communicating with your team, use language emphasising the importance of working together towards a common goal. Encourage your team to share ideas, support each other, and work together to achieve success.

Integrity

Integrity is a core value of effective leadership. You demonstrate a commitment to honesty, fairness, and transparency when you act with integrity. The word “integrity” conveys a sense of trust and respect. When communicating with your team, use language that emphasizes the importance of acting with integrity in all aspects of your work. Encourage your team to be honest, fair, and transparent in their interactions with others.

Innovation

Innovation is an essential aspect of effective leadership. When you innovate, you create new opportunities for growth and success. The word “innovation” conveys a sense of creativity and forward thinking. When communicating with your team, use language emphasising innovation’s importance in achieving success. Encourage your team to think creatively and explore new ideas and approaches.

Resilience

Resilience is an important characteristic of effective leaders. Leaders must bounce back and keep moving forward when faced with challenges and obstacles. The word “resilience” conveys a sense of strength and perseverance. When communicating with your team, use language that emphasizes the importance of resilience in overcoming challenges and achieving success. Encourage your team to stay positive and to keep pushing forward, even in the face of adversity.

Trust

Trust is a fundamental component of effective leadership. When your team trusts you, they are likelier to follow your lead and work towards your shared goals. The word “trust” conveys a sense of reliability and dependability. When communicating with your team, use language emphasising trust’s importance in building strong relationships. Encourage your team to trust each other and the vision and direction you provide.

Authenticity

Authenticity is a critical aspect of effective leadership. When you are authentic, you are true to yourself and your values, creating a sense of trust and respect from your team. The word “authenticity” conveys a sense of honesty and transparency. When communicating with your team, use language emphasising the importance of authenticity. Encourage your team to be themselves and to communicate honestly and openly with each other.

Listening

Effective communication is a two-way street, and listening is a key component. When you listen to your team, you demonstrate that you value their input and that their opinions matter. The word “listening” conveys a sense of respect and consideration. When communicating with your team, use language that emphasizes the importance of active listening. Encourage your team to share their ideas and perspectives and to listen actively to each other. Doing so can create a culture of open communication and collaboration, which is essential for effective leadership

In conclusion, effective leadership requires a clear vision and strong communication skills and the ability to use words that inspire, empower, hold accountable, collaborate, demonstrate integrity, innovate, show resilience, build trust, be authentic, and actively listen. Choosing the right words can significantly affect how your team receives your message and follows your lead. By using language that emphasizes these key aspects of leadership, you can build a team that is motivated, engaged, and committed to achieving your shared goals. So, choose your words wisely and lead your team towards success.

Bet On Yourself.

Let’s kick things off with a question, shall we? Would you consider yourself to be someone who likes to gamble? Who likes to take risks? Who is comfortable putting most if not all your eggs in one basket with the hope that the outcome will work in your favor? I can tell you with complete confidence that I am not! So much so that I’m the kind of person, who, if I do find myself in a casino to gamble (which is beyond rare) I’m most likely going to be found at the five-cent slot machine hoping for that million-dollar win!

The idea of taking a risk used to cause such a level of stress for me, that I took none. And when I say none, I meant none. Even when I could sense that the outcome of me doing something a little differently would result in a positive outcome – I still wouldn’t chance it, and in fact would double down on the act, action or behavior that I was convinced was the only avenue to take.

I’d love to say that this fear of stepping out of my comfort zone was something that was new, but if I take a moment to reflect on the way I have operated for a good portion of my life, I can say that taking minimal risk, sticking within status quo and not going too far out of my safety zone was a badge I wore with confidence – that is until I dove into the world of entrepreneurship.

Sidenote: Isn’t interesting how we can be so committed to a particular pattern or behavior in our life, but with one decision (whether planned or irrational) pivot in a whole other direction.

I can’t tell you the exact moment that I decided that I was going to become an entrepreneur, but I can pinpoint the very moment I decided that it was time for me to start betting on myself!

Let me give you a bit of context. For as long as I can remember I was a rule follower. Growing up in a West Indian household in Montreal, with two professional parents, the expectations were clear. Go to school, get good grades to afford you choice and opportunity in your professional life, stay out of trouble, and conduct yourself with self-respect and pride. My parents were not strict by any means, but their expectations for my brother and I were clear – we understood the assignment! And so, like a good and obedient daughter, I did what was expected of me. I went to school, graduated from university, moved to Toronto where I landed a secure job, bought a nice house, got married, had kids (3 to be exact), went back to school (whilst pregnant with my third, which is a whole other article topic) to get my master’s degree. By all accords I was what we here in North America would deem successful. While I wasn’t dancing in money, the life that my husband and I created was one of comfort and happiness.

Never one who lived on the edge in search of a ‘different life’ I would be lying if there wasn’t a point where I felt myself becoming complacent with what life had become. This by no means is to imply that I wasn’t happy – because I was – but what I meant was something felt off, felt stagnant. At the time of this feeling, I couldn’t quit pinpoint what it was until a job opportunity that I knew I was PERFECT for was about to be posted. That was it! That unsettled feeling that was causing a bit of an itch was because prior to this opportunity I had been in my position for nine years. While I enjoyed what I did, I was ready for more. And clearly because I had been doing the job (but at a lower level) for nine years, how could I not get it. Well guess what… I didn’t get the job. Now let me say this right now – not getting the job, though at the time, felt like the greatest injustice of life, I would come to realize that it would be the greatest gift to self and the birth of the world of entrepreneurship for me.

You see up until that moment, I operated in the mindset that my professional growth and success was contingent on other people seeing and deeming me “ready” for a particular job or position. That their opinion and recognition of my skills and qualifications held greater worth and value than my personal recognition of my greatness. The facts are, I am where I am today not because someone invited me to the table. I am where I am today (and please note there is more for me to learn and do) because I decided that the table, they were sitting at was too small for me…so I built my own.

I was once the woman who believed that my readiness for greatness was based on other people’s perception and confirmation as such. But you know what happened. Nothing. And you know why…because their maximum view of me was based on their limited belief about themselves. I placed their opinion at such a higher value that when I finally decided to emancipate myself from that mindset, I became certified as a change management practitioner, became a certified health coach, started my own business, became a leadership coach for the Canadian Olympic Committee and published my first book.

I share this not to gloat…but to affirm and remind you all that your passion, purpose and power is for you to tap into and release. What lies ahead for each one of us is only limited by the limitations we set – so don’t set any. Set goals and milestones.

As scary as it may feel to put full faith, time and commitment into yourself, remember that no one will ever be as invested in your success as you will be. This doesn’t mean that you move in isolation. Seek counsel, embrace feedback, receive constructive criticism, but then formulate your own conclusion and move accordingly. Because remember this – their assessment of your maximum capacity may be your baseline!

Believe in yourself. Stay committed to the process and always bet on yourself!

From Adversity to Empowerment: Dr Belynder Walia’s Self-Healing Journey to Mental Health Advocacy

In today’s world, anxiety and mental health issues are on the rise, affecting people of all ages and backgrounds. It takes courage, empathy, and resilience to battle these challenges and emerge victorious. Dr Belynder Walia is one such individual who has overcome anxiety and made it her life’s mission to help others do the same. Her journey is a remarkable story of hope, determination, and inspiration, serving as a testament to the power of one person’s impact on the lives of many others.

The Struggle

Belynder’s path to becoming a celebrated psychotherapist was not easy. She struggled with anxiety and grief. She lost her father as a young child she was nine, battled with poor health and a tumour in her youth and suffered perinatal anxiety compounded by the trauma of going through IVF and miscarriages. This led to the early loss of twins, sixteen procedures, life-threatening surgery, divorce, loss of her job and home, and financial hardship. Her experiences left her feeling isolated and alone, with no professional support to turn to. But Belynder did not let her struggles define her. Through the loving support of her family, she pulled through. Instead, whilst having the academic qualifications, she learned how to heal herself and became her own therapist by turning to books on self-healing and finding solace in the words of authors like Louise Hay, Sadhguru, and Wayne Dyer.

The Approach

Through her healing journey, Belynder discovered the power of psychotherapy and the importance of empowering people to take control of their mental and emotional health. As an award-winning psychotherapist, she uses her knowledge, understanding, and empathy to help her clients transform their lives. Her collaborative approach combines modalities like mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy, hypnosis, self-reflective psychology, self-relationship therapy, and neuroplasticity. She helps her clients align their head, heart, and gut to regain their power of positive self-talk, regulate chemical releases in the body, and manage emotions through intuitive guidance.

The Impact

Belynder’s experience with anxiety has made her compassionate and empathetic towards those suffering from mental and emotional distress. Her work extends beyond her online and on-set psychotherapy practice, where she helps those in need. She volunteers for suicide prevention and has extensive experience in the field of helping those who self-harm. In addition, she worked with emergency services during the Covid pandemic, supporting those in need. Belynder plans to start a charity to help children break free from the chains of abuse and raise awareness of modern-day slavery. She aims to help as many children receive the mental and emotional care they need and support people to understand that they don’t have to suffer alone.

The Accomplishments

Belynder’s contributions have been featured in several renowned publications, including Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, The Moment, Planet Mindful, and Thrive Global. She founded Serene Lifestyles, an online and on-set therapy practice, and her work has touched the lives of many, from stay-at-home carers to experts and even celebrities in the public eye. Her innovative therapy approach, combining psychotherapy and neuroplasticity, has yielded impressive results for her clients, providing countless individuals with hope, healing, and inner peace.

The Vision

Belynder is more than a psychotherapist; she is a humanitarian. Her passion for giving back to her community is a testament to her kind and compassionate spirit. She plans to start an online academy in collaboration with other mental health and well-being specialists, so they can provide resources to help people gain strength and radicalise the healing process. The academy aims to offer courses and resources on various topics related to mental health, including self-healing techniques and therapy modalities. It will be a platform for people to access information to help them lead happy and fulfilling lives. Belynder plans to collaborate with mental health professionals from different specialities and provide online courses that will cater to other people’s needs. This will include courses for individuals, couples, and families and practices focused on specific mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, stress and trauma.

The Book

In addition to her many accomplishments as a psychotherapist and humanitarian, Belynder is also an accomplished writer. Her upcoming book, with the working title “Fix Me,” is a testament to her dedication to helping others manage anxiety and safely address mental and emotional distress. Based on her own healing journey, the book shares personal experiences and techniques she has used with her clients to manage anxiety. Belynder’s goal is to help others overcome their anxiety and mental health issues, providing them with the tools they need to lead fulfilling lives. With “Fix Me,” Belynder is poised to impact countless individuals’ lives significantly, helping them find the hope, healing, and inner peace they deserve. She also stresses the importance of seeking professional help when needed. While self-awareness, self-acceptance and self-compassion are valuable parts of the healing techniques, they are not substitutes for therapy or other forms of mental health treatment.

Conclusion

Dr Belynder Walia’s journey is a testament to the power of turning adversity into an opportunity to help others. Her personal struggles with anxiety and grief have fueled her passion for mental health advocacy, and her innovative therapy approach has provided countless individuals with hope, healing, and inner peace. She has dedicated her life to empowering individuals to take control of their emotional well-being and has made significant contributions to the mental health community through her therapy practice, volunteer work, and upcoming online charity, academy and book.

In a world where mental health is of utmost importance, Dr Belynder Walia is a shining example of what we can achieve with determination, empathy, and resilience. Her work serves as a reminder that seeking help is not a sign of weakness but rather a step towards recovery and empowerment. Her vision and passion for helping humanity pave the way for a brighter future for those struggling with mental and emotional distress and her commitment to mental health advocacy inspire many to follow in her footsteps.

Chaos: Changes in business strategies

The two words you have not stopped hearing in 2023 are recession and layoffs. 2022 was a year of recovery, post covid many businesses started doing better then the previous 2 years and recovered their losses apart from raising prices and improved profits. But this recovery was short-lived.

In the past 3 years of Covid and the recovery year, we have seen disrupted demand and supply chain connectivity affecting established manufacturing and delivery cycle time for every industry. Just an example was the pharma industry which was in demand overdrive for vaccine and certain drugs while and the China sourcing strategy came under pressure due to restricted supplies of API and containers being stuck in China. These challenges led to chaos as there were no quick solution in sight when dealing with such global issues.

Organisations had to get ready to tackle their challenges, that too while sitting at home. As no situation is permanent – good or bad – the challenges reduced with industries and government jointly tackling these issues. Many existing businesses did come under huge risk of closure: hotel, tours and tourism, airlines etc. What also changed for the better was adoption of ecommerce and many businesses which were online. However once the covid threat was over many of these opportunities changed into risk as startups in edutech, telemedicine or remote working became unnecessary. The software industry which was happy to work from home with reduced overheads faced new challenges like moonlighting.

Post covid, the war in Ukraine has now lasted for over a year. Leading to oil and gas supply crunch followed by higher fuel prices due to sanctions and Europe is now forcibly investing in building new energy source and resourcing alternate energy.

If this was not enough, recession clouds have started gathering and businesses are already acting to reduce expenses, cut jobs and stop new investments. A new blow from technology has been the AI based AI tools like CHATGPT which are challenging many professions to do a lot better or be redundant.

One thing is certain, business stability is a luxury of the past. This has challenged most businesses to create new opportunities to de-risk the future by developing alternatives strategies to grow their existing business or expand into new areas. No board is comfortable with the “As Is”, as mortality rate of businesses has increased.

Considering the above challenges it would be crazy to lead an organisation. One could say the situation is chaotic and the businesses are in chaos.

Chaos doesn’t mean the existing business doesn’t work but only requires constant attention and quick reaction to changes. One has to be fast to control the damage if caused by any situation and make gains with what works. But that’s living in the present, how do we deal with chaos for the future.

Dealing with Chaos

Reskilling to beat redundancy. What you learned in college you hardly applied in your job and mostly what you have learned on the job is not relevant for the future. Managers have to learn new skills, this was earlier required only in the case of IT companies when new languages, software and hardwares were launched. But today simple coding and design can be done on AI based software. Marketing as a function is moving from conventional to digital, sales is now being challenged with data analytics and customer buying patterns. Logistics & supply chain is evaluating moving continents to source along with last mile connectivity. HR which was busy with payroll and industrial relation is realising how important is it for them to influence business productivity with learning and development, and driving cultural & performance changes through mentoring.
Short planning cycle and risk taking. A lot of new projects will need to be done startup style, a company will need to take risks without committing huge funds at the start while it gets the proof of concept verified. Large organisation will need to be nimble on their feet and respond in real time. Needless to say companies need to be nimble on it feet and develop start up teams with a culture to perform. As today they are losing large business to startup. With advent of online buying and it meteoric rise, D2C companies have challenged the extensive distribution structure of large corporates and taking away their business. Size doesn’t matter any longer. The large corporates have to now relook at their business as entrepreneurs.
Identifying blind spots in current business. Many businesses have been done conventionally and whether its competitor ‘A’ or ’B’ they all work on the same systems, customer feedback and application and have the same assumptions thus the products look similar as they are aping each other. When you work with a set of un questionable assumptions you are probably missing a blind spot. These blind spots can be revealed by getting a new perspective with business diagnostic techniques else get in people from different industries to run or evaluate your business. A common change use to be getting in people from B2C industries but today even the B2C industries have become staid and commoditized.
Investing provided you have a lot of cash, this could be a good time to buy out companies which could compete with you in the future or those who would define the future of your business. A buyout at a good price is another way to grow exponentially. However, there would be cultural challenges which may need to be managed.
“Jugaad”, an Indian term for a quickfix or frugal innovation or hack. This is suggested for situations, a challenge which exist in the short term, but may not persist long. Or for symptomatic challenges. One needs to be innovative while solving temporary issues or issues which may not require a lot of changes in systems and approvals. As some of the issues may not arise again.
Cut costs on projects which do not a have a definite return expectation or exist low profit products which are not reengineer able by hiving them off.
Transform your business re look at the business on what segments are we missing out and what opportunities are we failing to address. Are there opportunities in B2B or B2C, or new markets or un-addressed price segments. This is a way of redesigning your organisation to cater to customer satisfaction. How can we deliver customer delight through mapped customer journey and monitor each and every interaction with the company, its products, people, intermediaries and service.
Digitisation is a process of enabling your business to be data driven rather than work on gut feel. Every decision is based on data for which one needs a robust system on which will reside an ERP, sales automation, logistics, digital advertising, lead management modules as may be required and all these should talk to one another i.e. be compatible. It’s a long process starting with cleaning the data followed by data analytics. This can help identify internal challenges before they happen as well as gain customer feedback for a changing future.

These are just a few ways of managing chaos, of course, depending on the industry and product life cycle there could be more ways to manage chaos. While for the unforeseen.

– By Vineet Trakroo

CEO and Chief Evolution Officer

Evolution Strategy Advisors LLP