Year: 2018

6 Essential Questions To Make A Powerful Entry In 2019

A fascinating year is about to end. It is only another few days before 2019 starts. There are two things that you can do:
1. Make a powerful entry into 2019; or,
2. Float into 2019 and happen to simply show up in the New Year.

A fascinating year is about to end. It is only another few days before 2019 starts. There are two things that you can do:

  1. Make a powerful entry into 2019; or,
  2. Float into 2019 and happen to simply show up in the New Year.

I am inviting you to make a powerful entry into the New Year and make 2019 the best year you’ve had till now. If that’s what you are interested in, read on.

So that you can make an authoritative and a commanding entry in the New Year, I invite you to do a review of the last year (2018) and take stock. Below, I recommend a set of questions that you ask yourself. I have broken these questions into 2 parts – one that reviews and completes 2018 and another set that helps you make new declarations for the New Year.

It might be useful to know ‘What is so’ about your life at the end of 2018; and then, as a matter of your creation, ‘where will you be this time next year’ so that you can make an powerful entry into 2019 and achieve your promises for the New Year.

Here are the 6 essential questions for you. I am suggesting these questions to you after having completed this exercise for 5 consecutive years in a row, and I can state out of experience, once you have done so, you will be making a very powerful entry in to the New Year. Not only that, if you act inside of your commitments, you will make 2019 your best year yet. I have immensely benefited from this exercise in the last few years and I urge you to do so for the sake of your life too.

1. What have you achieved in 2018?
While answering this question, what I did was to look at different areas of my care, such as my personal life; my work; my health & well-being; and Gift Your Organ Foundation (the NGO that I co-founded 8 years ago), and in each of these cares, what did I achieve.

Just writing down my accomplishments in each of these areas gave me a great sense of achievement and a lot of power to declare audacious and bold goals for the New Year!

I suggest you identify the important areas of your life and list out your achievements in each of your areas of care.

2. What did you learn new in this year?
Learning is not only about new knowing or simply gaining new knowledge. Learning is about doing new actions and new practices – through which expanding your capacity to act and to generate new results.

I reflected on what new practices did I commit to in the last year. By learning new leadership practices, I have shifted my capacity for action (and hence, more importantly, my capacity to deliver results).

I am inviting you to review this too. This will help you get present to your new capacity to generate results. In the event, you did not commit to any new practices in the last year, then no problem – we have a chance to make commitments for the New Year, and we will do so below.

3. What is it that you want to acknowledge yourself for in this Year?
We perpetually see the good in others and compare ourselves to others. No wonder then that most times we fall short. This is the time of the year to step back for a few moments and pat yourself on the back for all the good that you are and all the good that you have done. I made a detailed list of points that I wanted to acknowledge myself for. I encourage you to look back in your year and acknowledge yourself / pat yourself on your back. It doesn't matter how big or small it is.

4. What is it that you missed out on this year?
This year too, I missed out on a few promises and certain self-development goals. By simply distinguishing what I missed out in the last year, has helped me re-evaluate my promises.The ones that continue to hold importance in my life have found a place in what are my promises for 2019 (the next question). Some promises I have chosen to revoke because they do not mean much to me anymore.

5. What are your promises for 2019?
There are two ways to approach any promise in your life – one is to first identify ‘what’ is your promise and then figure out the ‘how’. The other is to first look at the resources that you have, the effort that it will take, and then determine your promise.

A lot of people first look at the ‘how’ and based on the `how’, they decide the ‘what’, i.e., their promise.

I am a firm believer that you need to figure out the ‘what’ first and the ‘how’ will start to reveal itself once you get into action. It’s pretty much like driving in dense fog. When you leave your home, you know where you want to go (your promise), but you cannot see the road. You commit to driving. You can see only a few feet ahead. However, when you travel the few feet, you see the next few feet.

Commit to action. Take the first step. Subsequent steps will automatically open up. Waiting to see the entire path before you take the first step will lead you to one of two things; inaction, or setting small goals.

Think of all the areas that you care for; in each area think of where you would like to be this time next year; make promises in these areas; make these promises specific, measurable and put a deadline. If you bring in intention and action, nothing can stop you from achieving your promises for 2019.

6. What new will you learn in the New Year?
And finally, I have made my own Personal Development Plan for 2019. There is specific new knowledge that I have committed to knowing; and as importantly, some specific practices that I have committed to – my promise to myself is that my capacity this time next year would have enhanced significantly in areas that matter to me. I invite you to design your capacity, by identifying what new you will learn, through practice, in 2019.

Feel free to add more questions if you would like. The more you question yourself, the more you will seek answers from yourself.

Once you have done this, I invite you to share your promises with some one who can hold you accountable. If you have a learning team, share these promises with your learning team. Create a structure of people around you who continuously support you in fulfilling your promises.

I have created a solid structure of people around me that hold me to account. If you would like to create a similar structure, please feel free to contact me on sameer@sameerdua.com. I would be delighted to support you.

I can guarantee you, once you have done this, you will not only make a powerful entry in 2019, you will conquer the New Year!

Make 2019 count in your life!

Good luck and have a blast!

Reach out to us if you would like to make your next year the most impactful and a breakthrough year of your life. 
 
Please also see details on The CEO Program and The Creating BIG Program to help you navigate the next year. 
 

(This blog post is simply modified from similar blog posts posted at the end of earlier years. However, I have re-done, in complete, the exercise of answering the questions mentioned above. I encourage you to do so too and see the value for yourself :))

Sameer Dua, Founder Director, Institute for Generative Leadership, India

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    THE TOP 3 (MISSING) LEADERSHIP SKILLS

    I was in a conversation with a gentleman who has done an impressive job of setting up a chain of progressive learning institutions across the country. He is now looking to expand his network, and his program offerings. He and I spoke at length about the next steps for scaling up.

    I was in a conversation with a gentleman who has done an impressive job of setting up a chain of progressive learning institutions across the country. He is now looking to expand his network, and his program offerings. He and I spoke at length about the next steps for scaling up.

    This gentleman asked me a fundamental question – and despite there being 1000s of books around the subject of leadership, the answer to this question is still not very clear to leaders. His question was “Sameer, what do you think are the top 3 leadership skills?”

    Here is my response to this question:

    1. The first thing that leaders do is design a powerful future for the organization.  A lot has been spoken about leaders having a vision. It’s not actually so much about having a vision; it is more about having the skill of designing and creating a future. Not any future – but a future that takes care of all the stakeholders involved with the organization.When we speak about having a vision; we can easily go into a tranquilizing assessment that “I do not have this vision”. It seems like it is something that you either have or do not have. And hence, I claim this is not about having a vision – this is about building a skill of creating a future. And a skill is built through practice.Bob Dunham, Founder of the Institute for Generative Leadership, USA often states, “Go out and create your future. Because you are doing so anyway.” Often, leaders are blind to the fact that they are already creating their futures.

      They may also be blind that they are creating futures that do not take care of what matters to them, or the other stakeholders.

    2. Once you have designed your future of choice, you commit to achieving this future; and you get others to commit to achieving this future too. It takes a certain level of grounding to commit to a future (that often seems impossible). Again, this is a skill that needs to be honed through rigorous practice.Also, getting others to commit to this future is easier said than done. Here, the leader needs to have the kind of skillful conversations that connect individual cares and passions with organizational goals.
    3. And finally, align execution to achieve this future and make it a reality. As simple as that. And as simple as it is, it is not easy. Or trivial. There is rigour required in navigating action. When one set of actions fail, the leader quickly creates the next set of actions. This also includes empowering others (including teams) to take actions; ensuring the mood of the team is energized, and so forth (there’s an entire discourse around coordinating action and generating desired results)There are many other moves / conversations that leaders need to have. However, I assess these are the key conversational skills without which a leader will not go too far.Reach out to us if you would like to build your skill in these and other critical leadership conversations. If this interests you, then you must definitely see our CEO Program

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      6 SIGNS THAT YOUR TEAM NEEDS A COACH

      Here are 6 telling signs that your team needs a coach. Having a coach doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with the team. It essentially means that the team needs a “mirror” to see their own blind spots, so that they can start to become aware of these blind spots and have new choice for action.

      Here are 6 telling signs that your team needs a coach. Having a coach doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with the team. It essentially means that the team needs a “mirror” to see their own blind spots, so that they can start to become aware of these blind spots and have new choice for action.

      1. You want to prepare the team / individual for the next level assignment
        The team has been doing well. You want the team to take the next level assignment. You want them to play big. Make bigger promises. And you want to support them to make this big promise and coordinate actions to achieve these big results.
      2. They have gotten into a rut, and are not able to come out of it
        Often, teams get into a rut doing what they have been doing. Some times, they are in a rut, and they are even blind about being in this rut. What’s worse, many teams even think that they are doing well. This is when you need whack them out of their slumber; support them in getting out of their rut, and invite them to different games to be played and won.
      3. Results are not being achieved (and according to them, it’s not their fault)
        When you start to see teams blame, either each other or the external environment for not delivering their results, you know it’s time to bring in a coach. One of the most common missing elements within teams is a team member taking responsibility for the team promise. Frequently, individuals take responsibility for their own promises, but rarely for the team promise.
      4. Have the intention to succeed, but don’t know how to succeed
        Often, we come across teams that are highly inspired, and motivated. They just don’t know what to do next. They have all the intention to succeed. They just don’t know how to.
      5. The impact of this team not delivering results has a huge impact on the organizational results
        Some teams in organizations have more importance than the other teams. When these teams do not deliver results, then the entire organization pays a price for it. This can also be true for individuals. Such individuals and teams need to be specially taken care of and supported.
      6. The mood of the team is disempowered
        There is only very little a disempowered team can achieve. They way a disempowered team “listens” to possibilities and “responds” to possibilities is very different from teams that are empowered and raring to go.

      If you see any of the above signs in your team, then time has come to seek help to ensure that your team delivers on the team promise. Often, we see teams do not even have a team promise. We have helped many teams create and achieve promises across organizations and industries and will be happy to support you too.

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        The One Thing You Need to Lead Effectively

        What if you discovered you are at this moment carrying a powerful tool for creating an even brighter future? And, what if you realized that learning to use this tool more effectively could upgrade your life and career more swiftly than getting a smarter phone or a faster car?

        What if you discovered you are at this moment carrying a powerful tool for creating an even brighter future? And, what if you realized that learning to use this tool more effectively could upgrade your life and career more swiftly than getting a smarter phone or a faster car?

        You have that amazing tool with you right now: your body.

        Your body shapes your availability for leadership:

        • Your body provides the oxygen to your brain, which can then visualize new futures.
        • Your body powers your muscles, which walk over to greet new colleagues.
        • The degree of tension in your body signals to others whether or not you are safe to be around.
        • Your body configuration shouts to people whether you are open or closed to their ideas, without your saying a word.

        This sort of body-driven capacity expands or contracts your leadership effectiveness every day.

        Our Western education hasn’t prepared us to build our bodies’ capacity to support the futures we intend to create. Have you ever seen any MBA classes on Breathing, Flexibility, and Core Strength for Leadership Success? I haven’t either. Yet, every day I see people undermine their leadership with shallow breathing, constricted posture, and inability to stand firmly. Leaders sometimes need to take firm stands, yet many have no practice doing so.

        As much as I love rigorous academics, I dare any management insight or algorithm to make as much difference to your leadership capacity as a body of any size that is strong, flexible, and calm.

        Additionally, your body’s specialized capability affects whether specific futures are open to you. If you get violently seasick, a career as a naval officer is not for you, as my father-in-law discovered several decades ago. If you have keen vision, piloting aircraft is a possibility for you. If you develop stellar coordination, tennis is there for you. If your aerobic fitness is decent, a climbing or biking adventure with your kids may be possible for you.

        If your body stays centered, and you can maintain your ability to reason when faced with a challenge, executive leadership is available to you.

        The leaders I coach often haven’t made that best use of their bodies, so this becomes an area where they can significantly increase their capacity. By walking or exercising more regularly, they feel more mental energy and physical calm to bring to their work. By addressing persistent distortions from old injuries or cramped hours at the computer, they move with more physical flexibility; frequently, they discover others then perceive them as more flexible to new ideas. By connecting periodically with their belly and heart areas, they discover insights that have yet to bubble up to their conscious minds. By pausing to breathe deeply for a few minutes between meetings, they recharge and bring freshness to their thoughts.

        6 Simple Body Practices

        Here are some simple practices that make the most difference:

        ⇒ Take five deep breaths between meetings. Be aware of your inhale (feel your rib cage expanding sideways) and slowly out.

        ⇒ Get your heart rate up, preferably in the morning or at midday. Go for a run or do 15 minutes of step aerobics or exercise bike at your home, if you must, while catching up on the news.

        ⇒  Consider deep bodywork to help your body let go of persistent historical tension.

        ⇒   If you have a body that is sensitive to what you eat, experiment with the level of caffeine, sugar, protein, carbohydrates and such to find the right mix that keeps you clear-headed.

        ⇒  Get the sleep you need. Nearly all of us need 7 to 8 hours a night.

        ⇒  Do yoga or Aikido to invite your body to find its center, connect inner experience and outer action, build strength, and stay flexible.

        When was the last time you went to a sales meeting or was in a conversation or you did anything without your body?

        About the Author: Pam Fox Rollin is a Coaching Excellence in Organizations practitioner and community member. Executive Coach, IdeaShape and Altus Growth Partners.

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