How innovative are you?

The first step to becoming a leader lies in the willingness to welcome change, stand out and nurture one’s curiosity.

Whether it’s Marie Curie for her ground-breaking research on radioactivity or Bill Gates for building a giant of a software that is unparalleled to this day, being an innovator can also be more than creating something new.

The word innovation conjures up images of a cool gadget or a quirky creation. So, on what terms can you break new ground and when is that supposed to happen? If your answer to that is today and every day, then you are absolutely right. Innovation isn’t just implemented for the generation of a new product, but also for birthing a new process, a thought, a bit of knowledge and even the packaging of all these entities. Innovators are essentially explorers of countless opportunities and possibilities. If the mere spark of an idea can lead to the creation of a timeless software, so can a humdrum procedure be redesigned and modified into a new approach.

Speaking of devising new approaches, this is one of those innovative activities that is meant to change the procedure of seeking jobs as we know it.

The key factor here is to stand out, which is easier said than done. This is the moment when you truly begin your research, an age-old activity that has always helped in the process of standing out. In your journey towards acquiring a coveted position in an organisation of your choice, you may have come up with quite a few innovative ideas to appear different and become visible. If your research isn’t thorough enough, it will all be for nothing if you have no viable intelligence on the organisation and the people that you are trying to impress. This is how you can be innovative in your research and your approach as well.

Right questions

Perhaps this can be considered as Phase 1 of your reconnaissance process. Research on the company you want to apply to will unearth a variety of information unique to that particular company as well as knowledge on your predecessors’ qualifications to help you match or even boost yourself in those areas.

Not only will this help you seem in tune with the organisation's wants and needs but it will also put you on their radar, which is the ultimate goal.

Break away from the single-page-resume trend and tap into the technology surrounding you. Make a short video about yourself explaining why anyone should hire you. If that’s too much or not enough, digitise your resume on a single personal webpage with a compact and catchy graphical presentation, for images.

For images speak more than words, and you can make that work for you.

The proces of innovation doesn't just stop once you have been hired. Now you’ve got the task of standing out amidst a team of equals and superiors while helping your organisation grow. Here, being innovative isn’t about a single person being compelled to come up with new ideas constantly.

Innovation must gather at a single spot but from multiple sources, be it external or internal.

As an individual employee what you must do now is be proactive and take the initiative to voice your ideas and opinions if you come across something interesting. It is vital to remember that this process of sharing doesn’t mean that you give up your individual thought.

Communication from your end will help people recognise your talent and help you add value to numerous brain-storming sessions. This way, you revamp yourself and your team.

As an innovator, you are to constantly welcome change, where your curiosity will lead to persistence and that would inadvertently lead to rising above the constant doubts and disruption with a single solid idea, a sure-fire sign of a future leader. But first, it all starts with standing out and nurturing your curiosity.

10 THINGS THAT SUPER SUCCESSFUL LEADERS DO

10 things that super successful leaders do Leaders are best measured by the productivity of theirteams Why is it that some leaders stand out--performing better than their peers while achieving better results?
Is it because they are genetically predisposed to be better leaders, or perhaps because they have better training? I personally believe that today's very best and most successful leaders got that way by applying some very simple, but powerful habits on the job.
Unfortunately,there are a lot of leaders in business today who need to do a better job.According to the Gallup Organisation, a staggering 87% of employees world wide are not engaged in their jobs or their work. This is a huge problem that creates massive losses for businesses large and small, in every industry. When employees are not engaged in their jobs, then they are not being productive.And when employees are not being productive, then their companies lose money--and customers and market share. The solution? Good leadership practices.
Here,then, are the top-10 habits of today's most successful leaders. 
 
1. Acknowledge 
 
When things are going well in your organisation, let people know--early and often.Publicly recognise productive employees for their contributions. Make a big deal about it. Encourage outstanding, sustained performance by showing your employees how much their efforts are appreciated. Studies show thatacknowledging the great things your employees do can be more motivational than bonuses. 
 
2. Motivate 
 
Set high standards for communication, productiv ity, and professionalism throughout you rorganisation. During periods when these standards are not met, avoid assigning blame and singling out poor performance, as these responses only call attention to the problems.Find ways to get back on track as an organisation. Don't lower your standards, instead, partner with your employees and take on challenges as a team. Enlist your employees' input to identify blocking issues, focus attention on possible solutions, and strive to meet and exceed expectations. 
 
3. Be Decisive 
 
Allleaders must make tough decisions It goes with the job. They understand that incertain situations, difficult and timely decisions must be made in the bestinterests of the entire organisation, decisions that require a firmness,authority, and finality that will not please everyone.Extraordinary leadersdon't hesitate in such situations. They also know when not to act unilaterallybut instead foster collaborative decision-making. 
 
4. Communicate 
 
Communicate clearly, professionally, and often. Employees expect their manager's honest assessment of their performance. In order to credibly provide this feedback,excellent managers must thoroughly understand their organisations and accurately assess progress. When things are running smoothly, highlight what is working and communicate success throughout the organisation. When problems arise, consider the potential impact you can have by constructively communicating your concerns.Remember that communication is a tool that can (andshould) inspire and motivate as well as identify and resolve problems. 
 
5. Trust 
 
Learn totrust your employees. Bosses who believe employees are capable and responsibleencourage autonomy while also creating a strong sense of community throughoutthe organisation. To establish trust, create a safe, positive workingenvironment with open, honest, two-way communication. Trust that your employeeswill meet or exceed organisational goals when working in a productive, safe,and supportive environment. 
 
6. Be Confident 
 
Not only are the best leaders confident, but their confidence is contagious.Employee sare naturally drawn to them, seek their advice, and feel more confident as a re sult. When challenged, they don't give in too easily, because they know their ideas, opinions and strategies are well-informed and the result of much hard work. But when proven wrong they take responsibility and quickly act to improve the situations within their authority. 
 
7. Develop 
 
Set upyour employees for success, not failure. Provide them with the tools and trainingthey need to reach their full potential, and to meet and exceed the standardsyou have set. Encourage them to identify their strengths and what motivatesthem. When possible, incorporate what drives them into their daily tasks. 
 
8. Direct 
 
Ensure that your employees feel challenged with their jobs, but not over whelmed. Create a clean, well maintained, and organized working environment where they can do their work and feel comfortable. Delegate tasks appropriately and look for opportunities to maximize each employee's strengths. 
 
9. Partner
Make your employees feel like they are a part of something special and that their efforts are truly appreciated. Involve them directly in the success of the organisation. Create and cultivate a sense of camaraderie, where people feel itis fun to come to work, because it is a positive and productive environment and they feel they are part of an efficient, skilled, and highly successful community. 
 
10. Be Honest and Transparent 
 
Strong leaders treat people how they want to be treated. They are extremely ethical and believe that honesty, effort, and reliability form the foundation of success. They embody these values so overtly that no employee doubts their integrity for a minute. They share information openly and avoid spin control.These practices and behaviors will have a major impact on the effectiveness of your employees. Be the very best boss you can be and your employees will step up. When you get the very best from your people, your business will be tough to beat. 
 
Source | Economic Times | 22 May 2015

What makes a good leader?

Leadership demands progressive learning, and does not have set rules.

‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going.’

Over the years, the definition of leadership has changed. From being a ceremonious position, leadership has come down to the grass-root level. Today, the image of a leader is one who can be a common man. Then what is special about leadership? What is special is the journey of becoming a leader.

Nobody is a born leader; it is hard-earned experience that turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. Radhika Roy, the media baron, co-founder and managing director, NDTV, has consistently demonstrated how empires can be built by vision and self-belief. Easy as it may sound, the journey to becoming a good leader is tough. Leadership is all about collective growth and success.

A leader is a self-starter, a person around whom reolves the entire team. It is from the leader that the team draws energy, courage and the spirit to go ahead. He or she is the torch-bearer, the guide who leads the team to success. So what makes a good leader? Is there a set formula that can ensure making of great leaders? Unfortunately, leadership is not mathematics. It is the science of progressive learning and does not have set rules. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates followed different styles, but both remain classic examples of great leaders. Having said so, great leaders of the past and present reflect some common traits. Here are some qualities that aspiring leaders should imbibe:

Vision

Leadership requires farsightedness. The ability to see ahead and lead the team on the correct path is a skill which comes with experience. It is the intuition of the leader, the ability to learn from past mistakes and move accordingly that sets apart from the rest.

Integrity

The characteristic features of a leader define the establishment he drives. The employees and the organisation are a reflection of him. His innate values and learnings form the life-sap of the business. A leader with integrity builds an efficient team and a successful business, as well.

Commitment

A leader leads by example. What better way to do this than to shoulder the responsibility with the team? There is no greater motivation for the team than to see the boss working along, sharing the burden. A committed leader builds a committed team in the long run.

Creativity

It is the quality of the leader to do something beyond the ordinary that sets him apart. To take something of average quality and build something new out of it is a quality that leaders possess. After all, leadership is all about breaking the regular and moving out of the box.

Crisis Management

The true mettle of a leader is tested during crises. It is the way he handles challenges and turns them into opportunities that proves his worth as a leader. It is in trying times that the team looks up to its leader for guidance and support. Thus successful leadership calls for the ability to cruise through such difficult times and ensure success.

Team Player

A leader not only leads the team from the front, but also stands along with it. Only when a leader is a good team player can he become a successful leader. Understanding the team, bonding with them and sharing the work are some of the significant qualities of a leader that not only make him successful but an idol to his team. While it is true that time and experiences make a seasoned leader, it is always good to start early.

You don’t need a designation or authority to be a leader, all you need is courage to take up the responsibility and reach your goal. It is the faith in oneself and in one’s team that plays a key role in the long run. It is the charisma, the acumen and fine intellect that helps a leader build the road ahead.

So muster the courage and embark on your journey, for success awaits the bravehearts!

The author is business development lead, Hellointern.com.

Keywords: leadership, education, Success

Jun 24 2014 : The Economic Times (Delhi)

How Leaders Need to be Lifelong Learners, Too

JEAN-FRANCOIS MANZONI





Execs need to develop new responses & capabilities to stay ahead of the curve ON IMPLEMENTATION Today's executives know much more than they act on. Knowing something doesn't guarantee that you can implement it

Leaders need to continue learning throughout their careers. About 50 years ago US president John F Kennedy argued that, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other,” and soon afterward Alvin Toffler became famous by saying that tomorrow’s illiterate people will be not the ones who haven’t learned to read, but rather the ones who have not learned how to learn.This has become ever truer in the modern world, which is as complex and ambiguous as it ever has been and even more volatile and uncertain. It,
therefore, is necessary for leaders to continue developing new responses and capabilities. Years of leadership research have shown that it is indeed possible for senior executives to learn new capabilities. Their personalities do not change, but they don’t need to.Despite being armed with greater access to knowledge and training than ever before, executives still need to be able to integrate that knowledge into their behaviour.
There are 3 steps to doing that.
You must begin by identifying a need for improvement. Next, you must achieve an initial competence in the new skills. Most of us have been here before. When learning to ride a bike, this was the point at which we took off our training wheels and realised that we couldn’t balance. We then had to master staying upright. This requires a tremendous amount of attention, practice and persistence. Finally, you must reach a stage at which your new
competence is unconscious, rather than conscious. When practice makes perfect, it's exactly like riding a bike: Once you know it, you always will be able to do it without thinking. Unfortunately, for senior executives learning new capabilities is more complicated than learning to ride a bike. My research during the past 25 years has led me to identify four major obstacles: The Knowing-Doing Gap Today's executives tend to know much more than they act on. Knowing something doesn't guarantee that you can implement it. Executives sometimes confuse understanding a concept with implementing it. When they understand a concept, when the whole thing makes a great deal of sense, it seems as though that box has been checked -at least until they get a strong feedback that their behaviour doesn't really measure up. Insufficient Investment Too often today's senior executives underestimate how much effort is required for them to learn new leadership knowledge in a way that will be helpful. They are quickly satisfied with a vague understanding, so often they underinvest in developing a more granular understanding of a concept. If it's not in your head, you can't use it under real-time conditions. If you want the knowledge to be in your head and usable, you must take notes and re view them regularly.Insufficient Persistence If you want to behave differently from a habitual response and more consistently with a new objective, you need to intercept the habitual response before it is produced, search your mind to identify a more appropriate response and produce that more appropriate re sponse -all of this in real time and under pressure.
s s Insufficient Support When executives manage to become t conscious of their shortcomings y and invest enough time and energy to develop and practice new beha viours, often they are tripped up by their environment.
(Writer is a professor of manage ment practice at Insead.) e d NYT News Service