This is back in the day when we only had landlines. My father was a General Manager of this large pharmaceutical company. He used to keep so busy that I rarely saw him much on weekdays. However, almost every day after school, I’d dial the landline number of his office (I didn’t know the extension). …
“…Because I’m happy Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof Because I’m happy Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth..” I’ve been humming Happy by Pharrell Williams for the last couple of days. You know how a song gets stuck in your head, and suddenly, everything seems to …
The Leadership Catch-22: Why Complexity Trips Us Up (and How to Beat It) A funny thing happens when we face complexity: instead of leaning into it with curiosity, our nervous system often sounds the alarm. Fight, flee, freeze anything but engage. It’s as if our brain mistakes a messy spreadsheet or an uncertain future for …
More often than not, the greatest obstacles we face aren’t external challenges they’re the mental traps we’ve unconsciously created within ourselves. These subtle yet powerful barriers can cloud our judgment, limit our growth, and obscure our path to authentic leadership. And lead us to look for external solutions when the challenges (and hence solutions) potentially …
I remember a moment from my early years as a professional that changed the way I think about work. I walked into a meeting completely drained, deadlines looming, stress mounting, and everything around me felt heavy. Before we started, a colleague paused, looked at me, and said, “Are you okay?” It wasn’t the usual “How …
In his book, The Ride of a Lifetime, Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, compellingly tells the story of the time he was in Shanghai to open Disney’s first park in China. He was preparing for a grand, star-studded event, when he got the news of a little boy succumbing to an alligator attack in …
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How do you inspire change in others? While most of us are used to doing this through mentorship, advice and suggestions, perhaps there is a different, more powerful way to do it – through questions.
There is nothing more powerful in a meeting than a good listener. Especially a collaborative listener. When a presenter feels he or she is being listened to, they are more confident, more articulate and often more insightful. As a leader, it is not just important to you but also to the room you are leading that you listen actively. But what do you do if you have a short attention span? The author shares a unique way to start building demonstrable and collaborative listening, despite challenges.
Why do we teach our children how to be great communicators and speakers at home and in school, but never great listeners. In this post, inspired by William Uri’s call for a listening revolution, we discuss the power of listening. and if it can be learned.
