From loyalty and patience to flexibility and immediacy For years, employee engagement has been one of the most discussed topics in leadership circles. We measured it, surveyed it, built programs around it and created engagement calendars, activities, town halls, rewards, recognition platforms, and countless initiatives, all designed to keep employees motivated. Yet, attrition is still …
Why ‘Culture Decks’ Don’t Build Culture, Leaders Do Because employees follow behaviour, not branding Over the years, I have seen companies spend enormous amounts of time and effort building what they call a “culture deck.” What I usually see are some very beautiful presentations with powerful words and strong value statements. They are thoughtfully designed slides with terms like ownership, innovation, integrity, customer obsession, and people-first …
Decision-Making under Uncertainty Is the New Leadership Currency The New Reality: Leading Without Perfect Information We are living through a decade that refuses to be predictable. We have seen it all… a global pandemic, ongoing geopolitical conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine War, Israel-Gaza, Indo-Pak, and now, the US-Iran War. We have fresh tensions emerging in regions …
Why Teams Don’t Need a Hero, but a Human We are often raised on the myth of the ‘Hero’ leader. The lone saviour who swoops in the last hour to save the team and makes impossible decisions. In the corporate world, this individual can be seen as the ‘fixer,’ the leader with all the answers and the one who can thrive …
Is Gen Z Really “Lazy”? What leaders often misread about Gen Z and what we need to unlearn Every few years, a familiar complaint resurfaces: “This generation is lazy.” I’ve now heard it said about Gen Z. In the past, I have also heard similar things said about the millennials by Gen X and Gen …
The silent cost of always being “Available” as a leader And the Subtle Power of Thoughtful Presence Over the past few months, I have been traveling a lot, and I have been reflecting on a quiet shift within myself…something very subtle, yet powerful. For most of my professional life, I was always available. Always reachable. …
After three decades in leadership, I’ve come to rely on one habit more than any other: the pause. I wasn’t always this way. Early in my journey, I had a need to respond immediately and admired leaders who moved fast, answered instantly, and seemed to operate on pure adrenaline. Speed looked like strength. Decisiveness looked …
I first heard about Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning when I went to college in the USA almost 35 years ago. Back then, AI was offered as a course you could take, but it mostly remained a research subject that was fascinating yet far from real-world impact. For several years it remained something we discussed …
On a recent flight to Dubai, I had an encounter that reminded me of the unseen impact leaders can have. As I was putting my bag in the overhead compartment, the gentleman next to me smiled. I assumed it was just a friendly gesture and smiled back. Once seated, he turned and asked, “Aren’t you …