Turning troubles into triumphs

Leadership Skills

Successful leaders see the opportunities in every difficulty rather than the difficulty in every opportunity.  To be a good leader, there’s no such thing as a challenge too big to handle. Once a leader adopts this attitude, people will follow suit, and every problem will present an opening for greater achievement.

Some individuals stand out as being particularly well-suited for dealing with hard things. It’s those leaders who turn what seems to be an unending stream of difficulty into advantage. They emerge from obstacles stronger and more successful.

As it turns out, there is a method for understanding and acting upon the obstacles that life throws at us. We don’t benefit from tears, anger or despair. Almost every obstacle contains within itself the seeds of success as well as the roots of failure. 

Finding, cultivating, and harvesting that potential success is the essence of crisis management. Now a days, Management gurus adopt four strategies to turn the troubles into triumphs

1. Keep a cool head -  look for the opportunity in a crisis.

2. Think differently - Get your mind around it. “You can do it.”

3. Love your fate.

4. Anticipate - expect or predict.

Aiyan Thiruvalluvar gave us a courageous thought to turn the troubles into triumphs

வெள்ளத் தனைய இடும்பை அறிவுடையான்

உள்ளத்தின்  உள்ளக் கெடும். (622)

जो आवेगा बाढ़ सा, बुद्धिमान को कष्ट ।
मनोधैर्य से सोचते, हो जावे वह नष्ट ॥ (६२२)

Explanation by Scholars: 

A flood of troubles will be overcome by the (courageous) thought which the minds of the wise will entertain, even in sorrow.

வெள்ளம் போல் துன்பம் வந்தாலும் அதனை வெல்லும் வழியாது என்பதை அறிவுடையவர்கள் நினைத்த மாத்திரத்திலேயே அத்துன்பம் விலகி ஓடிவிடும்.

Strategic Intelligence

Leadership skills

An intelligence gathering network is a system through which information about a particular entity is collected for the benefit of another through the use of more than one, inter-related source.

Strategic intelligence is a conceptual system of leadership qualities. These qualities must be considered in the context of the challenges facing leaders and the relationships between leaders and the people they lead.

Strategic intelligence requires a high degree of competency in five leadership areas: Foresight, Systems thinking, Visioning, Motivating and Partnering. Foresight and systems thinking are pure intelligence skills. Visioning, Motivating and Partnering are real-world skills.

Consider appealing to the four “R's”: Reasons, Rewards, Relationships, and Responsibilities.

You must reward positive behaviors to further your vision. By building genuine relationships, you convince people to take ownership of the responsibilities you’ve entrusted to them.

Leader with strategic intelligence recognizes the need to motivate the entire hierarchy.

Aiyan Thiruvalluvar says about the importance of strategic intelligence.

எல்லார்க்கும் எல்லாம் நிகழ்பவை எஞ்ஞான்றும்

வல்லறிதல் வேந்தன் தொழில். (582)

सब पर जो जो घटित हों, सब बातें सब काल ।
राजधर्म है जानना, चारों से तत्काल ॥ (५८२)

Explanation by Scholars

It is the duty of a leader to know quickly what all happens, daily, amongst his team.

எல்லார்க்கும் = amongst team

எல்லாம் நிகழ்பவை = what all happens

எஞ்ஞான்றும் = daily

வல்லறிதல் = strategic intelligence

வேந்தன் தொழில்= is the duty of the Leader

Firmness

Leadership Skills

The path to achieving a goal may be clouded with uncertainty, hardship and danger.  The firmness of mind or spirit, an unyielding courage in the face of hardship. Leaders are characterized by their firmness and strength of purpose. They know what they want and need, and go about achieving it assertively.

This particularly rings true as he makes, seeks to enforce the policies of the organization. Firmness does not mean threats, or always raising the voice.  They have an unwavering attitude towards the obstacles that come their way.

A leader has the skill to demand and get the cooperation of his/her team assertively in order to achieve the goals set. 

An effective leader knows when to demonstrate gentleness, but he also realizes that at times he must show firmness. They are never daunted by the challenges that they have to overcome on the path to achieving their goals.

Aiyan Thiruvalluvar says

வினைத்திட்பம் என்பது ஒருவன் மனத்திட்பம்

மற்றைய எல்லாம் பிற. (661)

दृढ़ रहना ही कर्म में, मन की दृढ़ता जान ।
दृढ़ता कहलाती नहीं, जो है दृढ़ता आन ॥ (६६१)

Explanation by Scholars:

Firmness in action is simply one's firmness of mind. All other abilities are not of this nature.

ஒரு செயலை இடையில் விடாது செய்து முடிப்பதற்கான செயல் உறுதி என்பது  ஒருவரின் மன உறுதியே. மற்றவை உறுதி எனப்படமாட்டா.

Intuition

Leadership Skills

Leaders make several important decisions about an issue in the time it takes others to understand the question.  Many people wonder how leaders know how to make the best decisions, often under immense pressure.  The decision making process is an acute understanding of being familiar with the cause and effect of behavioral and circumstantial patterns that allows a leader to confidently make decisions and project the probability of their desired outcomes.

The most successful leaders are instinctual decision makers.  Having done it so many times throughout their careers, they become immune to the pressure associated with decision making and extremely intuitive about the process of making the most strategic and best decisions.

Successful leaders have learned the mastery of anticipating business patterns, finding opportunities in pressure situations, serving the people they lead and overcoming hardships.

As our life becomes more dynamic and less structured, intuition gains more and more recognition as an essential decision making tool. The solution just comes to them from somewhere in their subconscious mind, instead of getting a result from logical derivations or from a computer output complicated simulation.

The information is processed in parallel rather than sequentially. Instead of going through a logical sequence of thoughts one by one, we see the situation more as a whole, with different fragments emerging in parallel.

Intuition is found especially useful in situations where problems are poorly structured and there is no prior exemplar to refer to. Intuitive decision-making is also frequently employed when managers face seemingly contradictory facts.

Intuitive decision-making is more common in new, fast-paced, high-pressure industries. Some decision-makers are already successfully integrating analysis and intuition.

Decision-makers tend towards intuition when they deal with ambiguous or novel problems characterized by information complexity or inadequacy.

Aiyan Thiruvalluvar says

எதிரதாக் காக்கும் அறிவினார்க் கில்லை

அதிர வருவதோர் நோய். (429)

जो भावी को जान कर, रक्षा करता आप ।
दुःख न दे उस प्राज्ञ को, भयकारी संताप ॥ (४२९)

Explanation by Scholars

No terrifying calamity will happen to the wise, who (foresee) and guard against coming evils. 

வருமுன் அறிந்து காத்துக் கொள்ளும் திறனுடையவர்களுக்கு அதிர்ச்சி

தரக்கூடிய துன்பம் ஏற்படாது.

Leadership Skills

Leadership Skills     
                     

The important leadership skills are good communication, tireless efforts and courage.

Skills acquired and knowledge gained is only valuable to the extent it can be practically applied when called for. It is simply impossible to become a great leader without being a great communicator.

The good communicators possess a heightened sense of situational and contextual awareness. The best communicators are great listeners and astute in their observations.

Best communicators are skilled at reading a person/group by sensing the moods, dynamics, attitudes, values and concerns of those being communicated with. The good leader often excels at making logical decisions and then works tirelessly to implement and analyze the results till the end.

Hard work doesn’t make us tired. A lack of purpose is what makes us tired. Leaders need courage to exercise their voice and act on their convictions despite social/organizational conflicts and pressures.

Leaders have to make many decisions each day, and these decisions often involve difficult and risky situations. When the challenges are uncertain and volatile, the problems are complex and have no clear and easy solution, it is easy to be paralyzed in such situations and avoid making decisions. 

Courageous leaders initiate and carry through their decisions. Courageous leaders even seize the opportunity to innovate, transform their organizations, or pursue new enterprises in order to be more effective.

Aiyan Thiruvalluvar says

சொலல்வல்லன்  சோர்விலன்  அஞ்சான்  அவனை

இகல்வெல்லல்  யார்க்கும்  அரிது.  (647) 

भाषण-पटु, निर्भय तथा, रहता जो अश्रान्त ।
उसपर जय प्रतिवाद में, पाना कठिन नितान्त ॥ (६४७)

Explanation by Scholars

It is impossible for anyone to conquer him by intrigue who possesses power of speech, and is neither faulty nor timid.

சொல்லாற்றல் படைத்தவனாகவும், சோர்வு அறியாதவனாகவும், 
அஞ்சாநெஞ்சங் கொண்டவனாகவும்  இருப்பவனை எதிர்த்து எவராலும் 
வெல்ல முடியாது.

Forgiveness

Leadership Skills

Secret of Great Leadership

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong” 

              - Mahatma Gandhi.

Forgiveness is a bold leadership skill. It is a muscle that we can all strengthen with intentional effort. Great leaders recognize their role in helping others forgive someone who has disappointed them.

They acknowledge the trauma, harm, and injustice that their organization members have experienced, but they define the occurrence of hurtful events as an opportunity to move forward. Instead of settling scores, great leaders make gestures of reconciliation that heal wounds and get on with business.

Forgiveness is not a weakness or a retreat. It is a gift that requires strength and the ability to create transformational change. Forgiving individuals experience positive outcomes such as greater life satisfaction, empowerment and self-esteem. It also reduces anxiety, depression, anger, and physical illness.

Forgiving organizations experience more trusting alliances, social capital, and humanity in the workplace, productivity, quality, customer care, and a sense of calling among employees. Forgiveness is active not passive. It involves not only the cancellation of negative emotions and attitudes, but also the development of positive emotions and attitudes. Forgiveness restores hope and productivity in the workplace.

Aiyan Thiruvalluvar says

அகழ்வாரைத் தாங்கும் நிலம்போலத்  தம்மை

இகழ்வார்ப்  பொறுத்தல் தலை.(151)

क्षमा क्षमा कर ज्यों धरे, जो खोदेगा फोड़ ।
निन्दक को करना क्षमा, है सुधर्म बेजोड़ ॥ (१५१)

Explanation by Scholars:

To bear with those who revile us, just as the earth bears up those who dig it, is the first of virtues.

தன்மீது குழி பறிப்போரையே தாங்குகின்ற பூமியைப்போல் தம்மை இகழ்ந்து பேசுகிறவர்களின் செயலையும் பொறுத்துக் கொள்வதே தலை சிறந்த பண்பாகும்.

குறள்;

பொறுத்தல் இறப்பினை என்றும்  அதனை

மறத்தல் அதனினும் நன்று. (152)

अच्छा है सब काल में, सहना अत्याचार ।
फिर तो उसको भूलना, उससे श्रेष्ठ विचार ॥ (१५२)

Explanation by Scholars:

Bear with reproach even when you can retaliate; but to forget it will be still better than that.

அளவுகடந்து செய்யப்பட்ட தீங்கைப் பொறுத்துக் கொள்வதைக் காட்டிலும், அந்தத் தீங்கை அறவே மறந்து  விடுவதே சிறந்த பண்பாகும்.