What were the influences that shaped the leader’s personal and professional life to become today’s leader?  Who inspired the leader to yearn for the wonders of leadership? The making of a leader is a combination of stimulating insights and factors that are far from corporate making ..read more

Everyone makes noise by just opening their mouths and shouting their ideas, but few people who properly communicate. Communication is a skill that involves clarity and simplicity and most importantly provide value to the recipients. Talkers just talk,whereas communicators inspire and educate. Are you a talker or a communicator ..read more

The goal of any leader is to lead on a regular basis, yet so few people ever really make great leaders. What accounts for the small percentage of leaders who are consistently successful? To me, the determining factor is the belief system which encompasses purpose, values, principles and beliefs —the successful leaders have different belief systems from everyone else ..read more

Never have the courage to drill down and discover who you are. vision is always secondary, and mission comes first. There is no need for a compelling purpose, and you are supposed to go first and lead the group because they told you so.   Identifying the challenge facing the business or the group is trivial and achieving goals is paramount. value numbers over people and be results obsessive.  Follow this recipe and you will never become a leader.   Congratulations, you are a wonderful manager.     ..read more

Bringing the right people into the organisation is the leaders’ job. Getting people on board who culturally fit the business culture is also the leaders’ job. Most companies hire based on skills, the result is having people who always misalign and become misfits. Coaching and inspiring “the misfits” to play tribally and culturally with other team members should be the leaders’ focus. If the misfits find the tribal rules unplayable and they are unable to mingle culturally with others. It is time for leaders to protect the tribe and show them the company’s doors ..read more

Many organisations say “people first”, but the actions of managers reveal that scaring people comes first.  Never underestimate the power of fear cultures to distort and disturb people’s common sense to take initiatives and be creative. The environments created by managers enforce the idea that people should do as they are told without questioning.  The industrial age system that wanted workers to follow instructions and adhere to rules is still the norm in most organisations around the world.  When organisations talk about “people first” it doesn’t mean carrying people over and ..read more

One of the most fascinating books that I have ever read is Good Strategy, Bad Strategy” by Richard Rumelt which pinpoints the kernel of a great strategy. Identifying the challenge facing the organisation is a must-have exercise to draw the right course of action. Most managers, senior managers and executives confuse strategy with planning and goal setting. There is a huge difference. A good strategy starts with diagnosing the problem, the big challenge then set the action plan to overcome it. What is your strategy? In other words, what is your challenge ..read more

He or she is a competent and skilled employee. Thumbs up. You have got the skills to be a great manager. You are promoted. You are in charge of other people irrespective of the title that you will assume whether a team leader, supervisor or manager. Do you know how to manage people? The good news is that you can’t manage people or even lead them. People yearn for inspiration. You inspire and empower people not manage them. Do you know how to inspire people? How to unleash their potential? How to defend them in times of layoffs and crises? If the answer is almost no, how on earth, you have been ..read more

The concept of the customer is always right has retarded the business thinking for a long time. It is nothing short of failure that most businesses advocate this motto and make it the cornerstone of their customer service. It has resulted in diminishing the spirit of employees who are viewed as second to customers.   By neglecting employees and focusing on customers, countless numbers of employees will be silently demotivated and consequently fail to give their best to their customers. Favouring one group of people, customers over another one, employees may be traced to the industrial age ..read more

Although kicking off the new year usually starts with setting new goals, the goal of the goal is to achieve it not just to set it.  It is good to set a couple of strategic goals, but what greatly matters is to execute on them. Action speaks louder than words. Action speaks louder when we achieve our goals. Happy New year. Kamil ..read more