Thoughts on Communication

Communication is multi-layered and multi-dimensional. People express themselves in layers. At the top most layer of the discovery process are “facts.” Stuff we put into forms and documkents. Below this is slightly complex inteelectual sheath that shares thoughts and opinions. And finally you have an emotional ore feeling circle. Further thoughts are ometimes expressed verbally and expressly. Sometimes thoughts are not shared at all. Emotions too are suppressed totally in socially driven culture where what others think matters more than what we truly want to do.

Inspirational leaders continuously sharpen the saw and learn to hone their communication skills. They no longer see people and their communication as black and white; they are able to see rich color and 3D images that bring out the underlying thoughts and emotions. They are also able to detect suppressed emotions pretty fast and help the other party to articulate and express them. When the issue is out it becomes an object available for analysis and resolution.

Autocratic Leaders?

I spoke on Inspirational Leadership at the General Management and Communicartion Skills Programme at thew SIRC of the ICAI. I gave the participants a case study to discuss and present. While presenting their views, they used the phrases Autocratic Leader and Participatory Leader.

Now, the word Autocratic Leader is essentially an Oxymoron combining as it were two essentially incompatible concepts. Leaders are people who inspire trust, affection, adoration and admiratrion. These emotions can never be kindled by an autocrat, who prefers to command rather than convince the team. Autocratic Management styles can be seen as acceptable only in the services where discipline is the difference between life and death. Some managers who rely on authority derived from designation and positional power use the autocratic style. They can never be called Leader and are invariably hated by their teams if not openly, at the very least behind their backs.

Another “autocratic” style is that of the dictator. This style may initially command a slavish following due to cultism or extreme and illogacal adherence by the group to a dogma. Such despots like Adolf Hitler and Idi Amin invariably end up in ignominy and public contempt. So mucgh for “Autocratic” Leaders!

The term participatory leader is a tautology or useless repetition. A leader is always participatory. Truly Inspirational Leaders are always democratic; every voice is heard and addressed; decisions are based on consensus and agreement rather than by enforcement of the will.

To insist that a Leader should be participatory is like stipulating that a fish should live in water! There is no other way! Inspirational Leaders use the Purpose Empowerment Praise Model and

a) Share the same Picture to ensure that every member of the team is crystal clear on what they are supposed to do;

b) Empower their teams through Meaningful Delegation of authority;

c) Go bryond monetary rewards by praising the team constantly and unstintingly.

Inspirational Leaders Inspire by Example. They command respect and adoration by playing their roles effectively rather than by throwing their designation at the other person.

Inspirational Leadership

Extraordinary human beings live their message. They walk their talk. Above all else, they are Inspirational. Be one.

Inspirational Leadership Through Video Clippings

On 23rd April I am presenting a lecture on Inspirational Leadership. I am planning to use Video Clippings from popular movies like Night at the Museum.

The Key Take-Aways from the Session could be

• Understanding the key principles of Inspirational Leadership
• Appreciating the Purpose Empowerment Praise (PEP) model bette

The Pay Off

What is the real Pay off or Reward of Inspirational Leadership?

Money? Position? Influence? Well...maybe... but the real reward is a genuine sense of satisfaction and joy that we have been able to impact and change the lives of a whole lot of people for the better!

Lord Rama—A Role model for Communication

25.03.2010

Yesterday was Sree Rama Navami. I was performing pooja. As part of the ceremony, I was chanting the Ashtothra Satha Namavali or the 108 holy names of Lord Rama, when I came across these three names of Rama that intrigued me as trainer. A little bit of research with the Apte Sanskrit-English dictionary and a conversation with my relative Mr. G Ramachandran, who is well versed in Sanskrit, gave me better understanding of these mames. I would like to share them with you because, understandsing the essesnce of these names would show us how to become better communicators. In this sense, Sree Rama is the best Role Model for Advanced Communicators.

Om Smithavakthraya Namah

He who has an ever-smiling face. Smitha means smile. Vakthra is face or mouth. We like someone who is smiling. Please do not confuse a genuine warm smile with a sarcastic one that actually irritates people.

This is a gentle upward turn of the lips that is reflected in the eyes as well as in the forward movement of the head and trunk. Have you seen the smile I mean? One that makes you want to reach out to that person and get to know them better?

This is the smile that wins friends and influences people! It enabled Sree Rama to find allies and friends everywhere. Sree Rama had so many of them. And, what variety…Tribals like Guha, Monkeys like Sugreev and Demons like Vibheeshan, and scores of animals and birds that flocked together to assist Rama during his Vanvas. There are so many instances where characters in Ramayan claim that they are drawn to Sree Rama because of his smiling countenance.

Om Poorvabhashiney Namaha

He who speaks first. Poorva means first or before. Bhasha is, of course, speech or language. Sree Rama was one who spoke first. Remember, Sree Rama was a king whether in exile or otherwise. He could have had an attitude that was aloof and distant. He could have refused to speak to people unless introduced. But he was not like that at all. He spoke first!

He greeted them openly and with genuine interest. He enquired after their welfare. He hugged them and called them his brother. And they, in turn, shared their innermost thoughts with him.

Om Mitha Bhasiney Namaha

One who speaks with moderation . Mitha means measured or moderate. This is not the same as being taciturn or tight-lipped. This is knowing when to stop talking and become a goods listener. Sree Rama did not talk on ad on and on. He knew when to stop and allow the other person to complete his message.

He thought before he spoke so that when he spoke his words were the soul of brevity. The only other person in the Ramayan who was his equal in brevity and communicating more with less words was Sree Hanumanji with his world famous, “Karpukiniyaalai Kanden Seetaiyai..” (I saw her, she who is beautiful through chastity, Seetha). But, no true devotee of Rama or Hanuman can ever distinguish between the two!

The Four Secrets of Inspirational Leaders

Inspirational Leaders have been able to consistently influence their teams and others. They have been able to

1. Communicate their vision to others,
2. Convert it into executable plans of action,
3. Identify the right people for each task and finally
4. Review progress and monitor the plan till the attainment of the final goal.

What I have described above is the approach. Successful application of this approach requires the development of four crucial abilities. A manager who is taught the above approach (well, most of us know them already!) would assume that mechanically going through the motions of this approach should automatically result in success! Well, I wish it were that simple!

What great Inspirational Leaders bring to the table are four ingredients that make the difference. These are four abilities. These are essential in the same way that knowledge of Trigonometry is essential for engineering and Compounding is for Finance. These subjects, unfortunately, are not (yet!) being taught systematically in schools in the same way that math and basic science are being drilled into our children. Think about it… your son or daughter is going to need these abilities most after the age of twenty-five and what they are learning in school today is really doing nothing to help them then. Their employers are going to spend a huge amount of money teaching them and trainers like me are going to have to design newer and newer methods to help adult learners internalize these concepts which are easily taught and absorbed at the primary school level. What are these abilities?

• Fluency

o The ability to express concepts and abstract ideas in a way that makes it easier for the other person to understand them and talk about them. We are not talking about oratory or rhetoric here. This is about more mundane issues like clarity, brevity and using a pleasant tone of voice and (you are not going to believe this!) smiling.

• Listening
• Too much importance cannot be given to this ability which also one of the three crucial “skills” that managers do not learn but Leaders do. Listening demands a slowing down and cooling down that is seen in today’s aggressive world as a weakness. Possibly why managers easily forget their vital lessons on listening and slip back to their easier and obviously impressive “fast” approaches.”
• Feedback
• The ability to accept that we are not perfect and that there is always scope for improvement. The further realization that the best way to improve is to listen to what others have to say about us and, like the proverbial swan take the good suggestions for improvement and ignore, forget or forgive the rest. Finally, having the maturity to learn how to give effective, useful, non-emotive feedback to others thus helping them perform better.
• Empathy
• The ability to feel and understand the feelings of others. A sensitization to others feelings is a sign of leadership and also a condition for its attainment. Does this mean that we have to be “weak” and always concerned about others? No! This is NOT a way of living. This is a drill-down capability; a tool that you use on need basis. You use it to pause and understand totally what the other person is saying “from their point of view”. Thereafter you go ahead and use the other tool (Remember the first ability?) of Fluency to help them understand why what you are proposing is as better for them as it is for you.

Democracy--The Cradle of Inspirational Leadership

No Democracy can by itself assure progress. Progress is achieved by effective people lead by Inspirational Leaders. It should be the goal of every Democracy to to ensure that Inspirational Leaders are given the opportunity to lead.

Democracy provides climate and environment that nurtures and develops Inspirational Leaders. But, sometimes truly great inspirational leaders emerge only during tiomes of autocracy and dictatorship. This is a Paradox.

Why is it that almost all Democracies have failed to produce truly Inspirational Leaders?

How do we know an Inspirational Leader when we meet him or her? What are the metrics?

Are they Objective or Subjective?