7 Ways Leaders Maintain Their Composure in Difficult Times

Leaders need to show more composure than ever before in the workplace.   With the change management requirements, increased marketplace demands and intensifying competitive factors that surround us, leaders must have greater poise, agility and patience to minimize the impact of uncertainty.   How leaders respond to these and other growing pressures is an indicator of their leadership preparedness, maturity and acumen.

The composure of a leader is reflected in their attitude, body language and overall presence.   In today’s evolving business environment, it is clear that leadership is not only about elevating the performance, aptitude and development of people – but more so about the ability to make people feel safe and secure.   Employees have grown tired of working in survival mode and thus want to be part of a workplace culture where they can get back to doing their best work without the fear of losing their jobs.

 

I worked with a colleague that lacked composure and was always in a panic.  Though he had tremendous credentials, he lacked the ability to remain calm and thus often made his employees feel uneasy. His leadership role was just too big for what he was capable of handling.   He was often too dramatic and the smallest of problems  launched him into crisis management mode.   Needless to say, his wasn’t an effective leadership that could deal with real crisis and change.    Because he was unable to reinvent himself and adapt to the unexpected, his tenure was short-lived.

The 21st century leader sees adversity through the lens of opportunity.  Rather than panic, a leader with composure takes a step back and begins to connect the dots of opportunity within adverse circumstances.   These types of leaders quickly detect the causes of adversity and solve for them immediately.  They then enable the opportunities previously unseen that could have avoided the adversity to begin with.  Many times crisis results when composure is missing.

The next time a problem arises, ask yourself if you or your leader could have shown a greater sense of composure and avoided the problem from surfacing.

When leading – especially during times of uncertainty and adversity, crisis and change – you must avoid showing any signs of leadership immaturity or lack of preparedness that will make your employees feel unsafe and insecure. Here are seven ways to maintain leadership composure during the most pressure-packed moments:

1. Don’t Allow Your Emotions to Get in the Way

Seasoned leaders know not to wear their emotions on their sleeves.   They don’t yell or get overly animated when times get tough.  These types of leaders have such emotional self-control that even their body language does not give them away.

When you allow your emotions to get in the way, employees interpret this as a sign you are not being objective enough and too passionate about the situation at hand.  Strong-willed leaders can maintain their composure and still express concern and care, but not to the point that their emotions become a distraction – or that they can’t responsibly handle the issues at hand.

2. Don’t Take Things Personally

Leaders shouldn’t take things personally when things don’t go their way.   Business decisions and circumstances don’t always play out logically because office politics and other dynamics factor into the process.    As a leader, remain calm and don’t get defensive or think that you always must justify your thinking and actions.

When you begin to take things personally, it’s difficult to maintain your composure and make those around you believe that you have things under control.  In fact, when leaders take issues too close to heart, they allow the noise and politics around them to suffocate their thinking and decision-making capabilities.

3. Keep a Positive Mental Attitude

Employees are always watching their leader’s actions, behavior, relationships and overall demeanor.   During the most difficult of times, leaders must maintain a positive mental attitude and manage a narrative that keeps their employees inspired and hopeful.  This is where your leadership experience and resolve  can really shine – by staying strong, smiling often and authentically exhibiting a sense of compassion.

Leaders set the tone for the organization they serve.   A positive attitude can neutralize chaos and allow a leader to course correct through any negativity.    Employees feed off the attitude of these leaders during times of uncertainty.   Keep a positive mental attitude and never stop moving forward.  Stay focused on building positive momentum for the betterment of the healthier whole

4. Remain Fearless

When leaders project confidence, they instill it in others.  During uncertain times, leaders must remain fearless and project a cool persona that communicates composure to those they lead.

I’ve been through ups and downs in my career and have learned that when you begin to fear adverse circumstances, you not only put yourself in a position of vulnerability, but it becomes extremely difficult to act rationally and objectively.    When you panic, you mentally freeze and your mind loses focus.

When you begin to get fearful, ask yourself:  What is the worst possible thing that can happen?  If you are objective about it and have the will and confidence to face it, you will eventually realize that the situation is manageable and can be resolved.  Faced with adversity several times over, your fears will eventually vanish and uncertainty will become your best friend.

5. Respond Decisively

Leaders who maintain their composure will never show any signs of doubt.  They speak with conviction, confidence and authority – whether they know the answer  or not!  With their delivery alone,  they give their employees  a sense that everything is under control.

Recently, Mack Brown, the former coach of the University of Texas (UT) football team, was put under a lot of pressure to resign as a result of his team underperforming in 2013.  Though the University handled his forced resignation poorly  – considering Mr. Brown had coached the team successfully for the past 16 years – his decisiveness the day he announced his resignation made you feel that his transition out of the job was a positive thing for the university.  Human nature will tell you that he must have been hurting inside, but his decisiveness and presence of mind made those that were watching him speak believe that the future looked bright for UT football.

6. Take Accountability

Leaders are most composed during times of crisis and change when they are fully committed to resolving the issue at hand.   When you are accountable, this means that you have made the decision to assume responsibility and take the required steps to problem solve before the situation gets out of hand.

When leaders assume accountability, they begin to neutralize the problem and place  the environment from which it sprung on pause – much like New Jersey Governor Chris Christie did when he announced that he did not have any prior knowledge of the decision his aides made to close down access lanes to the George Washington Bridge.  Though there may be legal woes to come, the manner in which he handled the initial news conference (temporarily) neutralized the crisis – as he answered all of the reporters’ questions and took full responsibility and accountability to punish the perpetrators and keep something like this from happening again.

7. Act Like You Have Been There Before

Great leaders know that one of the most effective ways to maintain composure during difficult times is to act like you have been there before.   Leaders that act to show they have been through the problem solving process numerous times before are those with strong executive presence who approach the matter at hand with a sense of elegance and grace.    They are patient, they are active listeners, and they will genuinely take a compassionate approach to ease the hardships that anyone else is experiencing.

Just ask any technical support representative.  When you are on the phone with them, their job is to make you feel that even your most difficult challenges can be easily resolved.     They are there to calm you down and give you hope that your problem will soon be solved.    Pay attention to their demeanor and how they are masters at soothing your frustrations.  They always act to show that they have been there before; their composure puts your mind at ease.

It’s easy to lose composure during times of crisis and change if you let concern turn into worry and worry turn into fear.  By maintaining composure, the best leaders remain calm, cool and in control – enabling them to step back, critically evaluate the cards that they have been dealt and face problems head-on.  A show of composure also puts those you lead at ease and creates a safe and secure workplace culture where no one need panic in the face of adversity.

 

Article Credits : https://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2014/01/20/7-ways-leaders-maintain-their-composure-in-difficult-times/#ab9cc8a21573

Is Cashless BHIM Going Userless ?

Why government needs to focus more on BHIM?

It has been a year or so when India’s most aggressive and hyperactive anti-corruption act   – “DEMONETIZATION”. If someone plans to market this campaign then long ques in front of  ATM can be adjudged as its best describing logo.

Interestingly, India’s true  patriotic sense figured out that this Fintech startup tuned helper is backed by a Chinese behemoth Alibaba. Understanding this concern and avoiding any further uproar and backlash, government of India launched it very own payment platform BHIM ( Bharat Interface For Money). A simple and good initiative whereby allowing the customer to directly link their AADHAR linked bank account with the platform, thereby making the transaction seamless and accessible to all. But unfortunately, although being an easy alternative to private wallet players like Paytm, the platform is yet to takeoff it full flight. As per the latest data As of March 1, 2020, BHIM had recorded 47.65 million downloads on Android and 11.19 million on Apple iOS. This is way below the numbers achieved by Paytm which has been downloaded by almost 100 million+ users.

So why did BHIM failed to capture the traction it intended to achieve?

The answer lies in the marketing spend our Government has done in promoting the platform. Not much has been done to promote the application. Not just that even Private sector banks like Punjab National Bank and State Bank Of India launched their very own payment instruments rather than educating users to use BHIM app.

Secondly, Paytm succeeded because it brought in a simple transaction process, the QR code. GOI, with its initial intention to promote common QR codes for all the banks failed to chip them in among small merchants or shopkeepers.

Third, although being smooth, the application has reported a substantial failed transactions which have irritated the Indian Audience which is hyper volatile in terms of the money lost in transaction.

So where is the solution?

Addressing issues like transaction failure and working on a low latency model ( server side) would make the entire transaction process smooth which would lead to an increase in the increase in the usage of the app. Secondly, GOI should take some serious initiative to encourage the rural audience to use the same for peer to peer transactions. India story is a hard core rural story with more than 66.86% population living in villages. No govt scheme can survive unless it gains a massive traction for this audience. Government can disburse subsidies, offer cash back using the platform thereby making it attractive of the rural population.

Rotten Carrot!

So after a well rested, well spent long weekend we switch on our idiot box to witness one of the most anticipated discovery in the India crime history. Baba Ram Rahim’s favorite angel, perceived mistress and one of the finest, highly talented wannabe bollywood actress was unearth by a journalist from India’s No.1 news channel. Her constant wail, her deep depressed eyes, her shining sweet cheeks gave us the impression as to how hard it was for her to survive the tiring times of her life. What a sad story to share and watch, an innocent girl has just lost her GOD father in the hands of a

With our country’s economy taking a downward spiral, we have all the time and energy to worry and think about Papa’s angel. Shame on those who objectify and project these ‘innocent law inciting citizens’ and run their useless and shameless stories.

With the attitude of Jo Dikhta hai wo bikta hai, they are not just selling these slezious and scandalous stories, these guys are selling the soul of the tax payers prime time. Nobody is interested in the money the Baba made, no one cared about the ministers and missionaries participated in the Baba funding, all what is concerned is the heroic Baba’s bedroom tales with his favorite angel. Add to that the uninspiring , romantically aroused story of her ex husband Mr Vishwas Gupta. His one minute of fame story has catapulted our imaginations as to what happened in the pious Gufa of the universe.

With the economy taking a downward spiral it is oblivious that our not so politically correct but  Apolitical news TV channel will run these stories to put a burqa on our financial conditions. Who is sponsoring, what is sponsoring, is a question which we need to think upon. Till then we should be happy eating our delicious prime time stale Gajar Ka Halwa using these rotten carrots.

True Death of a False Democracy

Gauri Lakshmi assassinated!! What strikes you the most when you hear these words is how vulnerable our society has become. Living in a tolerant country, how intolerance has brought us on the brink of societal  collapse. What amazes the most, is the fact that she was a right wing activist against the hard core Hindu hardliners who have taken upon themselves to  promote crony nationalism and religion. It proves that our society has multiple enemies within and our country’s focus should now change to ‘ache mann’ from ‘ache din’. With PM Modi choosing to remain quite, it was  upon our leader of opposition to voice his opinion on the brutual murder of democracy. Our politicians need to understand that issue like gau raksha , love Jihad has towed down the image of the largest democracy of the world. It’s high time that people who matter, take charge  our else our society would exhume under the burns and burden of religionism.  With incident like these, Brand India takes a hit and programs like Strat up India , Make in India start to loose their steam.

Weak opposition also plays a critial part here as it tells us the importance of stong opposing voice which should be heard at trying time like these. It’s time for an introspection for both the ruler and the prince before it becomes too late to cap the situation. With the expansion of Hindu hardliner base across the country, the present government should take a note of what our society is going through and why it is important for them to take charge right now.

Why we need Godman to reach our GOD ?

Recent hackles between Baba Ram Rahim and Haryana police brings a burning question back to the burner. Why do we need Godmans to reach our GOD ? The answer lies in the plight of a nation which even after being Independent for 70 years still considers vote bank as its basic bread and butter. As a country we are held hostage by Babas and Netas  whom we need to show us light at the end of the tunnel. As rightly put by a prominent left wing Journo, Our country doesn’t lack leadership it lacks people who have any intent to lead. With more than 35 people killed and millions of rupees  burned down the aile, we should or rather our numero uno leadership should introspect as to where this country is heading 21st century to 1st century ? The question here is not mindset but a basic philosophy of whom to follow and why to follow. As rightly put by Swami Vivekananda, one should not be a blind follower to person who himself is blind. People die, property is burned, the economy takes a dent but the system tends to remain the same. We should follow our heart, yes we should but how far should one go to prove his loyalty to someone who in spite of being married, have kids, is running a business is called a saint. Is this the actual definition of sainthood ??

Our propensity to God men gets a positive nod when we see elected leadership from our community bends his knees to get that much needed blessing from the Baba in his kutiya or ‘Gufa’ as rightly said in this case. Shouldn’t the minister be charged to create a negative example in front of people who consider them as leader. The cult that we allow to exist in our society whether in the form of  a neta or a abhineta or even a baba bites us one the back but we refuse to learn our lessons.

What is more unfortunate is the fact that the same leadership which was unable to control the baba and his so called loyal disciples, gifted the same 51 lakhs  on his birthday. The source of fund , well there is a ‘well’ full  of  tax payers blood and sweat . As country of billion people, it is of high surprise that we still keep our  eyes shut on these gifts while crying for those babies who died due to lack of funds to give them medical oxygen. What is more interesting to see that ‘ache din aane wale hai’ sarkar forgot to prepare for ‘bure din’ even when the date for verdict was well planned and informed. This was not the fist instance that a baba was convicted of rape. We allow these Babas to lead our life and we find solace in them in spite of the crimes they commit.  After all we all are puppets, weak enough to not to take any responsibility of our actions and behavior.

To sum it all life would go one so would the Dera cult, News guys will make money, Babas will get audience to the tamasha they have created and the middleclass man would keep dreaming about the days when his prayers will be answered and his miseries would end. Had our government rather than giving chanda to these baba, used that funds to create rehab centers and employment for the people who follow these baba(s), they wouldn’t have reached a situation they are in now !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Improve your job chances with these easy steps.

You’ve done considerable proofreading of your resume and added polish to your LinkedIn profile. But you’re still not getting enough call backs from the prospective employers you’ve applied to. To gain edge in today’s job market, it’s no longer enough to sit behind a screen making connections on LinkedIn. You’ve got to be creative, trying new ways connect with decision potential employers.With automated applicant tracking systems in such wide use, how you can bypass computers and connect with hiring managers we tell you –

• Go Online– Thefirst step to making professional connections online is using career-centric social media sites like LinkedIn. Apart from crafting an attention grabbing profile, you should foster on a variety of web-based relationships. Now a days Twitter is also praised by companies as the insider’s way to get your foot in the door at a company. Do some research on companies you want to work for.
• Connect with alumni and former colleagues – As you build connection inroads to a target company, try messaging those contacts who have already worked in the company to find out more about the company. Once you identify one or more alumni or colleague, build connections with them you’d be surprised how willing they are to lend you a hand. While alumni can tell you about insights of the company, previous colleagues have seen you before and know the value you can bring to the company. They can serve as your best help option when searching for a full-time job.
• Commit to follow up – Do not call every day to check on your candidature and become a burden. Recruiters and hiring managers have busy schedules, but they do take note of the individuals that are judicious in pursuing employment at their company. A friendly email or voicemail is good to keep your name in their minds when they are considering who to hire for the open position.
• Work part time – You can take up a part time job, this sure does adds to your resume and even increase your chances of landing a full-time position. You can put your knowledge to the test and enhance your skills.

Improve your memory in 10 easy steps

Maximum students often have trouble in recalling what they have studied just before an exam. Such a situation leaves them anxious and they are not able to perform well at their exams. Below we list best study hacks to help your brain remember information easier and quicker and eventually help you do better in your exams.

• Don’t just read but speak – Read your study material loud. Research suggests that you are 50% more likely to remember something if you speak it out loud instead of simply reading it over and over. Read your text loud but just don’t do this in a library.

• Draw illustrations – If you find it difficult to remember a piece of information, try remembering it by drawing a flowchart or any other diagram, you will be able to understand it better and faster. This helps in producing a visual memory which can be easily recalled during exams.

• Generate mental associations – It is the easiest method to memorize information. It boosts creativity and intelligence. This method builds a mind map to connect different ideas with the help of visual impressions.

• Seize regular breaks – This is important, do not push yourself very hard on remembering topics. You need to take consistent breaks as your brain continuously runs while you study and takes up all your focus and concentration. This practice will assist your brain to grasp up more information. It boosts your motivation to study and keeps you focused while you learn. You can take a break for 45-50 minutes.

• Apt music – Everybody has a different taste and listening to certain type of music elevates your mood which can help in productive learning. Make your correct play list and relax.

• Practice is the key – The more you practice the more you learn. Practice previous year sample papers or various quizzes, it helps in training your brain to retrieve information.

• Walk it out – Exercising helps in boosting brain power and memory. Indulge in some mild physical activity, it will not only relieve you from stress but also help you in performing better. Sauntering before your exam is an activity which should consider taking up.

Future group may buy Aditya Birla’s Retail.

Yes you heard it right. Future group’s Owner Kishore Biyani is in advanced talk to buy Aditya Birla Group’s Retail arm Aditya Birla Retail. Future Group plans to consolidate its position in the supermarket brick and mortar business and this move would help him consolidate groups position.  According to top sources , the two groups got into a discussion last year but had to shelve off their plan due to some valuation issues. Both the groups have resumed their negotiation in this regard and are in final stage to crack the deal.  While the discussions are exploratory , Future group is doing a due diligence for a possible merger or acquisition.  If the deal materialize , this will be their fourth acquisition in last 5 years and would make them the leader in retail chain with Reliance Retail being their close competitor.

The Pole Position

Aditya Birla gourp is the fourth largest retail chain after Future group , Reliance retail and D Mart . The Aditya  Reatail group has more than 500 odd stores covering more than 2 million square feet of retail space .The group registered a gross revenue of Rs 2948 crores  in year 2014-15. The group is backed by High margin brands like Allen Solly and Van Heusen.

The Debt Burden

With the acquisition , group would increase its total debt from 4941 crore to a substantial amount as ARBL in itself have a total debt of 5232 crore in Fy 2014-15.

 

How to stay focused when you feel like giving up

We all have dreams and objectives and keep on working towards achieving them. In our lives, every one of us passes through a situation where we feel like giving up on those dreams and wishes. In such situations one must know that in most of the success stories perseverance is the key factor. You may find it difficult to struck to one task after repeated failures, but trust me, that is the time when you need to show your patience. If you pass through this difficult phase, the success will be all yours.  Below suggested are some cool mantras to let go off the failures and progress towards your dreams.

• Do not go by others success or failure story: When you hear of the success of others you may either feel inspired or dejected, and while it’s obviously more fruitful to look at other people achieving what you desire as motivation.

• Ability to keep working in the face of failure: don’t lose your zeal after a failure and keep moving on the road to achieve success. Remember Thomas Addison who failed about thousand times before inventing the light bulb but used to say that he discovered thousand formulas that did not work in order to keep him motivated. One must follow the strategy of this sort.

• Learn to say no: Keep aside the people, who do not want to be a part of your dream. Such individuals bring negativity and distract you from your goals.

• Avoid Excuses and to blame others: Do not give excuses to yourself or to others. Try to get into the detail of the reasons behind the failure. Analyze them and move on.

• Do not be in a hurry:- Haste makes waste. Take your time and do not rush. If you fail then take a break, Have your quality time and make new strategies by finding out the reasons for your failures.

• Be positive and keep your mind alert:- Positivism is a key to success. Positivism attracts good energy and thoughts which keep you going.

So do not be disappointed by failures. They are just another step on to the ladder of success. Keep moving and success will all be yours

Do you hate your job ?

There are times when you feel like no more doing your current job. It can be due to many reasons such as if the work does not please you anymore or your boss is unappreciative of your contribution to the office work. These things are of common occurrence for most of us. If you have started a feeling of boredom with your current job, you must begin searching a suitable work opportunity on time so that you are not rendered unemployed at any point of time. Here is a four point strategy which help you to undergo transition from one job to another without causing any work related stress.

• Find out the reason for your disinterest:- you must be clear of the reason for not loving your job. If the area of work and profile does not suit you, you must make yourself clear about what you want about the new job to be like. Otherwise, the new job will not satisfy you and you will again be in the same situation.
• Think of Salary and your needs :- Changing a job does not come easy and may take some time. Till the time you get a new job, try to take interest in your present job. If  nothing seems interesting, think of your need for a job and the bucks you earn in return. Mind it, money is the driving force these days, never run yourself out of money.
• Do not worry about things you cannot change:- If you find your boss to be bossy all the time and unappreciative of your contribution, do not make it a reason for leaving for your job since the problem may not get solved by changing your job. It is you who has to learn to deal with different temperaments.

Search a job based on your interest:- Try to find out a job profile which is full of activities that complement your hobbies and interests. This way you ll never lose interest in a job.

If you do not enjoy your work, life will be dull! So search a job that brings cheers to you.