Conflicts at the workplace are often attributed to “personality differences”. Probe a little more and you get “personality weaknesses” that accompany “personality strengths.” So, when deploying your people, it is “wise” to deploy them according to complementary “personality strengths” in order to compensate for “personality weaknesses.” How convenient. Take two aspirins and see me in […]
How important is networking to your business? To your career? Do you go to networking events? Do you still go to networking events? Do you network actively at events not specifically designed for networking? With whom do you network? How do you network? I hope you know the answers to all those questions, and that […]
The concept of “There is no second chance in life” appears to be quite deeply rooted in society. It is manifested in various ways. One of them was that if you as a young student went to one of Singapore’s Institutes Of Technical Education (ITE) then you’re done for. “It’s the end!” as some people […]
To be given a mandate is to be authorized to make decisions and take action in line with the intent of the authority giving the mandate. The nature of the mandate is very important. It needs to be clear, unambiguous and guided by universal principles. It needs to empower the one to whom it is […]
Excellence is really an everyday thing, just like being a champion is an everyday thing. I used to say “Don’t sweat the small stuff. Sweat the small stuff.” Now, in the interests of those who don’t appreciate verbal nuance, I say “Don’t sweat the small stuff. Do the small stuff”. Of course, what the phrases […]
We are enamoured of highly-sculpted bodies, rippling with high-definition muscle. Even couch potatoes secretly wish they could all be like that to some degree. We may not all want to have the huge muscle mass, but most, if not all of us, would certainly like a well-toned, fit and healthy look. We want to be […]
In yesterday’s post, I talked about being careful to empower only the right people. Enabling people is helping them in terms of ongoing character development. This is highly intensive, requires investing of your time and energy, and your attitude needs to be right. You empower people because you want to treat them well as people. […]
One of the buzzwords today is “empowerment.” We want our people to have greater autonomy, have more say in making decisions that affect the company and generally having higher stakes in the company’s future success. So, we get lots of advice about how to get out of the way, lead from the rear, let people […]
With apologies to Jane Austen. Consigning other people to hell as we define it, thinking less of them than we ought to, and thinking better of ourselves in the same manner, are all manifestations of pride, of prejudice, and ultimately, a sign of utter powerlessness. Contrary to popular misconception, power does not corrupt. Powerlessness corrupts. Power […]
In the previous post, I talked about Unconscious Power, which is one of the effects of having achieved Unconscious Competence in some area of endeavour or growth. Here, I discuss Conscious Authority. I once heard someone describe power and authority like this, “Football players have power. The referee has authority.” I thought it was a […]
One of the effects of Unconscious Competence is Unconscious Power. Power is the ability to do work, to get things done, to influence people to live at a higher level of consciousness. From that point, your Unconscious Power and Influence can help people into living at higher levels of unconsciousness. I once learned to operate […]
Sure. Like, how can you be prepared for things you don’t even know will happen yet? How can you be prepared for eventualities that you still have no clue about? Exactly. If you have read the original “Scouting for Boys” by Robert Baden-Powell, you would probably be able to answer that question. Since all of us […]
In a time when even the written word can be made to be untrustworthy, the spoken word which goes forth from our mouths tends to be undervalued, despised and ignored. How sad. How much more worry and anxiety trying to ensure that reams of “legalease” are drafted in order to protect our own interests. How […]
By the time we become seasoned drivers of motor vehicles, we have reached the stage of unconscious competence. A few of us might proceed to stunt driving and find ourselves back at the conscious incompetence stage all over again. Those who persist and survive go on to conscious competence. If they persist some more, they […]
They’re possibilities. Expressions of possibilities, to be exact. When will we stop thinking about our preferences as limitations? Yes, we all have basic preferences, as we are all designed differently, and our different preferences, tastes and inclinations make up for a very interesting and diverse mix. We all have preferences when it comes to clothing, […]
Not what you think. I’m talking about the Grunt, the Digger, the Mudfoot, the Worker, the Labourer, the Crane Operator, the Front Line Salesperson, the Telephone operator, the Chef, the Waiter, the Bus Driver, the Deliveryman, the Farmer, the Fishmonger, the Toilet Cleaner, the Maintenance Crew, the Security Guards. Amongst others. Know any of them? […]
Yes, they do. They start off unplanned. Nobody sets out to build empires, they just happen. The better emperors remain longer than others simply because they know about human nature. They know that humans all have a will to dominate, one way or another, and so they play with this and other characteristics to “destabilize […]
I came across Seth Godin’s post about “Emotional Handwashing” a couple of days ago and it reminded me immediately of the quality of Self Control. Much of the hype about “Be Yourself” is really incontinence that has been given a twisted sort of carte blanche for its expression. “No Fear” is really a manifestation of […]
That language known as English is just, well, quirky. If a judge is unjust, the result is injustice. If the judge is just, then whoever deserves it would be getting his just deserts. When you think of the words “just” or “justice”, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Do the words […]
There are many analogies we could use in life. One is that of using thermals to soar above the madding morass of the unnatural state of things we call common. Another is a sense of hard work, labouring, being determined, pushing endurance to the limits, until breakthrough is achieved. There is a danger of overusing […]
Choices, choices, choices. Some we love to have, others we wish we didn’t have to make. Life is full of them. This or that. Now or later. Cake or cookies. Us or them. Innovate or optimize. Profit or value. Lead or follow. (Or get out of the way). The list goes on. In the previous […]
No one doubts the necessity of research, testing and experimentation. The reliability and validity of hypotheses, assumptions, long-standing ideas, and even some so-called “facts” need to be tried time and again to ascertain their veracity. This is particularly so when worldviews expand and frameworks grow to encompass more and more of the known universe. Yes, […]
All of us want the best for ourselves. We want the best for our people. We want to leave a legacy that says we did our utmost, we were great guys, we were the most inspiring influence for future generations. We want our people to remember that we gave them the most benefits, the highest-value remuneration packages, […]
Refers to the pursuit of being The Hub of All Spheres. It’s good to aspire to be a hub, a centre of excellence, quality, research, resources, craftsmanship, production and so on. The real question is “Why?” Why do you wish to be a Medical Hub? A Conventions Hub? A Life Sciences Hub? Is it because […]
Ah, the domain of the sacrosanct, because it is OUR private life! Nothing to do with the entities we happen to helm, because it is OUR private life! In this world, where the levels of fairness and justice can truly be said to be remarkable, NO ONE is entitled to have a private life. Only […]
Yes, you read “without”, not “within.” I have been told that one way of getting people interested in what goods and services you have to offer is to tell them all the great stuff they can have without the sweat, inconvenience, effort or similar sacrifice they don’t want to make. It facilitates living the Philosophy of […]
I suppose you know enough by now not to nod your head. To me, compromise is never good. This is because I sense that the word “compromise” seems to have more of the implication of “Cheating-On-My-PROMISE” than of the sense of “…to abide by an arbiter’s decision…” I would suggest that the following terms be […]
That is not an oxymoron. I happened to read Bob Sutton’s post on LinkedIn, about leaders needing to get out of the room, and was immediately reminded of another post I’d written, “Leaders Need To…Lead, Follow And GOOTW!” This then led me to think of the quote by Mary Anne Radmacher which I see quite often, […]
Yes, why indeed. I think most business people would say that networking activities and making new contacts would add to their top lines. So, of course, even as they try to narrow the field by looking for “qualified” contacts, the idea is to get to know as many people as you can, since you never […]
I have come to view “studies” that involve purely surveys of people’s opinions with a great deal of suspicion. Even those that purport to use experiments and trials ought to explain the basic premises that led to those experiments, and we as receivers of such information need to discern whether or not the bases upon […]
Yes it always will. One way or another. For where there is a WILL to love, there will always be a WAY. A parallel truth is what I have written about, which is that there ought not to be a dichotomy between character and competence. Competence is a subset of character. If you have good […]
As Week Six of 2014 opens, take a little time to reflect upon the mindsets that characterize you. What is your default mindset? Are you happy with it? Are there things which you’d like changed? Do you need to grow in certain aspects? Here are a few Magnificent Mindsets which I trust will be something you […]
Many people writing in the online literature seem to advocate that, in marketing and in negotiation, it is ok to lie in order to get the sale, or get the project or get the contract. They might not say it so explicitly, but things like “over-promising” so as to “get the sale” and then “worry […]
There seems to be a trend towards people gaining from “the wisdom of crowds” at the moment. While I certainly appreciate the advice and inputs of people who really care about me and about what I do and stand for, I am not too concerned about what the majority of people think or say. Many […]
I really miss when spades were called spades. Circumvention is, unfortunately, a skill which I think all of us wish secretly we could disinvent. If you’re a leader worth your salt, you’d know what I mean. If we paid each of our people what they are truly worth, the income of the rainmaker would not […]
You might be familiar with the saying “We don’t see things as they are. We see things as we are.” As leaders, we need to remember this for ourselves as well as for those around us, and lead accordingly. That saying is true, of course. Our mental and emotional states tend to dictate how we […]
The online etymology dictionary says that “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek enthousiasmos, or “divine inspiration”. Just as “encourage” has the meaning of “to put courage into”, so “enthusiasm” has the connotation of “to put God into”. Enthusiasm in certainly infectious, as anyone who has been around another person caught up in something he or she happens to be enthusiastic […]
If you happen to be from the Band of Brothers I used to work with, or if you happen to be in HR or equivalent, you might be familiar with the term “Currently Estimated Potential.” It is meant to be an assessment of how far an individual is likely to advance given his performance so […]
Before you throw that stone at me, answer this question: Would you like to keep cancer tissue in your body? Right, I didn’t think so either! Did you experience righteous indignation welling up inside of you when you saw the title of this post? Why? Do you subscribe to “Get the right people on the […]
We are all humans, and we all think that we deserve this, that and the other. We guard what we think are our rights jealously. We laud those who affirm our rights, and look with a jaundiced eye at those who emphasize the fact that we really should be happily busy with our responsibilities. Convenience […]
Knowledge. Understanding. Wisdom. Sagacity. Sophistication. Do those words describe you? Are there people upon whom you would pin those terms without hesitation? Practical leadership effectiveness is really all about, as the title says, “Understanding Wise Applications Of Knowledge.” It is what enables your strategy to be operationalized. It is what keeps your enterprise running profitably. […]
I am always amazed at the capacity people have for taking one aspect of what someone is saying and treating it as the entire message. I see this so often on social media that I actually dread participating in certain discussions! We have been told so often to speak up and make ourselves heard that […]
I might be attracting the ire of some people with this post, but that’s an occupational hazard. Mind you, I’ve had many pets over the years. Dogs, mostly, but also mynahs, rabbits, guinea pigs, white mice, budgerigars, tortoises, fish, spiders and others I shall not name for the sake of the queasy of stomach. Did […]
Aye, they do indeed. When you look at someone, whether that someone be man, woman or child, what do you look at first? Physical features? Clothing? Shoes? Watches? Pens? Do you look at them overall and form your first impressions? Who among you reading this looks at the person’s eyes first? The eyes have been […]
We are constantly bombarded by messages of all genres promising us success if we would change our thinking, take massive positive action, sign up for some talk or course, do things like rappel down the side of our office building, walk over hot coals, faithfully and diligently take our supplements, perform our exercises with great […]
Download the pdf. Hi, I’m Elijah Lim. Mirror, mirror, on the wall…who’s the best assessment of them all? Now, you will realize that there are many psychometric tools, there are many leadership assessments, personality tests, team assessments, you name it. Love them or hate them, one thing’s for certain – they’re here to stay, they’ve […]
There is a notion that seems to be rather ubiquitous. That notion is that personal values must be in alignment with organizational values or clashes between values may occur, resulting in impaired work performance. Excuse me. Saying something like that reminds me of what I read somewhere, Harvey MacKay, I think, which asks “Have you […]
Many of us are very action-oriented. We want to get things done right now. We want to be seen to be doing something. Doing something is better than doing nothing. And many of us like to quote General George Patton, “A good plan, vigorously executed right now, is far better than a perfect plan next […]
This is not a word-for-word transcript, but is the same in essence. Business Insider ran an article called “This Chart Shows The Relationship Between Hours Worked And Productivity” on 06 Oct 2013. It purports to show that productivity goes up when people spend less time at work. It’s probably so. I’m just not sure if […]
Semper moronis. No, you won’t find that in the Latin dictionary, I made it up. “Always moronic.” I was at a Roundtable for Customer Service yesterday. One of the observations shared was that people seem to trust their social media to the nth degree, going by the numbers. It seems that people are more likely […]
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