How to win people’s hearts and minds during a period of change in your company   The rise of Donald Trump as President-elect has caused a furore in the US and sent shock waves around the world. But many election commentators and celebrities have said they are not surprised by the outcome. They believe Trump delivered an important message to the people who needed to hear it, something ...

They say people don’t leave their companies, they leave their managers. If that is true it means employees leave their jobs because they feel let down by their managers. Team members are tricky assets to manage. Sometimes, someone may seem alright from the outside. But on the inside, they may be struggling with issues. And they may be finding it hard to communicate these issues with y...

The other day I went to a party where I met a lot of interesting though intimidating people. When asked about what they did, they invariably said at least three things.  “I am a writer, an actor, a wanderer and a romantic.” “I am the CEO of a start-up software company. I am also a theatre practitioner. I also run an NGO with my wife.” “I am part of an experimental learning organ...

We have all been in this situation. The shit has hit the fan. Our lives, personal and professional, are spiralling out of control. We feel little or no motivation to make it work. We may say that it is sudden and unfair. But sometimes, the truth is some of these incidents are predictable. We knew it was coming and either didn’t take note of it or didn’t take it seriously. All of a sud...

People are an important part of our lives. They broaden our minds, give us love and affection, and help us grow. But not everyone we meet is good for us. Some people seem to have little or no impact on our lives. And yet we continue to invest time in them. As a result, we veer away from our priorities. Why does this happen? It could be because we are lonely and crave attention. Or it cou...

I have been finding it hard to explain to my mother what a life coach and executive coach does. I told her as a life coach I help people achieve their potential. What does that mean, she asked me. I told her it means I help my clients do better than what they are doing currently. My mother thought about that. Then she said, ‘If someone is well settled, why would they need a c...

Does this sound familiar? You keep trying to make someone or an organization happy but you only become unhappy in the process. It happens to many of us. Why would we do this? There are some probable reasons: 1. You put their happiness over yours 2. You want to be liked 3. You are a people pleaser who doesn’t know how to say no 4. You cannot prioritize your needs over others ...

As a writer on Quora, I get asked the same question several times. How to stay motivated? How to sustain motivation when a setback makes you really upset? How to remain motivated when you are not in the best of spirits? How to remain motivated when you are a freelance consultant working from home? And have no company? I hate to see this but there is no magic wand to sol...

To successfully collaborate, change the story in your head In our last blog, we spoke about the need for more collaborative leadership in a world that’s getting more diverse and dynamic every day. We spoke about instilling the culture of collaborative leadership and decision-making through five actions:  Cooperative instead of autocratic Creative instead of rigid Reasonabl...

We live in a world that is getting more diverse and dynamic every day. Globalization has already created the free movement of goods, services, capital and people across borders. As a result it has revitalized economies, sparked innovations, and lifted millions out of poverty. Today globalization is itself changing: The sharing economy is opening the door on a whole new business model. Mi...