Everyone has an inherent desire to feel recognised, competent, and accepted, and to be admired for their contributions. This is why it’s crucial to approach challenging feedback with careful consideration and sensitivity. I think when providing feedback, it's important to protect the "status-need" of your colleagues by directing your focus on the work or behaviour at hand, rather than making it personal. By critiquing the work and not the individual will help to engage your colleagues in a collaborative dialogue, encouraging the discovery of shared solutions which fosters a sense of partnership and teamwork.
Leading with wisdom
Average leaders are effective at accomplishing tasks, while exceptional leaders excel in establishing environments conducive to others' success. I think that average leaders focus on solving immediate issues, whereas exceptional leaders concentrate on fostering growth as they bear the responsibility of cultivating a culture that empowers individuals to contribute their best. It's amazing how productivity, morale, and mutual respect increase when team members hold each other in high regard, and this contributes to stronger interpersonal relationships. Wise leadership derives from the pursuit of diverse perspectives, embracing open listening without defensiveness, and leveraging knowledge for the collective benefit rather than personal gain. What type of leader are you?
Variety is the spice of life
I try to be tolerant with others and strict with myself!
This is what I expect of myself, and this is how I am wired, and this is how I operate best and then I’ll understand that other people are wired differently, they have different ways of living and different ways of being. My job is to figure out how to adapt myself to them instead of forcing them to be like me. It’s my objective in life to express virtues of acceptance and flexibility, meeting people exactly where they are. I think one should look for the good in people and do not try change people to make them just like yourself. Don’t write people off because they don’t reach the same high standards as yourself, lead by example with inspiration and discussions.
A process to understand
I recently discovered a beautiful Hebrew word, “kavod”, and it means honour and respect. Honour and respect are very important in any society but even more so in Middle Eastern societies. The Middle East is a place where people swear “on the honour of their mother” without thinking too much. Perhaps we should ask ourselves, “Is it kavod?” before everything we say, think, or do.
Most people don’t know the difference between coaching, mentoring, and training. Rather than having a one size fits all approach, I try to use self-discovery methods to enable the customer to see where they fit in. If you want your brand to stand out in these competitive, unstable times, you’ll want to shift from a product-based “what” brand to a mission-driven “why” business. Shifting your brand and business from “What” to “Why" will bring huge economic benefit and help you secure optimal customer preference and loyalty.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T
“Successful people work hard to earn respect, but they freely give it to every human being they come across. Showing respect, even to people who haven’t earned it earns you the respect of people who have.”
I travel light
I don’t think that complete objectivity is possible! That’s a massive statement, but in reality If I led a media channel, for example, even if I didn’t mean for it to, it would naturally reflect some of my passions. So, when you have similarly educated people with similar backgrounds running all of the main media institutions, even if they don’t intend it, the outcome will obviously be biased. This week’s UEFA EURO 2020 Semi-Final between England and Denmark showed the problems with nationalism and how it makes people delusional and ugly. It’s hard to get better until you become humble.
I think the beauty of an action comes not only from when it becomes a habit, but also from its sensitivity, consciousness, clarity of perception and accuracy of response. The older I get, the more I realise that I am not compelled by any conditioning or programming from my past experiences or from my culture. Jamaican parent, British societal values and Danish awakening has stamped everything on me, fortunately, I am now in a position where I no longer react on the basis of my upbringing. I have learned how to experience things fully, both good and bad experiences. How to learn from them and then drop them, and move on to the next moment, uninfluenced by the previous ones. I travel light as I am uninfluenced by labels and titles, I just treat people with respect.
Win, lose or draw
How many people do you know who are unaffected by praise or blame?We spend on much time reacting to labels, are own and others’. When you win, be kind and when you lose, be kind, most people learn these valuable lesson in kindergarten. I think that to completely disagree with someone and yet engage with them with respect and honesty, is a superpower. I have observed that smart people are not offended by the truth.
“We all need a personal mythology not because it tells us who we are but because it tells us who to aspire to be.”