Leadership

Four Ways Anthropology Teaches Us to Become Leaders Worth Following

Premise I know that becoming and being a leader worth following is not simple. It is a complex endeavor, which requires us to sense the situation we are in and change our mindset accordingly. It also requires us to bring in skills from different fields if we really want to make the best of the situation we find ourselves in – making the most of the “RIGHT NOW” moment.  So, I want to look at different roles that we end up playing when we are being a leader worth following and also explore what we can learn from the real […]

Leadership

Should your Next Hire be Cultural Fit or Culturally Aligned

This was the topic of my recent conversation with Yuvan Gupta on our podcast – Culturally Speaking! Here are some of the key ideas we covered: What’s the Problem with “Cultural Fit”? Some companies say they want people who are a “culture fit.” What they often mean is:•⁠ ⁠Someone who will settle in quickly•⁠ ⁠Someone like everyone else in the team•⁠ ⁠And so can feel right at home and hence “hit the ground running” But this can lead to hiring people who all think the same way, which creates echo chambers—places where only similar ideas are shared, and new thinking […]

Leadership

The Power of Empty Spaces in Creating Breakthrough Success

This post is inspired by the post titled – God is in the Gaps on the Gapinvoid blog. The blog explores the Japanese concept of “Ma,” which emphasizes the significance of gaps, spaces, and pauses in art, music, and design, illustrating how absence can create meaning and beauty. It draws parallels between Eastern and Western philosophies, citing examples from Buddhism, Japanese calligraphy, Beethoven’s music, Hemingway’s writing, and Jony Ive’s minimalist design—showing that what is left unsaid or unfilled holds essential value. I believe that the same holds true in our lives as well. The empty spaces in our calendars when […]

Leadership

The Role of Language in Effective Leadership

In this video, I discuss how language plays a crucial role to be effective as a leader. I outline a three-step process that demonstrates the power of language: naming, framing, and taming. Naming The first step is to name a challenge, emotion, or goal. I believe you must be able to name something to truly understand and address it. By naming a situation, we can create a shared vocabulary for our teams to discuss it and gain a sense of control. Framing Framing is about understanding the context of a situation. I explain that framing allows us to turn any […]