16 Easy Steps to Grow as a Person and as a Leader.

Sriram Balasubramanian
Global Chief Operating Officer

Let me share with you my Sweet 16 Easy Steps to Grow as a Person and as a Leader.

Step 1 “Focus, Focus, Focus”

Bill Gates has said “My success, part of it certainly, is that I have focused in on a few
things.” Alexander Graham Bell has said: “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The
sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.” “A business leader has to keep the organization focused
on the mission” comes from Meg Whitman, President and CEO of Hewlett Packard. Bruce Lee, puts
it this way “The successful warrior is the average man with laser-like focus”.

Step 2 “If you are not innovating and moving ahead, you are falling behind."
“The question is not whether we are able to change but whether we are changing fast enough” - Angela
Merkel, German Chancellor. “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have told me a
faster horse” said Henry Ford. This thought is nothing new. Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius said
“Nothing useful can be accomplished without change.” Former US President, Abraham Lincoln
observed “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”

Step 3 “Listen More, Talk Less."

Indra Nooyi, Pepsi CEO, confirms “Listening to other people really makes a difference.” David Novak,
Former Yum! Brands CEO tells us to “get inside the minds of those you deal with. Understand how
they think and why. Everyone I meet knows something I don’t.”

Step 4 “Attract the best people."

“Employees are a company's greatest asset - they're your competitive advantage. You want to attract
and retain the best. An important mark of a good leader is to know that you don’t know it all”, according
to Anne Mulcahy, Former Chairperson and CEO of Xerox.
Step 5 “Demand intelligence, judgment and values.”
None other than Warren Buffett is clear that you “hire integrity and intelligence”. You can train almost
anyone in the basic fundamentals of a specific job, but it’s a lot harder to train someone to have
intelligence, integrity, judgment, energy, balance and the drive to get things done. This is important
because as Henry David Thoreau, renowned poet and philosopher, has phrased it “Always you have
to contend with the stupidity of men.” Similarly, Albert Einstein has said, “Two things are infinite: the
universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”

Step 6 “Simplify."
Steve Jobs’ mantra is “focus and simplicity” saying “Simple can be harder than complex: You have to
work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get
there, you can move mountains.”

Step 7 “Be proactive.”

Benjamin Franklin believed “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” “Be active, not passive in
the pursuit of your goal. Do not let a day go by without taking at least one step forward” – Thomas Alva
Edison.

Step 8 “Let the situation dictate the approach that best accomplishes the end goal."
General George Washington and later the first President of the United States was known as a great
general for his ability to identify the situation and respond accordingly. Several times when faced with
situations that did not allow for normal military actions to have a reasonable chance for success, he
improvised to save the Continental Army and to fight another day arguably allowing the ultimate
formation of the United States. World War II hero, George Patton, put it this way “Never tell people
how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”

Step 9 “You can’t please everyone.”

Herbert B. Swope, three-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for reporting says, “I cannot give you the
formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure: which is try to please everybody.”

Step 10 “Leadership is not impersonal.”

Mahatma Gandhi lived by the adage “Your ability is secondary; it’s your heart that matters the
most”. Dr. John C. Maxwell, international speaker and author who has sold more than 16 Million books
on personal growth and leadership puts it this way “People don’t care how much you know until they
know how much you care.”

Step 11 "Never neglect details."

“Never neglect details. When everyone's mind is dulled or distracted the leader must be doubly
vigilant” explains Colin Powell, Former US Secretary of State and retired four-star general.
Step 12 “Lack of a decision can be worse than a wrong decision."
Former Prime Minister of Britain Margaret Thatcher was known for her decisiveness in times of
crisis. She was called the “Iron Lady” in recognition of her willingness to take positions and make
decisions. There is also the Chinese proverb “Man who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the
man doing it.”

Step 13 “Empower your people.”

Lao Tzu, Founder of Taoism and an ancient Chinese philosopher, illuminates this step by observing
“When the best leader’s work is done, the people say ‘We did it ourselves”. Robert Greenleaf, Founder
of the Servant Leadership, puts it this way “The best leader always demands excellence but only after
putting her/his people first, setting a clear vision for them and providing a supporting environment
designed to help them reach their potential.”

Step 14 “Be a passionate optimistic.”

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”
- Winston Churchill.

Step 15 “If your employees are not bringing you their problems, you are not their leader."
Aristotle – “Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily, even if you had no title or
position.” You do not lead by hitting people over the head – that’s assault, not leadership” notes Dwight
D. Eisenhower, Former US President.

Step 16 "Have fun."

“People are more productive and engaged when they have fun both on the job and at home.” - Sriram

Maintaining a good work ethics with your peers for the enhancement of the
performance levels of the staff and being equipoised with the Senior Management
will always ready to bank upon customer needs and satisfaction with high value
Workmanship of working professional leads personal development to Corporate
Leader in dizzy heights!!!!!!!