Your Leadership ‘Point of View’

 SCENARIO 1:

You are participating in an intense interview for a promotion or job scheduled after careful
review of your qualifications and work history on your resume. You are asked, “Just before
we wrap up this interview, is there anything you want us to keep in mind about you as we
consider your application for this leadership position?”. Most candidates remain silent at
this point and are simply relieved that the interview is over. What a chance wasted! What
would you say in the final two minutes to stand out among the other candidates? What will
distinguish you from other potential leaders in their eyes? Or, to put it another way, what
will set you apart?

In the final few minutes, I'll inquire about the learning and development opportunities
available for that organization's leadership position. I have a strong desire to study and am
enthusiastic about it. Continuous learning is the only way to improve our skills and stay in
a job in this day and age of fierce competition. Improving our skill sets will benefit both us
and the organisation as a whole. It will also demonstrate to the recruiter how eager I am to
join the company and develop my skill set there.

I'll also discuss how to inspire and keep staff that aren't monetarily motivated. Some
workers have a larger orbit. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, they are still in a
state of self-actualization. They are content because they do their jobs properly. They want
to see more creativity in the workplace to tackle difficulties. They seek to offer value to the
company's advantage. For them, monetary benefits are insufficient. Managers may find it
difficult to keep these sorts of individuals, therefore I'd like to address this during the
interview.

I'll also discuss the best strategies to retain and encourage team members who aren't driven
by monetary incentives with him. This specific question piques my attention. Some
workers have a larger orbit. They are still in a condition of self-actualization, according to
Maslow's hierarchy of needs. They like their jobs because they are good at them. They
desire innovation to tackle workplace challenges. They seek to benefit the company by
contributing value. For them, cash awards are insufficient. I'd want to discuss this during
the interview because keeping these sorts of employees can be tough for employers.
  SCENARIO 2:

You just found out this week that you've been hired or promoted from within to a
management position where you'll have to manage a seasoned group of people you've never
met. They view this team as having no knowledge of you as a leader (other than basic
resume background info from your introductory bio that has already been shared with
them). You have been asked to make your first official introduction to your new
subordinate team on Monday. What can you say as a new leader in the first two minutes to
grab their attention and motivate them to listen to you? You may need to discuss
operational issues with them in your first hour with them. In short, what can you say that
would make you stand out against any other candidate or as
someone people will want to follow? There may be operational issues you will need to
cover in the first hour with them, but what will you say in the first 2 minutes, as a new
leader, that will capture their attention and excite them to listen to you for the next 58
minutes?

I’m glad that you all came to listen to me today, and I’m going to promise that I will not
waste even a minute of you time. Before I begin today, I want to share a short story that
happened to me on the way here today. I met a bunch of college students, and learnt how
they would want their managers to be in future. Using the insights I gained, let me
introduce myself.

Hello, everyone. My name is Surya. I’m the new manager. In my 15 years of career I’ve learned
few things, sincerity, commitment, and open-mindedness are three crucial values I have held
holy in past teams I have managed. Sincerity for your organisation, fellow humans, and
yourself. Commitment to performing all of your obligations and committing to becoming a
better person tomorrow than you were today, as well as having a mind that is like a sponge,
easily absorbing ideas, and not being afraid to explore new possibilities.

I honestly feel the team should reflect transparency. When it comes to ideas, there should be no
boundary between team members and supervisors. I am open to any suggestion you have, no
matter how large or small. The same holds true for your thoughts. This team should not be
bound by restrictions; it is a free team. I even urge you to ask questions in order to pique your
interest. I also hope you will use your employment to upskill and reskill yourself.

I'd like to speak with each of you to learn about your perspectives and ideas for achieving the
goal. We'll work together to create a strategy that allows you to do your job as effectively as
possible.
Any discussion is welcome. I'm very happy to be here.