Scale-up with PK!

CEOs and Founders often reach a stage in their journey where their Leadership Impact seemingly begins to flatten out. The big leaps they made earlier start to wither down. At this level, their leadership impact doesn’t grow by working any harder, but by leading differently; that is by addressing the nuances, the subtler aspects of leadership - in other words, by elevating their Leadership Presence!

Leaders with heightened Leadership Presence generate significant Leadership Impact. They inspire people, influence stakeholders, and grow their Business manifold, creating Positive Outcomes for Themselves, Their People, and the Society at large.

Enhancing Leadership Presence create disproportionate increase in their Leadership Impact.

One aspect of elevated Leadership Presence is the ability to influence people and outcomes beyond what is conferred by formal authority. Leaders influence team members and stake holders that secures commitment than compliance.

Leadership Presence of Great Leaders is felt even in their absence.

Also Leaders with Leadership Presence look calm, composed, and involved. They exude warmth and appear inclusive and approachable. They listen, communicate with clarity, brevity, and respect. They simplify things. They appear open, curious, and display a higher sense of emotional awareness.

Leadership Presence is not necessarily something we are born with; it’s something we learn, it’s something we develop.

The good news is that we can learn, build, enhance and strengthen our Leadership Presence. And thereby our leadership Impact.

A Coach could help leaders enhance their leadership presence.

My name is PK Narayanan

Wishing you the best!

High-impact leadership requires a CEO to think differently, mastering different modes of thinking such as Critical thinking, lateral thinking, strategic thinking and so on - and importantly knowing when to use what!

For example Critical thinking is about evaluating data, challenging assumptions, and separating signal from noise. Critical thinking is useful when teams disagree on a solution or traditional approaches are not working, or even asking is this relevant, or what is missing here.

Lateral thinking is about creativity - allowing one to step outside linear logic, challenging legacy assumptions, even sounding irrational at first, and seeing possibilities that others miss. This comes handy for facilitating innovation, reframing constraints, or creating breakthrough solutions.

Strategic thinking on the other hand is about the direction, the long-term aspects, the larger perspective. It involves zooming out, seeing patterns over time, making conscious trade-offs and connecting today’s choices to tomorrow’s outcomes. It assumes significance while choosing which turf to play on, how to play, and making decisions that have long-term consequences.

Then there is Systems thinking - perhaps a bit underrated, yet quite powerful. It’s about seeing the inter-connectedness and inter-dependencies of factors involved in a problem or a given situation, and connecting the dots. It comes handy when identifying patterns, relationships and the dynamics that get played out amongst the variables.

High-impact Leadership is not about thinking harder. It’s not even about strengthening a particular mode of thinking - It’s about consciously choosing and applying the appropriate mode as needed.

My name is PK Narayanan

Wishing you the best!

For Leaders, Enhanced Leadership Presence means enhanced leadership impact – that enables them to inspire more, and exert influence beyond what’s conferred by formal authority.

One could build and enhance one’s Leadership Presence. Being Present, Being Open, Curious, Listening actively, Simplifying things, heightened emotional intelligence, walking the talk, Being Resolute and Resilient contribute to building and enhancing one’s Leadership Presence.

Leaders with Leadership Presence are decisive and take decisions in-time. A recent survey found, among the CEOs fired over issues related to decision making, only a third lost their jobs due to bad decisions; the rest were ousted for being indecisive.

Leaders with Leadership Presence get their priorities right. Getting the priorities right requires a Leader to simplify, chase clarity, and draw insights that are relevant. Here, deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.

Being curious, being open is considered one of the most desired leadership attributes of current times. Invariably this leads to eliciting diverse, complex, conflicting views and information. This calls for leaders to enhance their perception, and being able to interpret what they see and hear without any bias or prejudices - and draw relevant insights.

Leadership Presence is the hallmark of successful leaders. The good news is that we can build our Leadership Presence. We can enhance our Leadership Presence.

Am I creating the leadership impact that I can?

My name is PK Narayanan

Wishing you the best!

Thank you

As a CEO Coach, at times I get asked Why CEOs need a Coach, And how the CEOs and Founders could make use of support from a CEO Coach.

Being a CEO is a solitary space - CEOs and Founders feel lonely at the top! Rarely do they get to share their deeper thoughts, feelings and fears with someone; seldom they get a chance to express their original thoughts, out-of-the-box ideas, with anyone. Rarely they discover their blind-spots, their limiting beliefs.

At the same time, they are faced with multiple challenges on a daily basis - on varied fronts, of different types and sizes.

Trainings, peer network, books and periodicals may help the CEO understand different perspectives to some extent; but fail to address their specific concerns and the real causes on a long term basis.

The aspects that the CEO or a Founder is grappling with are often not related to any particular competency or technical skill, rather it’s one of unpacking complexity, gaining more visibility, gaining clarity, doing truthful reflections, becoming more aware and making conscious choices.

A CEO Coach comes handy here, becomes relevant in such contexts.

An experienced CEO Coach provides an environment for CEOs to explore, express, reflect, gauge, discuss, and debate their ideas, thoughts, challenges and fears. Coaching conversations are held at high levels of confidentiality.

Working with a CEO Coach, CEOs are able to:

-       Unpack their complexities

-       Explore their original thoughts without inhibitions

-       reflect themselves, it’s like looking at the mirror

-       bounce-off ideas, possibilities, without fear of being judged

-       gain clarity in their thoughts

-       re-frame what they see as challenges

-       uncover their blind spots, their limiting beliefs

-       shift their thought patterns, at times even the realm of thinking.

-       see things as they are, not as what they think they are

-       move the coordinates from which they operate and get into a more resourceful state

I’ve witnessed CEOs and Founders upping their game significantly, moving into a different orbit altogether, and achieving outcomes that they considered impossible!

As a CEO, the question to ask is, Do I have a Coach?

My name is PK Narayanan

Wishing you the best!

Thank you

A significant part of having Leadership Presence is being present – in whole, in every moment, wherever we are, whatever we do.

‘Wherever you are, make sure you’re there’ said Dan Sullivan.

One could consciously work on being present. Presence means involvement. Presence means being conscious in the moment.

This morning I received a WhatsApp forward that talked about the context of a Pani Puri seller:

- 6 people standing, each on their 4th or 5th or 6th puri,

- Some already demanding a second plate

- Suddenly a new customer walks in, they don’t say ‘wait’, they just weave them seamlessly into the cycle.

- The seller remembers who is at which puri, keeps track of whose turn is next, (here different customers have different pace of consumption),

- Manages fresh plates, second plate, shared plates

- Customises the taste - extra teekha, extra meeta, no aloo, and so on…

- Balances chutneys so nothing runs out mid-cycle

- Manages stocks of ingredients on the go

- Handles payments - immediate, delayed, credits.

All of this is happening real time - with no Excel sheet, CRM, apps or team members.

What the seller has though is sheer presence. Absolute presence. Total involvement.

Presence, being present, is powerful - it enables us to be more, do more, influence more, and impact more.

Am I present?

My name is PK Narayanan

Wishing you the best, Thank you.

#ceo #scaleup #leadership #business

Great Leaders standout. They demonstrate leadership features that sets them apart. People get inspired by their thoughtsand their presence.

 What makes Great Leaders tick? Research shows there are a few traits that are in common amongst them. I am sharing 4 ofthem today.

1. Leadership Presence:

Being present is the first and foremost feature of a great Leader – being there wherever they are! In whole. They are willing to listen, they Communicate clearly, and they are open and curious. They simplify things. All of these adds to enhancing one’s Leadership Presence.

2. Clarity:

Great Leaders chase Clarity relentlessly. Clarity leads to insights that are relevant. Clarity improves the quality of decisions they take. Clarity brings the needed focus, and enhances the confidence levels of the Leader and their Teams. Seeing things as they are, not as what they think they are, helps improve Clarity.

3. Walking the talk:

Great Leaders walk the talk. They are authentic and trustworthy. They make conscious effort to practice what they preach. They lead by example. They assimilate heightened levels of emotional awareness.

4. Concern for Society:

Great Leaders genuinely care for the Society, Communities, and the Environment. They always tend to leave the worldin a better way than it was.

One may wonder whether these Leadership traits could be learned, developed, improved, enhanced? The answeris Yes!

 Aspiring Leaders could enhance their leadership impact by understanding the nuances, the subtle aspects that makes adisproportional impact in the way they are experienced by others. Leaders could also work with a Leadership Coach to develop, enhance their Leadership presence.

Leadership Coaching is fast becoming an effective tool for leaders to become the Leader that they want to be!

My name is PK NarayananWishing you the best, Thank you.

#ceo #scaleup #leadership #business

Managing one’s energy has assumed prominence in recent times, thanks to a few research findings, papers and books written on the topic. Studies show that effectively managing one’s energy leads to enhanced productivity, fulfilment and positive outcomes. The linkage, the inter-connectedness between the body, mind, emotions and energy is a long established aspect in Yogic sciences and practices.

Managing energy is important to enhance one’s Leadership Presence.

When energy levels are high, we focus better, think clearly, and do more. When the energy levels are low, we struggle to stay focused, feel fatigued and find it hard to think or do anything material.

While time appears linear and limited for everyone, energy seems non-linear, abundant and boundless, offering unlimited possibilities. In this context, managing one’s energy assumes greater importance, as compared to managing one’s time.

3 things contribute to managing one’s energy:

1. Cultivating awareness - of our energy levels, patterns, being conscious of internal and external factors that influence, impact our energy levels

2. Enhancing Discernment - making sound judgements with a keen sense of perception, shortlisting activities and tasks which are most important that deserve our energy, and prioritizing rest, wellness and rejuvenation.

3. Actioning Conscious Choices – that is, aligning tasks and activities with our energy rhythms, incorporating appropriate breaks and practices for mindfulness, maintaining physical, mental and emotional well-being.

Cultivating awareness, enhancing discernment, and actioning conscious choices are crucial for effectively managing one’s energy. It’s internal work.

Here are some questions to ponder over:

1. Are we paying enough attention to our energy patterns - aware of what energizes us, and monitor the energy fluctuations through the day?

2. Are we aware of our energy-draining activities - and whether they are essential or not.

3. Do we prioritise our rest and recovery - within the day, every few days, weeks and months?

4. Are we paying attention to our physical well-being - maintaining physical health and fitness?

5. Are we ensuring our emotional well-being - figuring out reflective practices to build balance, resilience and mindfulness?

Managing energy is important to enhance one’s Leadership Presence.

My name is PK Narayanan

Wishing you the best, Thank you.

Scaling-up the business is a dream of every Entrepreneur. Yet research shows only 4% of Business Owners are able to grow and scale-up their businesses.

Working with Entrepreneurs and Business owners for the last 22 plus years, supporting them scale-up their businesses, I have observed that Scaling-up is a possibility for every business - if we execute a winning strategy. Am sharing here the 4 steps involved in a successful scale up journey:

1. Setting the Direction - It’s about setting the compass; defining where to play - in terms of products / services, customer segment, price point, ticket size, Geography. And defining how to play - the differentiator, competitive advantage, answering why us, leading to clarity on direction, the road-map and milestones.

2. Facilitating Enablements - building necessary competencies and capabilities within the business, acquiring and building required talent, creating an organisation structure, an appropriate roles & responsibility structure that would support the journey, and provide clarity to the team.

3. Carrying out the Reviews - Setting up appropriate review systems within the business at frequent intervals at multiple levels to take stock of what’s happening and make course corrections as required pro-actively.

4. Maintaining Fitness - Avoiding fat in the belly, Creating and maintaining fitness amongst the people, the functions, the processes, thus avoiding accumulation of fat at wrong places and remaining healthy as a business.

Once we consciously plan and execute these steps, Scaleup happens!

Business Owners could create a support system around them to facilitate the Scale-up journey - including working with a Scaleup Coach and building the relevant Scaleup leadership skills with the help of a Scaleup Coach.

My name is PK Narayanan

Wishing you the best, Thank you.

#ceo #scaleup #business #leadership

Simplifying can be a game-changer.

For a leader, simplifying enhances their Leadership Presence, and thereby their leadership impact.

For a scaling-up business, simplifying is a necessity.

Simplifying can be practiced at different levels, rather at almost all levels.

For example, Simplifying the strategy provides clarity to the Teams. Simplifying the execution inspires action, inspires the teams to execute with enthusiasm, helps to execute faster and with excellence!

Simplifying communication delivers clarity to the audience.

It’s about embracing a Simplifying Mindset - that enables simplifying many aspects of Business and life.

One of the ways to get going is to think in terms of First Principles - getting the basics right before moving on, breaking things down to their elementary parts, and working forward from there.

Thinking First Principles often unravels complexity, and provides clarity on what to do and not to do and why. It even supports innovation at times, finding new and effective ways of doing things.

Another way is to minimalise things - cutting things down to their essence, rooting out extra steps, and doing only what’s truly needed.

This could be with respect to the product or services that we offer, processes we follow, the meetings, the reports, the reviews, the communication we do.

Simplifying is a game changer; Inspires Action. And enhances one’s Leadership Impact significantly!

My name is PK Narayanan

Wishing you the best, Thank you.

Recently a Business Leader asked me how’s it different to lead a Scaling up business vis-a-vis a normal growing business?

It’s like driving in a highway vis-a-vis driving within the city.

A moment of distraction can cause havoc in the highway for self and for others, whereas in the city one may manage to get away with a few dents and bruises. Scale-up requires increasedlevels of focus, attention, and ability to manage distractions.

A drive in the highway requires higher levels of preparation, at multiple levels – the vehicle readiness, robust mechanical condition, well-lubricated joints, proper fluid levels, ability torefuel. Scale-up requires adequate and thorough preparation at multiple levels. Whereas for a drive in the city, one may manage with lesser levels of such preparations.

A drive in the highway requires higher levels of planning, strategising in terms of route, food, stay, fuel, financesand such other requirements of self and fellow travellers. Scale-up requires higher levels of planning and strategising so that the odds for success is maximised. For a drive in the city one can get away with lesser levels of such planning.

If one gets stuck in the highway for whatever reason, help and rescue may be far and few; may take time. Scale-up requires safeguards and efforts to avoid getting stuck. In a city it’s easierto find help.

A drive in the highway moves one in to a whole new place – fellow travellers too. Scale-up takes the business and the people in to a whole new level – to a different orbit altogether. In a drive in the city, one doesn’t leave the city.

A drive in the highway results in higher fuel-burn per hour as you cover a lot more distance; consumes more fueltherefore. Scale-up consumes more energy, capital and resources.

A drive in the highway takes one through unfamiliar terrains, areas, new vistas, places, even different weather conditions.Scale-up takes one through different, unfamiliar territories, experiences, and changing conditions.

Highways are relatively less crowded. Scale-up businesses are fewer in number. Whereas City roads are crowded.

A drive in the highway often takes one out of their comfort zones, makes one adapt, adjust / re-adjust their needs,affairs, and responses. Scale-up moves people out of their comfort zones, makes them adapt and embrace the new.

Preparing and Leading a Scaling up Business – It’s different! Vastly different!

My name is PK NarayananWishing you the best, Thank you.