Scale-up with PK!

As leaders we have different ways of looking at people when it comes to their roles and responsibilities — One way is to look at them based on what they’ve done so far. Another is to look at them based on what they’re capable of.

These two could be different — at times, vastly different.

The latter approach has helped me immensely over the years — even today it continues yielding highly positive outcomes!

When we are looking at people and their roles, what one has done so far is relatively easy to see, feel and figure out. A vast majority of decisions therefore are made on that basis. One can’t really find an issue with that approach though, as the leader weighs the risks, and knows that she is responsible for the decisions that they take.

Yet, from what I’ve seen and experienced, I need to share that when we enhance the frame of reference slightly wider, look at people more from what they’re capable of, the spectrum of possibilities enlarge significantly! It opens up whole new avenues and possibilities.

One may consider this to be an experiment — possibly it is; but, with high degrees of success stacked in its favour!

Extending it further, this needn’t be limited to people who’re internal — it could even be extended to people who’re external to the business. It works wonders.

Looking at people based on what they’re capable of, than what they’ve done so far — It’s a possibility that as leaders we could leverage!

My name is PK Narayanan, wishing you the best, Thank you!

When we get in to action, do we exercise enough diligence? Do we consciously resist the temptations to act in haste?

A professional photographer was told that a 2-seater plane would be waiting for him at noon at the local airport.

Arriving at the airport, he saw a 2-seater plane with its propellers on, warming-up just outside the hangar.

Greeting the pilot, he jumped-in with his bag, and said ‘Let’s go!’

The pilot took off. After a few minutes he requested the pilot - ‘Please fly low over the mountain’. The pilot asked ‘why?’. ‘So that I can take some good pictures’ he replied.

The pilot went silent for a moment - then retorted ‘So you are not my flying instructor?’.

While we get in to action, do we exercise adequate diligence?

My name is PK Narayanan, wishing you the best, Thank you

Today we are exposed to a lot of noise all around. As Leaders we know we need to differentiate and pick the signals by filtering out the noise.

How do we do that?

Once a farmer noticed after a day’s work at the barn that he has lost his wrist-watch. He was disturbed as it was a priced possession and had sentimental value.

He had stacked hay all that day. Therefore spent a lot of time searching for it among the hay, without any avail.

He returned home distressed and shared the misfortune with his family. His daughter playing around heard this conversation and left to the barn. She returned after 10 minutes with the watch!

The farmer was elated and surprised, asked her how she got it?

She said ‘All I did was to sit quietly on the ground and listen. After a while, in the silence, I heard the ticking noise of your watch, just searched that area, and got it!’

At times, should we reduce the noise and listen?

My name is PK Narayanan, wishing you the best, Thank you

Keeping focus is becoming increasingly challenging. We know our ability to focus on a goal or a task until it’s complete is critical for attaining desired outcomes.

In a world that is overflowing with distractions, notifications vying for our attention, how do we remain focused?

At one level, Focus is about managing distractions - When I manage my distractions, am able to focus better! As Steve Jobs once said,  Focus is not saying ‘Yes’ to one thing, it’s saying ‘No’ to hundred other things.

We might be seeing possibilities, opportunities and shiny objects floating around us all the time - in different types, shapes and sizes. Many of them might look tempting to go for. Saying yes to them may make us incredibly busy. Whether it would translate in to successful outcomes is the question.

If you want to persevere you need to pursue only the opportunities that move you the most, the possibilities that truly matters, and say no to the rest. It's difficult, but the results are worth it as Steve Jobs said on another occasion.

Focus - It’s about managing distractions. To enhance our ability to focus, we need to enhance our ability to manage our distractions.

When I manage my distractions, am able to focus better!

My name is PK Narayanan, wishing you the best, Thank you

Often we get troubled by the complexity of challenges we face; overwhelmed by the enormity, the size. Making us dumb-founded, shocked and feeling stuck; virtually making us incapable of taking any meaningful action.

Is there a practical way of handling challenges? Is there a constructive way of managing them?

River Ganga (Ganges) originates at the upper reaches of Himalayas at Gomukh - beyond Gangotri. What it sees all around is just tall mountains and tons of snow. Seemingly a challenging environment for flowing waters.

What it does there, is to find ways around the mountains. It doesn’t stay overwhelmed by the tall peaks and formidable mountains; neither it goes head-on to pulverize them. nor remains a high altitude lake. It just finds the ways around the challenges. Navigates its way around the peaks and ranges, reaching the plains, and then the sea, the destination. In the process becomes a source of life to countless flora, fauna and 500+ million people, bringing prosperity to many!

Does it hold some lessons for us?

Possibly yes - that we don’t necessarily need to face the challenges head-on. We can work our way around them!

We can think around the challenges, than thinking about them. We can work around the challenges than working on them.

The good news is that we can consciously practice this. When we do that, our focus, energy, and efforts shift to a constructive space, resulting in outcomes that are more meaningful. For all.

My name is PK Narayanan, wishing you the best, Thank you.

#ceo #leadership #scaleup

As leaders, do we assume things, and become unyielding with our ways? Especially as we acquire more experience, grow bigger, stronger?

A ship had been at sea in bad weather for days. As the visibility improved one night, Captain and crew were keeping an eye on all directions.

Suddenly the lookout sailor on the bridge called-out ‘I can see light far away’. The captain shouted back ‘Signal the other ship: We are on a collision course. Please you change your course 20 degrees’.

The signal that came back read ‘You are advised to change your course 20 degrees left’. The captain was beginning to get furious - he repeated to the crewman ‘Send him: This is the ship's Captain. Change your course 20 degrees immediately to avoid collision!’.

‘I'm a seaman second class’ came the reply - you change your course 20 degrees left immediately to avoid collision’. The captain became furious. He said to the signalman ‘This is a battleship, one of the largest at that. I demand that you immediately change your course!’

Then came the signal from the other - ‘This is a lighthouse! Your call’.

As leaders, do we assume things and become stubborn, unyielding with our ways?

My name is PK Narayanan, wishing you the best, Thank you

#ceo #leadership #scaleup

An elderly Cherokee was on a stroll with his grandson. He was narrating about the battle that goes on all the time inside - the battle between two ‘wolves’.

He said the Wolf No 1 consists of anger, envy, jealousy, regret, greed, arrogance, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority.

And the Wolf No 2, that consists of joy, gratitude, love, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion.

And he paused. The grandson was thinking deep inside and asked: ‘Which wolf wins?’

The Cherokee replied: ‘The one you feed’.

Which one am I feeding?

My name is PK Narayanan, wishing you the best, Thank you.

As leaders, while seeking solutions to an issue or taking decisions, do we manage to get inputs and insights from the people closest to the issue?

Often the best person to solve an issue or make an operational decision is the person closest to the issue.

This happened years back. A Soap factory was facing a peculiar challenge - Some customers were getting empty soap boxes at the retail. The issue was traced to the packing system that packed soap boxes at times, without a soap in it. As a result, the reputation was getting damaged badly.

A team of experts were formed immediately to go in to the issue and get a workable solution. After a few weeks of research, and considering multiple options, the team came up with a solution - of placing an advanced laser system that would scan every soap box for content before packing them in to larger box. And empty, defective boxes would be removed manually.

The solution was expensive, and needed stopping the conveyor every time a defective piece was found, slowing down the packing process.

Seeing all these commotions around, the floor-man manning the packing area approached the manager to check what’s going on. On getting to know the issue, he suggested that they keep a mini industrial fan facing the conveyor, which would blow away an empty box if any, on the conveyor.

When we look for solutions, when we take decisions, do we consult the people closest to the issue as well?

My name is PK Narayanan, wishing you the best, Thank you.

Probably not. Business Owners on a Scale-up journey get exposed to multiple risks. The best way is to manage them.

Business Owners on a Scale-up journey get exposed to multiple risks. Taking risks are part and parcel of Scaling-up.

As the saying goes, no risks, no returns. When one prepares to face the risks, it gets qualified as calculated risk, informed risk, measured risk, calibrated risk and so on…

Could one avoid risks? Probably not. Then, the next best way is to manage them. By preparing to face the risks, one could increase the stakes of managing them better.

It’s in preparing; it’s in perceiving, planning our preparedness; getting ready with mitigation measures; as meticulous as possible.

Is the fear of risk directly proportional to the level of risk? Not necessarily. That way, one doesn’t fear driving a car on a highway, yet fear a discussion that one needs to have with another! though the former has higher levels of risks in terms of accident / injury.

How do we prepare ourselves to face the risks? How do we know that we are prepared-enough?

Having presence, chasing clarity, simplifying things, brain-storming options, and increased levels of engagement with the stakeholders, might enhance the levels of preparedness.

And then, as Robin Sharma says— If we are not over-prepared, we are under-prepared — holds good with respect to taking and managing risks!

Business Owners on a Scale-up journey get exposed to multiple risks. The best way is to manage them.

My name is PK Narayanan, wishing you the best, Thank you.

Decision making is a significant aspect of leadership.

As a leader, one needs to take decisions, make choices frequently, on a variety of things.

One of the key factors influencing, impacting the effectiveness of decisions is timing - taking timely decisions; without delays.

While at that, having the required, relevant information is a key pre-requisite.

The pertinent question is, how much of it? How long do one wait to gather all the information that’s ‘felt’ needed?

‘Most decisions should probably be made with somewhere around 70 percent of the information you wish you had. If you wait for 90 percent, in most cases, you're probably being slow’ - said Jeff Bezos of Amazon.

Taking decisions with around 70% of the information that you wish you had - an ‘accelerated decision making’ practice - is about fast-pacing the decision making process. At the same time it’s not taking decisions in haste.

Decision making is a significant aspect of leadership. A well thought-out accelerated decision making practice can help fasten and fast-track our decision making process.

When practiced, this could lead to significant positive outcomes for the business.

What do you think? Please comment with your views and experiences.

My name is PK Narayanan, wishing you the best, Thank you.