Professor M. S. Rao&#8217;s Vision 2030: One Million Global Leaders

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Global Leadership: Search For Similarities, Not Differences—Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—The Father of “Soft Leadership” & International Leadership Guru

The present world demands a unique leadership to tackle the challenges arising out of complexity and uncertainty globally. We can call it global leadership because the current globalization opened the floodgates of the economy by collapsing the borders and integrating the entire world.

Global leadership is the ability to unify all forces and factors under one platform to achieve global goals and objectives such as saving the environment, maintaining peace and security, and ensuring all-around prosperity for humankind. It calls for unique traits and qualities essential to molding global leaders. These leaders must be equipped with tools and techniques such as mindset, skill set, and toolset to name succinctly. Let us look at a few of these traits:

Global mindset: They need to think globally with a global mindset. They cannot just develop a global mindset by merely reading books. Books will help with theoretical inputs and equip them to have a fair idea about global leadership. What is required is to work in a cross-cultural ambiance to develop a global mindset and experience the challenges.

Cultural competency: Love your mother, but don’t hate others’ mother. You need to love your culture and respect others’ culture as well. The leaders need to learn and empathize with others and must be strong at both cultural competence and cultural flexibility which is possible only when they have cultural tolerance.

High internal locus of control: Global leaders must have a high internal locus of control where they must have the mental ability to pull the strings towards their goals. Usually, things don't go as scheduled. Things go out of control due to the forces and factors which are beyond human control. Besides, it is difficult to predict what happens next due to the rising complexity. Leaders with strong internal locus of control will be in a better position to take on global challenges.

Managing uncertainty and complexity: Learn to accept the reality that things are getting more uncertain and complex due to rapid changes in technology. It is tough to predict where the technology will take us to the next level. Therefore, leaders must be prepared mentally to face the challenges head-on. They should learn to live with uncertainty and complexity.

Change is constant: Global leaders must have the flexibility to change constantly with the changing conditions. What goes on well today may not go well tomorrow as the rules of the game are constantly redrawn. They should learn to reinvent themselves situational, socially, culturally, technologically, and politically to sail smoothly and successfully along with the global stream.

Knowledge workers: The leaders must be open to learning and development constantly. They should open up their minds and hearts to welcome all cultures and communities wholeheartedly without any prejudices. They must be specialized in a few areas to stay ahead of others and to stand out from the pack. Passion to learn and grow must be the slogan for these leaders. Above all, they should share their knowledge as knowledge grows when shared.

Appreciate similarities, not differences: It is rightly said, "Every country is our country because it is the country of our God." Leaders must be in a position to realize and respect cultural differences and similarities. They must have the ability to connect people culturally through a common thread by highlighting the similarities rather than by focusing on differences. It helps in binding and bonding mankind emotionally paving the way for common goals—global peace, prosperity, and ecology.

No one can become a global leader overnight. It is a step-by-step process where the leaders have to undergo the process by taking up assignments globally. They must understand cultural diversity and undergo diversity training periodically. They need to update themselves regularly by sharing their knowledge and by becoming knowledge leaders. Finally, leaders need to demonstrate more soft skills rather than hard skills to gain acceptance and evolve as global leaders.

Takeaway: Practice global leadership

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“Things You Don’t Know about Professor M. S. Rao” http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2015/10/things-you-dont-know-about-professor-m.html

Read my ‘Vision 2030 One Million Global Leaders’ URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html

Note: I had COVID. I had a brain hemorrhage. I was in bed for five months. My right hand is paralyzed. I am recovering. Thanks for understanding and empathy. https://youtu.be/BFJrSRLHPUk

Life is great!

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.

Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.-S.-Rao/e/B00MB63BKM

Vision 2030: https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormsrao

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/Professor-MS-Rao-451516514937414

See the Light in You: https://www.amazon.com/See-Light-You-Spiritual-Mindfulness/dp/1949003132

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Wednesday 3 July 2024

Solitude is the Key to Fortitude—The Father of “Soft Leadership” & International Leadership Guru

“We live in a very tense society. We are pulled apart... and we all need to learn how to pull ourselves together.... I think that at least part of the answer lies in solitude.” —Helen Hayes

Life is becoming more complex with the rapid changing technology. Stress levels among the people are rising at alarming rates with the rising aspirations and expectations of the people. Companies demand a lot from their employees to beat the stiff competition which is possible only by being innovative and creative in delivery of goods and services. In this process, employees undergo fatigue at the workplace resulting into higher stress levels. Employees also want to prove and survive themselves by going extra mile. It is in this context, solitude is the need of the hour to break stress, anxiety monotony and boredom.

What is Solitude?

“Inside myself is a place where I live all alone, and that's where I renew my springs that never dry up.” —Pearl Buck

People often confuse between solitude with loneliness. In fact, it is not so. Solitude is a state of being alone for a short-term where in there will not be any physical contact with others. It is like taking a break once in a week by totally avoiding the routine work. It is also like taking a short leave for vacation. As people go for fasting without taking food for giving rest to the internal system, people also go for solitude for giving rest to mind for sometime.

Loneliness versus Solitude

“We enter the world alone, we leave it alone.” —James Anthony Froude

Often loneliness and solitude are interchangeably used by people. However, there is a thin line separating these both. Loneliness is a negative state whereas solitude is a positive state. Solitude helps in engaging oneself internally with a healthy thought process as a companion. Loneliness reflects missing something in life. It represents isolation. Loneliness depletes mind and body while solitude restores. Loneliness is bitterness while solitude is sweetness. To put it succinctly, solitude is chosen while loneliness is imposed.

Merits of Solitude

“True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.” —William Penn

It is the best way to get to know about yourself.
It removes the clutter and purifies your mind thus enhancing your concentration.
It helps in beating stress levels.
It helps you dig deep within and brings out the best.
It helps in better self-awareness, self-control and self-discipline.
It helps in recouping the lost energies. Besides, it builds fresh energies, enhances creativity and innovation.
It helps in exploring yourself analytically thus improving your personality for all-round success.
It replenishes your energies and helps you move further and forward with confidence and optimism.

Solitude is Fortitude

“No man should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strength.” —Jack Kerouac

When you do routine things you get bored. Then, it is time to go for solitude for self-analysis and introspection. When you want to do things differently, it is time to go for solitude. People go to beaches and spend time in solitude in the sounds of sea waves as it provides solace and strengthens will-power.

History reveals that several great leaders preferred solitude whenever they were in distress. In the epic Mahabharat, at the fag end of Kurukshetra battle, Duryodana underwent inside the water to remain calm for sometime and also to take in fresh energies. It was a kind of solitude. Saints and sages go for solitude to search themselves internally. They go to a serene place and enjoy in a state of solitariness. Therefore, solitude is fortitude.

Conclusion

“Solitude shows us what should be; society shows us what we are.” —Robert Cecil

People should spend sometime in solitude everyday so as to stay healthy physically, mentally and spiritually. It should be treated as an investment and expense of time. Few companies provide sabbatical leave to their employees who work for some period. It helps them to unwind themselves and get back to work with recharged energies. To sum up, it is essential for individuals and institutions to go for solitude regularly keeping in view of the growing uncertainty and complexity due to rapid technology.

“The happiest of all lives is a busy solitude.” —Voltaire

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“Things You Don’t Know about Professor M. S. Rao” http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2015/10/things-you-dont-know-about-professor-m.html

Read my ‘Vision 2030 One Million Global Leaders’ URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html

Note: I had COVID. I had a brain hemorrhage. I was in bed for five months. My right hand is paralyzed. I am recovering. Thanks for understanding and empathy. https://youtu.be/BFJrSRLHPUk

Life is great!

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.

Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.-S.-Rao/e/B00MB63BKM

Vision 2030: https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormsrao

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/Professor-MS-Rao-451516514937414

See the Light in You: https://www.amazon.com/See-Light-You-Spiritual-Mindfulness/dp/1949003132

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Kindly share your thoughts and comments below, I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.

Elevating our Soft Skills

Tuesday 2 July 2024

Emphasize the 4Ps of Business Philosophy: Passion, Purpose, People, and Profit—The Father of “Soft Leadership” & International Leadership Guru

"Who are businesses really responsible to? Their customers? Shareholders? Employees? We would argue that it's none of the above. Fundamentally, businesses are responsible for their resource base. Without a healthy environment, there are no shareholders, no employees, no customers, and no business." —Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia

There is a myth that businesses are run basically about making profits. The truth is that businesses are run basically about adding value to customers and clients with an emphasis on ethics. When you look at entrepreneurs including Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk, started their businesses with fire in their bellies. They did not start businesses with the sole intention of making money. They wanted to impact and make a difference in society. For them, passion is more important than profit, purpose is more important than profit, and people are more important than profit. Steve Jobs was passionate about technology and founded Apple which changed the lives of people globally.

A Global Shift in the Business Philosophy

“The idea that business is about maximizing profits for shareholders is outdated and doesn’t work very well, as the recent global financial crisis has taught us. The 21st Century is one of ‘Managing for Stakeholders.’” —R. Edward Freeman, Father of The Stakeholder Approach

Previously the business philosophy was ‘customers first and employees second.’ Currently, the business philosophy is ‘employees first and customers second.’ In my award-winning book, 21 Success Sutras for CEOs, I implored business leaders to adopt the philosophy of ‘employees first, customers second, and shareholders third.’ When employees are respected, they are motivated leading to improved productivity and performance. They add value to the customers and clients leading to improved organizational bottom lines. Satisfied customers and clients bring more business to the organizations leading to improved shareholders’ value. This philosophy works well especially in the post-coronavirus world and in the future world. Therefore, organizations must consider adopting this business philosophy.

The ‘4 Ps’: Passion, Purpose, People, and Profit

"The future of business is not really just being able to make a living for people, and make more money, and go public, and all those kinds of things. But it's actually the possibility to make a difference in the world." —Eileen Fisher, Founder, and CEO of Eileen Fisher

Keep purpose as an end-product and profit as a byproduct to excel as an ethical and inspiring entrepreneur. When you keep purpose over profit, you succeed in the long term. When you keep profit over purpose, you succeed in the short-term but you are tempted to cut corners to survive in the business. With the changing times and technologies, it is ideal to shift the focus from profit to purpose and from profit to people. As individuals search for meaning, organizations must search for meaning by emphasizing passion over profit, purpose over profit, and people over profit. To summarize, keep passion over profit, keep purpose over profit, and people over profit to excel as successful entrepreneurs and make a positive impact in society.

Explore the Business Philosophy of ‘4 Ps’

"Passion is like the electricity in the car, but purpose is the direction that the car is driving. You need the passion. You need to be passionate about purpose, otherwise, the car won't get going. But you also need to know where you are going, and what you are trying to achieve." —Debbie Haski-Leventhal, Professor of Management and CSR

Money is finite while human resources are infinite. Elon Musk’s global wealth ranking fluctuates every day based on his decisions and comments on Bitcoin. When businesses are run by passion, purpose, people, and profit in the pecking order, they achieve short-term productivity and long-term performance. It is ideal to follow the 4Ps in the pecking order—passion, purpose, people, and profit to build a business world that is ethical, encouraging, and inspiring. To conclude, entrepreneurs must identify the biggest global challenges and explore solutions to resolve them with a business philosophy of 'passion first, purpose second, people third, and profit fourth' to build a better world.

"Don't start a business, start a crusade. Businesses fail. Businesses die. Businesses fade into oblivion. Revolutions never die. So start a revolution, not a business." —James Watt, Founder, and CEO of Brewdog

Share if you care!

“Things You Don’t Know about Professor M. S. Rao” http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2015/10/things-you-dont-know-about-professor-m.html

Read my ‘Vision 2030 One Million Global Leaders’ URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html

Note: I had COVID. I had a brain hemorrhage. I was in bed for five months. My right hand is paralyzed. I am recovering. Thanks for understanding and empathy. https://youtu.be/BFJrSRLHPUk

Life is great!

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.

Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.-S.-Rao/e/B00MB63BKM

Vision 2030: https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormsrao

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/Professor-MS-Rao-451516514937414

See the Light in You: https://www.amazon.com/See-Light-You-Spiritual-Mindfulness/dp/1949003132

Monday 1 July 2024

Be Aware, the Leaders of Red Oceans! It is Time to Shape Up or Ship Out—The Father of “Soft Leadership” & International Leadership Guru

Do you have any apprehension that your business will become obsolete? Do you think that you are in the rat race? Do you intend to do something different and be innovative? Do you like to stand out from the pack? Then the answer lies in three simple words, “Blue Ocean Strategy”.

The slogan sounds strange, right? It is very simple. It dwells at length about entering new domains and areas where there is no room for competition. The only thing it demands is your creativity and innovation. You need to do a lot of research first to find out the uncharted territories to pursue this strategy. It is always the trailblazers who stand out from the pack as they enter uncharted paths, touch, try, and test thus leaving a mark behind.

As we have Type A and Type B personality and Theory X and Theory Y categories, we also have two strategies—the Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS) and Red Ocean Strategy (ROS). As people are different in their styles and temperaments as per Type A and Type B and Theory X and Theory Y, the business leaders and entrepreneurs are also different like BOS and ROS.

What are BOS and ROS?

‘Blue Ocean Strategy’ is a book written by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne where it outlines the strategies to create new markets and products free from competition. It speaks about unconventional methods of building profitable businesses, products, and services. On the contrary, the 'Red Ocean Strategy' focuses on the conventional means of building business and beating competition. It is like getting into the rat race.

In ROS the companies endeavor to grab the share of others unlike in BOS where the companies innovate and create new spaces and places for promoting their businesses. In ROS, it is a 'dog eats dog' world with meager profits. It is more of high high-volume and low-margin business. In contrast, the BOS is more of a low-volume but high-margin business.

In BOS the companies enter into non-existing areas and establish themselves. They enjoy huge profits as there will be none to compete with them. The moment others enter their territory they smartly exit to other orbits and create space for themselves. These companies often bank on knowledge workers who remain the backbone of BOS.

ROS versus BOS

It is all about niche strategy. ROS focuses on the existing market and potential. It calls for innovative strategies to grab the existing market share of others. Sometimes it innovates within a narrow range in the same stream. However, BOS focuses altogether on different strategies of venturing into untrodden paths to explore, establish, and exploit the market's products and services. In ROS there will be unhealthy competition among the enterprises and ultimately consumers will benefit from it. However, in BOS there will not be any competition and customers have to pay the premium amount as there are no competitors and no yardstick to measure the profitability of producers. Over some time the BOS may become ROS as companies imitate others easily.

Due to the growing services sectors and knowledge workers, there will be premium services with premium prices that may deliver premium results for everyone.

Fathoming the blue oceans is more difficult than red oceans where you need to tread untouched, untested, and untried waters. You need to dig deeper to find out what is new. It requires a lot of patience and perseverance. Sometimes you may not get immediate results. But the efforts are worth it when you innovate and achieve new.

BOS Leaders

Instead of competing with contracting markets, these leaders search for space to stand out with innovative products and features. They continuously encourage research and line up their new projects in the pipeline. They spend heavily on research and consultancy. They are different and bank on knowledge workers.

Currently, there is a financial downturn. Business leaders are beset with several challenges such as erosion of margins, sales and ultimately drop in share prices. Blue Ocean leaders can attend and address all these issues through BOS.

The current complexity uncertainty and cutthroat competition call for blue ocean leaders to take forward humanity successfully for better living and prosperity.

Recession and Red Oceans

Recession is a boon in disguise where the leaders of red oceans can reinvent themselves and evolve as leaders of blue oceans. Several companies sprang up during the great depression such as Wal-Mart. Similarly current recession will pave the way for shedding excess flab and innovating new avenues and areas for growth and prosperity. It is the time for leaders of red oceans to think out of the box and create and occupy space as the leaders of blue oceans.

Be aware, the leaders of red oceans! It is time to shape up or ship out. It is time to evolve as leaders of blue oceans or to sink into the red oceans of competition.

Conclusion

The book ‘Blue Ocean Strategy’ has redefined the concept of competition. It differentiated blue oceans from red oceans. It emphasizes value innovation for profitability and growth where it needs the support of knowledge workers coined by Peter Drucker.

Whether you are an entrepreneur leader or manager small businessperson or job seeker you must understand and appreciate Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS). It helps the employees convert into employers. It encourages you to dare and dream big like entrepreneurs.

Share if you care!

“Things You Don’t Know about Professor M. S. Rao” http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2015/10/things-you-dont-know-about-professor-m.html

Read my ‘Vision 2030 One Million Global Leaders’ URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html

Note: I had COVID. I had a brain hemorrhage. I was in bed for five months. My right hand is paralyzed. I am recovering. Thanks for understanding and empathy. https://youtu.be/BFJrSRLHPUk

Life is great!

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.

Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.-S.-Rao/e/B00MB63BKM

Vision 2030: https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormsrao