Wednesday 24 February 2016

“How to Bridge the Gap between Leadership Theory and Practice?” ―Professor M.S.Rao



“He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards a ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast.” ― Leonardo da Vinci


On Feb 19, 2016, I travelled by flight to keynote leadership conference in Nagpur, India. The person who sat beside me asked about my profession. I informed that I am an executive coach, author and leadership keynote speaker. He curiously asked me how to bridge the gap between leadership theory and practice. Will books help readers grow as leaders? The question was quite interesting and I replied him as follows:

Books don’t groom readers as leaders but serve as guidelines to them by providing different perspectives to widen their mental horizons. They provide theoretical inputs to help readers understand the various aspects on the topic to equip with expertise and build confidence.  They provide knowledge from multiple perspectives as authors do intensive research before writing books. If the authors are from research background, they provide various aspects on leadership research with pros and cons to enable the readers to understand and apply. Since the readers may not have research mindset, time and resources, the books help them immensely. If the authors write books from practitioners’ perspective, they help readers understand various challenges in exploring the leadership concepts.  They make readers become better leaders as they serve as blueprints for them. Having theoretical knowledge helps minimize mistakes and maximize leadership effectiveness.

Nobody can become a crackshot unless they lose some ammunition. So real learning about leadership starts in practical life with trial and error methods. When readers apply theoretical aspects in real business environment, they understand what works and doesn’t work in their specific environment and industry. They accept and apply what is relevant and discard the rest. In this way, the readers can close the gap between theory and practice. When you look at leadership educators in various business schools, they refer various case studies share with students and discuss with them. They share the pros and cons of theoretical aspects that enable the students to understand and explore. After students enter into corporate world, they encounter the real challenges and adapt to the environment accordingly.

Leadership basically depends on theoretical inputs. Of course, the practitioners change their strategies at the ground level to suit their needs and expectations of the industry and stakeholders.  Hence, theory is the foundation to leadership which guides and grooms. Theory provides the principles and philosophies on leadership. It provides directions for the practitioners to move forward cautiously and carefully. Hence, theory cannot be ignored. At the same time, there must be changes at the practical front as challenges differ from industry to industry and leadership style differs from the personality of the leaders. Yogi Berra rightly remarked, “In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.”  Therefore, there is no quick fix formula to leadership learning. There is no one-size-fits-all-approach to leadership development. Leadership must be customized as per the situation, style of the leaders, environment and the industry.


Conclusion

To achieve leadership effectiveness, there must be symbiotic relationship between the leadership scholars and practitioners. Scholars must visit industry regularly to understand the corporate ground realities and practitioners must visit campus to customize the curriculum as per their requirements. It helps both scholars and practitioners to understand each others’ expectations and aspirations to bridge the gap between theory and practice. To conclude, books build confidence in the readers. They offer theoretical leadership ideas and insights to prepare readers as leaders and help them understand various aspects on leadership to minimize mistakes and maximize leadership effectiveness to achieve organizational excellence and effectiveness.


“Experience without theory is blind, but theory without experience is mere intellectual play.” ― Immanuel Kant




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Life is great!

Professor M.S.Rao, India
Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants India
Recipient of 10th International Prestigious Sardar Patel Award―2015
21 Success Sutras for Leaders: Top 10 Leadership Books of the Year (San Diego University) Amazon URL: http://www.amazon.com/21-Success-Sutras-Leaders-ebook/dp/B00AK98ELI




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Copyright©2016 MSR Leadership Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

This is a nonprofit blog to share Professor M.S.Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as global leaders by 2030. Please don't cut articles from my blog and redistribute by email or post to the web. The use of this material is free provided copyright is acknowledged and reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.in.  This material may not be sold, or published in any form, or used in the provision of business services to a third party without permission.


Monday 22 February 2016

“How Can Women Break Glass Ceiling?” ―Professor M.S.Rao

“You can and should set your own limits and clearly articulate them. This takes courage, but it is also liberating and empowering, and often earns you new respect.” ― Rosalind Brewer, President and CEO of Sam’s Club


On February 19, 2016, I keynoted a leadership conference in India where I shared my leadership ideas and insights on my upcoming book titled, “21 Success Sutras for CEOs: How Global CEOs Overcome Leadership Challenges in Turbulent Times to Build Good to Great Organizations.” The audiences were leadership practitioners from middle level to senior level. One of the women practitioners asked me the following question, “How can women break glass ceiling?”

A shocking research report by McKinsey in 2011 unveils that men are promoted based on potential, while women are promoted based on past accomplishments. It is unfortunate that there is a glass ceiling prevalent globally.  Glass ceiling is all about an invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities to scale corporate ladder. It is often tough to identify but it can be felt especially by the women. There are many ways this issue can be addressed. Here are some tips to address it earnestly:

Women must remove their mental blocks that they cannot compete with men to reach leadership positions.  They must be very confident in undertaking leadership roles and responsibilities. They must handle organizational challenges effectively. They must avoid preconceived notions that men don’t allow them to grow professionally. They must take risks to prove themselves. They must draw inspiration from successful women leaders like Hillary Clinton, Indra Nooyi, Ursula Burns, and Sheryl Sandberg who broke glass ceiling and succeeded globally as leaders.  

Women have many advantages over men since they can multitask and work under pressure with patience and perseverance. They are strong in emotional intelligence and soft skills. They have the heart to forgive and forget. They can handle leadership responsibilities effectively without any fear. What they must do is to build their own qualitative network to grow instead of depending solely on male network. They must work hand in hand with their close connections to fight for their rights to establish themselves to excel as leaders.


Conclusion

Ursula Burns, CEO of Xerox Corp remarked, “If you are sitting around the table but you say nothing, that's a lost opportunity. Move beyond that and say something about what you have to offer. The reason you’re there is because you have something valuable that can be added.”  As men add value to organizations, women also add immense value to organizations. Leadership is not gender-based but purely performance-based. Women must break their mental barriers to compete and collaborate with men as per the situation to improve organizational bottom lines.  Melanie Hope, wrote in Get Over It & Get Started: Self Help with a Spine! “No glass ceiling was ever shattered by a whiner.” Therefore, women must not whine to excel as winners in all spheres of life.  

A bird cannot fly with one wing since it needs two wings to fly. Similarly, no society can progress without the support of women. It requires support from both men and women to build a better global society. Hence, it is essential to respect women with dignity and honor and empower them to build a better global society.


“This is the ultimate chicken and the egg situation. The chicken: Women will tear down the external barriers once we achieve leadership roles... The egg: We need to eliminate the external barriers to get women into those roles in the first place. Both sides are right.” ― Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead




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Life is great!

Professor M.S.Rao, India
Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants India
Recipient of 10th International Prestigious Sardar Patel Award―2015
21 Success Sutras for Leaders: Top 10 Leadership Books of the Year (San Diego University) Amazon URL: http://www.amazon.com/21-Success-Sutras-Leaders-ebook/dp/B00AK98ELI




Thanks for reading!

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



Copyright©2016 MSR Leadership Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


This is a nonprofit blog to share Professor M.S.Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as global leaders by 2030. Please don't cut articles from my blog and redistribute by email or post to the web. The use of this material is free provided copyright is acknowledged and reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.in.  This material may not be sold, or published in any form, or used in the provision of business services to a third party without permission.

Saturday 20 February 2016

Keynoted Leadership Conference for Raisoni Group on ‘21 Success Sutras for CEOs’―Professor M.S.Rao







Dear friends,

I am excited to share with you that the prestigious Raisoni Group, Nagpur, India invited me to keynote their 4th National HR Leadership Conclave 2016 on February 19, 2016.  I shared my leadership ideas and insights with their practitioners on my upcoming book “21 Success Sutras for CEOs: How Global CEOs Overcome Leadership Challenges in Turbulent Times to Build Good to Great Organizations.” This book received endorsements from eminent international thinkers including Marshall Goldsmith, Frances Hesselbein, Dave Ulrich and Jim Kouzes. Mark C. Thompson wrote foreword for this book. It is expected to be published in May 2016 by Motivational Press, USA. Here are the 21 Sutras for CEOs.
  1. Communicate Clearly.
  2. Build Trust.
  3. Carry all Stakeholders with You.
  4. Emphasize Organizational Culture.
  5. Keep People Before Profit.
  6. Be Adaptable.
  7. Take Feedback.
  8. Encourage Innovation.
  9. See the Big Picture.
  10. Overcome VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity).
  11. Avoid Information Overload.
  12. Make Decisions with Limited and Imperfect Information. 
  13. Conquer Stress.
  14. Learn When to Hold and When to Fold.
  15. Be Bold to Lead in Turbulent Times.
  16. Adapt Locally to Grow Globally.
  17. Appreciate Diversity.
  18. Practice Continuous Dissatisfaction.
  19. Encounter Economic Decline.
  20. Avoid Clinging to Status Quo.
  21. Invest in the Future.

References
http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.in/2015/11/free-sample-chapter-21-success-sutras.html  
Amazon URL: http://www.amazon.com/21-Success-Sutras-Ceos-Rao/dp/162865290X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1459796408&sr=8-2&keywords=21+success+sutras Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/21-Success-Sutras-Ceos-Rao/dp/162865290X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459796515&sr=8-1&keywords=9781628652901 Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/21-success-sutras-for-ceos-ms-rao/1123592310?ean=9781628652901





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Life is great!

Professor M.S.Rao, India
Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants India
Recipient of 10th International Prestigious Sardar Patel Award―2015
21 Success Sutras for Leaders: Top 10 Leadership Books of the Year (San Diego University) Amazon URL: http://www.amazon.com/21-Success-Sutras-Leaders-ebook/dp/B00AK98ELI




Thanks for reading!

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



Copyright©2016 MSR Leadership Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


This is a nonprofit blog to share Professor M.S.Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as global leaders by 2030. Please don't cut articles from my blog and redistribute by email or post to the web. The use of this material is free provided copyright is acknowledged and reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.in.  This material may not be sold, or published in any form, or used in the provision of business services to a third party without permission.

Wednesday 10 February 2016

“Career Challenges and Opportunities for Middle-aged Professionals (Gen X)” ―Professor M.S.Rao









“It's not what you achieve, it's what you overcome. That's what defines your career.” ― Carlton Fisk


Each generation encounters a specific set of career challenges. For instance, the Gen Y feels that lack of experience is an obstacle; Gen X is beset with family responsibilities and challenges; and Baby boomers feel the challenge of reinvention due to rapid growth in technology.  In this post, let us address the career challenges for middle age professionals who are mostly Gen X sandwiched between Gen Y and Baby boomers, and are caught between the highly intelligent and ambitious Gen Y and experienced Baby boomers who hold on to their fort. 

The middle-aged professionals often crave for second careers having explored their first careers. They crave for change to provide meaning to their careers and lives. At times, they don’t find any clarity in their career goals. Added to their woes are family responsibilities, children’s education and health aspects. At times, they have to sacrifice their career opportunities for the sake of their children’s career and settlement. They are in the transition stage which is very crucial either to make or break in their careers. 

Middle age is also an opportunity to focus on your passionate areas and charity activities if you are relieved from financial and family responsibilities. Some professionals pursue incompatible career goals in their initial career stage due to constraints and money requirements. Hence, it is an opportunity for them to start second innings on a clean slate as per their wishes and desires. It also helps reinvent and rebrand themselves as per the changing times and technologies. They can also participate in nonprofits to make a difference to the society. They can blend and leverage their experience to chart further course in their careers. Hence, the middle age is both a challenge and opportunity. It all depends on how they perceive and convert their challenges into opportunities to fast-track their careers.


“If the career you have chosen has some unexpected inconvenience, console yourself by reflecting that no career is without them.” ― Jane Fonda



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Life is great!

Professor M.S.Rao, India
Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants India
Recipient of 10th International Prestigious Sardar Patel Award―2015
21 Success Sutras for Leaders: Top 10 Leadership Books of the Year (San Diego University) Amazon URL: http://www.amazon.com/21-Success-Sutras-Leaders-ebook/dp/B00AK98ELI




Thanks for reading!

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



Copyright©2016 MSR Leadership Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

This is a nonprofit blog to share Professor M.S.Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as global leaders by 2030. Please don't cut articles from my blog and redistribute by email or post to the web. The use of this material is free provided copyright is acknowledged and reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.in.  This material may not be sold, or published in any form, or used in the provision of business services to a third party without permission.