Architecture of Success works on the four pillars:
Values: "It takes 20 years to build a
reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do
things differently." Warren Buffet
Learn: "I
never stopped trying to become qualified for the Job." --- Darwin E.
Smith, ex CEO of Kimberly-Clark
Change: “When you're finished changing, you're finished.”
Benjamin Franklin
Focus & Execution: That’s been one of my mantras — focus and
simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get
your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because
once you get there, you can move mountains.” Steve Jobs.
"The best way to predict your future is to create it”... Abraham Lincoln
Values: Any individual brings a set of Values, skills, competencies, interests; personal goals along with a set of behaviors . Building a successful career is about balancing your goals with Company needs, Strategies and Challenges. Your challenge is to find opportunities that leverage your skills and interests while also supporting organization’s strategies and initiatives.
"The best way to predict your future is to create it”... Abraham Lincoln
Values: Any individual brings a set of Values, skills, competencies, interests; personal goals along with a set of behaviors . Building a successful career is about balancing your goals with Company needs, Strategies and Challenges. Your challenge is to find opportunities that leverage your skills and interests while also supporting organization’s strategies and initiatives.
You can’t hope to grow and build a great career if you are not
driver of growth for organization and others in eco system. Best way to
get a larger share of pie is to grow the pie.
I am reminded of a quote by Adhi Shankara - "God is not an
upadesa vaakya. God is an anubava vaakya" meaning God is to be
experienced, not to be lectured in a class room. Similarly, what behaviours people
around us (customers, colleagues, family etc) experience are our values both at
organisational level and as individual. Irrespective of what are stated values.
Learn: Most common trait of
successful people - they are Exceptional Listeners. “Brevity is the soul of command. Too
much talking suggests desperation on the part of the leader. Speak shortly,
decisively and to the point–and couch your desires in such natural logic that
no one can raise objections. Then move on.” - Cyrus the Great.
Follow a simple rule - 5% speaking to
95% silence ratio. It’s funny how SILENT and LISTEN comprise of same
characters. Ancient wisdom across cultures (Zen, Yoga etc) emphasizes on silence
as method for gaining knowledge. Yet we have more modern text and courses
on speaking then keeping quite.
Listen, observe and learn. Leaders
are always self confident, motivated, encourage others but never satisfied.
They are always setting higher standards. In order to do that, it
is important to win trust and respect of those around you. Consistently,
look at expanding your perspective by interacting/connecting with other
Leaders and Champions. Build your knowledge support system because you will
never have all skills.
Change:
“It is not survival
of the fittest but the most adaptable”. However, successful people don’t wait
to adapt. They anticipate and lead change. Experience and Instinct are
important. Change is uncertain and not pleasant, it is ok, and crisis
management is an acquired skill. Your job is to manage conflict not make it go
away; Learn to love complexity and paradox ... be passionate about and in love
with Growth. But most importantly while changing stand for values that don’t
change.
“I expect people to read, to watch the
news—not just because it makes them more interesting but because what happens
in the world affects what happens to us, to our marketplace, and to our competition.”
– Larry Bossidy
Focus
& Execution: In Benjamin Franklin’s words “Well done is better than well said.”
Talk is cheap. Talking about a project won't get it completed. We all know
people who constantly talk about things they are going to do but rarely
ever take that first step. Eventually people begin to question their
credibility. Taking action and seeing the task through to completion is the
only way to get the job done.
Successful people always focus on Customer. They don’t spend time and energy on Internal/External/Employee/Vendor etc differentiation. Because once you start seeing big picture you realize that whether providing solution to customer or responding to employees/colleagues, you are always serving customers. Your team members (e,g. Providing feedback as manager) are your customers, you are responsible for providing performance feedback to employees on behalf of organization. Once you start operating on this paradigm lot of noise/ unwanted jargon, prejudices etc are no longer there and you become more effective.
Successful people always focus on Customer. They don’t spend time and energy on Internal/External/Employee/Vendor etc differentiation. Because once you start seeing big picture you realize that whether providing solution to customer or responding to employees/colleagues, you are always serving customers. Your team members (e,g. Providing feedback as manager) are your customers, you are responsible for providing performance feedback to employees on behalf of organization. Once you start operating on this paradigm lot of noise/ unwanted jargon, prejudices etc are no longer there and you become more effective.
Often we are running so hard that we don’t pause and reflect. Use these slides
to self evaluate and determine your status.
I sign off with a quote from Cyrus the Great – ““In my experience, men
who respond to good fortune with modesty and kindness are harder to find than
those who face adversity with courage.”
Most
importantly never stop celebrating and having fun.
Pankaj
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