Many decades ago, in my very early #CHRO days, a CEO had asked me, “Prabir, you are always busy. People in queue to see you. You leave office so late. You skip your lunch. When do you get time to think?”. Like anyone else, I muttered a response. But it was a very brutal feedback. Today, am so glad I got it so early in my career. It changed my leadership approach. I worked hard but never was busy. I built some of the finest #HR teams in every company I served. And I spent time more thinking strategically. It changed my career trajectory and my reputation for impact. Are you battling a similar issue? Are many in your organisation stuck with this? Exercise a conscious choice. And you will see how magical the results can be. #PrabirInsights #Leadership #Career #ThinkDifferent #Coaching PRABIR JHA PEOPLE ADVISORY
M curious to know what is it that you are having in the picture Prabir Jha sir.
So true . In one of our businesses , it is a conscious choice taken by leadership team during leadership meet this year to keep calendars free for few hours everyday and by design one day a week ( Wednesday ) . This allows time for reflection , strategic and systemic view , development conversations for capacity building and empowerment by design - all this is the job of a leader- to build people and build the organization . Addiction of a busy calendar keeps the positional leader away from self, others and the wonderful possibilities for self and others.
Most leaders still think having a busy calendar reflects their importance in the organization. A true leader should have 3 hrs in a day ( non necessarily in a stretch) to move around talk to people , strategise , “fantasise” , have a cup of chai with middle level teams ) . This is according to me true leadership. I have seen leaders in organisation who do not have even 5 minutes gap in the whole 8-10 hrs .
Nice post Prabir, the ability to 'step out and stand back' or 'take a helicopter view' are important leadership skills. Those in leadership positions with constantly crammed diaries do themselves, their people and likely their impacts a disservice methinks. I worked for an excellent leader who 'took time out to think', stand back and take a strategic view. They would often simply disappear from the office and do this. They were better, in our view at directing the 'day to day' and setting a relevant and useful direction as a result. Whilst an ability to juggle many things at once is impressive on a level, I still think such leaders can be more effective (imho).
One of the most powerful shifts in leadership is moving from ‘busy’ to ‘impactful.’ Taking time to think strategically not only elevates our work but also enhances the effectiveness of our teams. Sometimes, the biggest breakthrough comes from simply stepping back to see the bigger picture. Prabir Jha
Kaushal Pandey Manager sir, please pay attention to the dispatch, pay attention to Kul Bhushan in the dispatch team, most of them keep harassing the drivers, at least thousands of drivers have left the Blue Smart because of being fed up with it.They put such rights on MG cars as if they are very cheap cars, today they signed continue run rider on my ID and at last I requested them that it is time for my check out hub.Give me the right on the side, but they removed the right which I had earlier and imposed a penalty on me but they are continuously troubling me. If they keep troubling me like this then how will I be a driver in Blue Smart🙏🙏 आपको बात करके अगर मैंने कोई गलती की है तो माफ कर देना सर आगे से नहीं बताऊंगा
Absolutely, Prabir Jha! Your insight reflects a challenge many leaders in the HR community face. The pull of daily tasks can overshadow the need for strategic thinking and meaningful connections. Prioritizing time to reflect isn’t just beneficial for individual growth but can create a ripple effect across teams, enhancing purpose and impact. A powerful reminder for all of us to strike that balance for better outcomes—thank you for sharing this wisdom!
I heard this similar strategy in 2019 from my super boss....he told leaders should spend more time on strategic thinking and since then I have kept these words in my mind. Really impactful words
Entrepreneur | Building iona.ai - A GenNext AI platform for quality hiring at speed and scale | Digital HR Transformation | SFIA accredited consultant
1moCurious to know more Prabir Jha. Is thinking helped making queue shorter? In many cases spending more time with colleagues probably helps in understanding things better (diff point of views etc) which makes ‘thinking’ more strategic. Is it not an art of balanacing ‘thinking’ and ‘doing’? Thoughts!