Great Leadership

The July/August issue of Harvard Business Review has a great article on what brings out our best leadership qualities. It's titled "Moments of Greatness: Entering the Fundamental State of Leadership."

Everyone has had the experience of gearing into high performance during moments of crisis and difficulty, which interestingly enough bring out the best in us. So, how can we constantly act with great leadership without having to find ourself in panic or difficulty? Dr. Robert E. Quinn has narrowed it down to four behavior and attitude patterns:

1. Be results oriented. Come out of your comfort zone and don't act reactively or according to the situation you find yourself in day to day, but focus on what you want to achieve and proactively move towards that goal.

2. Internally directed. Be true to your core values instead of trying to please those around you at all times. This will bring you closer to your goals and though at first might not sit well with those around you, will command respect and loyalty.

3. Others focused. Realizing that the interests of the community and those you serve are above you is an essential step in being a good leader. After all, it wouldn't be leadership if the focus was individualistic.

4. External openness. Listening to external stimuli without filtering in only what we want to hear is essential to lead and adapt effectively.

Weekend in NYC - Drumstruck show, Broadway

This is a picture of me, Shalin, and Devang at the Broadway play Drumstruck. More than a play, it was an interactive drum playing lesson, where each member of the audience had a drum to play along. Quite fun! :-)

Weekend in NYC - Partybike in Times Square

This is a picture of Shalin, Devang, and I on a party bike at Times Square. We got to drive all around the block around crazy traffic. Manhattan is awesome!