GRATITUDE, EMPLOYEES AND WORKPLACE

 The most important thing in gratitude leadership is giving thanks.  This matters because it will improve sense of wellbeing, have higher self esteem, will decrease depression and anxiety, helps sleep better, improve overall life satisfaction.  Being grateful is an expectation in one’s personal lives, yet gratitude in the workplace is especially critical.

Gratitude is the positive emotion felt after receiving something valuable.  It is a feeling of thankfulness or acknowledgement for receiving something.  Appreciation is not gratitude; nor is acceptance.  The difference with appreciation is that appreciation is about recognising and enjoying the good qualities of someone, acknowledging value and worth.

Gratitude is a complex social emotion where actions may simply be based on the sense of social worth and feeling valued by others.  Studies shown that many employees say they’d be willing to work harder for an appreciative boss (Glassdoor Survey).  Gratitude is something that will motivate the team, creates a sense of purpose, helps drive behaviour change and it will also lowers stress and anxiety.

Showing kindness in the workplace can improve organisational culture.  Workplace are build on relationships.  Thus interactions will shape our work experience.  But we must not forget that connections fulfills the fundamental human needs which is the need to feel valued and appreciated.

No matter how good the gratitude culture is, there exist the so call gratitude gap because people don’t like to admit they need help at work, and thanking someone means admitting it.

Most management takes things for granted i.e. expect employees to perform, depends on teams to exceed expectations, and also trust leaders and managers to lead with courage.

There are many ways to show more gratitude at work like sending a note expressing gratitude, keeping a gratitude journal, and taking time out for reflection.  Gratitude at work can also be encouraged by,

- offering thank you cards

- creating space for gratitude, be it physically or virtually 

- counting blessings when things go wrong (find the silver lining)

- being grateful to the people not the performance 

- learn to notice each person’s accomplishments 

- tailoring the gratitude accordingly 

- being specific in giving gratitude 

- being sincere, do not fake it 

Typically we are not taught to be grateful, especially at work.  Showing gratitude is actually understanding vulnerability.  In order to be grateful, we need to see people for who they really are; consciously connect work with a sense of higher purpose, and to always express gratitude.  Expressing gratitude conveys genuine delight in a way that illuminates the unique value of its recipient.  Saying thanks is a platitude whereas gratitude is an orientation towards life.  

Reference 

ccl.org (Gratitude at work, Cathleen Clerkin PhD, Nov 17, 2024)

carpedia.com (Gratitude as management skill, Jacques Gauthier)

2040digital.com (Mindful Management: The Power of Gratitude and Building Trust)

thesavageleader.com (Why leaders need to practice gratitude)

linkedin.com (The case for management by gratitude, Lily Garcia Walton)

RESPECT: THE NEW ELEMENT IN LEADERSHIP

 Do not chase respect, walk with dignity and it will follow you 

Rare life lessons by a Chinese monk

Respect, in simple understanding, is the act of holding another person in high regard and treating them with decency and consideration.  Respect seems to be the cohesive element in caring and understanding for someone.  One must recognise respect when it’s there as it comes in many guises such as 

- respect of an individual, society, institution or government 

- respect of the laws, family, school or work conditions 

- respect at work of fellow employees, superiors, and subordinates 

- respect of minorities, the weak, the disable

- respect for everyone and everything 

- respect can build bridges not dreamed of before 

- more importantly, respect for ourselves 

Respect yourself and others will respect you (Confucious)

Respecting others and ourselves, and also seeking respect for ourselves is also important because it shows that a person has been acknowledged, valued, and accepted.  Respect elevates our sense of significance.  How we are perceived by others actually matters much more than we think.

Most often than not, showing respect for others always seems to go missing in action, often being overlooked because we’re always too busy to notice or hear clearly ‘good morning’ from colleagues.  Most of the time too disengaged to really sense the intensity of the pain of a friend; or too tired to care that our snappy and dismissive response was hurtful and unwarranted.

Respect a man and he will do more (James Howell)

A culture of respect must be intentionally build by an organisation.  This can attract, retain and leverage the contributions of all their talents, and create a climate of psychological safety at work.  In many culture, respect is closely intertwined with the concept of leadership where mutual respect creates a strong bond between leaders and followers.

The few indicators of existence of respect are:

- Listening - when they’ve been heard and understood; be genuinely interested and open to others; actively listen to understand; you don’t need to agree or like their viewpoint.

- The absence of disrespect - eliminate rudeness, insulting others, and devaluing words or behaviour.

- Actions of respect - understand how identities affect the way they lead, how respect is given and received in cultures and groups.  In short, just understanding and acknowledging.

5 reasons you need to lead with respect:

1. breeds trust 

2. builds engagement 

3. improves communication and results (respect each other)

4. promotes psychological safety

5. cultivates culture that leads to lower turnover rates 

6. culture in workplace attracts top talent 

7. diverse perspective strengthens innovation 

8. provides the freedom to be you

To cultivate the respect culture, one must 

- Exhibit interest, and appreciation for others’ perspectives, knowledge, skills and abilities.

- Express recognition and show sincere gratitude for efforts and contributions.

- Communicate information openly.

- Communicate maximum respect for people 

- Active exchange of ideas and opinions.

- Clarify decision-making processes.

- Seek input into those processes, when appropriate.

- Understand allyship.

- Take concerns seriously.

- Show sincere empathy.

- Seek to better understand the said perspective.

- Pay attention to people.

- Try to relate to others.

- Open up to others.

- Avoid making assumptions and judgments 

- Have dialogues.

- Regularly practice respect.

Respect is difficult to foster and maintain.  It is the engine that supports human behaviour, without it civilisation would crumble.  But respect has not always been well practiced.

Respect is also something that is being individually defined for each person through personal experience.  Our personal definition of respect are influenced by our personality, emotions, preferences, and cultural context.  

Reference 

ccl.org (The Power of Respect, Kelly Hannum, PhD)

forbes.com

thinkers360.com

tandfonline.com

linkedin.com

c-q-l.org

CHALLENGES AND THE POSSIBILITY OF FAILURE

 We sometimes face tough challenges in life and work.  Persistence is very important when dealing with challenge.  Every obstacle you get past will teach you something new and helps you grow.

Change the way we think about these challenges and we can see them differently.  To succeed we must change our way of thinking.  Bravely facing challenges means:

- probability of encountering failure, but in every failure there lies an important lesson that helps us do better in future 

- looking and seeking for unique solutions to achieve things that might not have been possible 

- learning to bounce back from hard times, thus not letting set-backs defeat us

- admitting the need for networking and teaming up to make solving problems easier and gaining new viewpoints and chances

- having a positive mindset where it helps thinking become more clearly 

- making strategic plan that guides through tough times 

- embracing diversity in the workplace in order to have various perspectives and ideas 

- keep learning new things all the time where it will help grow in personal lives and jobs 

There are many ways to embrace challenges and emerge stronger, wiser and more capable.

1. Pause and Reframe 

2. Break Problem into Manageable Steps 

3. Ask Better Questions 

4. Think Differently 

5. Identify Blind Spots 

6. Approach with Clarity and Focus 

7. Seek Inputs 

8. Reflect on Lessons Learned 

9. Develope Abilities and Intelligence through Effort

10. Surround yourself with Optimistic Thinkers w

11. Identity Risks as Springboard 

12. Brainstorm Solutions 

13. Break,Challenges into Small, Manageable Pieces 

14. Learn from Mistakes 

15. Encourage Creative Problem Solving 

See challenges as opportunities in disguise and not roadblocks.  The shift in mindset will change your life.  This will help you turn challenges into opportunities:

1. Prepare to face challenges and the possibilities of disaster 

2. Develop technical skills 

3. Stay calm under pressure; maintain a calm mindset 

4. Invest time in building trust 

5. Assessing current and actively improving 

6. Adapting to changing landscape is necessary

 

Reference 

linked.com

kerrysiggins.com

psychologytoday.com

lasonde.utah.edu

JUDGE WITH KINDNESS, FOR EVERYONE IS FIGHTING A BATTLE

 People will always judge you, even your loved ones

The Fame Game, Netflix 

Judging others is something of the basic of human behaviour.  We were taught since childhood to never judge others, instilling the saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’.  In most cases, it’s the feeling of insecurity that makes us judge others. Judging others can sometimes linked to the instinctual drive to evaluate threats.

People are judged based on their character or inherent traits rather than the situation itself.  This will almost always leads to unfair judgments.

People also tend to judge what they don’t understand.  Judgment can also stem from a person’s background, cultural environment, and past experiences.  These type of judgments are often bias and dangerous because they happen automatically and can influence our actions and attitudes, reinforcing stereotypes and discrimination.

So, it’s important to understand why we judge others:

- it provides a path towards more empathetic and less anxious living 

- it’s about refining the judgment processes to be more mindful and informed 

- able to enhance interactions and emotional landscape 

Some people can be quite judgmental and therefore it’s crucial to distinguish between making value judgments and being judgmental.  Value judgments reflect our discernment based on our values and priorities.  Being judgmental is us thinking that our opinions and values are ‘right’ and judging others as ‘bad’ or ‘wrong’.  That’s us being arrogantly thinking that we’re better than others.

To break the judgments habits, we need to:

1. take a moment to understand the person’s background 

2. recognise your own insecurities 

3. work on building yourself up instead of tearing others down 

4. learn to create more self awareness 

5. examine your friendships and associations 

6. Focus on building connections based on positivity and mutual respect 

7. create and be the best version of yourself 

Judging is an easy process that doesn’t require much thinking or reasoning, whereas understanding is harder as it requires deep thinking, patience, compassion, and an open mind.  

Judging others is actually a natural cognitive process, influenced by social norms, personal experiences and psychological biases.  Judging others does not define who the others are, but it defines who we are.  It’s just like the story of a woman who judged the washings of her neighbour as not that clean when actually she’s looking through her dirty windows and therefore sees the neighbour’s washings as not clean.

So we can see that judging shut us down and prevent us from understanding the full situation or the new truth that is not known yet.  There are a few recommended steps to escape this judging loop:

1. Be judging, seek to understand with an open mind 

2. Know that there may be something about the situation that is not fully understood 

3. Be empathetic and give the benefit of the doubt 

4. Try to understand the situation or circumstances 

5. Practice self awareness 

6. Understand ourselves 

7. Learn to be more self aware when judging 

8. Move on to adopt more interesting thought patterns 

9. Be more appreciative and compassionate of the world 

10. Avoid fitting the world into our optics

11. Be kind, for everyone is fighting a battle.

Reference 

catharicspacecounselling.com

mike-robins.com

arcadiancounseling.com

times of India.indiatimes.com

SKILLS LIES IN THE HAND, NOT THE TOOLS

We often hear that skills are the key to success.  But tool is actually just a means to an end.  The actual skills lies in the analytical mindset that is able to turn information/data into valuable insights.

A tool without skills is like having a hammer but not knowing how to build.  Whereas a skill without tool is like having a project but no bricks.  Tools doesn’t matter when it comes to creativity.  It’s important to learn the why and how in order to gain the fundamentals that makes a professional.

It’s an illusion to believe that tools are everything just because tools can make us look cool in the process to success.  It’s good to remember that tools are just part of what it takes to make something happen.  Mostly it’s creativity, problem solving, and passion that matters.

Tools are useless in the hands of an untrained person, even if it’s the best tools.  Ultimately, it’s the skills of the person using the tool is what creates a functional, and productive result.  The skills will amplify the power of the tools, turning them into instruments of progress and innovation.  This is the reason why people always confuse between knowing how to use a tool and actually having an excellent skill.

Tools are for execution whereas skills are strategy and value.  So it’s actually okay not to be great on the tools.  There will be a point in time when tools really do matter.  Just like the saying ‘The camera doesn’t make the photographer, but without good quality camera, the photographer won’t be able to capture a good photo’.

Do not get caught up in learning the tools when it’s the skills that will help us the most.  Tools come and go, whereas skills develop if you nurture them.

Reference 

https://medium.com

https://stratco.nz

https://linkedin.com

https://brndnsmth.medium.com

https://buenatura.org

https://ellenrohr.com

https://cambelldatascience.com

podcast.stugyabroadacademy.in

LEADERSHIP IS AN INFLUENCE RELATIONSHIP

 The managing style of leaders is essential to the team’s success.  The leaders need to provide compelling directions for team members to achieve objectives.  It is said that leadership style may affect the team’s effectiveness.

Organisation today need effective leaders who understand the complexities and challenges of the rapidly changing global environment.  It’s considered important because leadership styles can affect the quality of work life.

It’s important to know that leadership is not a person nor is it a management.  Leadership is an influence relationship among leaders and followers.

Professor Joseph Rost (1991) said leadership is an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes that reflect their mutual purpose.  It no doubt is true that leadership includes the discipline of top-down management, but it actually extends far beyond that.

Everyone in every organisation is in a leadership role.  Leadership is gifted, not claimed.  Followers determine leaders, leaders do not determine followers.  Ultimately, leadership is a social process that depends on contingent needs of followers and the capacity of the individual to realise their leadership potential.

Dr. John C Maxwell writes about the Law of Influence in his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.  He said that the accurate measure of leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.  He measured influence in 7 areas I.e. character, relationships,knowledge,intuitions,experience, past successes, and ability.  Dr. Maxwell outlined 5 myths about leadership:

1. The management myth where management and leadership are 2 equal terms.

2. The entrepreneur myth where the assumption is all entrepreneurs are leaders.

3. The knowledge myth with the assumption is knowledgable people will be a good leader.

4. The pioneer myth 

5. The position myth 

The 21 Laws of John Maxwell 

1. The Law of the Lid - there’s a limit to our potential.

2. The Law of Influence - refers to the power or capacity to produce desired results 

3. The Law of Process - leaders are learners have the capacity to develop and improve skills 

4. The Law of Navigation - charts the course, carefully seeing where they want to go 

5. The Law of Addition - focuses on advancing others

6. The Law of Solid Ground - a solid character, with integrity, authenticity and discipline 

7. The Law of Respect - must be strong and worthy of respect 

8. The Law of Intuition - the power to discern the true nature of a person or situation 

9. The Law of Magnetism - constantly attracting followers and new leaders 

10. The Law of Connection - bring or join one thing to another 

11. The Law of Inner Circle - those closest to us will determine our potential 

12. The Law of Empowerment - give the means, power or opportunity to do 

13. The Law of the Picture - lead by example 

14. The Law of Buy-In - getting support for ideas, visions, and strategies 

15. The Law of Victory - find a way for the team to win 

16. The Law of Big Mo - Mo (momentum) is a close friend of effective leaders 

17. The Law of Priorities - focussing on what is most important is so much more effective than being busy 

18. The Law of Sacrifice - the need to be willing to give up 

19. The Law of Timing - must know when to seize the moment, when to move forward, and when to back off, what to improve and how radical those improvements should be 

20. The Law of Explosive Growth - recognises developing leaders around them 

21. The Law of Legacy - make an impact on the world; leave a legacy of succession, create leadership culture, assure lasting success, value team leadership above individual leadership, choose a life of sacrifice not a life of success.

Some may say that leadership is transient and discontinuous.  Windows of leadership will come and go.  Remember, leaders lasting values can only be judged based on how well the organisation did after the leader is gone.

Reference 

https://trainingindustry.com

https://daveshoenbeck.com

https://trinitasadvisors.com

linkendin.com

Articles 

Leadership Styles and Job Performance: A Literature Review (Mohammad Al-Maliki, Wang Juan, School of Economics, Central China Normal University, Wuhan China)

Leadership Styles (Nanjundeswarasamy T.S., Swany D.R., Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, JSS Academy of Technical Education, Bangalore, India)

Leadership Definitions Application for Lecturers’s Leadership Development (Reni Rosari, Faculty of Economies and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)

SHORT NOTES: Leadership Themes and Styles

 LEADERSHIP THEORIES 

1. Great Men Theory 

- Thomas Carlyle (1847) claimed that leaders are born 

2. Traits Theory 

- Born leaders were endowed with certain physical traits and personality characteristics 

- Jenkins identified 2 traits; (a) emergent traits (heavily dependent upon heredity), (b) effectiveness traits (based on experience or learning)

3. Contingency Theories (Situational)

- recommended that no leadership style is precise 

- no single right way to lead 

- leaders have to adapt to the particular situation 

4. Style and Behaviour Theory 

- acknowledge the significance of certain necessary leadership skills 

- Yuhl (1989) introduces 3 leadership styles: (a) democratic leaders, (b) autocratic leaders, (c) laissez-faire leaders 

- Fiedler and House (1994) identified 2 additional leadership styles; (a) consideration structure, (b) commencing (initiating) structure 

5. Process Leadership Theory 

- Greenleaf 1970s) focuses include: (a) servant leadership, (b) learning organisation, (c) principal centred leadership, (d) charismatic leadership

6. Transactional Theory 

7. Transformational Theory 

LEADERSHIP STYLES 

1, Transformational Leadership Style

- comprises of 3 components:

- (a) contingent reward - focuses on achieving results 

- (b) management by acception (active) - have inherent trust in their workers to end the job to a satisfactory standard and avoid rocking the boat 

- (c) management by exception (passive) - avoid specific agreements, failure to provide goals and standards to achieve by staffs; waits for things to go wrong before taking action (Bass and Avolio, 2004)

2. Transformational Leadership Style

- (a) Idealised Influence (Charismatic) - attribute of a leader which inspires followers to take their leader as a role model 

- (b) Inspirational Motivation - encourages the employees in the organisational pursuit drawing the best out of them 

- (c) Intellectual Stimulation - measure the mentoring, coaching, morale, building strengths of individualise consideration i.e. display concern for their workers needs, and are equipped to boost and coach development of desired workplace 

Conclusion 

Leaders with essential traits will have the ability to take certain actions to be successful.  4 styles of leadership are established under optimal style of leadership:

- participating 

- delegating 

- selling 

- telling 

Reference 

Journal of resource development and management, vol. 16, 2016 - Zakeer Ahmed Khan Phd, Dr Allah Nawaz Irfanullah Khan Phd, Department of Public Administration, Gomel University, Deva Ismail Khan.

SHORT NOTES: Leadership - A Comprehensive Review

 Concept of leadership has evolved and developed over the years.  Most leadership research suggests that leadership is an important determinant of organisational effectiveness.  

THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP 

1. GREAT MEN THEORY AND TRAITS THEORY 

- Great Men Theory sought to identify the inherited traits leaders possessed that distinguished them from others.

- Traits Theory assumes that people inherit certain qualities and traits that make them better suited to leadership.

2. BEHAVIOURAL THEORIES 

- leaders become successful and effective according to what they actually do when dealing with subordinates 

- autocratic vs democratic behaviours

3. CONTINGENCIES (SITUATIONAL) THEORIES 

- different situations requires different leadership styles 

- i. Fiedler’s Contingency Model of Leadership: relationships oriented; tasks oriented 

- ii. Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory 

- iii. House’s Path Goal Theory: 4 classifications of leadership i.e. supportive leadership; directive leadership; participative leadership; and achievements oriented leadership 

- iv. Vroom, Yetton and Jago’s Contingency Model 

4. CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP THEORIES 

- emerged around the 1980s

- new styles: charismatic leadership; transformational leadership; transactional leadership; servant leadership 

- transactional leadership motivates followers to perform their jobs; focuses on economy; focuses on who will better perform their jobs 

- Transactional leadership insists on satisfying the needs of their followers; has the ability of satisfying followers 

- servant leadership is where the key is ethical and caring behaviour; motivated by the intention to serve 

Reference 

A comprehensive review of literature, research and theoretical framework, Sait Revda Dinibutun 2020

Short Notes: LEADERSHIP IN THE ORGANISATION: A Conceptual Review (October 2018)

 Leadership is a must.  Hence there exists the need for a leader who can understand and handle the complexity and challenges of the world.  Thus arise the need for the leader to always improve the quality of their knowledge relating to leadership. Leader is a must figura in an organisation who has to know the clear vision and how to achieve goals.  Leadership is one of the most significant branch of management.

Transactional Leadership 

- emphasises the clarification of goals and work standards 

- focuses on tasks completion and employee compliance 

- the leaders rely quite heavily on organisational rewards and punishments to influence employees performance 

- motivate subordinates through the use contingent rewards, corrective actions and rule of enforcement 

- also capable of giving punishments for poor effort or unsatisfied outcomes 

- the thing is, this type of leadership causes short-term relationships between leaders and subordinates 

Transformational Leadership 

- leaders uphold the interests of employees 

- encourages subordinates, provides inspiration and motivation for subordinates to innovate and create positive change 

- this type of leadership creates long term relationships between leaders and subordinates 

- leader becomes a figure that is admired and imitated by the subordinates 

- subordinates are given space for expressing thoughts, and able to develop their thinking towards the future 

- they prioritise teamwork 

Reference 

researchgate.net

IT’S OKAY TO FALL, EVERYBODY FALLS DOWN

 People struggle at times from their failures.  Some people give up as soon as they fail.  But the main thing is how to get back up as soon as we fall.  Remember, getting up as soon as we fall is nothing new, it has been with us since the day we first learned to walk, run, cycle etc.

So, as we get older, do we really get back up right away when we fall?  The question is whether we are bold enough to get back up again when going through the downs of life.  Falling down is necessary to human life simply for the moment of standing back up.

Different people react differently to the fall.  Whatever it is, we need to make peace with the fact that we may fall many more times throughout our life.  For most of us, failing down carries a certain negative connotation, eliciting thoughts of pain and embarrassment.  But don’t forget that everyone falls.  The beauty is that without falling down, there is no getting back up again.

Falling is not failing, it’s just a part of success.  Falling teaches us about resilience, courage, and support.  It’s just as a steppingstone.  By falling it will teach us that we need to improve ourselves and our skills, and thus gaining new perspectives.

Just as falling down, failure and mistakes are part of our life.  It allows us the chance to grow, provide us with something to look back to, and subsequently something to learn from.

Notice that even in falling there exist a forward motion, so some say it’s still progress in the process.  Generally after falling, people walk a bit clearer, and much more aware of the surroundings.

The healing process:

1. Acknowledge the fall

2. Feel the fall 

3. Let go 

4. Admit the need for help 

5. Ask for help 

6. Accept help 

7. Make no judgement of the falling 

8. Self examination 

    - what serves us

    - what needs to stop 

    - where to start 

    - what we need more of

    - what we need less of 

9. Take a long term view to rebuilding 

10. Recognise the stages, layers of healing, and rebuilding to be done.

11. Aim for holistic wellness 

12. Create goals and milestones along the way 

13. Celebrate and mark progress 

14. Keep motivated for the long term 

Reference 

https://mike-robbins.com

https://edenbabel.com

SOFT SKILLS: Learn and unlearn

 We need to have strong soft skills to be an effective employee.  Hard skill is the ability needed directly linked to the job.  Unlike soft skills, hard skills are quantifiable, testable, and often easier to learn.  Interviewers will almost always rate higher those with soft skills.

The word skills has a broad meaning, describing particular ability a person need to be able to master a profession or occupation.  Literature explain soft skills as an umbrella for skills under 3 functional elements that is people skills, personal skills, and career attributes.  Some refers it to personal attributes, behaviours, and social attitudes.  To have them make people flexible in a world which keep changing.

Soft skills are personal attributes typically linked to how we work and interact with others.  They are not restricted to a specific field.  But they are needed in order to keep up with the ever evolving job market.  Actively interacting with others and willing to accept feedback is one way to master soft skills.

There’s a wide range of soft skills which include:

Active Listening 

Adaptability 

Attention To Detail 

Coaching and Mentoring 

Communication (Verbal and Writing)

Conflict Management 

Creativity 

Critical Thinking 

Cultural Competence 

Customer Service 

Decision Making 

Dependability 

Diversity and Inclusion 

Emotional Intelligence 

Empathy 

Enthusiastic 

Financial Management 

Flexibility 

Goal Setting 

Humility 

Initiative 

Innovation 

Interpersonal Skills 

Leadership 

Learning Agility 

Negotiations 

Organisational Skills 

Presentation Skills 

Positive Attitudes 

Problem Solving / Analysis 

Resilience 

Self Motivation 

Stress Management 

Teamwork 

Time Management 

Trust Worthiness 

Work Ethics 

Soft skills are most often developed through life experiences, practices, and also through self reflection.  Also good to remember that soft skills can be learned through various methods.

Reference 

https://virtualspeech.com

en.wikipedia.org

joinhandshake.com

Why Choose To Be Good?

 As a person we are free to choose to do whatever we want, but we are always encouraged to always choose to do the right things.  There’s also this thinking saying that it’s better to be good than to be right.

The term ‘good’ has many angle.  When implying to a person, it actually means they act‘rightly’.  Acting rightly is a matter of doing a right thing (Dr Mikel Burley, Uni of Leeds).

Does being right means we are being good?  Most think that when they are doing right means they are good because it gives us a sense of being uprightness and so we may avoid feeling guilt or shame.  Thus in short, being good means involve obeying the moral rules.  And to obey the moral rules means we do good and thus the good things done are to be of benefit to someone or something.

Having good values means valuing what deserves to be valued.  Reasons why it is good to be good:

1. Necessary for happiness 

2. Having self respect 

3. Able to see what is truly of value in the world 

4. Taking good care of yourself 

5. Live truly happy lives 

After all being said, we are not perfectly good, no matter how hard we try.  We all play many parts and wears different hats.  Most people like to think of themselves as ‘good’ people.  And it’s a choice, one that you have to keep making.  

Reference

https://philosophynow.org

blog.oup.com

bahaiteachings.org

www.quora.com

CARING LEADERSHIP: The Shift Towards Human-Centred Leadership

Modern leadership is characterised by the capacity to cultivate environment where people feel valued, supported, and motivated to realize their full potential.  Caring leadership is the shift towards human-centred leadership which emphasises on well being, growth, and satisfaction of team members.

Even though you must care about people, it will not necessarily make you a good leader; not necessarily you will get along with them, agree on everything or work effectively together.  But caring about others is the initial touchstone that drives people to try harder and make it work.

Work becomes more meaningful when it aligns with a person’s values, passion, strengths and sense of purpose.  Humans are emotional beings who cannot connect with others based on practicality.  Employees feel valued when leaders demonstrate empathy and concern towards them, thus creating a healthy work environment.

Caring leadership supports employee’s autonomy and work life balance, and also offers opportunities for professional development.  They actively listen to the concerns of their employees, give constructive feedback, and recognise their achievements.  They also create environment where everyone feels valued, supported, appreciated, engaged in conversation, challenged as well as being heard.

The 5 pillars of caring leadership

1. Fostering culture of learning 

2. Prioritizing recognition and celebration 

3. Build trust 

4. Facilitating intentional connection 

5. Promoting meaningful work 

When learning is prioritised, mistakes are reframed as learning opportunities rather than failures.  Recognition is served as a powerful motivator where it goes beyond surface level acknowledgment.  Trust, in this case is where individuals feel psychologically safe to express ideas and address challenges.  There exist a deep awareness of the individual needs and experiences, fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion.

Leadership is not just about deadlines or numbers, it’s about creating an environment for the people to thrive.  There are 8 reasons why caring leadership is essential:

1. It creates a sense of belonging (feeling of being seen and valued)

2. It builds trust (a glue and foundation of successful team)

3. It boosts morale (people feel appreciated, especially when wins are celebrated)

4. It reduces turnover 

5. It prioritises mental health (balancing work and life)

6. It increases productivity 

7. It encourages creativity 

8. It creates a ripple effect (spreads throughout the team)

Caring leadership focuses on empathy, understanding, and genuine concern for team members. It fosters a positive workplace by creating an environment where people feel valued and supported.  Caring for others helps to develop empathy and the ability to connect with people, even in difficult situations.

Tips to implement caring leadership

1. Listen actively 

2. Create opportunities 

3. Trust your employees 

4. Show appreciation 

Caring leadership is not just about being nice.  It is also one of the most significant contributors to successful leadership.  It can be an important foundation to build effective and ethical leadership.  Being caring does not mean ignoring your leadership responsibilities.  Leadership is not being in charge; it’s about taking care of those in your charge.

Caring for employees will directly affect productivity, customer satisfaction and employee engagement.  People will go the extra mile for leaders who are genuinely concerned with what employees can do and who they are and can become.

Reference:

chapmancommunities.org

managersandleaders.com.au

benardletendre.ca

ivy.partners

https://www.greatplacetowork.com

https://eliotpartnership.com

https://rightflorida.com

https://www.homeinstead.ca

WOMEN: THE PILLAR OF STRENGTH

Strength be it mental strength or physical strength, can be developed.  Being mentally strong is not about how you look, not about being popular, nor is it about earning the most money.  It’s all about character, being a good example for others, and also taking good care of themselves.  So many amazing changes in our world are made by women.

Strong women are confident, optimistic, always have a positive mindset, and are always proud of themselves.  Despite their fears and challenges they face, strong women courageously pushed forward.  They understand that fear is only an emotion.

Fear is far more subtle and we may not even recognise that fear is what we are experiencing.  Fear is normal and sometimes it may even be healthy.  We fear all sorts of things, we fear changes, success, failure, or even our own imagined shortcomings, and most commonly is the fear of letting go.

Strong women overcome their fears to conquer their pain in order to embrace their potential.  A strong woman knows she can do anything and never shies away from a challenge.  They dream big, set extraordinary goals and try to achieve them with enthusiasm.  They do not whine, complain or wallow in self pity.  They look for solutions, they see problems as possibilities, and obstacles as opportunities 

They don’t wait around for someone to save them.  They ask for help when they need it, understanding that it doesn’t equate to weakness.  They appreciate failure and the gifts it can bring. Strong women understand that a new door opens with every failure.

Ways to be mentally strong:

1. Built confidence 

It’s a great sign of self love and helps to stay away from comparing.  Be happy in our own skin and be at peace in our own mind.

2. Be productive 

It makes you feel accomplished and keeps our mind happy.  Also it’s important to take breaks, breathe and avoid getting overwhelmed.

3. Be optimistic and positive 

Bring the good vibes with us everywhere we go.

4. Face your fears 

Face your fears head on, don’t runaway.

5. Be a more caring person 

Always show your care for others and also for yourself.  Develop positive relationships, and do not be afraid to stand up for what you believe in, and remember to always display good morality and values.

6. Always have pride 

Feeling pride about your positive aspect and achievements and accomplishments.  Share that pride, but always remember to remain respectful of others.  Do not make others feel less important.

7. Not being bothered by what other people say 

Sometimes people say hurtful things, but a mentally strong woman can overcome it.  Ignoring those hurtful words or comments is never easy but it’s possible.

8. Being true to yourself 

There’s no need to change ourselves to satisfy others.  Also do not need to change to impress others.

9. Know when to ask for help 

Asking for help is incredibly brave.  Reaching out is often a reflection of the strength.  Be sure to show resilience, courage, and determination in difficult times.

In general, definition of strong women are thought to be assertive, confident, influential, and are also leaders.  Resilience, confidence and physical wellbeing are all the qualities of a strong women.  They are kind, caring and helpful, always soft spoken with high self confidence.  To become stronger, women to develop their internal and external strength.

Reference:

https://discoverymood.com

https://schoolofselfimage.com