Welcome to the Deploy Yourself Newsletter, where I gently provoke you to show you your own power. This newsletter is an invitation to your leadership. You can also read this issue online.
Hey,
Getting Real This Diwali – Are you ready?
Hope this email finds you surrounded by the warmth of Diwali lights and the joy of the season! 🎇
As I soak in the festive spirit, and whether you are celebrating or not, I wanted to get real this Diwali.
Diwali is the celebration of light over darkness and good over evil. Yet, when I look at the headlines – whether political or professional, I see how far we are from that vision of Diwali.
Worse, I still see all of us (us = human beings, including me) still struggling with and perpetuating hate, violence, anger, and stress, whether consciously or unconsciously.
Let us get real this Diwali!
It is so easy to point fingers at others and see what they are doing wrong rather than to reflect and deal with the pain, hurt, anger, and sadness in our own hearts.
I got angry at my 4-year-old son yesterday. It is always easy to blame him and then myself for getting angry, rather than honestly looking at what triggers us and why it hurts us when it does – which then leads to anger.
Let’s get real this Diwali! And that starts with me understanding and dealing with my own pain, hate and anger before I try to fix or mend my son – or the world.
Picture a world where love and acceptance conquer hate on a global scale, and where compassion & forgiveness become our biggest weapons.
Picture this: a world where workplace stress is a distant memory, where the joy of doing meaningful work echoes through office corridors or slack channels. Picture a world where work nourishes people rather than making them sick – physically, emotionally, or mentally.
It is time to get real and ask – What kind of leadership is required from me today? (yes, not anybody else but us)
What am I doing to eliminate stress and cultivate joy in my workplace? (yes, this question is for you)
How can I lead with compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance to honour the spirit of Diwali?
How can I show up as myself – with all my vulnerabilities?
How long will I keep hiding behind a facade of what’s deemed ‘reasonable’ and ‘acceptable’?
When will I speak straight from my heart and let go of the pain of holding it all inside?
How can I honour, accept, and let go of my own inner demons of hate, indifference, hurt and sadness?
Unless we can light our own candles and diyas, how can expect the do the same for others?
Unless we can lead ourselves, how can we talk about expecting leadership from others?
Unless we can lead by example, how can we ask others to become role-models?
Often it takes small actions to create big ripples.
Be the pebble that creates ripples of positive change.
I invite every reader to REPLY NOW to share your insights or to find out how you can help me on this journey.
Hit reply to share your answers.
I read and respond to every reply.
Fascinating Articles & Stories
One
New interviews on the Choosing Leadership podcast
Bookmark the latest episodes on the podcast and listen at your leisure.
- I learned from Dmitrii Kustov that “No matter what you do, do it to your best ability”
- I learned from Josh Staph that “A good leader knows what questions to ask and what questions need to be answered”
- I learned from Kathleen Hunter that “We all have something valuable to share”
Two
Curated resources for your leadership
Here are my best finds from all over the internet for your leadership. Make yourself tea/coffee as you read, listen and learn.
Pro-tip – Listen and read the below about YOU – not about the author. (reply back and ask if you do not understand what that means)
- 23 Ways to Make 2024 Your Miracle Year (last year’s article, but applicable for 2024 too)
- How to Bring a Large Team Together
- Don’t Eliminate Your Middle Managers
That’s it for now. If you have any questions or feedback, or if you are new and want to introduce yourself, hit reply. I read and respond to every reply. All the best,
Sumit
P.S. – I am looking to interview more inspirational leaders on my podcast. If you know anyone I should interview, make an introduction.
(Twitter) @SumitGupta
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