Welcome to the Deploy Yourself Newsletter. Every two weeks I share what impactful leadership looks like to show your own power. I also share the most insightful lessons and stories I encountered in the last two weeks. You can also read this issue online.
Hey,
7 Unusual Superpowers
I work with leaders who have taken on big and complicated challenges. Yet, I have found that as human beings, we have some unique abilities which we often ignore to use. I call them the 7 Unusual Superpowers, and we can choose to use them whenever we want. Are you using yours? They are :
- To take a break and slow down to reflect when everyone around you is running busy and overwhelmed.
- To focus on doing the right thing vs doing everything right.
- To care so much (about your customers and other people around you) that you don’t care. It is a superpower when you can be straight and honest to people to serve them compared to being nice to please them.
- To share your gifts with others and to take action – just for the sake of serving others instead of wanting something in return.
- To be honest and admit your own vulnerability rather than faking confidence and winging it.
- To continuously take imperfect action and move forwards instead of waiting for perfection and the right moment.
- To respond according to your values and choice rather than from automatic habits of the past.
What is the unusual superpower that you have been hiding from the world? Reply to this email right now if you recognize your superpower. I read and respond to every reply.
Articles and Stories Which Have Fascinated Me
One
Why Your Meetings Stink—and What to Do About It
Although most organizations have meetings that could easily be cut, a no-meetings policy is unrealistic and counterproductive. Meetings can efficiently bring together ideas and opinions and allow people to do their jobs in a more coordinated and cooperative manner. They help individuals form a coherent whole that is more adaptive, resilient, and self-directing, especially in times of crisis.
So the goal should be not to kill all meetings but to eliminate the ineffective or unnecessary ones and improve the quality of those that remain. Better meeting leadership requires better self-observation. Take a few minutes after each meeting you run to reflect. Think about attendee behavior, conversational dynamics, and the content that was covered. Ask yourself: Were people distracted? Conducting side conversations?
Leading meetings might seem like a small part of a manager’s job. But the positive change in this one arena can lead to real gains for companies and their employees. If your organization isn’t training you in this key skill, it’s time for you to develop it on your own.
From an HBR Article titled Why Your Meetings Stink—and What to Do About It
Two
7 Essential Work Skills For The Future – The 2020s And 2030s
Do you remember a time when you couldn’t ‘Google’ something? Or had to rely on a piece of paper to find your way to a location? Or when ‘social networking’ just meant meeting up with people in real life? Our world is changing fast, with new technologies and ways of doing business. So much has changed since 2000 – and the next 20 years will be no different.
The coronavirus pandemic has already accelerated this change and helped some technologies like video calling to come to the forefront. People will need to adapt to this constantly changing landscape to stay relevant and perform well.
The world is changing, and those who don’t adapt quickly will be left behind. You have seen how different 2020 was from the years right before it, and the future will be no different. Below are 7 workplace skills everyone will need in the future – the 2020s and beyond that.
- Multi-Disciplinary Thinking
- Emotional Intelligence
- Creative, Out-of-the-Box Thinking
- Logical and Data-Driven Reasoning
- Virtual Collaboration
- Designing a Holistic Environment That Promotes Wellbeing
- Having a Voice
From an article from my desk – 7 Essential Work Skills For The Future – The 2020s And 2030s
Three
A Quote by Benjamin Franklin
“Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”
Benjamin Franklin
That’s it for now. If you have any questions or feedback, or just want to introduce yourself, hit reply. I read and respond to every reply. All the best,
Sumit
(Twitter) @SumitGupta
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