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,

5 questions to make each month better than the previous one

June has just begun. I was doing my monthly review recently and thought of sharing my process with you.

The beginning of a month is a wonderful opportunity to learn from the last one and make this one better.

It is a good time to start a new month with a strong intent rather than letting it slide by default.

I have let too many months in my life slide on by default – especially from 2012 to 2018.

As a result, I hardly grew, changed or evolved during that time.

Below are the 5 questions (and a power move) to make each month count.

What tasks or activities gave me energy in the last month? (Power move: Say YES more and do more to these activities this month)
What tasks or activities drained me of energy in the last month? (Power move: Say NO and stop doing them. Or delegate/outsource them.)
What matters but I did not take action because of fear? (Power move: Take action right now and schedule these activities in the calendar.)
What were my biggest accomplishments that I am proud of? (Power move: Write down all your accomplishments from the last month – big or small – in a journal. Fill as many pages as you can without being shy or apologetic about. Be PROUD.)
Who were the people who contributed the most in the last month? (Power move: Reach out to them and genuinely and sincerely appreciate them for who they are for you and what they did. Extra points for doing it today.)

As you might see, all 5 power moves above are simple but not easy.

They require courage to make sure your time and energy are spent only on what is most valuable.

They require you to step up and BE a LEADER in areas of your life that matter.

The only question is – Will you step up, show courage, and be a LEADER?

Hit reply to share your biggest insights from the 5 questions above

I read and respond to every reply.

Fascinating Articles & Stories

One

Sanjay Borkar – “You have to involve all your stakeholders in your dreams”

I interviewed Sanjay Borkar, CEO & Co-founder of FarmERP, on the Choosing Leadership podcast.

In this heartfelt conversation, Sanjay shares his story of starting out as an entrepreneur 27 years ago and the challenges he faced. He shared how he has grown and evolved as a person along the way, and his vision of contribution and serving the agricultural world through technology. He also shares the powerful but often invisible role our co-founders and families play in our success.

In the interview, Sanjay shares

We were offered to go and work in Brazil by our first client. However, Santosh and I didn’t find it very attractive. He even offered to come to our houses and speak to our parents.
We learnt that information has to be always given free but the services are to be charged or sold.
You have to involve your stakeholders, employees, customers, vendors, banks or financial partners etc in your dreams and vision so that you can all be on the same page.
You need to learn how to communicate with everyone successfully so you can get your work done through a very right way of communication.
Secondly, we want to add value to all our customers not just by providing them with technical solutions, but also helping them practice regenerative agriculture.
So internally in the organization we inculcate a lot of leadership trainings and behavior to create more leaders.
We most importantly try to hand over the entire responsibility to a leader and give them complete freedom to work on the project

Listen to the entire episode.

Two

Shikha Gupta – “Collaborating instead of Competing is the most important leadership skill”

I interviewed Shikha Gupta, Founder- eTraverse on the Choosing Leadership podcast.

In the interview, Shikha shares her vision and how she started out in her own unique way. She started an edtech consultancy based in Africa and serving the African continent when she saw that nobody was serving Africa. She shares how she drew inspiration from her mother and grandfather early on and that led her to becoming the first engineer in her family.

In the interview, Shikha shares

She’s the first engineer, and a woman working and owning a business on her parents side.
She says that the only thing left is just going to the moon.
She wants to strike a good balance between developing high-tech projects for the Western world and trying to make something substantial for the African continent.
There’s more that comes to being a leader than just having the knowledge. The most important skill that a leader should have is empathy.
I feel that in the next three years of time when it comes to me as transitioning, who I want to be, to what I want to create is also this one important fact that I want a table where everyone gets the opportunity to speak.
So the only advice that I can give is you need to work on how to conquer that fear, because once you are over that stage of being fearful, the world is all yours and I really feel you take one step and then the world will help you take the next 10 steps.

Listen to the entire episode.

Three

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)

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
(LinkedIn) Connect

Issue #80, 5 June 2023 – 5 questions to make each month better than the previous one