Thursday, 5 December 2019

BODY LANGUAGE A TOOL TO LEADERSHIP


WITH NOTHING LOST IN TRANSLATION, 
POSITIVE BODY LANGUAGE IS 
THE LEADER’S HACK TO SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATION

~With our body doing the talking, the manner in which emotions dictate the way leaders behave is how the world perceives them to be~

In the world of letters and numbers, we sometimes forget that it can be action that can speak louder and more powerfully than words. Body language, despite being in the subconscious mind, is a very potent tool in making the other person realize if there is a disparity between what you are saying and thinking. As we strive to make relationships work in personal as well as corporate settings, it is important to come across and present one’s self as credible and convincing. After all, the manner in which you use your personal space, physical gestures, posture, facial expressions and eye contact can be all the difference in you being perceived as either a leader or a follower.

It is probably when we shift the context to the corporate world, do we realize the true importance of body language. After all, the remotest signs of poor body language can see deals not go through as well as the company suffering losses. What a manager can do here, in order to become a good leader is display good body language. For that will not only help them motivate and bond with their employees, but deliver ideas with credibility, thus projecting charisma in a way never seen before. At the end of the day, this is a useful skill set to have.

And as we come to the bond between trust and body language, we see that the two go absolutely hand-in-hand. After all, one is only able to establish trust where there is a perfect sync between what is said and the way our body reacts to it. Should that not be the case, you run the risk of being seen with a lot of uncertainty and being scrutinized.

RULING THE WORKPLACE

One cannot help but notice that it’s never the smartest or the intelligent ones who are the most powerful in a group or company. So then why are they perceived to have any sort of leadership qualities? The answer is in the details should we look closely. It’s the body language that acts like a magnet drawing people and good vibes to them.
While the list is endless as to how positive body language effects the work environment for the better, from the perspective of a leader and their skills, we must speak about their impeccable knack to read their surroundings and respond accordingly. And if the sky is the limit and you want to move up the corporate ladder, you need to not only understand how your body language impacts perception, you also need to be consciously aware of your emotions and use body to maneuver them.

YOUR BODY TAKES OWNERSHIP WHILE MAKING A DECISION

When you go from one body type/posture to another – your mind has no choice but to respond to it- mandatorily. Without fail. And if they are used in sync, they can create immediate changes. Research around the world has proven that even before we can make a decision, its outcome can be predicted from mental activity in the brain. Internal bodily signals can be deeply informative, which is why sensing them can provide an extra channel of information to influence decision making. Not only does the body tell us about the way we feel, it helps us to empathize with the joy, pain and sorrow of others as well. With time, we are slowly realizing just how much the way we think and feel is shaped by this dynamic interaction between body and brain.

In this context, we could also seek inspiration from Guru Gorakhnath who advocated the school of thought, that every person has a spiritual center. While we may not be aware of its existence, Guru Gorakhnath says that it is within the control of a person to perceive this energy and then choose to work on awakening this dormant self and channeling this positivity towards an optimistic mind and energy.

YOUR BODY DEFINES THE WAY YOU EMOTE

Our emotions have a direct connection to our body that lets them have a big impact not only on our mental self but also on our bodily state. If we consider our feelings when they bother us, we can not only help ourselves but also bring harmony to our mental and physical states.
The impact of emotions on our health cannot be underestimated. Emotions play a vital role and have a huge impact on how we feel, on our zest for life, and in creating internal situations that can lead to health or disease. The health of the mind and the body are inextricably interlinked with one affecting the other and vice versa.

THE BODY REMEMBERS

All that happens within the body and mind is stored by the very tissues of the body, whether or not you consciously remember a particular trigger, event, emotion, etc. Emotions such as fear, anger and sorrow produce a contraction within the body on many levels – physically, emotionally, mentally, energetically, and this contraction is also manifested by a restriction of the breath.  Our resistance to feeling these negative emotions maintains the energetic contraction and builds up within the body producing scars which we can carry for a lifetime. Unless one consciously undertakes to release these stored-up emotions, they remain trapped within the tissues.

YOUR POSTURE TOO, DOES THE TALKING

Our posture affects not just how we we perceive ourselves, but how others do too. There exist “power poses” that when displayed, show immense confidence and affect your decision making in a positive way. On the other hand, if you have a tendency to slouch, one might judge you to be less capable. Institutions around the world have been studying the bond between posture and the mind for years. Improving the way you sit improves not only the way your brain functions, but your mood and memory levels as well. This isn’t just restricted to the way you sit, it also pertains to walking. In a host of interconnected ways, good posture equals a happier brain which leads to better relationships, health, work and other positive effects in your life.


BE IN THE RIGHT FRAME OF MIND WITH SOMATICS

One of the best ways to improve your confidence and be more self-aware and mindful of 
what you say and how you present yourself when it comes to body language is Somatics.


As mentioned earlier, the mind, body, spirit and emotions are all related and connected to each other. By developing an awareness of this connection, somatics helps one release the negative vibes and emotions from certain experiences from the past. The primary aim here being to free you from the stress and pain that is stopping you from performing to your fullest potential. Since all of us have unconscious actions and thoughts that we are not aware of, somatics helps us learn about our actions and increases awareness. By being aware of your body, you can see these changes and be aware of your emotions. Practicing this on a frequent basis opens up a host of possibilities, offers utmost transparency, builds optimism and leadership skills like never before.

In today’s world where deadlines and results mean everything, leadership that is more commanding and controlling may not be the best approach. Leaders who offer their vision, and add meaning and empathy to the conversation can motivate everyone to perform to the best of their abilities.


My Learning with the Statup Mentoring


TOP 10 CONSIDERATIONS FOR STARTUPS IN STAGE 1

By Vipul mathur


Being part of an Startup journey is very enriching. It certainly makes one richer, sometimes financially and lots of time experientially. I am later.

As a founder member and CXO of abof.com, a part successful entrepreneur and now a mentor to startups, I had interesting learnings pertaining to Startups and the stages they go through in their lifecycle.
Having  lead large and  mid sized organization as CXO/ CEO, I also deeply appreciate the difference in the levers which brings success in startups, mid-sized and large organizational systems.

Despite only one of the ten startups succeeding, still the most common conversation over coffee or beer in Bangalore is building and nurturing dreams called startups.


I wonder. Is it the thrill of creating something which would make world a better place tomorrow, or it’s a lure of large moneys which follows? Is it the entrepreneurial creativity which wants to express itself before the age catches up or the confidence of putting the earned skillset to the test in the mid age ? Whatever it is, it the hottest topic in Coffeeshops and now in Boardrooms.

India has 3.6 lac registered startups. Of which only 8% are registered with DIIT. Which is also the proportion which succeed.

Large Conglomerates are incubating the startups in lieu of their research or innovation departments. As the speed and output of startups at far lower resources is unmatched. As it’s fueled by passion more than money or appraisals. There are now structured way to invite, nurture, harness and reward the startups working for conglomerates. P&G Global marketing officer Jim stengel’s book – Unleashing the Innovators establishes the Fortune 500 companies reigniting their entrepreneurial DNA through           startup incubation.

Any organization goes through broadly 3 main stages.

Startup phase 1 . Seed or angel funded. Experimentation phase. Trying to experiment with a good business idea before its known as one. Largely operate in 10-20 cr of revenue.

Startup phase 2. Venture capitalist / strategic investor funded. Rapid Expansion phase. Valuation focused. Creating larger teams and acquiring market. Largely between 20-100 cr of revenue.

Startup phase 3. Seed B/C funding. Meaningful expansion. Profit focused. Long term capability building. Largely between 100-500 cr of revenue.

Each of the phases goes through their woes.

Lets look at the 10 most critical things which Stage 1 startups should consider.
  • 1.       Right partner
  • 2.       Right need and solution
  • 3.       Start Mentorship from Day one
  • 4.       Long term
  • 5.       Clarity of idea and thought
  • 6.       Road map and focus
  • 7.       Faster to market
  • 8.       Right team
  • 9.       Establish your expertise.
  • 10.   Networking


Right Partner.
This is first yet most critical and important step. It’s like Marriage. Choosing the co-founder who thinks alike. Is equally passionate about the solution and the possibilities. Someone who compliments you. And is willing to go through the roller coaster ride. Understands that the outcome in couple of years could be anything, but the learning and joy on the ride would be worth the time and effort.
If there is doubt about the longevity of partnership, might as well take calls right upfront.

Right need and Solution
There is risk of getting trapped in confirmation Bias. Where One looks at evidences to confirm an existing belief. This may lead to wrong estimation of the real need. And hence the size of the opportunity. In one of my mentoring, I invited the Promotors to run a low cost, written survey to ascertain the pain which people feel in absence of the product, and how much are they willing to pay more to get the offered services. Results were disturbing, and lead to the strategy shift right at the initial stage.

Mentorship from Day one
Most of the startups are fueled with idea, energy and hope. But seldom with the experience and
networking. This is one of the easiest and most recommended tip. Get mentor(s) ! There is no time or resources to commit the same mistakes which somebody else has done. Identify the right mentor. And be open to listen to the critique. This can make the journey a fairly straight path with lesser convulsions. Mentors have innate capability to bring to light the perspectives which are not visible to promotors. And can prevents potential losses.

Long term
Creating a successful enterprise, usually turns out to be longer than expected. I heard a promotor saying this to me… “first 3 years were very difficult, next 3 were difficult…..”. Account for 5-8 years for business to be in place where it can self-propel. It’s certainly a long term game, and real results starts to appear normally after 3 years. There are no shortcuts to any place worth going! My recommendation would be to create a realistic road map and then add 50% more time and money to the same, with no logic. It may turn out to be closer to the reality.

Clarity of Idea and thought
Almost always, Investors give much more weightage to the clarity of idea, rather than quality of idea. Clear idea can be executed easily and hence executed well. My invitation to the startups has been to use mentors as the sounding boards to distill the idea, and make it short and clear.
Morris chang mentioned that Without strategy execution is aimless and without execution strategy is useless. Idea is only a starting point, execution is what shows the light of the day.

Road map and Focus
Road is likely to be full of bumps and lures. When a new opportunity emerges, it would be interesting for promotors to ask a question. Why I started, what I started ? Can I handle more than one opportunity ?
In my experience startups are bunch of enthusiastic people, hopeful and confident people, and runs a huge risk of over estimating one’s band width and underestimate the real challenges of market. Best is to make one success much larger, by focusing on the agreed roadmap. A good question to ask would be “Am I country’s or world’s best in what I do”. If not, there is lots yet to be done.

Faster to Market
Competition is always catching up and times are changing much too fast. There is much merit in getting to market as fast as possible. Testing the hypothesis. Learning and making amendments and then going again with a Bang. And get to scale and mind of stakeholders before competition responds.

Right Team
Organisations can run as fast as its people. This is often ignored. And needs significant investment of time and money to get and hold onto right people. Check if team is willing to learn and enthused about the possibilities. Teams at inception should have mindset of entrepreneur rather than employee.

Establish your expertise
Promotors should establish their expertise with investors. Without being shy. It’s their responsibility, duty and prerogative which should be fully exploited.


Networking
Most of the startups do not succeed because they run out of money 
or they get limited on
their expansion. And for both, networking is immensely helpful. Networking takes persistence and patience. And promotors should build this up as an important activity in their calendar. Sometimes Mentors or so called board of directors can he helpful through their connect.




The life changes as the organization starts to become larger. The challenges and insights are different. I would elaborate on them in my subsequent series.