11 C’s for success during Covid times of uncertainty

Covid has caused uncertainties in income, health, wellbeing and relationships. Uncertainties can take you into negative spirals of thoughts and emotions specially when there is discomforting news.  Remember these 11 C’s of success while navigating through Covid times of uncertainty. If you sow these 11 seeds now, they will help you live the life of your dreams and at the same time help you to contribute to the betterment of the world. 

1. Compassion – This is the highest intelligence which is why it comes first. Unless you are doing something for the betterment of humankind in some way you will not have lasting success. Compassion is also the parent of most leadership qualities. Empathy at the workplace and at home keeps everyone motivated and well, which is specially needed during Covid times. Empathy requires good comprehension too, so put your focus on understanding a situation holistically before reaching out to help.

Leadership Lessons for the New Age - 37 Qualities You Need To Cultivate

Born leaders are rare. They have an inexplicable magnetism that draws people towards them. An example of born leaders are the Dalai Lamas, the Buddhist leaders for spreading compassion and helping people attain enlightenment, who have been chosen in their childhood for the last six centuries based on spiritual signs.

Leadership is now believed to be a skill that can be acquired by working upon yourself.

Let’s start with a question. Ask yourself, “Why do I want to be a leader?”
The answer is likely to be - To take forward a cause close to my heart.

Then ask, “How will I know that I have become a leader?”
The answer is, “You are not a leader, if you are not able to make people follow what you wish them to follow.”

So what is it that will make people follow you to take forward your cause?

At a leadership workshop of 50 bright students this is exactly what was asked and out of the 50 different answers that came from these students 37 were most relevant.

Broadly the answers were of two categories:

1. Self-qualities that will draw people to you.
2. Qualities towards others that will draw people to you.

I am going to elaborate upon these leadership qualities so that you can, recognize the ones you have and build upon the ones that you need to develop, to be a great and authentic leader in the New Age.

SELF-QUALITIES FOR LEADERSHIP:

1. Constant evolution: One who is continuously improving through self-development. Go for wholeness, perfection will follow. Reading New Age stuff and attending workshops will help to stay relevant, somewhat like an “App” that needs a download of regular updates for better performance and adaptation to new trends.
2. Courageous: One who takes the bull by the horns and moves forward. But when tackling evil, you need courage with caution. 
3. Confident: One who knows what they are doing and where they are going. Unstoppable but not overconfident nor arrogant in attaining your vision.
4. Good speaker: Proficient verbal communication in gatherings and interviews is important to get people fired to do what you wish them to do. Imparting your original, non-cliched thoughts without any ambiguity is important and so is being humorous. Clarity should be part of your communications strategy, so before you speak, understand.
5. Problem solver: One who doesn’t desist from delving into problems to solve them. Don’t walk away from hurdles but cross them. Thinking itself is a box. If you want "out of the box" solutions, be silent to open this ''box" to get insights and then focus your awareness on them.
6. Leads by example: One who shows the way by leading from the front whenever possible. Be the path-breaker but not pompous about it.
7. Responsible: Taking responsibility does not mean you are guilty. It means that you have the conviction to lead and do whatever it takes to get the best outcomes.
8. Selfless worker: This shows that you can sacrifice a few things dear to your heart in order to take forward your cause. There is no gain without pain. But this pain will not be a suffering.
9. Positive attitude: This keeps you going even in the face of adversity and lifts your spirits as well as the spirits of those around you. Positivity attracts positivity and this will always help.
10. Committed: One who is consistently involved with a cause will always achieve. The persistence of soft water flowing over hard rocks is able to round them beautifully.
11. Calm in the face of adversity: A high emotional quotient is needed so that you become an anchor for those who are following you. A low emotional quotient will drive people away from you because negative emotions are like a bad odour. Natural equanimity in the face of opposition is desired. 
12. Energetic: People like to see a spring in your step. It is magnetic. Exercise makes one more energetic.
13. Powerful: If you are not well connected you are not powerful. In today’s age your network is your net-worth. It is wise to pilot your leadership in an initial hub before using networking to scale up, because when you showcase your abilities others are drawn to you.
14. Creative: Creativity makes your approach innovative, and newness is always welcomed. A balance of inspection and introspection will enhance your creativity especially in tackling uncertainties and complexities.
15. Enthusiastic: Enthusiasm begets enthusiasm. Be passionate towards your cause, and always hungry to do more and push boundaries.
16. Idealistic: Keeping to noble, ethical and moral principles of a land is important. Any immorality on your part will take people away from you. Do what is right. Don’t do anything against your cause in private, otherwise you yourself will become ambiguous.
17. Resilient: If you fall down seven times, get up eight times. Be a champion who never quits. A secret of champions is that they take regular breaks to recharge.
18. Intelligent: Intelligence is a quality that can be developed with mental exercises such as Gestalt Thinking. This is important for strategic thinking to achieve your goals. Basic knowledge at macro and micro levels on subjects such as human aspects, technology enablement, outreach and economics is important to come to an understanding that is larger than the sum of the parts of these aspects. Answer questions with a presence of mind.
19. Acceptable Appearance: Do in Rome as the Romans do. You need to look appealing to your target audience for them to be drawn.

QUALITIES TOWARDS OTHERS FOR LEADERSHIP:

1. Takes everyone along: Don’t let anyone feel left out from your cause. Involve them in your processes and engage them for something meaningful in your cause. A feeling of ownership is important to keep your followers loyal to your cause. You are not supposed to be a super hero, so being vulnerable and asking for help is okay. Making a few decisions democratically by engaging in regular conversations is a good idea and so is the idea of saying, “We did it”. Discriminations should be made upon declared criteria.
2. Concern for team members: Anticipate needs of team members. Read about the paradigms of different generational groups and become sensitive to them. Help team members to improve their performance. Do not consider one team or team member to be superior to others. Respect for others is paramount for leadership.
3. Makes leaders: An incredible law of the universe is that, what you give you get. So the more leaders you make and empower the more your leadership will be enforced by the universe. This can turn out to be a catalyst for your cause. Find the optimal mix of giving control and being in control.
4. Good listener: Do not listen to reply, but listen to expand your understanding. If you try to prove you are the smartest, you actually prove you are not smart, because there is no definition of ''smartest". Be open to receiving feedback without any biases on your part.
5. Inspirer: You need to inspire people for your cause with your thoughts, words and deeds. When you do this with feeling it has emotional appeal. Appreciation and recognition inspires. Figure out what motivates different generational groups. It’s not always a “carrot”.
6. Honest: Fact check and don’t project fake facts. Make sure that your transparency levels are so high that little can be done behind the back of your followers. This will enforce integrity and fairness which are important factors for building an attractive culture. Honesty builds trust and trust is a major capital a leader must continue to build.
7. Polite: Don’t just be a flower but a flower with a fragrance. People are drawn towards genuine kind words and genuine kind actions.
8. Empathetic: Feel what another feels and then act accordingly. Be kind.
9. Helper: This may be your ultimate fuel for happiness! When you help others you get a "helpers high" and others feel grateful about the help they receive. One good turn leads to another.
10. Belonging-ness: You have to come to an understanding that you and your followers are one family and you must behave like a family member. Family gatherings build fellowship.
11. Sacrifice: Sometimes you have to sacrifice something in order that your followers or your cause gets something beneficial.
12. Punctuality: If you are not punctual often, your followers may lose interest in you.
13. Willingness: Be willing to take up causes incidental to your main cause.
14. Flexibility: A rigid tree can break in the face of a storm but a flexible one survives. Be open to “pivoting” your cause or point of view, if the environment demands it. Be in an organic flow.
15. Supportive: If you find someone disturbed, take them aside at an appropriate moment and place, and give well considered inputs for solving their problems. Be an understanding counsellor.
16. Social: If you are an introvert how will you reach out effectively to people? So become social and gregarious because that’s the true nature of human beings. Learn how to use "social media" effectively.
17. Keeping to your word: This is important because if you don’t keep to your word often, people will lose trust in you.
18. Compassion: Pursue your passion with compassion for sustainability. Ensure that there is minimal “hurt” with what you are doing. Parent your cause. This is the parent of most leadership qualities.

A true affirmation of most of these leadership qualities is when you exhibit them even when concerned people are not looking.

Transformation begins with first transforming yourself.

All of these 37 leadership qualities can be acquired or enhanced with one secret. To know more click here - Presence, Present Moment and Going With The Flow

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Storms Are Good

In a world of duality there will always be highs and lows; big and small; light and darkness. But, whenever there is a major dis-balance between any two opposites in this polarity, a 'storm' will occur in order to re-balance and restore harmony. A harmony that supports a purposeful and fulfilling sustenance of all life.

Cyclones, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, famine and epidemics occur naturally, as part of a complex and sometimes incomprehensible system, to cause us to rethink on the way we do things and renew the planet.

Man made storms like wars, revolutions, terror attacks and recessions occur either to cause a dis-balance or to re-balance the distribution of power and money in the world, and cause us to think and act in ways to secure ourselves.

Whatever may be the cause of a storm, they force us to become stronger and more intelligent to withstand them. So, rather than remain anxious for our lives, our survival instinct is prodded by the storm to think of ways to overcome these threatening monsters. Humans over many millennia have evolved in many ways, in the face of every kind of storm, by discovering scientific laws and technology to come up with different kinds of solutions like stronger houses, more resistant crops, medicinal sciences to cure ailments, defence equipment, advanced communication systems for warnings, fast transportation systems to move away from threats, continuous ways of improving banking, making systems of governance more people oriented.

In order to withstand these storms we end up with other benefits like building technology that keeps you safe from other threats as well, by-products of defence technology applied to improving life in general, transportation that can bring you help really fast in case of emergencies, communication systems that help you stay connected with loved ones wherever they are, a higher yield from more nutritious crops, healthier ways of living, improvement of business systems, democratic systems trickling down to the grass root level.

In other words, storms are good. But, the most important point that has been missed while using our intelligence in politics, economics, medicine, science and technology is our inter-connectedness to everyone and everything- the human aspect of compassion for our fellow beings. The passion for power and money has to be increasingly balanced by our compassion for our planet and everything upon it.

We basically have to think of a more equal distribution of power and wealth, without losing the passion for improvement. The driving force within us has to be, to see more and more of us, including ourselves, satisfied. When we are able to exhibit the compassion of a mother towards her children, we would have got it! For, her children are her passion and her children have her compassion.

Since 2011, we have been seeing more than the usual natural storms and the storms of anger of dis-satisfied common people forcing Governments to think more compassionately or else be overthrown. Change is here, and these storms are an opportunity for all of us to use compassion as the prime driving force to evolve.

The new order beckons us to have an equal blend between survival and love; power and sharing, and to be stronger, but softer as well.

The new age is seeking an active harmony in all things which sounds like pleasing music and feels like a gentle breeze...

A prayer can help - Prayer

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Prayer

O Lord, make my eyes not judge anyone, but see the wholeness of good and bad in everyone.

As my thoughts and actions cause ripples across Your interconnected Creation, may wisdom cause me to think and act with Compassion.

I decide today to be happy and strong, no matter what happens to my song, for the joy and strength within me is the reverbration of Your Divine Gong.

Let Your Grace fall on me like rain, to wash away everything that is causing me pain.

Amen

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