Wearing Their Hearts On Their Sleeves

- Mr. & Mrs. Saiyad living their own motorcycle diaries -

 The word Expedition may make your mind cross several of thoughts. And the first and foremost would be having a steely powerful beast to ride long ways. Rightly, this may be a dream of many. Even some of you might own such sturdy bike to travel various places but couldn’t have made it yet. Some may be even loaded with a thought that they are too old to set off for a ride and going distance may not be their cup of tea. Some may lay a lame excuse of not getting time from their busy schedules at work and home. However, to all those out there who wish to travel but haven’t been able to succeed yet, there is an inspirational story of Mustak Saiyad and his better-half Shamim Saiyad. He is a banker settled in the Kutch region while his wife is a happy home maker.     

Mustak, 51, is an avid traveler and biker lives with his family in the city of Bhuj. In his early days, being a passionate traveller Mustak accompanied by his wife and two sons used to travel in a bus to explore surrounding places. For them, expedition was not possible in those days with many responsibilities and economic constraints. He kept satiating his desire of travelling by visiting nearby places only until his both sons grew up and settled in their lives.

His long awaited desire of bike expedition realized in year 2004 when he first owned Bajaj Kawasaki Caliber 115 CC motorcycle and rode their very first expedition from Bhuj to Khardung La in Leh-Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. Successful tour to Leh gave him the confidence and aroused his desire to travel more. They again took off for Leh - Ladakh in year 2007 and then Nepal and 7 states of North East in year 2012 and year 2013, consecutively. His intense desire of travelling have not ended yet as the duo is again back on their saddle, this time his recently owned Royal Enfield’s Himalayan, on 30th September 2017 to explore southern parts of India, a ride spanning over 29-days and covering almost 5,800 kms of distance. The couple, by this tour, wishes to spread message of bonhomie taking along the rich cultural fragrance of Kutch region of Gujarat.

For those who believed that expedition is possible only with heavy and sturdy bikes will be surprised to know that the couple had accomplished the distance of 21,900 km on bikes like Bajaj kawashaki 125, Honda Shine and Hero Hunk 150. Isn’t it sounds crazy? This could happen only because of his intense passion, persistence and Himalayan determination to take on the mighty roads, chilling winds and negotiate dangerous curves. 

Mr. Mustak, with his Himalayan seems more confidents and energetic to go full throttle in accomplishing their goal of riding 5,800 km. The confidence and enthusiasm to travel on roads inspires many. It has again proved that age is just a number and no obstacles could hold you back to live your dreams if you dare to do it. Bon Voyage to this ardent and ever young, inspiring couple for their exciting and fulfilling journey.

-          Viral Das

Leadership & Communication Go Hand-In-Hand Leaders create more leaders and not followers

Leadership and Communication are not a new termsfor the people working in the corporate world or for that matter any other organization. Many of us must have attended the seminars and workshops on thesesubjects and have undergone the various training sessions on the same. Along with the experience, one has to get the quality of leadership sharpen to not only scale higher position in the organization's ladder but to be a sensitive role model in the organization,society and family at large. Some people are bornleaders and some imbibe & inculcate leadershipqualities by consciously dealing with people, situation and challenges.

As we all know that leader is someone who always inspires, motivates and influences subordinates, colleagues and people at large by guiding them in proper direction, helping in needs, facilitating to learn, taking responsibility and maintaining integrity.In short, he should be a role model, but ironically in most of the cases we found the leaders/superiors/bosses are arrogant, insensitive and self-centered. Working with such bosses or leader becomes challenge for the subordinates or down-line people. In such case, an employee either leaves the job or gets stuck into the culture of adulation to winfavor of his/her boss. Gradually, this practice itself becomes the culture of that organization. This culture, then moves from upward to downward and impact each level of the hierarchy in the organizationand finally the overall culture of the organization get adversely affected.

Sometimes, leader want the objectives of either personal or of the organization's to be fulfilled at any cost and doing so he seldom pays attention to other's wants, needs and desires. They simply believe controlling people by threatening, scolding andshouting on them is the only way forward to get the work done. Fine, sometime it works and he/she may get the expected result and may achieve the desirable objectives by controlling and coercing people but itwon’t sustain for long. A leader has to understand that he is working with human-beings who have feelings, aspirations, goals, expectations, and desiresto grow and evolve.

Leaders must also realize and understand that by justbecoming a leader, boss or employer doesn’t mean that he/she is supreme power or authority entitled to treat the subordinates with humiliations and threat.Leadership is not about being superior but being partteam and one of them.

“Do to others what you would have them do to you” This maxim is derived from the bible best fits as the example of servant leadership. Leader must serve first if he wants other to serve him which is called servant leadership. Servant leadership meansdesire to serve. To serve means to help, guide and facilitate subordinate and colleagues to grow and develop. To serve means to appreciate andacknowledge people for their contribution. One of the best characteristic of a good leader is that he always use the strategy of “Praise in public, correct (criticize) in private!” this is very important toboost up the efficiency and confidence of the employees and motivate them to achieve the organizational goal. 

Robert C. Liden and his colleagues identified nine dimensions of servant leadership that they used in their research: emotional healing, creating value for the community, conceptual skills, empowering, helping subordinates grow and succeed, putting subordinates first, behaving ethically, relationships,and servant hood. Dirk van Dierendonck reviewed the scholarly literature and identified six key characteristics of servant-leader behavior: empowering and developing people, humility, authenticity, interpersonal acceptance, providing direction, and stewardship.

The following axiom profoundly underlines it: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Strong, effectiveleaders stress fundamentals like discipline, accountability, strategic alignment, managing to his or her values and empowering employees. Theseleaders are also an expert in these six crucialfunctions like leading, planning, organizing, staffing, controlling and communicating. But it is communication a very important key which keepsother functions integrated and works effectively.

A leader is best known by his style of communication. What and how he is communicating through verbal and written communication matters a lot. Communication plays key role in image building,so clear, genuine and assertive communication is very necessary for a good leader. Make sure that communication must be two way; let your subordinate or colleague have freedom to get agree or disagree with you. Let them have a right to speak,put forth their opinion/point or deny the ideas if he is not agreeing with it. Open dialogs with those whoconfront you, challenge you, stretch you, and develop you. If employees are not allowed to speak, share or their opinion is not being considered/given due space then he/she would never contribute in terms of ideas, opinions and sharing. In such case, this quote is self-explanatory of such kind of leadership practice, “Leaders who don’t listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say”- Andy Stanley.  

If a leader is sensitive, sensible and practicingservant leadership then it is possible to bring the culture in the organization where people can share, care and work passionately, fearlessly and confidently with a complete team spirit. Perhaps, it sounds old and outdated but “Love, compassion and empathy are the core values a leader must possess to manage self, people and organization at large. Through the power of these core values one can get the work done from anybody without using the coercion, threat and humiliation."

Let your people approach you fearlessly and let them know that you are there to lead from the front, guide,help, assist, shoulder the responsibility and lend a patient ear to them. So be a leader of hearts and not masses, be a people-oriented and not just resultoriented.

Viral Das