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The Reflective CEO - Part II |
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The
number of emails I
received to the piece
‘The
Reflective Leader’
(Businessworld, 4 April) exceeded
the usual average by a
huge margin. The
article also received
the highest number of
hits on our website
beating Thriving
without Paranoia’
(BW, Nov 22), which
held the previous
record. Far more
surprising was the
unusually high
page-views from
continental Europe
(we have a fairly
sophisticated website
user tracking system
in place).
Incidentally, at Anoova Consulting, our guiding philosophy is: “The great end of knowledge is not knowledge, but action.” Understanding things helps you do them better. Doing things helps you understand them better. You cannot have one without the other. Unsurprisingly, the thinkers also think better when they do. A recent example is of Harvard Business School. Till the late 70s, HBS faculty were not permitted to consult. Their focus was deemed to be research and teaching. After the restriction on offering consulting was lifted, the quality of research, especially that related to concerns of practising managers improved markedly. Getting into the messy world of organizations, helped them look at the world from a different lens. It provided the academician with the insights to develop a better perspective of organisational issues. I am sure it contributed positively to their classroom interactions also. Here, I must also take a moment to mention the not-so-apparent downside of the ‘single-minded focus’ approach that we have been brought up to revere. Focus is good. But only if you are focusing on the right things. The practice of reflection helps you make sure that it is indeed so. The marketplace and the organisation evolve. They don’t remain static. So do the things that we need to focus on. With active reflection, we too can get to see what truly requires focus at each point in time. To put it in another way: you are on an adrenalin rush, playing the fast and furious game. Reflection helps you understand and get to where the ball is going to be next. But more importantly, whether you are in the right playing field to begin with. Is football your game, or is it basketball? How?
Sounds
simple? Try it and
see. |
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This page was printed from http://AnoovaConsulting.Biz |
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This article was originally published in Businessworld, in Wide Angle, the monthly guest column by Mohit Malik of Anoova Consulting’s Strategy and Leadership Practice. If
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at Work. When you
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Path to Leadership Success. ©2005, All rights reserved with Anoova Consulting. http://AnoovaConsulting.Biz |