On Leadership - Dr Sangeetha Madhu and Sanjhna Shetty

 “The supreme quality of leadership is integrity” -Dwight Eisenhower

 

Warren G. Bennis, an American scholar, author and organizational consultantregarded as a pioneer of the contemporary field ofleadership stated that "Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality."An effective leader exhibits personality trait such as ambition, sociability and curiosity and is expected to develop a vision for their colleagues, communicate goals clearly, inspire, delegate and empower others.

Mistakes leaders make

·         Being unavailable/inaccessible

·         Not giving or taking feedbacks

·         Ineffective conflict management

·         Not taking emotions into account

·         Becoming overconfident about their abilities and judgments due to the powers vested in them

·         Not providing the group members the space to challenge their decisions

·         Involving in unnecessary risks

Leadership styles

Kurt Lewin along with his associates identified different styles of leadership:

·         Democratic Leadership: includes offering guidance to others at the same time participating in the group and allowing input from other members.

·         Transformational leadership: This style of leadership involves not only working towards fulfilling organisation goals, but also assist group members reach their potential. Such leaders are termed energetic and passionate.

·         Situational Leadership: This style is based on the leaders’ ability to modify the style of management to suit the organisational requirements.

 

Global Leadership and Development (GLAD) strives towards promoting positive mental health across organisations. Our core values lie in providing a safe space forcultivatingleadership presence through self-awareness, in the service of others & achieving life satisfaction.

Ø  Self-awareness - accurately assessing one's feelings, interests, values and strengths

Ø  Self-management – recognizing and regulating one's emotions to handle stress.

Ø  Social Influence - establishing and maintaining healthy and rewarding relationships.

Sustaining Leadership qualities

·         Efficient decision making: Ability to take make decisions without hesitation and make a choice under stressful situations

·         Effective communication skills: Setting clear expectations, giving opinions and directions and listening to their associates

·         Leading by example: A leader setting an example promotes a positive culture at workplace

·         Motivating others: The passion and energy carried by a leader motivates others to deliver their best

·         Positive reinforcement: Understanding others’ strengths, weaknesses and constantly providing feedback about their work

Leadership is a skill of influencing, guiding or leading a group of members or an organisation in order to achieve a desired outcome. Our hope for an innovative and authentic approach to leadership starts with self-awareness sowe can collectively harness our true potential to positively impact our families, organizations and communities

‘You must be the change that you wish to see in the world ‘– Mahatma Gandhi

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Cherry, K. (2020). What Are Prominent Leadership Styles and Frameworks You Should Know?.Verywell Mind. Retrieved 5 May 2021, from https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312.

Leadership. Psychology Today. Retrieved 5 May 2021, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/leadership.

Organizationalpsychologydegrees.com.https://www.organizationalpsychologydegrees.com/lists/5-qualities-of-an-effective-leader/.

Top 10 Leadership Mistakes - What NOT to do as a leader. IMD business school. Retrieved 5 May 2021, from https://www.imd.org/research-knowledge/articles/10-people-mistakes-leaders-make/.

Healthy Habits - Dr Sangeetha Madhu and Sanjhna Shetty

      “Healthy habits are learned the same way as unhealthy ones-through practice.” While healthy habits improve the overall well-being of individuals, it may feel difficult for some of us to inculcate these habits due to various reasons. The American Journal of Psychology defines habit as a more or less fixed way of thinking, willing, or feeling acquired through previous repetition of a mental experience. Leading a healthy lifestyle is not only suitable for the physical health but also the emotional as well as mental health of individuals.

While habit and routine involve repeated behaviour, routine is not a response to a deep-rooted impulse. In other words, routine is followed when an individual feels the need to do it, without an impulse.

A few tips on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle:

1. Writing the goals down
2. Start small
3. Keeping a check on mental health and stress levels
4. Staying hydrated
5. Planning one’s meals
6. Sustainable health diet
7. Planning a physical workout (any form of exercise)
8. Cutting back on screen time
9. Adequate sleep
10. Heading outdoors to absorb sunlight
11. Avoid alcohol, smoking and other forms of drugs
12. Keeping a check on dental hygiene
13. Repetition of behaviours until they turn into habit
14. Reaching out to someone for support

Habit Formation (Habit loop)

●       The process of habit formation consists of four elements namely the cue, craving, the routine, and the reward.

●       The Cue refers to a trigger that encourages the behaviour (a person, event, feeling, etc.)

●       Craving is the motivation or desire behind habit

●        Routine refers to what comes before and after the habit

●       Reward refers to the outcome achieved.

Habit formation has shown that behaviour is likely to become habitual when it is frequently and consistently performed in the same context. It is easier to set smaller goals and reminders in comparison with longer goals in maintaining good habits.

References

Making Healthy Habits That Last. Psychology Today. (2020). Psychologytoday. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-well-being-toolkit/202003/making-healthy-habits-last.

How to build a healthy habit. Verywell Mind. (2020). Verywellmind. https://www.verywellmind.com/how-long-does-it-really-take-to-build-a-healthy-habit-2224073.

Habit Formation. Psychology Today. (n.d.). Psychologytoday. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/habit-formation.

Gardner, B., Lally, P., & Wardle, J. (2012). Making health habitual: the psychology of ‘habit-formation’ and general practice. British Journal Of General Practice, 62(605), 664-666. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp12x659466

The Psychology of Habit Formation (And How to Hack it). Lifehack. (2020). https://www.lifehack.org/889303/habit-formation.