Unity in Diversity
Student-author: Jaya Singla (India)
Student at Leadership Dynamics course Fall 2022, Post-graduate Diploma in International Business Management
Towards Leadership like a curious tourist… I attended all the sessions of the course Leadership Dynamics course like a curious tourist toward your leadership future (Zoccoli, 2020) under the guidance and mentorship of Marcella Zoccoli. Through her experience and knowledge, she made us dive deeper into our growth and reveal the dormant leader in me. She has been setting an exemplary image with every passing session with her. Words are short to describe how she managed different topic-related in-class and virtual sessions to make us involved and aware of varied philosophical concepts, sending in break-out rooms for consultancy, and discussing the challenges faced as a foreigner in the new place. She has really revived the sleeping leader in us by making us introduced to amazing thought-provoking enthusiastic sessions that always blended with love and knowledge. She opened the very introduction about all of us by giving us an opportunity to talk about ourselves in the form of an introduction. I have truly learned mind practices, bhakti yoga, and karma yoga, to be spiritual by mind, and thought. How gracefully she carries and spreads the principle of the Ancient Yogic Science of SADHGURU – she has taken her completely in her thoughts and in life. Words have been short to express the gratitude which I feel for her.
Welcome to 2030 – the future Leader in ME
The very word “Leader” creates a kind of charm on one’s face that develops a sense of confidence in oneself. Everyone wants to be a good leader and have an ideal follower who follows all the guidelines religiously given by the leader. I am too blessed with a leader aura in me which I came to know with the passage of time. I am a very easy-going person even if I see myself in a leadership role, the reason being that I make sure not to blend my leadership quality with dictatorship turnover in me. So, I always try to lead my team on a very positive note by delegating all the specific work which they must contribute to being part of a team. I never shirk in taking a task where I must lead as a leader for my whole group as I believe the smoothness of work, accuracy, and timely completion requires unity of co-group members, we all have been reading since childhood ‘UNITY IN DIVERSITY‘ so this is the real inspiring quote in my life by following which I continue to strive for perfection and betterment. I always make sure to keep my group indulged in work at all phases so that the charm and enthusiasm to do the group task remains at peak and it should not seem boring to anyone of us including me. I always welcome the thoughts and beliefs of my group members to make them feel at ease and they count that their contribution is considered whole-heartedly regardless of title or rank. I personally feel privileged to act like a democratic leader where I often make my group members feel that their thoughts, values, and opinions carry equal weight. This way it fosters a true sense of collaboration along with the warmth of thoughts for each other.
I have a unique perspective on self-leadership which lays emphasis on collective growth and development, apart from it continuing to strive to find ways to enhance the strength of the project co-members. I always hold a perception that what works for a football coach, works in the business, and the same in any group project. Someone may be a great writer while someone else may excel at data analysis, but chances are, the same person will not excel at both skills at the same time I have a hidden bureaucratic leader sign as well which only arises when it is the need of the hour i.e. if the idea or plan gets stray from the demand of the group task. I as a leader always looks for the growth of my entire team rather than the individual. I always balance between creating and moving ahead with my vision. I never acted as a hurdle to stifle the creativity of my team workers, this being the reason making me an apple of my workers’ eyes. Talking about executing my leadership skills in my professional field is that I have till now so far done justice to my team by being a very philanthropist leader to them, the foremost reason being that I too developed an inspiration by reading the leadership skills from my ideal leaders and tried to follow on their footsteps to become an exemplary leader for my employees. I always tried the theory of ‘LET THEM DO’ to see the hidden qualities of my employees otherwise I would have not done justice to my title of leader. I always lead my work employees with examples and attempts.
To keep my professional charm lively, equal contribution of thoughts by my employees and keep them enthusiastic, I make sure to organize time-to-time leadership training programs as they can really hike career growth along with one’s leadership training too. The foremost practice to guide my team at a professional level is ‘LISTEN AND LEARN’, this practice has ten folds increased chances of earning respect from all subordinates when their views are listened to and valued. Then I ‘INCLUDE ONE AND ALL’ – this approach really incorporates outstanding qualities in all and strengthens the vision hoped by all. Thirdly ‘STRIVING FOR AUTHENTICITY’– By this, I encourage corporate culture among my employees and make them realize the professional goals to be accomplished in the workplace. Following the sutra of these three above-told strategies, I am moving ahead by accomplishing all goals set by me and helping to craft my own authentic leadership style.
at JAMK University of Applied Sciences – Finland – Fall 2022
References
Sadhguru, J.V. (2021). Karma. A Yogi’s guide to crafting your destiny. Harmony Books – Penguin Random House LLC. – New York
Singla, J. (2022). Personal experience.
Zoccoli, M. (2020). Leadership Dynamics: Curious Tourists, Floating Astronauts, and Visionary Seekers. From the doctoral research “the intertwining of Spirituality, Business, and Technology” (Zoccoli, 2020-2025). University of Helsinki, Finland.