Not just Human Resources...

Originally published July 6, 2019 I get a call at midnight. My friend of many years, is on the phone sobbing, looking for advice. Groggy and horrified - I listen to her story. She is a free spirit, marches to the beat of her own drum, is passionate about making a difference and is always immensely engaged and immersed in everything she takes on... The person on the phone does not sound like her. The person on the phone sounds crushed, has self doubt, feels isolated and alone, and is anxious and insecure. Over the last year, bullied and broken down by her boss, she is a shadow of herself. I have never seen her like this. As I listen to her, I reflect on the toxic leaders my colleagues and I have encountered, faced, and dealt with over the years, the trauma of their teams, their impact on the culture and the damage to the organization. When we think of toxic bosses, our first instinct is to think of the extreme cases of verbal abuse, harassment, bullying, etc. However, there are also

Originally published Sept 27, 2019 The worst interview I ever had was with a gentleman from a well reputed Fortune 50 company, many many years ago. Within the first 5 minutes I knew it was a mistake, but I stayed, out of respect for the company and the person who referred me. It only got worse. We spent the better part of an hour circling over and over on what exactly my role was. He seemed to vacillate between incredulity and confusion over what role ‘I’ had played, specifically, in the significant work my team had delivered. Frustrated and annoyed, I left the meeting, upset with myself, and angry with him. Over the next few days, after I had calmed down, and was able to be more honest with myself, I tried to figure out what happened. My aha moment was when I realized that; his ears, just not accustomed to the use of the collective ‘we’, when meaning ‘I’ was perplexed and overwhelmed, and unable to make sense out of what he was hearing. I learnt my lesson! I have interviewed hundre

COVID-19 has forced us into the largest experiment of remote working in human history. It has surfaced unique challenges we couldn’t have dreamt about. This is a difficult time for us; from businesses closing and impacting employees, to employees stranded outside their country of residence, to stranded split families, the loneliness and isolation, the vast emotional toll and guilt of not being there for extended families or elderly parents, the hesitation of visiting high risk elderly parents, the sheer helplessness of not being able to get a loved one tested or cured, and the fear and anxiety of not knowing when things will get better. As leaders, we are having to learn how to navigate these challenges ourselves, as we help our teams through it. If there was ever a time to step up - this is it. Here are 5 simple tips to help you lead a high performing team remotely, during this time: 1.   Be yourself, be human : Vulnerability is a strength . The key to building and retaining tr