Archive for 'Leadership'
By Rajesh Setty on Mon 27 Feb 2006, 4:32 PM - Leave Comment
Last month I wrote about why of Personal Branding for technology professionals and this month my column talks about the how of Personal Branding for Technology Professionals.
If you are a technology professional, please spend a few minutes to go over to CIO Update to read both the columns.
Here are the links:
1. CIOUpdate: Personal Branding for Technology Professionals – Part 1
2. CIOUpdate: Personal Branding for Technology Professionals – Part 2
Good luck!
Posted under Leadership, Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Wed 22 Feb 2006, 3:40 PM - 1 Comment
Having coached some of the smartest business people on this planet, Marshall Goldsmith believes that one of the problems with smart people is their need to add a “lot of value” to the other party. Sometimes that can hurt rather than help.
Please take a look at this brilliant article that I first read in his newsletter on this topic. I am sure all of you smart people out there will find this fascinating.
Link: Marshall Goldsmith on Adding Value (word document)
Thanks Marshall and good luck for all of you.
Posted under Leadership, Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Mon 30 Jan 2006, 4:09 PM - Leave Comment
My latest column on CIOUpdate.com has been published today. It is a topic dear to my heart – branding for IT professionals. IT professionals can ignore branding when the going is good and still succeed. However, when the going gets tough, your brand can be your first line of defense. This is a two-part article and here is a link to the first part
Personal Branding 101 for IT professionals
Posted under Leadership, Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Tue 03 Jan 2006, 1:27 PM - Leave Comment
Today I had a 1-1 session with my long-time mentor Sterling Lanier of TEC. We have these sessions once a month and I prepare a lot for every session. One thing has not changed over the years. I always come back enlightened after every meeting with Sterling. There will be something that Sterling will observe or suggest that will create an “Aha..” experience in me. Sterling has been mentoring CEOs for years so I am sure it comes naturally for him.
Out of curiosity, I asked Sterling what the secrets of his success were. He was happy to share some insights and in turn (with his permission) I am passing them along.
When you are coaching a CEO, things to keep in mind:
1. Listen intently: There are things that are said and there are things that are not said. You need to listen to both of them.
2. Look at the big picture:
You need to be at a different level vertically to look at the big picture. The CEO is busy with ground reality but the mentor has to see the whole battlefield.
3. Ask the right questions:
I have always said that asking the right questions is more important than searching for answers for wrong questions.
4. Understand the short-term and long-term goals of the person:
The design of his or her life should cater to serve towards achieving both the short-term and long-term objectives.
5. No Fee – No Action:
Don’t do this for free. If there is no fee, typically there is no action. In other words, there is no seriousness in the relationship
Last but not the least, just the nature of the relationship (mentor-mentee) makes it easy for the person to derive the highest value from the conversation.
Hope this helps.
Posted under Leadership, Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Tue 20 Dec 2005, 1:00 PM - Leave Comment
Today my CIOUpdate column for the month was published. The article is titled “Time Management for IT professionals.”
Rather than focusing on the tips and techniques of maximizing on your “to do” lists, I focus on the strategic thinking behind time management.
Hope you will enjoy it!
Posted under Leadership, Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Thu 08 Dec 2005, 7:10 PM - Leave Comment
Rosie Lombardi from IT World Canada interviewed me recently and it was
published today. Here is the link (interview is on page 2)
Steady growth triggers optimism among IT pros
Please take a look when you have a moment.
Posted under Leadership, Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Tue 06 Dec 2005, 6:00 AM - Leave Comment
Let’s consider a few scenarios when you are playing a game against someone:
1. You win against someone way below your skill level. Typically, you won’t enjoy that win or worse, you may not even want to play with the person again.
2. You lose against someone way above your skill level. Typically, you won’t regret that loss. In fact, you may learn something from that game.
3. You win against someone slightly above your skill level. It’s a hard fought game and finally you DO win. It’s a great experience.
What do you think was the difference in the last scenario?
Do you remember a time when you lost a game but you still felt good about it? – This happens especially if you had given your 110% to the game or in other words if the Intensity with which you participated in the game was high. Richard Farson explains this concept beautifully in one of my “all time favorite” books “The Innovation Paradox
”
Take a look at one of my favorite quotes by Teddy Roosevelt
“Far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory, nor defeat.”
The little quote provides one perspective on the importance of being a player and playing with intensity.
Just like in sports, Intensity makes a big difference in life and in work. If you turn your intensity a notch higher, you will probably see a jump in your productivity. We all know that flatlining won’t take us far in our careers. With the right intensity, flatlining won’t have a place in our work and in life.
Summary: Flatlining kills. Intensity fuels growth!
Posted under Distinguish yourself, Leadership, Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Sat 03 Dec 2005, 6:00 AM - Leave Comment
Who does not know Mark Cuban – the founder of Broadcast.com (sold to Yahoo! in 1999) and owner of Dallas Mavericks
Now, in his own words, Mark describes his journey, trials and tribulations, successes and failures from nothing to where he is today on his blog. Here is the link
Success and Motivation – redux
Read and be inspired!!
Posted under Leadership, Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Mon 21 Nov 2005, 9:55 AM - Leave Comment
I had the privilege of attending a TEC talk by Don Schmincke (author of The Code of the Executive) a few days ago. The talk was phenomenal and had a ton of “take home value.”
One of the key things that I remember very well was the answer to the
question – how do we create a strategy for our organization?
With the
risk of over-simplifying, let me summarize what Don said.
Strategy can be evolved by answering the following three questions for
one of our products or services or for the whole organization:
1. Where is the battlefield?
defining the markets and deciding what we do and what we don’t do?
2. Who is our enemy?
deciding who we are competing against. sometimes it may not be another company but just the status quo.
3. How do we win?
where do we bring the innovation to make “us” the choice and not them.
Or what do we bring to the table that will force someone to “pay” and
“change” the way they work (because they will be using our product(s)
or service(s))
Simple and succint, I thought.
Posted under Leadership, Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Tue 08 Nov 2005, 2:59 PM - 1 Comment
It’s always fun to meet my friend Mitchell Levy of Happy About. Today at lunch, Mitchell was kind enough to share his three rules of business success. Here they are (with his permission)
1. Make as many friends as possible and do as many favors as possible.
2. Looking for pain and solving it directly or through relationships
you have developed through rule #1. In other words, work on supply and
demand.
3. Enjoy business, have fun and learn from failure
Mitchell says that in the last few years, he has not found a situation where these rules have not worked 
Posted under Leadership, Main Page.
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