In a collarless black jacket, dark jeans and trainers, perhaps the only giveaway of Deepak Chopra's celebrity status are his diamond-studded glasses. The international health-and-wellness icon, motivational speaker and author of more than 80 books is addressing a packed audience at Dubai's Park Hyatt hotel. The subject of the Soul of Leadership seminar is whether we have what it takes to be great leaders.
"To dream and build a better and bigger future for the people and the country, we first need to understand the future of well-being and establish a strong and healthy today," says Chopra, once voted one of Time magazine's Top 100 heroes and icons of the 20th century. "Once you have attained this, anyone can be the torchbearer of a happy, satisfied and successful community, business or nation."
Whether you harbour a desire to become the next president of the United States or want to build more confidence as a business chief, Chopra’s philosophy on leadership is simple. Great leadership can be learnt, and when it comes to getting ahead, our soul or core consciousness and the ability to “be present” far outstrips how much wealth and power you hold: “A leader can never afford to be distracted. You won’t see them checking their iPhone or multitasking while they talk to you. They are totally present and focused on the moment,” says Chopra. “They understand fully that the most important people in their lives are the ones in front of them right now.”
Giving his personal examples of great leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Chopra believes people like this have a distinct presence and do not come across as easily distracted. “These type of leaders give you the sense of always being consciously present in your company. No matter how busy their lives become, they make time for reflection every day and ask themselves questions such as: ‘Who am I? What do I want?’ Their task is also to help realise these very aspirations and longings in the groups that they lead.”
Hazel Jackson, the founder and chief executive of Biz-group, agrees: “Great leaders realise that success is about growing others – it is about looking beyond their own capability and amplifying the intelligence of the people they manage.” Biz-group is a UAE-based training and teambuilding-solutions company that has been helping leaders and their employees since 1993. It topped the UAE’s SME Great Place to Work list this year, for the second year running, making it well-placed to comment on the subject. “Successful leaders never stop learning, possess strong people-management skills and focus on building a winning corporate culture. They are able to explore ideas, improvise, seek input, provide feedback and be available for discussion and support, taking decisive action when necessary.”
The Great Place to Work Institute has been highlighting the work of companies big and small around the world for about 30 years, with the belief that there are common factors that separate good companies from great. One of these factors comes down to the leader in charge, says Ron Thomas, the chief executive of Great Place to Work Gulf. “They empower their teams to make decisions and take risks. They respect and value the contribution of their staff, in terms of their ideas and time. They also take a genuine interest in the well-being of their staff. Perhaps most importantly, they are visible and accessible within the organisation.”
This approachability, according to Chopra, goes hand-in-hand with charisma, one of the key traits of a great leader. As well as a sense of presence, charismatic people have a real understanding of their true self-esteem and are immune to both criticism and flattery – in other words, they’re not driven by their ego. “A charismatic leader is never melodramatic or high maintenance. They exude warmth and are easy to talk to, with no chip on their shoulder,” says Chopra.
Indeed, a great boss can create the difference between hitting the snooze button in the morning and bouncing out of bed. “A good sense of humour is required – because pressure is high and the ability to find joy in the mundane is essential. Humility is also the essential ingredient that differentiates the mediocre from the great,” says the Biz-group training consultant Barbara Kerr. “The great leaders I meet are those who connect with people, who have a passion for seeing and using the capability of the team to drive the business, and who genuinely care about the welfare and well-being of their colleagues.”
Finally, the ability to move beyond our “reptilian brain”, says Chopra, is key to our success as a leader. This 400-million-year-old mentality that resides in the back of our minds is reckoned to control our fight-or-flight instincts, releasing cortisone and adrenaline into our system at times of stress. A great leader knows how to keep this in check, and according to Chopra, using the acronym STOP can help: Stop and press pause; Take three deep breaths; Observe yourself; Proceed with compassion.
weekend@thenational.ae
