Geoff Colvin wrote in Fortune magazine (October 28, 2013) “The Soft Stuff Is The Hard Stuff.” The premise? That skills can be developed, and are certainly required to achieve success, but it’s each individuals personal traits that truly make the difference.
Can a person be inspirational? Does a person have global sensibility? That’s the hardest thing to find.
—Anand Mahindra
What type of talent are you looking for? What will it take to round out your organization to build bench-strength and promote growth? On the flip-side, what are you doing to control attrition? Are people truly the most valuable asset you have? Does your staff believe that to be true?
The Soft Stuff Is The Hard Stuff
Integrity, empowerment, trust, and energy were identified as key components for retaining talent at Mahindra, and there was one more: developing people. Mahindra’s philosophy is to “develop talent from within and provide global exposure” so they are better positioned to compete, and succeed, in a global marketplace.
We have always believed that ethics and good governance coupled with vision and grit are fundamental to being a successful business, and our leadership team embodies these beliefs.
With more than 155,000 employees in over 100 countries, they demand performance, but provide freedom and opportunity for growth, they support innovation and risk taking, and they will not compromise on ethical business standards.
They also “value individual dignity, uphold the right to express disagreement and respect the time and efforts of others. Through our actions, we will nurture fairness, trust, and transparency”.
How highly valued are integrity and dignity in your organization? Is development planning meaningful? Are personal traits viewed as a priority? Don’t ignore the “soft stuff”!
QwikTip and QwikCoach
QwikTips Powered by e-Coach – Getting Everyone On-board
And for those with a QwikCoach license, refresh your existing skills and acquire new skills by visiting the QwikTips library for leadership ideas and techniques.
If you don’t have QwikCoach, it’s an excellent resource for growing your leadership skills remotely that you should consider.
Help turn your leadership knowledge into leadership action!