When we strip away the titles and the mahogany desks, what endures is a series of moments. A feedback session that either ignites a career or crushes a spirit. A boardroom negotiation where trust is either solidified or evaporated. A crisis where a team either rallies behind a vision or scatters in self-preservation. In all […]
Brilliant but lonely: High IQ alone will never make an effective leader Read More »
For decades, Sri Lanka has teetered on the edge of a precipice, fuelled by a dangerous cocktail of systemic political failure and a quiet, creeping social paralysis. We speak of the “economic quagmire” as if it were a natural disaster, a sudden flood, or an act of God, rather than what it truly is: the
Sri Lanka is currently in the vice grip of fear-driven ‘administrative inertia’, and this is proving to be a serious obstacle to economic recovery and a tangible barrier to the smooth functioning of the everyday life of citizens. When the fear of a future audit, a commission of inquiry, mudslinging on social media, et cetera,
In the high-stakes theater of Sri Lankan politics, with the National People’s Power (NPP) Government holding a commanding 159-seats and currently riding high on the wave of solid public affirmation of its performance, the belief of the Opposition comprising of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) led by Sajith Premadasa, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP),
SJB must be more of a guardrail than a roadblock Read More »
Judging by what I see happening in many Sri Lankan organisations, I conclude that they are not fully utilising ‘Feedback’ as an employee developmental, motivational, and empowerment tool. Irrespective of the context of its application, ‘Feedback’ is the heartbeat of growth. By weaving proactive, honest reflection into our daily rhythm, we can transform simple words
Feedback is not an autopsy of failure, it is the heartbeat of growth Read More »
“THE talk is by palanquin, but the journey is by foot” is a direct translation of a transliterated Sinhala phrase, “Kathawa dolaawen gamana paa-in”. Stated bluntly and simply, it means “all talk, no action”, and that aptly sums up Sri Lanka’s lackluster performance in the last twenty-five years in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). While
“Businesses are shifting the risk of uncontrollable external economic factors such as inflation and downturn away from their fixed nature onto performance metrics that employees directly influence. This has led to a shift toward compensation packages that include a competitive base salary for stability, complemented by performance-linked variable rewards. By emphasising meritocracy and productivity gains,
Staying competitive by transferring pay risks through performance-based compensation Read More »
In the early years of my leadership career, an event that often left me in a state of trepidation was the annual promotion cycle. It was not the mechanics of the review process or the substance of the discussions themselves that gave rise to such anxiety. It was the dispirited office atmosphere that inevitably followed
Coping with and managing the agony and ecstasy of annual promotions Read More »
President and Finance Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake presents the 2026 Budget in Parliament on 7 November Cheers and jeers welcomed Sri Lanka’s National Budget 2026. This is normal when the country’s ends are many, but the means are limited. Budget promulgations based on important and urgent priorities, as seen by drivers of national policy, will
The National Budget is IMF influenced, so what? Do we have a choice? Read More »
Delegation crumbles when the leader perpetually doubts the subordinate’s competence or commitment Leading without trust is like building on quicksand. The unsound foundation makes it unstable and unreliable. In December 2025, I complete 53 years in a corporate career ranging from an accounts clerk at Lever Brothers (Ceylon) Ltd. in 1972, the post I am
Leading without trust is akin to building on quicksand Read More »
