Other

Building high-performing teams: Converting mystery into reality

In today’s hyper-competitive landscape, high-performance teams, being those elite units that consistently exceed expectations, are an elusive rarity. What fuels their relentless drive for excellence has been a subject of much discussion. We have been made to believe that there is a mysterious intangible which separates a great team from a good team and that […]

Building high-performing teams: Converting mystery into reality Read More »

Great leaders encourage questioning, challenge, and criticism

While a conservative approach is admittedly less risky, an excess of it will erode the competitiveness of the organisation over time because it lacks the variety to spice up its life. The willingness of a leader to be questioned, challenged and criticised is an invaluable trait. Many leaders show annoyance, displeasure, and become defensive when

Great leaders encourage questioning, challenge, and criticism Read More »

Effective decisions, a mix of gut and information – avoid constipation by data

In today’s dynamic business landscape characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, the ability to make swift but considered, decisions is what separates the men from the mice. In an era of global connectivity and instant information, unnecessary delays can be costly.  As consumer preferences evolve rapidly, market trends shift unpredictably, employee aspirations change frequently

Effective decisions, a mix of gut and information – avoid constipation by data Read More »

Accountability inspired by rule of law: NPP’s path to inclusive growth

Recent revelations of the many instances of the abuse of power and privilege, the lack of transparency and the lack of accountability of national and political leaders in Sri Lanka range from the trivial to the significant. From the price of meals in the parliamentary canteen, disbursements from the President’s Fund to ‘select’ parliamentarians and

Accountability inspired by rule of law: NPP’s path to inclusive growth Read More »

AKD can be Sri Lanka’s Nelson Mandela – just stay the course

AKD has an eye for detail, an appreciation for clear systems, processes and procedures, a focus on timelines, a dislike for surprises and a desire for order. Discipline and order are not traits which are usually highlighted in discussions on leadership. Self-discipline, routine, structure and an attention to detail are highly beneficial to any leader.

AKD can be Sri Lanka’s Nelson Mandela – just stay the course Read More »

Work-related stress, mental health and burn-out: Silent assassins of productivity

“Optimising the return to shareholders, motivating employees to be high performers while securing their health and well-being and satisfying the needs of a diversity of other stakeholders are the often-conflicting deliverables which require delicate balancing by leaders“. Work-related stress, burn-out and mental health are on the rise in both the private and public sectors in

Work-related stress, mental health and burn-out: Silent assassins of productivity Read More »

Sri Lankan corporates can be braver on psychological safety

Psychological safety is that exhilarating comfort which drives all human beings to give their best efforts to everything they do whether they are at home, work, and school or in society I had my first ‘impactful’ failure in a corporate role and my first acquaintance with psychological safety in mid-1975. I was an employee of

Sri Lankan corporates can be braver on psychological safety Read More »

AKD’s challenge: Increasing national productivity in improving standard of living

Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) has been elected as the ninth Executive President of Sri Lanka. The ‘election’ dust has settled, and it is time for all the competing candidates and their supporters to unite wherever, whenever, and however possible in the best interest of our motherland.  In their campaigns, the candidates spoke little on the

AKD’s challenge: Increasing national productivity in improving standard of living Read More »

Humility, empathy and authenticity key between RW defeat and AKD victory

The recently concluded Presidential elections in Sri Lanka provided us many lessons in leadership. The key differentiator, in my view, was that Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW) portrayed himself as a ‘master’ of people while Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) projected himself as a ‘servant’ of the people, a servant on the lines of ‘servant leadership’ as propounded

Humility, empathy and authenticity key between RW defeat and AKD victory Read More »

Congruence between compensation philosophy and generic strategy is key to staying competitive

“Notwithstanding the greatness of the organisation’s culture or the exciting variety in its benefits package, the probability of an employee performing per expectations at remuneration below market is extremely low. Performance-based compensation which pays for success is a way of avoiding increases in fixed pay which arise from factors which are unrelated to success. A

Congruence between compensation philosophy and generic strategy is key to staying competitive Read More »