Chandrashekar LSP, Head Evangelist for Zoho in Canada
What is your definition of Leadership?
To be an effective leader, you need to build a consensus among your team or company or community around a central vision or mission. After that, it is your job to translate that vision into reality. You need to be a voice of reason and cut through the noise to make hard decisions.
What are the most important values and ethics you demonstrate as a leader?
Humility has to be the most important virtue for any leader. Being humble makes one open-minded and receptive to ideas that in turn foster a spirit of entrepreneurship. Of course, being a leader means having the final say, but it is critical that tough decisions are not made with ego or for personal benefit.
How do you encourage the development of your employees?
Culture is the foundation of employee development. It plays a key role in igniting human experiences and encouraging interactions that engage employees. An engaged employee processes signals in business view themselves a player in the business’ success and ultimately charts their own course toward development that is fulfilling.
What is your advice to Canadian business owners during the COVID-19 Pandemic?
The suddenness of this pandemic has woken us all to a new reality. Human interaction as we have known it stands challenged. Canadian business owners should incorporate a business continuity planning (BCP) process. BCP in this context is the adoption of tools and technologies that can keep owners connected with their employees, customers, and vendors. Connecting with them at this time gives work a human dimension. Plan on making BCP a strategic initiative. This is a period of forced-learning of new ways to conduct business.
Some business owners’ customers or vendors may be staring at the bleak future, so connecting with them will matter. Pay it forward any which way you can as a business.
