Core Requirements of Success

Last weekend I read “Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance” by Dr. Atul Gawande. Dr. Atul is a surgeon, writer and a public health researcher. He writes extremely well in that his story telling ability is one of the best and it is hard to put off the book once you start reading. 

This book was no different. The book is disturbing in parts (when you read, for example, things that go in when a death sentenced convict is killed by giving a lethal injection!), informative (how massive it is to organize a polio eradication program in a place like India), outraging (when you read about how some people manipulate insurance), numb (when to stop fighting to save a patient) and above all thought provoking (almost all the sections). While the book mainly deals with things needed for a doctor to succeed, some of the principles are universal for any job.

He lists the following three things as core requirement for success:

1. Diligence – the necessity of giving sufficient attention to detail to avoid error and prevail against obstacles
2. Do it right – making sure we minimize human failings like avarice, arrogance, insecurity, misunderstanding etc.
3. Ingenuity – The willingness to recognize failure, to learn from failure without papering over the cracks. It arises from deliberate, and even obsessive reflection on failure and a constant searching for new solutions.

I think the above three are pretty good parameters to measure our own performance and/or hold ourselves to higher standards.

I’ve read two more books from the same author and they both are exceptionally good:

• The Checklist Manifesto- How to get things right: Thru riveting stories he reveals how simple checklists can bring in striking improvements in various fields
• Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End: Here the author argues that while medicine has triumphed in modern times transforming dangers from harrowing to manageable, but when it comes to inescapable realities of aging and death, what medicine can do often runs counter to what it should. Must read for anyone having aged parents.

You may be a jerk and not realise it!!

Last week in a meeting I snapped. I felt/thought/assumed/concluded/decided that some core tenets of what I believe and what has contributed to our success was being questioned. And I acted in a way that I’m not proud of. To add insult to my injury, this happened a few days later after I read this article titled Social Blind Spots: Why we need feedback to develop social intelligence. I had noted down a few points to share in one of my BBL article, but never thought I needed it more than others!

Anyways the author, Angela Duckworth, makes the following points. Even when We may be thinking that we are acting responsibly or selflessly,

-          We can be quite blind to our social blunders

-          It’s easy to act like a jerk and not realize it

-          Don’t assume you’re acting as graciously as you think you are. Social intelligence is in the eye of the beholder.

-          Do listen for feedback. No matter their age, the people you’re with may be more attuned to your social blunders than you are.

As leaders, it is ultra important that we do not create an atmosphere where people are scared to challenge status quo and/or propose new way of doing things. This doesn’t mean you should shy away for educating or dis-agreeing. It is a tough balancing act and not easy to master.

Feedback helps. See whether you can assign a peer or even a trusted reportee to let you know when you are off rails.

Angela Duckworth is the author of this beautiful book Grit: Why Passion and Resilience are the secrets to success. I’d reckon this as one of the must reads for anyone. And while we are at this, may I make another fervent appeal to read atleast one book per month? There has been lot of research to suggest  “all leaders are readers”. Lot of world leaders like Bill Gates, Zuckerberg etc., are all voracious leaders and regularly recommend books to read. Several senior NI leaders including Eric and Alex are heavy readers. Trust me it pays.

Do you need a lot of time to read one book a month? Actually no. An average business book is about 300 pages. Which means its about 75 pages a week. If you decide to read daily, its about 7-8 pages a day (less than 10mins), or if you choose to read only on weekends its about 30mins every Sat and Sun. I find it difficult to imagine that anyone aspiring to become a good leader can’t even invest an hour a week to get better!!

RamP!

What RamP's reading: Apr'19

Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance: Nowhere is the drive to do better more important than in medicine, where lives are on the line with every decision. Atul Gawande’s gripping stories take us to battlefield surgical tents in Iraq, delivery rooms in Boston, a polio outbreak in India, and malpractice courtrooms in the US. He discusses the ethical dilemma of lethal injections, examines the influence of money on modern medicine, and recounts the contentious history of hand-washing. And as in all his writing, he gives us an inside look at his own life as a surgeon.

Getting Ahead: 3 Steps to Take Your Career to Next Level: A leading executive coach pinpoints three vital traits necessary to advance your career. In Getting Ahead, one of the top 50 executive coaches in the United States, Joel Garfinkle reveals his signature model for mastering three skills to take your career to the next level: Perception, Visibility, and Influence.