Name: Leading in transformative times
Uploaded: 2022-09-23T12:56:32.858Z
Duration: 411.93
Description: We are living in times of uncertainty and it will take a while for us to get back to a more predictable version of our lives. Leadership is about bringing out the best but what does the best mean? Hitendra Wadhwa, Founder and CEO of Mentora, underlines the need to practice collective intelligence and learn how to operate from your inner core.

Leading in Transformative Times v4 (Name Fix V2).mp4

Leading In Transformative Times.vtt

English

{{00:00:24}}
It's not going to be
going away any time soon.

{{00:00:27}}
This is a condition that's probably
going to take a while for it to get

{{00:00:31}}
like fully resolved and for us to
get, to get back to times, which

{{00:00:35}}
are a little bit more predictable
and a little bit more sort of

{{00:00:37}}
like forecastable into the future.

{{00:00:39}}
And so at a moment in history
where we just don't know who the

{{00:00:43}}
expert is, you know, whether it's
about what will the public health

{{00:00:48}}
conditions look like next year?

{{00:00:49}}
What will the economy look like next?

{{00:00:51}}
Is it safe for us to open our offices?

{{00:00:54}}
You know, what is the
appropriate thing for me to do?

{{00:00:56}}
If budgets are being cut
about sort of what we do

{{00:00:58}}
with our products, et cetera.

{{00:01:00}}
In your role of these kinds of
questions at this point, the old

{{00:01:04}}
guard, so to say, those of us who
have been experienced in the ways of

{{00:01:08}}
the past and knowing the rules of the
game in the way business was played

{{00:01:12}}
out in society was played out and
politics was played out until today.

{{00:01:16}}
And if you have to be honest with
ourselves, we have to say that

{{00:01:18}}
we really don't know where the
answer is going to come from.

{{00:01:22}}
But what we really need at this
point is collective intelligence.

{{00:01:25}}
We need a mechanism through which,
whether it is in our teams and

{{00:01:29}}
organizations and our communities, or
in our families, the ability to be able

{{00:01:33}}
to tune in and collect insights and
ideas from anywhere, everywhere doesn't

{{00:01:38}}
matter if you are less experienced
or more, et cetera, because it may

{{00:01:41}}
be that, you know, you're not even
the official expert on this topic

{{00:01:44}}
where, you know, new ideas of insights
and breakthroughs and you know, and

{{00:01:48}}
concerns and sensitivities could
emerge, which are very important for us

{{00:01:53}}
to listen to, and to ultimately adapt
and evolve our path forward at whatever

{{00:01:57}}
level we are leading and driving
change and evolution of this time.

{{00:02:02}}
Which is leadership is about bringing
out the best, bringing out the best

{{00:02:06}}
in yourself, bringing out the best
in others, in all situations, in the

{{00:02:10}}
pursuit of a common positive purpose.

{{00:02:14}}
At a time like this when the world is
so challenged, but none of us know what

{{00:02:18}}
lies around the corner, I'm reminded
of Gandhi's words, Mahatma Gandhi.

{{00:02:22}}
He said once he said, you know, the
difference between what we do and what

{{00:02:26}}
we are capable of doing would be enough
to solve all the world's problems.

{{00:02:31}}
Now, the question that arises
from here is, well, what does

{{00:02:35}}
best mean in a context like this?

{{00:02:37}}
Right?

{{00:02:38}}
What would it mean to say we've
been thinking there are certain

{{00:02:42}}
qualities that we need from great
leaders, such as for example, you

{{00:02:45}}
have to be very decisive and adaptive
and agreeable and connected and an

{{00:02:49}}
extrovert and be very visionary.

{{00:02:52}}
But you know, the interesting thing
is for each such quality that you

{{00:02:55}}
come up with, I can also propose
to you that there are situations

{{00:02:59}}
where the opposite quality is really
needed and the opposite quality

{{00:03:03}}
is where, you know, maybe it makes
sense for you to be very patient

{{00:03:05}}
right now, not like super decisive
and rush to a certain judgment.

{{00:03:10}}
Maybe it makes sense for you to be
very tenacious and have grit and keep

{{00:03:14}}
fighting the good fight, rather than
just adapting and changing your views.

{{00:03:19}}
Maybe it makes sense for you
to be a certain, you know,

{{00:03:21}}
in, in a given situation
rather than be very agreeable.

{{00:03:24}}
It just depends on the situation and
the thesis I would therefore offer

{{00:03:28}}
to you is that we need a form of
leadership, where you can be everything

{{00:03:32}}
and the complete opposite, because it's
kind of like, depends on the situation.

{{00:03:36}}
You have to be everything
and the complete opposite.

{{00:03:40}}
But but if that's what you have to be
to be a leader, how is that attainable?

{{00:03:43}}
How is that authentic?

{{00:03:45}}
How is that core to who you are?

{{00:03:47}}
The way I've spoken to you about
leadership so far is on the basis

{{00:03:51}}
of an outer focus about what you're
doing and what you're seeing, but

{{00:03:55}}
there is also the potential to
convert leadership into something

{{00:03:58}}
that starts from an inner focus.

{{00:04:00}}
From the inner game rather
than the outer game.

{{00:04:03}}
And that is what I
call your inner core.

{{00:04:05}}
And your inner core is this
a space within you and within

{{00:04:08}}
me and within each of us, from
where our best self arises.

{{00:04:12}}
Where we feel deeply
committed to a certain cause.

{{00:04:16}}
Deeply connected to the people
around us, deeply curious and

{{00:04:20}}
open to new learnings, regardless
of what success we have scaled.

{{00:04:24}}
Calm and connected.

{{00:04:28}}
And open to receiving truth.

{{00:04:30}}
We go into that space from time to
time, and then we drift away from it

{{00:04:33}}
at other times because distractions
and just you know, being upset and

{{00:04:38}}
having emotional arousal, et cetera.

{{00:04:40}}
Good from moment to moment,
but is away from our core.

{{00:04:44}}
But it's that space that
we know that from time to

{{00:04:46}}
time, you're able to access.

{{00:04:47}}
And when we do, we are beyond ego and
attachment and insecurities, and we

{{00:04:51}}
can operate from a place of grace.

{{00:04:54}}
What have you thought about
leadership as really being

{{00:04:57}}
grounded first and foremost in
for each of us our inner core.

{{00:05:01}}
And so how do we approach this form
of leadership, where we started from

{{00:05:05}}
within, and then just project on
the outside the appropriate behavior

{{00:05:09}}
that is needed for the situation.

{{00:05:11}}
Feeling authentic, because the
authenticity is not associated with

{{00:05:15}}
the behavior from the outside, with
the aspect of personality you're

{{00:05:19}}
expressing on the outside, but with
the angry in the core, on the inside.

{{00:05:23}}
For leadership, step one,
get anchored in your core.

{{00:05:27}}
If that's you in the middle and
these are the people around you,

{{00:05:30}}
these could be your colleagues.

{{00:05:31}}
These could be your clients.

{{00:05:32}}
It could be family members.

{{00:05:33}}
Step one, activate your core.

{{00:05:35}}
Step two, express these five
energies of purpose, wisdom,

{{00:05:39}}
love, self-realisation and growth.

{{00:05:41}}
Step three, activate
other peoples core.

{{00:05:44}}
And by doing so you
become a collective core.

{{00:05:47}}
Because you and others are now
resonating as much from within,

{{00:05:51}}
as you are from the outside.

{{00:05:53}}
It's not just that people are nodding
their heads politely from the outside,

{{00:05:56}}
but the thoughts they're thinking,
feelings they're having, the values

{{00:05:59}}
that they're responding for and all
the same, because you've created

{{00:06:02}}
a deep connection of the core.

{{00:06:05}}
There is a quest that we should be
on in our teams and organizations

{{00:06:08}}
to invite people to do inner
performance reviews, not just

{{00:06:12}}
outer performance reviews.

{{00:06:13}}
Which is that, you know, at every
stage, ask yourself at the end of

{{00:06:16}}
every night, at the end of every
day, or at the end of every week,

{{00:06:20}}
not just what am I doing, but like,
am I operating from my core, for

{{00:06:25}}
example, am I committed to my purpose?

{{00:06:27}}
Am I calm and open to receiving the
truth in whichever form it comes?

{{00:06:31}}
Am I connected with my people?

{{00:06:33}}
Curious and open to growth?

{{00:06:35}}
Centered in my joyful and
tranquil spirit within?

{{00:06:39}}
And am I doing my best?

{{00:06:40}}
Like that research scientist,
to help others around me

{{00:06:44}}
operate from their core as well.

It's not going to be
going away any time soon.

This is a condition that's probably
going to take a while for it to get

like fully resolved and for us to
get, to get back to times, which

are a little bit more predictable
and a little bit more sort of

And so at a moment in history
where we just don't know who the

expert is, you know, whether it's
about what will the public health

You know, what is the
appropriate thing for me to do?

If budgets are being cut
about sort of what we do

In your role of these kinds of
questions at this point, the old

guard, so to say, those of us who
have been experienced in the ways of

the past and knowing the rules of the
game in the way business was played

out in society was played out and
politics was played out until today.

And if you have to be honest with
ourselves, we have to say that

we really don't know where the
answer is going to come from.

But what we really need at this
point is collective intelligence.

We need a mechanism through which,
whether it is in our teams and

organizations and our communities, or
in our families, the ability to be able

to tune in and collect insights and
ideas from anywhere, everywhere doesn't

matter if you are less experienced
or more, et cetera, because it may

be that, you know, you're not even
the official expert on this topic

where, you know, new ideas of insights
and breakthroughs and you know, and

concerns and sensitivities could
emerge, which are very important for us

to listen to, and to ultimately adapt
and evolve our path forward at whatever

level we are leading and driving
change and evolution of this time.

Which is leadership is about bringing
out the best, bringing out the best

in yourself, bringing out the best
in others, in all situations, in the

At a time like this when the world is
so challenged, but none of us know what

lies around the corner, I'm reminded
of Gandhi's words, Mahatma Gandhi.

He said once he said, you know, the
difference between what we do and what

we are capable of doing would be enough
to solve all the world's problems.

Now, the question that arises
from here is, well, what does

What would it mean to say we've
been thinking there are certain

qualities that we need from great
leaders, such as for example, you

have to be very decisive and adaptive
and agreeable and connected and an

But you know, the interesting thing
is for each such quality that you

come up with, I can also propose
to you that there are situations

where the opposite quality is really
needed and the opposite quality

is where, you know, maybe it makes
sense for you to be very patient

right now, not like super decisive
and rush to a certain judgment.

Maybe it makes sense for you to be
very tenacious and have grit and keep

fighting the good fight, rather than
just adapting and changing your views.

Maybe it makes sense for you
to be a certain, you know,

in, in a given situation
rather than be very agreeable.

It just depends on the situation and
the thesis I would therefore offer

to you is that we need a form of
leadership, where you can be everything

and the complete opposite, because it's
kind of like, depends on the situation.

You have to be everything
and the complete opposite.

But but if that's what you have to be
to be a leader, how is that attainable?

The way I've spoken to you about
leadership so far is on the basis

of an outer focus about what you're
doing and what you're seeing, but

there is also the potential to
convert leadership into something

From the inner game rather
than the outer game.

And your inner core is this
a space within you and within

me and within each of us, from
where our best self arises.

Where we feel deeply
committed to a certain cause.

Deeply connected to the people
around us, deeply curious and

open to new learnings, regardless
of what success we have scaled.

We go into that space from time to
time, and then we drift away from it

at other times because distractions
and just you know, being upset and

Good from moment to moment,
but is away from our core.

But it's that space that
we know that from time to

And when we do, we are beyond ego and
attachment and insecurities, and we

What have you thought about
leadership as really being

grounded first and foremost in
for each of us our inner core.

And so how do we approach this form
of leadership, where we started from

within, and then just project on
the outside the appropriate behavior

Feeling authentic, because the
authenticity is not associated with

the behavior from the outside, with
the aspect of personality you're

expressing on the outside, but with
the angry in the core, on the inside.

For leadership, step one,
get anchored in your core.

If that's you in the middle and
these are the people around you,

Step two, express these five
energies of purpose, wisdom,

And by doing so you
become a collective core.

Because you and others are now
resonating as much from within,

Expert Insight

We are living in times of uncertainty and it will take a while for us to get back to a more predictable version of our lives. 
Leadership is about bringing out the best but what does the best mean?
Hitendra Wadhwa, Founder and CEO of Mentora, underlines the need to practice collective intelligence and learn how to operate from your inner core. 

medium_Hitendra Wadhwa.jfif

small_Hitendra Wadhwa.jfif

thumbnail_Hitendra Wadhwa.jfif

xsmall_Hitendra Wadhwa.jfif

Hitendra Wadhwa.jfif

Hitendra Wadhwa 

Founder and CEO 

Covid-related uncertainties will not be fully resolved soon. 
Wadhwa mentions that during these uncertainties we do not know who the expert is. 

Chapter 1: Introduction

Hitendra Wadhwa points to collective intelligence as a solution. Covering ideas around sensitivities, new ideas emerging and the need to adapt and evolve our path forward. 
Leadership is mostly about an outer focus. However, there is potential to convert leadership starting from an inner focus. Wadhwa called this the "inner core". 

Chapter 2: We need to practice collective intelligence

Wadhwa says the best way to feel authentic and activate your core is to express the following five energies: purpose, wisdom, love, self-realization, and growth. And by activating other people's core, you can help to create a collective core.

Chapter 3: How do we approach this form of leadership?

At the end of every day or every week, we need to ask not just "How am I doing" but also am I operating from my inner core?