Diary of a Rural Manager!

Parts 0 ,  1 ,  2 , 3,  4 ,  5 , 6 , and 7 of the Acumen virtual bootcamp series can be found here. This is the last part of the Acumen Bootcamp series. I had completed all sessions of the bootcamp. And the interaction with people helped me to define what leadership is. Leadership is an influence. Leadership is born when competence meets character, practical skills meet moral imagination, and urgency meets action. I would recommend the article: Crucibles of Leadership. The last session was a reflection exercise by the participants and moderators on the whole 8-week journey. I was introduced to a rich network of social-sector leaders from across the world, a.k.a Community of Social Innovators. The decline of what sociologists call ‘secondary associations’, where people come together to search and inquire, is one of the processes of atomization that leads to people being isolated and facing this mass of information alone. I hope a new association can help me navig...

Parts  0 ,  1 ,  2 ,  4 ,  5 , and 6 of the Acumen virtual bootcamp series can be found here. The topic of the 7th session was on Adaptive Leadership. All organizations want individuals to be invested in the rat race. This always shows a better return on investment in salary.  And we are also engaged in the dance of email, instant messages, and meetings. But reflecting in the midst of action is an age-old wisdom, and it is really difficult to achieve.  The crux of the session was on reflection amid action and vice versa The Practice of Adaptive Leadership , a book written by Alexander Grashow, Marty Linsky, and Ronald Heifetz, was referred for detailed reading.  The best part in the summarized reading was our  Illusion of the Broken System : There is a myth that drives many change initiatives into the ground: that the organization needs to change because it is broken. The reality is that any social system (including an organiza...

Parts 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 of the Acumen virtual bootcamp series can be found here. I approached our readings, 14 pages from ‘ On Identity by Amin Malouf , with great eagerness. Amin Maalouf,  born in Beirut, is a prolific writer of fiction, non-fiction, and operatic librettos. In 2010, he received the Prince of Asturias Award for Literature. The discussion was focusing on the issue of identity on a very basic level. The most marketable skill in leaders is the ability to abandon one's own identity and slip into someone else's. Most people have the privilege to associate with identities that can give them access to new opportunities through a network. This was the aspect that was visible in the group. Whatever people understand and enjoy in human products instantly becomes theirs, wherever they might have their origin. This is true in most cases. I stepped up and shared the experience that is related to imposed identities connected with stereotypes. Stereotyping and...

Part 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 & of Acumen virtual bootcamp series can be found here. I approached two of our readings, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United States’ Declaration of Independence in the 5th week of Acumen. 1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Democracy itself constitutes a human right, and therefore nation states not respecting democratic principles open themselves up to just conflict internally and externally. The Declaration emphasize on the rights of humans and create a document that forms a vision for utopia. Therefore, leaders with moral imagination has to step up, tune with one’s own moral compass, and make this as core of our future. 2. In post covid situation, life of most people is in turn-moil and pain. But, I am critical of analyzing United States’ Declaration of Independence at this juncture. This is a revolutionary rhetoric that can be easily hacked by the elements who want to destabilize the consensus for a emergency powers an...

Parts 0 , 1 , 2 , and 3 of the Acumen virtual bootcamp series can be found here. I was introduced to the Immunity to Change tool, which is adapted from the works of Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey . This tool has helped me to observe and interpret within myself (the system) and surfaces internal contradictions and (possibly faulty) operating assumptions taken as truths. There are four ways to analyze: Commitment, Doing / Not Doing, Hidden Competing Assessments, and Big Assumptions. For every commitment made, there is another commitment that prevents that change. This is a perfect example of the contradictions, like a driving vehicle with one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake. This is an intriguing exercise- to see a picture of oneself and work on the conflicting actions in our lives. I will end this with a quote by V. S. Naipaul on self-improvement: “The only lies for which we are truly punished are those we tell ourselves.” ... Additional Motivation:

Parts 0 , 1 , and 2 of the Acumen virtual bootcamp series can be found here. The sessions are really good so far. Individuals are more open to ideas and suggestions and want to demonstrate an interest in getting up to speed. I am sharing the task I performed this week. 1. Superpower: There is an article by Seth Godin: What is your superpower? When do you come alive? I have documented my superpowers below: a. I always document best practices and professional understanding on a topic through a blog. This has facilitated the creation of an institutional memory bank and drawing insights while walking on the road less traveled. b. I enjoy a diverse range of literature, blogs, cinema, and interacting with different social circles. This gives me a range of knowledge that extends far beyond my chosen profession. I assume that investment in specialization in one area alongside a vast body of knowledge can be a powerful driver of original thought. These superpowers have given me the ...

Parts  0 and 1  of the  Acumen virtual bootcamp series can be found here.  Creating systemic change always comes from moral leadership and self-discipline. Good discipline is a part of moral leadership that establishes structures, time management, task planning, and follow-up on action items. I am looking for a gradual change in thinking pattern, eventually decision-making, then vision, and then leadership. This week started with thought experiments and acting on micro-habitual changes. 1. Courageous Space: There is a concept of courageous space to be done in the pilot stage inside the cohort before rolling out in personal and professional space. The courageous pace gives me freedom to choose a specific issue, scrutinize a habit (self-discipline and exaggeration in my case), work on the habit in acts of courage, and ideally grow into competencies in the real world. I have set the following tasks for myself. Within Person: Delay in completing tasks d...

Part  0  of the Acumen virtual bootcamp series can be found here. Task: Watch Acumen Manifesto and Behind the Manifesto . And reflect on your work and the audacious vision that you are building toward. The Acumen Manifesto reflects an attempt to explain the goals of Moral leadership, as well as the qualities inherent in the change makers. The story of Kenyan women contained pearls of wisdom. It was an informal education on how inspirations come in life, society, and career. The bootcamp is a virtual community coming from the areas of public policy, entrepreneurship, rights-based work, and technology. There is a deep intellectual capability in understanding where things are going wrong, a bleeding heart for empathy, and courage in building a strategy for change. The diverse mindset present here will help me to understand how to facilitate systems change and create more inclusive social systems through the use of market forces. I am hoping to understand how each leader is ...

The number one piece of advice a consultant at World Bank gave to the next generation of development professionals was to invest in skills development and continuously up-skill. Yet, the path of There’s no harm in sharing our failures. The only thing at stake is our egos. But too much embrace to failure suggests a thwarted glory. I pitched my candidacy as a social intrapreneur for 2020 cohort of Acumen India Fellows program . I got rejection in the last stage of flagship program during December 2019. I am learning each day how to be unburdened by historical failure and not becoming ecstatic with a minor success. Acumen India launched virtual bootcamp in January 2020 going beyond the flagship Program. I got selected today for inaugural Acumen Leadership Bootcamp in India. The Bootcamp will be a 6 – 8 week cohort based learning program, with a combination of individual / paired assignments and group calls. I will be summarizing my cumulative experiences at the end of course from the n...