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Stellar Power breakfast: Introduction to NeoSynapses.
Date: Thursday, 7th April 2011.
Venue: Manekshaw Center, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi, India
The untapped potential of the human mind has provided subject matter for much debate and discussion over the decades, and will undoubtedly continue to do so in the years ahead. However, with latest research on the subject shedding new light on ever more fascinating aspects of the wonder that is the human brain, we believe the time is right for an in-depth discussion on the role that undiscovered capacities can play in transforming the corporate leadership landscape in India. As part of this effort, Stellar Search had recently organized a breakfast meet on the 7th of April, 2011, at the Manekshaw Convention Center, New Delhi, to give clients and well-wisher alike a brief introduction to NeoSynapses, Stellar’s recently launched leadership development initiative.
Stellar’s Relationship With Clients
The discussion was flagged off by Ms. Shailja Dutt, Managing Director of Stellar Search, who set the tone for the morning by providing audience members with an overview of the initiatives Stellar has undertaken to address all.jpg)
people-related challenges that its clients have been confronted with over the years. For more than a decade, Stellar has been a trusted partner of choice, striving to provide clients with search solutions that can lay the foundation for management success. NeoSynapses is yet another effort in that direction, aimed at assisting our partners in evolving the next generation of top level leadership, capable of taking charge of the highly dynamic and rapidly changing workforce in the decade ahead.
Talking about the need to develop the right kind of leadership talent to maximize an organizations productivity, Shailja spoke of having often been struck at the dearth of quality leadership development programs in the market- programs capable of effecting transformative changes that actually make a difference in people’s lives, without resorting to run of the mill clichés that we know all too well.
Thereafter, setting the stage for Ravi Sharma, Lead facilitator- NeoSynapses, Ms.Dutt gave audience members a brief summary of Mr.Sharma’s corporate background.
Going beyond existing Boundaries
Providing audience members with a detailed insight into the breakthroughs that have taken place in the arena of brain research over the last few years, and which form the bedrock of NeoSynapses’ facilitation methodology, Ravi started off by speaking about what goes into the DNA of a leader, and how it is fundamentally different from that of a regular manager. Going further into what differentiates a successful leader from an unsuccessful one, Ravi spoke of the role that commitment plays in making that all-important difference between success and failure in all walks of life. Delving into recent breakthroughs in medical research that have shed light upon many hitherto undiscovered aspects of the human mind , the discussion veered round to the subject of just how the brain, having been conditioned to act within certain narrowly defined parameters, often failes to realize its true potential by believing too rigidly in its own self-imposed limits. Very often, we need to bring a different perspective to the table in order to discover the true worth of our inherent capabilities. Such attitude changes are necessary for organizations seeking to extract the best out of their employees. Sadly, most companies choose to focus upon changing employee behaviour patterns through superficial, cosmetic means, without realizing the need to look deeper at the human mind, which, being the source of all human actions, often holds the key for bringing about genuine, long-lasting and actionable transformation within an individual.
Drive and Passion- Keywords for Success
The floor was then left open for the next speaker, Lt Gen Sudhir Sharma, who provided audience members with an incredibly fascinating account of his career with the Indian Army, in the course of which he was a part of many an expedition that not only tested his mettle as a soldier, but also provided him an opportunity to discover leadership qualities within. Lt Gen S.jpg)
harma spoke of the many commonalities that play an important role in the making of a good soldier as well as an effective and valuable employee. Pointing out the need for purpose driven individuals in an organization, Lt Gen Sharma gave several examples of the courage and valor exhibited by members of the armed forces throughout India’s history, which has often seen young soldiers make the ultimate sacrifice in defending the honor of their motherland. A particularly solemn moment of the meet featured an audio visual illustration of the raw courage shown by Capt Vikram Batra, who laid down his life during the Kargil War of 1999, as part of an operation to recapture a strategic height from the enemy. As images of unbelievable courage beamed forth from the TV screen, Lt Gen Sharma reinforced the importance that purpose and a higher goal play in motivating people to push themselves beyond tested limits, stressing upon adhering to the credo of putting the nation/organization before self in the pursuit of professional success.
Lt Gen Sharma thereafter went on to give the audience further examples of leadership displayed by soldiers on the battlefield, where more often than not, failure is simply not an option.
The Perfect Knot
Finally, Ravi made a dramatic re-entry to the floor to give audience members a sm.jpg)
all taste of what they can expect from NeoSynapses in the days ahead. In one of the highlights of the entire morning, four audience members were asked to join Ravi for an exercise on demonstrating the tendency of the brain to act in accordance with pre-defined patterns of behavior, that often blind us to other possibilities that may be just around the corner. As four brave members of the audience gamely ventured forth to take on the challenge, what followed was 15 minutes of comic relief, with the audience being treated to the amusing spectacle of the (repenting) volunteers, trying their best to untie their hands in vain, finally giving up on their efforts after much hard work. As Ravi held forth on the crucial role that out-of- the box thinking plays in allowing us to get out of difficult situations, it was clear to one and all that his unique, albeit highly unusual, technique had left a deep impression on all those present in the room.
As the discussion wound down to the last mile, Ravi spoke of the different ways in which NeoSynapses can help address various organizational needs by providing solutions uniquely designed to meet specific requirements of each organization.
Conclusion
The Breakfast meet concluded with all participants agreeing on the imperative need to go beyond established wisdom on what goes into the making of a great leader. Backed by cutting edge research, NeoSynapses, with its emphasis on exploring the latent capacities located within each individual, promises a very different experience from the average, plain vanilla leadership development programs currently available, and the breakfast meet provided all attendees a brief glimpse of the very unique and highly innovative techniques that NeoSynapses has to offer.