Calmness & Leadership

No matter who you are or what you are doing, an inner sense of calmness is very important for happiness, success and growth.

Imagine you are a business leader and are facing challenges. 

The world economy is changing, new technologies are coming up, new threats are rising – in the midst of all this if you aren’t calm, if you aren’t composed you mind will start entering panic mode, fear will overtake your decision making and you won’t be able to do anything.

It’s the same in sports. The best sports stars have mastered their own emotions and feelings. 

Imagine a star basketball, football or cricket player. Someone who you really love. How would their mental state be if they had to just make one shot at the end of the game and this decided whether they lose or win? A penalty shootout or just the last ball on which they have to score six runs. 

Millions of fans would be watching the game. If they get stressed and lose their calm, they will surely lose. If they get carried away by the fans and pressure, they will not be able to perform.

On the other hand if they are calm, they can give it their best and win. A state of inner calmness is thus very important irrespective of all the turmoil that happens on the outside. 

We work with the best people in their respective fields, star performers – and all of them have developed this trait of being calm when things get challenging. 

Real leadership is tested when things get tough - when things get challenging. When profits are falling, when employees are quitting, when new technologies are taking over – how do you respond? If you are calm, you can think creatively and come up with solutions.

The next time you face a challenge, become calm and be at your playful best. That’s when the challenge becomes a game. And once things are a game, we can be free to play the way we want. 

There is no stress or tension, but simply a sense of freedom. From this sense of freedom, you will get new ideas and solutions. You will get creative and move ahead. 

So over the years, for instance I have been practicing meditation. I started when I was 14 and this really gives me a sense of inner calm. This drives me in everything I do and helps me be creative. 

Some other people practice marathon running or swimming or cycling, basically things that disconnect from the noise and develop inner strengths. 

When I speak about calmness, some people ask me, “Yogesh, does that mean I should never get angry?”

On the inside you can be calm, but on the outside sometimes you have to express you anger or discontent. So for instance, if someone is trying to cheat you, you should certainly express you anger. But on the inside you can still be calm.

It is like playing a role in a movie. A movie star might be bashing up the bad guys on the screen, but deep inside he knows it is just a movie. 

Leadership and life is like that too. Sometimes you have to express anger on the outside, while being completely calm on the inside. But if you stop expressing yourself, you won’t feel calm.

So if someone is not working well, and you don’t let them know, the overall morale of your organization will fall. 

My belief is it is a great crime to tolerate injustice or poor quality of work. 

Be calm, but don’t be meek and timid. Express what is in your heart freely. 

Yogesh Chabria