Competitive Advantage Through Culture - Naveen Rajkumar - Shift & Thrive - Episode # 005

Shift & Thrive: CEO Insights on Driving Change

In this episode of Shift and Thrive, host Natalie engages in a compelling conversation with Naveen Rajkumar, Naveen shares his views on how change can be a win-win-win for shareholders, clients, and team members if implemented thoughtfully and strategically. Naveen talks about the importance of a clear strategy, client-centric culture, and team empowerment in achieving successful transformation. He also delves into the challenges of growing a business rapidly without compromising on service standards and maintaining a healthy company culture, especially in a remote work environment. Additionally, Naveen opens up about his leadership style, reflecting on the influence of past managers and the importance of servant leadership. He advises leaders to have the heart of a lion, the skin of a rhino, and the soul of an angel, and to celebrate small wins along the way. The episode is rich with actionable insights for leaders looking to drive transformation in their organizations.
Takeaways:

~Communicate Strategy Clearly: Simplify your strategy into a North Star statement and consistently articulate its components to all stakeholders to avoid ambiguity and drive alignment. Example: Break down what 'modern technology consulting' means for your team and clients.

~Promote Client-Centric Culture: Constantly reinforce the importance of client feedback and incorporate it into regular team communications. Measure client satisfaction through tools like NPS and make it a visible priority within your organization.

~Empower and Educate Your Team: Use feedback as a learning tool. Incorporate both positive and negative client feedback in team discussions, focusing on actionable improvements without naming individuals.

~Emphasize Transparency and Accountability: Foster a culture of openness where team members feel safe to express concerns anonymously, and ensure leaders publicly own and address mistakes. Example: Use an anonymous feedback system and discuss points in team meetings.

~Support Remote Inclusion: Enhance the remote work experience by ensuring remote employees feel as connected and included as in-office employees. Regularly evaluate and refine your approach to keep improving remote engagement and connectivity.

~Celebrate and Acknowledge Wins: Acknowledge both small and significant achievements regularly. Create an environment where stopping to celebrate successes is a norm, be it through formal recognition or informal gestures.

~Balance Soft and Hard Skills: Develop a mix of both essential technical skills and critical soft skills like empathy and servant leadership. Equip your leadership to have the 'heart of a lion, skin of a rhino, and soul of an angel,' balancing tough decision-making with sensitivity toward team needs.

Quote of the Show:

“I believe that trust has to be earned. Just because I have a fancy title, I can't demand people to trust me or respect me. I believe that I need to earn the trust of my team every single day.”

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naveenrajkumar/
Website: https://www.isoutsource.com/contact-us/
Personal Website: www.naveenrajkumar.com

Ways to Tune In:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2D1YbT2QhKxIwbREpU7EMb
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shift-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change/id1740828813
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fa60b654-1955-4055-93df-fdd40c2a5c8f/shift-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change
iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-shift-thrive-ceo-insights-166792501
Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/shift-and-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change/PC:1001086797

This show is sponsored by Magnetude Consulting, bringing you the thinking-Power of a Growth Consultancy and the Getting-It-Done Power of a full-service B2B Marketing Agency.
Learn more at: https://www.magnetudeconsulting.com