Moment With Manal

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

The Resilient Leader

The word on everyone’s lips these days is resiliency. This is what happens in times that require perseverance, managing stress, and facing challenges. Leaders use resiliency as a way to bounce back.

It isn’t luck, they have a set of skills - learned or innate that kick in during times of opportunity.

Resilience requires some attributes we can all learn from. I’ll talk about a few of them in this article and I’d love to hear your feedback too.

Resilient leaders lead from their strengths. They know by tapping into the things that come naturally to them. Working in your strengths takes less effort, energy, and time than if they were to try to learn something new at this moment in time.

Resilient leaders are community-focused. They do not try to live alone. They have close friends, they communicate when there are problems and they help others who have a need too. Knowing they have support and can give support takes the pressure off of them being the superhero in their own life.

Resilient leaders are positive. They don’t just think positively but they are proactive to avoid or deter obstacles that may prevent issues or problems down the road. If you listen to them speak, they have assurance in their voice and tone that it will be truly okay.

Resilient leaders are open-minded people. They are self-aware of their thinking and their self-talk. This awareness makes their communication with others clear. They don’t make assumptions, but rather ask questions. They adjust as they need to and they take control of only the things within their immediate power and let go of the rest.

Resilient leaders are authentic. They are vulnerable and don’t try to be perfect. This is why their followers adore them. The team can then be open to being vulnerable and real too. A leader who can adjust to situations that come their way and take their team through obstacles in life will continue to have followers and a team to lead.

Best,

Manal

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Business in 2022

Perhaps 2022 seems like a moment of decision for you.

Congratulations on arriving here. Tony Robbins always says, “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.”

The fact is we make decisions all the time. Everything we do is a destiny-shaping moment. People always say that where you are now is just the result of the decisions you have made up to this point.

When I am in a great place, this feels empowering but when I am in a stressful time, this statement can feel overwhelming if I let it. The reason it can feel this way is what comes along with it. If you don’t love where you are at in your life and leadership, perhaps you have made some decisions that haven’t best supported you thus far.

I know many leaders who were at the top of their game, when COVID happened and things that seemed out of their control spiraled them or their businesses into places they didn’t ever foresee happening.

Many leaders and businesses are thriving during this time. They chose to make some quick, forward-thinking decisions for their businesses that put them in front of opportunity and gain.

The goal of this isn’t to determine if you made good or bad decisions. The goal is to empower you that you ultimately get to decide. You get to be self-aware, in control of your emotions, and ultimately empowered to choose what you focus on. You can look at the lack and loss of the last few years or you can look at the possibilities, opportunities, and gains. It truly is a matter of focus.

Look back at why you decided to lead, what was your passion, purpose, and motive. Is that still true for you today? If it is, how can you accomplish that despite the controllable and uncontrollable situations in your life? There is always a way for the determined business leader.

I believe in you and know business will be better with you engaged, focused, and hungry for success this year.

Go get it!

Best,

Manal

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Learning From Ghandi

We can learn much from the other leaders. Let’s take a look at one man who influenced millions of people in this time. He lived his life for a definite purpose and truly redefined leadership by his example.

Mahatma Gandhi was the leader of India’s independence movement through forms of nonviolent civil disobedience. People globally draw inspiration from him. His spiritual significance was just as impactful as his role in liberating India.

He was born in 1869. He took part in an arranged marriage at age 13. After this he rebelled against his religious upbringing by smoking, eating meat, and stealing. That isn’t the Gandhi most of us know of. At 18, he set sail to London to study law. At age 24 he went to South Africa. It was here where he saw discrimination and racial segregation throughout this society.

On June 7, 1893, Gandhi was thrown off a train station by a white man after he refused to move to the back of the train car. By 1906, he organized his first mass civil disobedience campaign in South Africa. He spent the next 9 years fighting for Indian rights.

Mahatma was a leading figure in the liberation movement. After years of struggle and multiple arrests, Britain eventually withdrew from India in 1942. He was the 43rd President of the Indian National Congress.

Gandhi was murdered by a Hindu extremist. He spent his entire life voicing non-violence. He is most remembered for his commitment to pacifism, peaceful protest, and simple living. He ultimately inspired millions of people to action, preaching a message of love, tolerance, and the avoidance of greed.

In his 55 years, Mahatma Gandhi is remembered as one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” If we look at his life, he certainly did that.

The internet is full of Gandhi quotes, but it is an interesting thought to ask this question, “How many people would be willing to “be the change” they want in the world?” To the point of dying for their cause? This takes on a whole different level of leadership.

Decide what you want and dedicate your whole life to it.

Best,

Manal

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Professional Presence In A Pandemic World

What does having a professional presence look like in a world full of zoom calls, masks and working at home?

Let’s start with presence. Presence is letting the most powerful version of yourself shine through. I like to cite the renowned leadership expert Sylvia Ann Hewlett, who defines “presence” as a combination of gravitas, communication, and appearance. Together, these elements form an impression of trustworthiness, competence, and authenticity.

Now let’s look at professionalism. Many people tie this to how one dresses. But it is more than that. It is confidence, communication and how you dress.

Confidence. If you want to learn how to be more confident, you must be willing to change your state. Your state is essentially your mood at any given time of day. Your mood is influenced by how you feel about yourself at that point in time. The great news is you are in full control of your choice. Confidence is a matter of choice. You can let go of the stories you hold at any moment and create a new experience within yourself that will directly affect your state of mind and thus, your confidence.

Communicate. To communicate effectively, it’s important to regulate your reactions, recognize emotions in others, and manage your responses. Let other people speak first. Ask questions and make them feel understood. Remember to smile, make eye contact, and lean forward. By staying in the moment and maintaining focus on the conversation, you can ask the right questions and lay the foundation for trust and openness to your influence.

Dress your part. There should be a strong connection between who you are, who you want to be, and how you look. If you want to be successful in the financial sector, for instance, you need to look like someone who understands and can be trusted with money. Identify the people who are successful where you work, and study how they put themselves together. Focusing on your appearance can also go a long way toward boosting your internal confidence. Best,

Manal (This article was published first in the Locala Magazine Oct 2021 Issue on page 29)

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Mentally Preparing for Change

Life is ever changing but how do you mentally prepare for change?

In recent times, your life might have been impacted by the death of a loved one, you have moved, graduated or had a change in your job situation. Whether or not we are ready for these changes, we have to adapt to them.

By mentally preparing yourself beforehand, big life changes can become less traumatic and instead become rewarding experiences.

The number one factor that causes stress is unfamiliarity.

Familiar situations are comforting to us — we’ve already created neural pathways to help us deal with these situations, and our brain may even release feel-good hormones because a situation is rewarding. Unfamiliar situations are daunting — we haven’t created the neural pathways in order to deal with them, and so the brain pumps the body full of cortisol, the stress hormone, in order to make us more alert and prepared for danger.

By mentally preparing for major life changes — we can create a sense of familiarity. This can help to reduce stress — because we have a clearer idea of what we need to do.

Here are some thoughts on mental preparation.

Some changes are out of your control.

Creating backup plans is a way to mentally prepare for change. As the constant question, “What if?” — no matter how morbid the question may be. What if my parents were to die? What if my partner was to leave me? What if I was to be made redundant from my job? How would I act in these situations? What this does is allow your brain to mentally prepare for eventualities. This doesn’t mean worrying non-stop. Everyone’s life has things that happen out of their control.

For voluntary changes, make a plan of what you want this change to look like. Once the change starts occurring, there will come a point when there’s no turning back. It’s important to keep looking forward at this point — there is nothing gained from dwelling on what you could have done differently.

When it comes to traumatic events, don’t be afraid to look into counseling.

It’s important to remember that even after undergoing the biggest life changes, certain things will remain the same. Try to reinforce old healthy habits and routines where possible. Keep up old hobbies that bring you joy, listen to music you love, indulge in healthy comfort foods, and stay in contact with old friends. This will reduce the shock of a major life change by making you realize that not everything has changed.

We live in an ever changing world!

Best,

Manal

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Practice Compassionate Listening

The list of characteristics that can turn a good leader into a great one is long, but the characteristic that tops the list is the skill of listening. Many successful leaders credit much of their success to their ability to effectively listen and luckily it’s a skill that can constantly be improved upon.

Here are a few tips on how you may be able to improve on your own listening skills, resulting in better and more effective leadership:

Consider the use of empathy. When you empathize, you create a rapport with your team, setting aside assumptions and learning about life from their point of view. This can be eye opening as a way to see different perspectives as well.

Make sure you observe body language, both yours and theirs. Remember not to fidget or gaze into space, and for heaven’s sake, put down the phone! Effective listening involves your entire body so you must be aware of your posture, facial expressions and hand gestures.

If it’s an appropriate time, offer opinions or anecdotes from your own life. This shows that you are engaged and interested in creating a continuing conversation. Be careful not to interrupt or turn their story into your story.

Thi is always the one that creates the greatest discomfort for leaders but let there be silence. The awkward pauses, hesitations and omissions can actually tell you more than the words, so let those moments happen without feeling the need to fill the silence.

Following these tips to becoming a more successful listener will allow you to engage more effectively with your team, colleagues and customers.

“The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention.” - Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen

Best,

Manal

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Who Is On Your List?

Happy New Year! Are you ready for a remarkable year?

Over the holiday, I spent a little bit of time and did some internet research about leadership and who was trending in this time and season in our lives.

I have compiled a list of "most popular management gurus," "best leadership books," "top management blogs," "top leadership experts," etc. from the English language. These are based on Goodreads ratings, twitter followers, blog popularity, and google search rankings. With that said we know there are other leaders out there who are changing the world for good.

If you see people in the list below you don't recognize or aren't following, check them out. You can simply click on their name and it will take you to their website.

We're all a product of our influences, so it only makes sense to improve both the quantity and the quality of the people we listen to. I would recommend you continue to check back for our articles as well as create a personal development plan from your favorites from this list too.

The goal of learning about others and their leadership style is so that you can become the best version of yourself now. Let’s have an amazing year.

Best,

Manal