Written by: Malik S Sarwar, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Many of us think that what we really want is a success. When we achieve the results we want, we label ourselves as successful. However, success is limited when only focused on adding value to ourselves. Every time we reach one target, five more pop up, and we’re left thinking we’ll finally feel fulfilled only after we do more or get more.
Significance, on the other hand, is lasting and comes when we add value to others. When Mother Teresa was asked if she considered herself successful, she replied that she wishes to be significant in the lives of others. We can enhance our impact by first becoming successful and then moving from success to significance.
Have you seen some people effortlessly walk into a room, state their position, and impress their audience?
Even if we disagree with them, we see that they make an impact and are memorable.
This happens in different fields.
In politics, it is leaders like Mandela, Reagan, Obama, Merkel, and Jacinda.
In show business, it is Streep, Clooney, Yeoh, and Brando.
In business, it is leaders like Morita of Sony, Gates, and Jobs. The same skills can be misused by those lacking integrity, like Bernie Madoff, and Elizabeth Holmes.
Like the well-known leaders above, we can also enhance our impact on anything we do in life. This is done by mastering three key attributes called ICC, which stands for integrity, competence, and compassion.
Let’s unpack ICC and find ways to enhance our capabilities.
Integrity, Competence, Compassion
Integrity:
Integrity is about always striving to do the right thing, even when nobody is watching. If we are religious, we can be guided by ‘God is watching’. If we are not, we can follow our moral compass as to what feels right.
We all have lapses of judgement in our actions. The litmus test is to acknowledge these lapses and address them, so that we gain peace of mind.
3 steps to strengthen our integrity:
Reflect critically and ask ourselves why we do what we do. Our values, our purpose in life and at work.
Live in a way that is aligned to our purpose and values. Consciously and intentionally do right by others.
Be strong yet flexible.
The best analogy is that of an oak tree vs. bamboo. Even though oak looks strong, when faced with gale-force wind, it will break. Whereas bamboo will bend, stay in its roots, and rise again after the wind has died down. Life will throw curve balls (baseball) or googly (cricket) at us. We must learn to duck, move flexibly, and come back strong. So become the nimble bamboo, not the rigid oak, yet always stay true to our core values.
Many of us are ‘go-getters’, partly attributed to the luck of being born on the right side of the tracks. Selflessly turning outward towards others with compassion, versus turning inward to satisfy our own self-centered desires, will lift our spirits, making us better human beings. Thus integrity is following our True North.
Competence:
Think ABL: Always Be Learning.
3 actions to continuously improve our competence:
1. Read, listen, and internalize through deep thinking.
Practice ‘around the world in 80 minutes,’ [borrowing from the famous movie ‘Around the world in 80 days) by setting aside 20 minutes four times a day. For example, if we are based in the US and our profession is global business, we should read FT, WSJ, Bloomberg, NYT, and local publications. To round off, read SCMP (Greater China), Business Times (Singapore/ASEAN), Gulf News (Middle East), and any other regional publications. The first 20 minutes involves skimming the headlines, followed by a deep dive in areas of our interest/work.
Supplement our learning by reading selective weeklies like the Economist and thought leadership ideas delivered by podcasts. There are three highly recommended sources: Management consulting firms and university publications, TED Talks and Khan Academy. Choose the topics and learn from the best. ‘A TED talk a day makes us smart far and away’, say I. Since the world is flooded with information, we must calibrate what is important versus what is just interesting, thus enhancing our knowledge.
2. Upskill ourselves by getting certifications relevant to the industry.
Whether CFP, CFA, or Acumen Academy’s free leadership programs, the courses we take will empower us and increase our confidence. Further, improving our communication skills through Toastmasters International, social media, and training firms makes for sharper articulation and influence. For example, words have power and knowing how to use them effectively is an acquired art.
3. Build our own ‘Board of Advisors’.
Develop an ongoing relationship with a small group of five to seven senior leaders in our profession. These are the ones we have worked for with passion and delivered results and/or who have been our mentors. Stay in touch with them and always be ready to help them when an opportunity arises.
Compassion:
This is the trait that pulls everything together. Compassion is passion plus caring for others.
The six Qs to build compassion:
IQ or intelligence quotient: Master Yoda in Star Wars said, ‘you must unlearn what you have learned’. This enables us to be open to new ideas, learned in the Competence arena discussed above. Remember, mind is like a parachute, works best when it is open.
EQ or emotional quotient: It is having the humility to ask, listen deeply, learn, and then have the audacity to act.
SQ or spiritual quotient: Mindfulness is a key trait that has helped in the time of Covid-19. It is about digging deep within ourselves to discover our life purpose and calibrate our approach to everything we do. Ultimately, it is large-heartedness and an attitude of gratitude that make us more content and thereby better equipped to help others in a meaningful way.
HQ or health quotient: You are what you eat is a popular phrase. Eat a balanced diet and develop a healthy lifestyle. The well-known bucket list is applicable to all, irrespective of our age or stage. We should create ours and start fulfilling it. It could be anything from a regular walk in the park to walking the five-day Inca Trail in Peru that ends in Machu Picchu.
DQ or digital quotient: Master the ever-changing technology to build your unique brand without getting lost in it. Now, with ChatGPT, life can become even simpler. Articles like these can be edited and improved by AI (not this one yet)
AQ or Adaptability quotient: Change is permanent, volatile, and at times jarring. Being the flexible bamboo and applying SQ skills will allow us to stay ahead of the change.
Learn from Admiral Jim Stockdale and his Stockdale Paradox. Admiral Stockdale, a prisoner at ‘Hanoi Hilton,’ was tortured and survived. Unlike the optimists who ‘died of a broken heart’, he accepted reality, focused on deep self-belief, and persevered. We must learn to maintain an unwavering faith that we will prevail in the end, despite adversity. At the same time, have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of the current reality. ‘It is not the strongest or the fittest that survive. It is the ones who are most adaptable to change’ (Charles Darwin).
Finally, as we apply ICC (Integrity, Competence, Compassion) and start enhancing our impact with colleagues, bosses, the causes we support, and in our personal life, we can find success in becoming significant.
The best definition of success, published by Nash and Stevenson in the HBR article of 2004, uncovered the four essential components of enduring success, called ‘The Complexity of Success’. Success involves more than a heart-pounding race to the finish line. It has four essential components of enduring success:
Happiness (feelings of pleasure or contentment about your life)
Achievement (accomplishments that compare favorably against similar goals others have strived for)
Significance (the sense that you’ve made a positive impact on people you care about)
Legacy (a way to establish your values or accomplishments so as to help others find future success)
Unless you hit on all four categories with regularity, any one win will fail to satisfy.
Our legacy is not about getting more so we have more things to leave behind, but about who we help grow and send into the future. As you continuously focus on ICC (Integrity, Competence, and Compassion), over time we will enhance our impact. As Oprah Winfrey reminds us, “Don’t worry about being successful but work toward being significant, and the success will follow.”
Malik Sarwar is a Senior Partner at Global Leader Group. As a Wealth Management executive, Malik has operated at the leading edge of the Global Wealth Management industry with 30+ years of experience as a senior executive across the US, Asia, and MENA. He has a great breadth and depth of expertise in Wealth Management and Strategic Leadership, guiding organizations toward leadership positions that help their clients achieve their life goals and dreams. Rooted in his extensive global experience, Malik’s war stories enable his audience to apply practical skills for enhancing overall business quality and productivity. He is a noted wealth management speaker, moderator, and chair at industry conferences on: WM best practices incl. digital transformation and exceptional client experience; moral leadership; women’s empowerment in WM; mega-trends like ESG/impact investing, wealth transfer; achieving primary advisor status, team leader excellence and financial advisory platforms/products innovation.
Global Leader Group, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Global Leader Group is a leadership firm of proven practitioners who share a deep-rooted desire to make a difference by helping organizations FIND & BUILD leaders to deliver excellence. They do that through three main pillars:
Leadership & Learning: They partner with organizations to accelerate performance and belonging by pushing the boundaries of learning. Offerings: Design and implementation of Leadership and Learning Strategy and Frameworks, World-class Learning Design & Experiences, Coaching, and Speaking (Keynotes & Appearances).
Talent Search (External Retained Recruiting): In addition to helping organizations build current leaders, Global Leader Group adds world-class leaders to managements teams around the globe.
Practitioner Consulting: Allow the experience of their practitioners to advise and transform your business through their expertise in Driving Digital, Retail Banking, Wealth Management, Customer Journeys, Sales Management & Incentives, and Strategic HR (Culture, People Processes, Organizational Design, and Team Effectiveness).
Their clients include leaders at Citi, AstraZeneca, HSBC, Google, the Governments, Airbus, Manubhai Jewellers, ACUMA, Sensata, numerous RIAs, Banks, Credit Unions, and more.
