Take Charge with a Positive Mindset
by Srivipa Pongpanyaporn
In a world characterized by disruptions, change hap-pens more frequently with more unsettling conse-quences. The business reality of banking in Thailand today is that more than 200 branches are closed while existing branches are refurbished to sport modern interior and futuristic architecture. For some of the top banks, accepting the disruptive transformation of the market means preparing the workforce to cope with future business challenges through increased invest-ments while lowering the headcount and resource allo-cation in other departments. The demands of excellent business performance and lower operations costs are made in a competitively integrated market with fluctuating values. Only the strongest will survive in the current world of business that is trying to cope with vol-atility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA). To do so, many organizations choose to focus on their people and strengths in order to survive and thrive.
Overcoming Worry
One of the most overlooked factors during change is the danger of overthinking among leaders in organi-zationa. In his book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, Dale Carnegie maintains that overcoming worry is the key to survival and success. How true is this? We may not realize it but we often let the negative ener-gy of our perceived future influence our perception of the present. We focus on matters that upset and worry us and as our thoughts stray, we find ourselves overwhelmed and worked into a frenzy. This can be detrimental to anyone, not just leaders who drive orga-nizations, from analyzing challenges and determining the sacrifices to be made.
Live in Day-Tight Compartments
In the world of VUCA, learning how to “live in day-tight compartments” is not just an option but a necessity for leaders. Practising the mindset to focus on the here and now encourages leaders to focus on ensuring that organizations operates at the optimum level. We need to move from inaction to action as this prevents small problems from growing into something bigger. While many organizations waste mental energy and precious time on predicting the future, successful leaders use their mental powers to shape and build it. The only ingredient needed is discipline.
