SOLUTIONS
Krishna C. Kalva
Stories are an integral part of our lives. We are what we are because of the stories we tell each other about ourselves.
Our stories are created over time and often evolve through our daily experiences, the interactions that take place between individuals and within ourselves. Each story has a unique plot that conveys a message allowing us to articulate our thoughts, helping us visualize the unfolding of events.
Through storytelling, we observe that our core identity as individuals is perceived to be associated with the outcome of the story. For example, if you are a professional athlete, there is a tendency to be associated with the successes or failures and the title one achieved in their field. While the title achieved is encouraging, it may not outline the athlete’s story that is created over time through training, mastery of skills and the sacrifices made along the way.
However, when somebody in the community thinks about the individual, the first thought that might come across their minds is that title. Limiting our association of an individual to their title might mask the personal story and their overall experiences.
So, what’s the big deal?
Imagine a work situation where you are to create a transformational journey for a key audience group in your organization. It’s a key audience since their personal transformation has a direct impact on their teams, setting the right tone and culture for the organization.
One of the key outcomes of the transformational journey is to model leadership best practices. Through role modeling, the group is expected to be transformational as “coaches,” empowering them to lead themselves, their teams and eventually the customers of the organization.
The journey is not linear, as it includes learning to develop core behaviors and methodologies but also to unlearn many behaviors and practices that have been integral for everyone. The framework of the journey includes creating key moments that matter for the audience and ensuring that the inspiration is put into practice.
Over time, the learners witness changes in their attitude, developed through learning from and with one another. Success here can be measured through increase in targets achieved at both the individual and team level and better forecasting of the business.
One of the key takeaways of the transformational journey for the group is creating awareness about themselves and applying the right tactics to achieve the desired results. The journey of transformation acts as a perfect launch pad for allowing the participants to move from a state of perceived vision to a state of reality.
That reality allows them to actively observe their thought patterns and choose actions that are in sync with their core personal and business values. Their individual success is not limited to being a role model or becoming coaches to achieve the key targets. Instead, their success is the total of all the elements in their personal transformational story.
Let me take your attention back to the original idea — becoming nobody. My personal take is that “nobody” is a formless state that is independent of the individual identity, title or the association with their personal story. Nobody, or no-self, is a formless emotion that moves seamlessly through our thoughts and our personal stories while remaining non-attached to the outcomes.
It is a state of absolute stillness allowing us to experience the moment as it is, compelling us to tell a story about ourselves that is truly authentic. And a story that is true and authentic is a perfect blend to inspire people around us.
Through inspiration we create perspective about an individual and their personal transformational journey. By becoming nobody, we become aware of the situation at hand, giving ourselves permission to open a doorway toward clarity through non-attachment, which acts as a guiding force in our transformation.
Krishna C. Kalva is program manager for sales leadership excellence in Germany for Siemens Healthineers. Email him at krishnachaitanya.kalva@siemens-healthineers.com or connect through LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/krishna-chaitanya-kalva-a2773123.