Binod Shankar > Quotes

“What exactly are values? Values are not your skills or knowledge but things that you acquired unconsciously since childhood. You may think that you can change yourself enough to cope with the demands of a career. Be careful because it’s much easier to acquire skills than to change values. Hence the importance of matching your values with the, organizational culture.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“Yes, it can be quite agonizing to walk away from what looks like a great offer. But what you must grasp is that if you proceed you could end up working in a culture that is totally out of whack with your values and that can wreck you mentally and physically. No offer is worth that price.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“You must invite honest and accurate feedback. Surround yourself with people who care and aren’t afraid to speak up to you directly, face to face.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“Self-awareness is the foundation of meaningful change. Know thyself.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“You must actively manage your career because otherwise things won’t just happen. Hope is not a strategy.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“The old practice of doing your job and keeping your head down doesn’t work that well anymore. As an experienced professional, you must be out there and if you are not visible you might as well not exist. And if you are looking to change careers or jobs, visibility is not a luxury — it’s a necessity.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“Most of the time your employer doesn’t really care about your career. All you are to them is a skilled and loyal resource. So don’t expect HR to regularly track a file marked “X’s Career.” Grasping this harsh reality should be the beginning of change.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“Soft skills are taken for granted — they are mostly intangible and not tangible technical stuff that you can pick up from a specific course or qualification. Paradoxically it’s also soft skills that are the most valuable and transferable.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“I was able to control my ego and not let that get in the way of getting what was probably some of the best advice of my life.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“Each of us is unique but we are really not that different as we think (though our ego tells us we are so special). Which means that there are a ton of common career issues and that should be a huge relief. Because then you don’t need to break your head to find solutions since someone has already been through different versions of Heaven and Hell and picked up a few valuable tips along the way.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“Sit down and make a list of your values. Then look at your day and see whether most of what you do at work reflects those values. If your values are (for example) well-being and family but you are consumed by your work then clearly you aren’t living your values, are you?”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“You are the company you keep (and the company that keeps you). You must manage the crowd that you hang out with. Your circle can make or break your career and life, and you won’t even realize it till it’s too late.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“Before you hire, ask yourself how much your hiring decision is linked to the ways the candidate is similar to you.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“If you stay where you are, you will remain anonymous. Once you start doing unusual stuff you immediately become visible.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“You take criticism personally. This is because you have an ego the size of North America,”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“The fact is that Planet Earth is overloaded with highly qualified and uber experienced folk who are rubbish in the triple wisdom- have a dim idea of who they are, can’t manage themselves well and are middling at managing others. They rose up the ranks powered by mostly technical skills but now that’s far less important. They have entered their comfort zones but what got them here most certainly won’t get them there and what will take them further are some tough behavioral changes.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“You must want to change. That’s the starting point. You must want to be a leader and make a lasting positive impact on lives. You must want to grow the division or company. You must be able to see an incredible power that will be unleashed if you become a better people manager. That’s the start. Without this foresight and motivation, you can attend as many leadership development programs and read as many self-help books as you want but they won’t move the needle.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“Talk about mistakes, failures, and disasters. People love tales of zero to hero.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“If you can manage your mind (thoughts, emotions, and feelings), body, and behaviours you will gain a lot of credibility and trust in the eyes of your team. They also won’t fear you (or your unpredictability/changes in mood) and instead will open up to you. That level of trust and respect will in turn unleash better communication and cohesion within the team. You may even be sought after as a mentor.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“So, I’ve had the benefit of experience. But experience alone means jackshit. You only get wiser if you are relentlessly curious, think deeply, can be honest with yourself and have a strong dose of humility.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“Because most societies and companies reward compliance. They do that because when you comply:
1. Your behavior is predictable.
2. You are not a threat to anyone because you are “normal.”
3. People don’t feel inferior because of your special aptitude or attitude.
4. You are easier to understand because you are like everyone else.
5. Companies find it much easier and efficient to apply one standard set of policies and procedures irrespective of your attitude or aptitude and hence prefer those who fit in. This also allows them to scale.
So, you can see that being “normal” is mainly for the benefit of others, not for you.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“Admit that you are a jerk or becoming one. Like I said, the reaction will be shock, denial, anger and then finally acceptance. Self awareness at this level is extremely tough and hence quite rare.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“Think widely about your options; a lot of the time we are simply unaware of what else we could do because no one told us. We are like the proverbial frog in the well, thinking that the well is the whole world.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“Look, you should be brilliant at work. You really should. Focused, diligent, determined, collaborative, bold, visionary, purposeful, impactful. Your work must be the standard by which they judge others. But don’t get obsessed with it, even if you’re amazing. Have some humility. Be approachable. Laugh at yourself. Expect mistakes; don’t be too hard on yourself or others. Don’t be a self-righteous ass.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“I was not always self-motivated. There were patches (occasions in my twenties and thirties) where my motivation would plummet, often for weeks on end. So, I have been on both sides and have a wider perspective. Based on that, I can tell you there will be several major career reasons why you should motivate yourself and not rely on others to push you. If you are a leader (or a wannabe leader) you must be inspired and fully engaged at work. Because if you don’t motivate yourself, how will you motivate others?”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“Don’t spend time in the average zone which is what happens a lot of the time when you don’t quit your job for something better.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“Many of us are obsessed with our “identity” and the traits that make up who we think we are. But often those traits, a legacy from your past, can stop you from growing and ruin your future.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“A brilliant jerk is one who is highly competent but whose attitude doesn’t align with company culture. If you end up hiring one by mistake, don’t keep them around for too long because they represent a living and breathing violation of the company culture, and you look like a hypocrite.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“Experience alone is not enough. It isn’t automatic. You must get feedback and introspect and slowly your values get crystallized. It’s a fun journey and a wonderful place to be. Because it’s all about knowing yourself and the world around you and that knowledge is true power.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager

“Yes, a mid-career crisis can be a hellish time. But it can also be a chance to introspect and reevaluate your values, behaviors, preferences, strengths, and weaknesses. It’s quite exciting when seen from that perspective. It’s like a second chance.”
― Binod Shankar, Let's Get Real: 42 Tips for the Stuck Manager