FOOD SPECIAL.................. Why tea is good for you?

Why tea is good for you?

We are used to the commonly consumed chai, but many other flavoured teas and herbal infusions resembling tea are great tasting and excellent for the body.

Since winter is officially ‘warm beverage’ season, it might be a good time to get adventurous with different varieties of tea.

These have to be taken without sugar or milk. Half a tsp of honey can be used if you have a sweet tooth.
Peppermint infusions: This has a nice, fresh taste and relieves stomach discomfort caused by acidity and gas build-up. 

Chamomile infusion: This floral infusion is an excellent relaxant for the nervous system. It can be taken after dinner to get a good night’s sleep.
Green tea: This eases water retention, works as an antioxidant and clears up free radicals that lead to blockages in the arteries. It also soothes joint pains.
Oolong tea: Also known as white tea, this is an expensive variety. Since the tea leaves have not been processed, they are rich in antioxidants.
Milk thistle tea: Milk thistle is excellent for detoxifying and healing the liver. 
Ginger and lemongrass infusion: Ginger is used extensively in ayurveda for treating many diseases. Lemongrass also has many therapeutic properties. As a combination, lemongrass and ginger clear the airways and lungs of phlegm and resultant infections. The infusion can even be given to children over five years with half a teaspoon of honey.

How much is too much?
If you drink regular chai, two to three cups a day should be enough. But there is no harm in drinking herbal infusions to your heart’s delight as these are not addictive.
Also, regular chai is not good for children. But drinks like these can be used as herbal medicine for colds and coughs.
Shikha Sharma, HTBR140119

PERSONAL/LEADERSHIP SPECIAL..................... 7 Ways Leaders Maintain Their Composure in Difficult Times

7 Ways Leaders Maintain Their Composure in Difficult Times
 
Leaders need to show more composure than ever before in the workplace.   With the change management requirements, increased marketplace demands and intensifying competitive factors that surround us, leaders must have greater poise, agility and patience to minimize the impact of uncertainty.   How leaders respond to these and other growing pressures is an indicator of their leadership preparedness, maturity and acumen. he composure of a leader is reflected in their attitude, body language and overall presence.   In today’s evolving business environment, it is clear that leadership is not only about elevating the performance, aptitude and development of people – but more so about the ability to make people feel safe and secure.   Employees have grown tired of working in survival mode and thus want to be part of a workplace culture where they can get back to doing their best work without the fear of losing their jobs.
I worked with a colleague that lacked composure and was always in a panic.  Though he had tremendous credentials, he lacked the ability to remain calm and thus often made his employees feel uneasy. His leadership role was just too big for what he was capable of handling.   He was often too dramatic and the smallest of problems  launched him into crisis management mode.   Needless to say, his wasn’t an effective leadership that could deal with real crisis and change.    Because he was unable to reinvent himself and adapt to the unexpected, his tenure was short-lived.
The 21^st century leader sees adversity through the lens of opportunity.  Rather than panic, a leader with composure takes a step back and begins to connect the dots of opportunity within adverse circumstances.   These types of leaders quickly detect the causes of adversity and solve for them immediately.  They then enable the opportunities previously unseen that could have avoided the adversity to begin with.  Many times crisis results when composure is missing.
The next time a problem arises, ask yourself if you or your leader could have shown a greater sense of composure and avoided the problem from surfacing.
When leading – especially during times of uncertainty and adversity, crisis and change – you must avoid showing any signs of leadership immaturity or lack of preparedness that will make your employees feel unsafe and insecure. Here are seven ways to maintain leadership composure during the most pressure-packed moments:
1.  Don’t Allow Your Emotions to Get in the Way
Seasoned leaders know not to wear their emotions on their sleeves.   They don’t yell or get overly animated when times get tough.  These types of leaders have such emotional self-control that even their body language does not give them away.
When you allow your emotions to get in the way, employees interpret this as a sign you are not being objective enough and too passionate about the situation at hand.  Strong-willed leaders can maintain their composure and still express concern and care, but not to the point that their emotions become a distraction – or that they can’t responsibly handle the issues at hand.
2.  Don’t Take Things Personally
Leaders shouldn’t take things personally when things don’t go their way.   Business decisions and circumstances don’t always play out logically because office politics and other dynamics factor into the process.    As a leader, remain calm and don’t get defensive or think that you always must justify your thinking and actions.
When you begin to take things personally, it’s difficult to maintain your composure and make those around you believe that you have things under control.  In fact, when leaders take issues too close to heart, they allow the noise and politics around them to suffocate their thinking and decision-making capabilities.
3.  Keep a Positive Mental Attitude
Employees are always watching their leader’s actions, behavior, relationships and overall demeanor.   During the most difficult of times, leaders must maintain a positive mental attitude and manage a narrative that keeps their employees inspired and hopeful.  This is where your leadership experience and resolve  can really shine – by staying strong, smiling often and authentically exhibiting a sense of compassion.
Leaders set the tone for the organization they serve.   A positive attitude can neutralize chaos and allow a leader to course correct through any negativity.    Employees feed off the attitude of these leaders during times of uncertainty.   Keep a positive mental attitude and never stop moving forward.  Stay focused on building positive momentum for the betterment of the healthier whole
4.  Remain Fearless

When leaders project confidence, they instill it in others.  During uncertain times, leaders must remain fearless and project a cool persona that communicates composure to those they lead. ’ve been through ups and downs in my career and have learned that when you begin to fear adverse circumstances, you not only put yourself in a position of vulnerability, but it becomes extremely difficult to act rationally and objectively.    When you panic, you mentally freeze and your mind loses focus.
When you begin to get fearful, ask yourself:  What is the worst possible thing that can happen?  If you are objective about it and have the will and confidence to face it, you will eventually realize that the situation is manageable and can be resolved.  Faced with adversity several times over, your fears will eventually vanish and uncertainty will become your best friend.
5.  Respond Decisively
Leaders who maintain their composure will never show any signs of doubt.  They speak with conviction, confidence and authority – whether they know the answer  or not!  With their delivery alone,  they give their employees  a sense that everything is under control.
Recently, Mack Brown, the former coach of the University of Texas (UT) football team, was put under a lot of pressure to resign as a result of his team underperforming in 2013.  Though the University handled his forced resignation poorly  – considering Mr. Brown had coached the team successfully for the past 16 years – his decisiveness the day he announced his resignation made you feel that his transition out of the job was a positive thing for the university.  Human nature will tell you that he must have been hurting inside, but his decisiveness and presence of mind made those that were watching him speak believe that the future looked bright for UT football.
6.  Take Accountability
Leaders are most composed during times of crisis and change when they are fully committed to resolving the issue at hand.   When you are accountable, this means that you have made the decision to assume responsibility and take the required steps to problem solve before the situation gets out of hand.
When leaders assume accountability, they begin to neutralize the problem and place  the environment from which it sprung on pause – much like New Jersey Governor Chris Christie did when he announced that he did not have any prior knowledge of the decision his aides made to close down access lanes to the George Washington Bridge.  Though there may be legal woes to come, the manner in which he handled the initial news conference (temporarily) neutralized the crisis – as he answered all of the reporters’ questions and took full responsibility and accountability to punish the perpetrators and keep something like this from happening again.  
7.  Act Like You Have Been There Before
Great leaders know that one of the most effective ways to maintain composure during difficult times is to act like you have been there before.   Leaders that act to show they have been through the problem solving process numerous times before are those with strong executive presence who approach the matter at hand with a sense of elegance and grace.    They are patient, they are active listeners, and they will genuinely take a compassionate approach to ease the hardships that anyone else is experiencing.
Just ask any technical support representative.  When you are on the phone with them, their job is to make you feel that even your most difficult challenges can be easily resolved.     They are there to calm you down and give you hope that your problem will soon be solved.    Pay attention to their demeanor and how they are masters at soothing your frustrations.  They always act to show that they have been there before; their composure puts your mind at ease.
It’s easy to lose composure during times of crisis and change if you let concern turn into worry and worry turn into fear.  By maintaining composure, the best leaders remain calm, cool and in control – enabling them to step back, critically evaluate the cards that they have been dealt and face problems head-on.  A show of composure also puts those you lead at ease and creates a safe and secure workplace culture where no one need panic in the face of adversity.
As the saying goes, “Keep Calm and Carry On!
http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2014/01/20/7-ways-leaders-maintain-their-composure-in-difficult-times/

GADGETS AND GIZMOS SPECIAL...... The iPad Gets Better

The iPad Gets Better

The tablet that started it all gets fine-tuned to become the iPad Air: light, thin and more of a joy to use

SPECIFICATIONS:

 Price: Rs 35,900 to Rs 56,900 for 16 to 128GB versions; 

Weight 469 gm or 1 pound; 9.7 inch ¡§Retina¡¨ IPS display 2048 x 1536 resolution with 264 ppi density; A7 chip with 64-bit architecture and M7 motion compressor 

How does one look with an evaluative eye and a level head at a product that started a revolution? Apple’s iPad certainly changed aspects of my life in countless ways as I’m sure it did others’. Reading, news, and art are only some of the wonderful things that took up large welcome spaces in my everyday routine, purely thanks to the iPad.
 

So today, when I look at the fifth avatar of this amazing creation from Apple, I feel almost guilty even at the fleeting thought that the iPad Air isn’t quite the dramatic difference we saw between a MacBook or any other notebook, and the MacBook Air, that sliver-thin work of art that seems impossibly light even years after it’s been around and been compared with ultrabooks that sprouted up in imitation. The iPad Air isn’t a breathtaking difference from its earlier versions. But I’d have to agree with the majority of reviewers when they say it’s the best tablet around. That, it is.
 

I’ve been through all generations of the bigger non-Mini iPad, skipping the 4th gen. I use my iPad 3 to the hilt. I can certainly say that between the iPad and the Samsung Note 2 and 3, I’ve tortured my left hand more than it deserves with one device being too heavy and one being too wide to be held for long hours. So holding the Air feels so much better that I envy those who get their first iPads now.
 

As ever, it’s that seemingly flawless design that only Apple knows how to come up with. The tablet is now narrower and thinner, and the bezels on the sides are down to half their width, giving more screen space to the user. The screen is very nice and somehow lets iOS 7, Apple’s newest operating system for mobile devices, sit comfortably and look as if it fits just right. I wasn’t overjoyed with the change in style from iOS6 to iOS7, but It’s beginning to grow on me on the iPad Air. The design has been tweaked in keeping with the popular iPad Mini of which the new Air looks a larger version.
 

The iPad Air, like its predecessors, is premium and feels it. When you lean back with this device, you never doubt for a moment that you’re holding something of solid value. No hint of plastic here.
 

The iPad Air can’t really be thought of separately from its software and the fact of the massive ecosystem of apps that have practically sparked off the app industry. If you’re wondering Android or Apple, that’s one of the things you should consider. Android tablets get along better with other devices, but on the other hand, there are hundreds of devices  and accessories created just for the iPad or iPhone. Android tablets still don’t have a big selection of tablet-specific apps, but yes, they are so customisable. And then there’s Windows, slowly growing in popularity. Also, they seem more work-friendly as many Windows applications aren’t on iOS. With the iPad Air, Pages, Numbers and Keynote, equivalents of Microsoft Office, are now free.
 

As expected, the new iPad works very fast and is great for gaming, movies and heavy visual rendering. Interestingly, the older generation iPads still work well for most people. So, if you’re getting a great deal on an iPad 3 or 4, you’re not disadvantaged though if you have repetitive stress injury, a lighter device is so much better. You may also want to consider the iPad Mini.
 

If budget is not a constraint and you are going in for your first iPad, the iPad Air is the device to go for.

 Mala Bhargava BW140127

MANAGEMENT /LEADERSHIP ....................Leader’s Highest Lever: People before Strategy

Leader’s Highest Lever: People before Strategy

To be a world-class business, you need to focus on people. A leader's highest lever is people. Leaders create vision, align people emotionally, lead other people to a certain direction, but also have to develop people ahead of the business needs, says management guru and advisor to the world’s leading CEOs, Ram Charan. He was in Delhi recently as part of ‘Global Thought Leader Series’, organised by Great Lakes Institute of Management. Edited excerpts from an interview with Saumya Bhattacharya.

How should top business leaders deal with turbulent times?

The top leaders who influence decisions have to have a very clear eye on the longterm prize. For example, all the uncertainty notwithstanding, we will have another 200 million in India in the middle class. There will be ups and downs, but keep an eye on that prize if you are an FMCG, or if you are a consumer goods company. It is not happening. The second tier of towns is going to be a huge source of business. You have towns of half-a-million people and villages in the higher income bracket. Simultaneously, there are technological changes, or you will have governments that reverse policies. You are going to have high inflation, low inflation. The questions to ask: How do I build my company that goes through these ups and downs, but keep an eye on going forward? There will be impediments. That is the first part of dealing with uncertainty.

What are the other factors top leaders should keep in mind?

You need to have sufficiently solid cash flows and balance sheet. These will help you navigate the storms. If you are too highly leveraged, it makes you very vulnerable to those storms. As a top leader, you need to have regular annual productivity improvement. It makes you competitive. It gives you the resources to go forward and helps you withstand the shocks. Also ask yourself: are you developing talent that is going to deal with the uncertainties? Are you doing innovation that will take you there?

Are top CEOs getting the talent piece right?

To be world class you need to focus on people. A leader’s highest lever is people: people before strategy. People compete, businesses don’t. Leaders create vision or embrace a vision, they align people emotionally, but they also have to develop people ahead of the business needs.

Is management education equipped to build ethical leaders of tomorrow?

When it comes to ethics, it is the individual character that matters. Education can make them aware of it. Character is built; it is not taught. The key is, when you are recruiting people in a company, you have to pay attention to an individual’s character.
Saumya.BhattacharyaET 140124