Ravi Pratap Singh

Empowering Teams - The Secret To Successful Leadership

Successful leadership goes beyond exercising traditional authority; it’s about empowering your team to reach their full potential. Leaders who cultivate an environment of trust and support don’t just lead—they inspire.

Here are four powerful strategies to empower your team:

1. Encourage Autonomy: Give your team the freedom to make decisions and take ownership of their work. This not only nurtures innovation and confidence but also drives them to exceed expectations.

2. Provide Resources: Invest in your team’s success by ensuring they have the tools, training, and support they need. When employees feel supported, they feel valued and empowered.

3. Foster Open Communication: Build a culture where honest, transparent feedback is encouraged. Open communication strengthens relationships, fosters collaboration, and promotes a sense of belonging.

4. Recognize Contributions: Celebrate both individual and team achievements. Recognition fuels motivation and reinforces the belief that every contribution matters.

Empowering your team is not just a strategy; it’s a transformational leadership approach that can propel your organization to new heights. When your team thrives, your business flourishes.

-------------------------------
About me:
- I'm Ravi Pratap Singh, Co-Founder at Learnnovators.
- I’m an entrepreneur, blogger, independent director, trustee, mentor, speaker.
- Reach out to me if you’d like to explore opportunities or just connect!

 

The Power Of Gratitude

As we step into 2025, I’d like to share something that has deeply influenced my journey—both personally and professionally—gratitude.

Over the years, I’ve realized that gratitude is more than just an emotion; it’s a practice that can transform the way we perceive and experience life.

Starting and ending my days by reflecting on three things I’m grateful for has been a game-changer. It’s helped me shift my mindset from scarcity to abundance. My gratitude journal has become a trusted companion, grounding me even during life’s toughest moments. Whether it’s uncovering hidden lessons in setbacks or deeply appreciating the people around me, gratitude has infused deeper meaning into every aspect of my life.

This new year, let’s lean into the power of gratitude. Let’s focus on abundance, nurture our relationships, and pay it forward—because gratitude multiplies when we share it.

Wishing you a 2025 filled with positivity, growth, and fulfillment.

-------------------------------
About me:
- I'm Ravi Pratap Singh, Co-Founder at Learnnovators.
- I’m an entrepreneur, blogger, independent director, trustee, mentor, speaker.
- Reach out to me if you’d like to explore opportunities or just connect!

 

Leading With Vision, Not Applause

"A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd." ~ Max Lucado

Leading an orchestra serves as a compelling metaphor for leadership in any organization. When you turn your back on the crowd to lead, you are focused on the team, the vision, and the mission. This act symbolizes trust and confidence in your team, allowing them to shine while you guide the overall direction.

Leadership is not about seeking approval or applause from the crowd; it's about making decisions that may not always be popular but are necessary for the greater good. A true leader understands the importance of putting the needs of the team first and is willing to face criticism to achieve long-term goals. This requires courage, conviction, and a deep understanding of the talents and potentials of each team member.

Moreover, leading from the front means setting an example. Your actions, more than your words, inspire and motivate others. By turning your back on the crowd, you demonstrate that your focus is on creating harmony and success within the team, rather than seeking validation from external sources.

Ultimately, leadership is about vision, trust, and the willingness to make tough decisions. When you lead the orchestra, you are the conductor, not the soloist. Your role is to bring out the best in others and create a symphony of success that echoes far beyond the performance.

-------------------------------
About me:
- I'm Ravi Pratap Singh, Co-Founder at Learnnovators.
- I’m an entrepreneur, blogger, independent director, trustee, mentor, speaker.
- Reach out to me if you’d like to explore opportunities or just connect!

 

25 Inspiring Quotes From Mahatma Gandhi

Today, the 2nd of October, is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti in India to mark the occasion of the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.

Like millions of people around the globe, I too have derived tremendous inspiration from Gandhi's life and teachings. It's a measure of the man's greatness and foresightedness that nearly seven decades after his death, his words are even more relevant today than they were back then. If only we pay more heed to the Mahatma's words, the world would be a far more peaceful and compassionate place to live in.

On this special day, I thought it would be a great idea to share 25 of my most favourite Gandhi quotes with you... hope you find them as inspirational as I do! 

1. "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."

2. "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."

3. "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."

4. "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."

5. "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

6. "An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind."

7. "Whatever you do will be insignificant. But it is very important that you do it.”

8. “Nobody can hurt you without your permission.”

9. “Our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world but being able to remake ourselves.”

10. "What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror refection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.”

11. "Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."

12. "In a gentle way, you can shake the world."

13. "There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed."

14. "You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy my body, but you will never imprison my mind."

15. "Man becomes great exactly in the degree in which he works for the welfare of his fellow-men."

16. "Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth."

17. "An unjust law is itself a species of violence. Arrest for its breach is more so."

18. “The future depends on what you do today.”

19. "No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive."

20. “It is my conviction that nothing enduring can be built on violence.”

21. "An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propogation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it."

22. "My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God. Non-violence is the means of realising Him.

23. "In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place."

24. "Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good."

25. "I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill."

And finally, one bonus quote from the great man which embodies everything he stood for...

26. "My life is my message."

Which quotes from the above do you particularly like? Do you have any other favourite(s) which I missed out on? Would be awesome if you could share them here.

Gandhi's life and words had inspired me to write another post a few years ago... please check it out HERE... hope you enjoy it!

 

Thankful, Honoured & Humbled...!!!

I made countless resolutions over the past 15 months to write at least one blog post every month... and guess what, I successfully managed to break every single one of them! 

Of course, I have a host of excuses to justify my action (or rather, inaction!)... but then those excuses are so frivolous that I can't buy them myself. As the old adage goes, "If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse".

So here I am... FINDING A WAY... and finally putting fingers to keyboard... for my first post since June last year!

And what better way to make my comeback on blogosphere than by sharing a couple of exhilarating news from the past few weeks.

First, I was featured in The 2017 Corporate eLearning Movers And Shakers List by the indomitable Bob Little of Bob Little Press & PR.

Soon after, I was named among the 25 eLearning and L&D Thought Leaders to Watch in 2017 by Christie Wroten of Trivantis.

I feel immensely THANKFUL, HONOURED and HUMBLED to be on these elite lists along with some of my L&D heroes. But I must acknowledge that these recognitions do not belong to me exclusively... instead, they are a reflection of the tremendous work being put in by my terrific team at Learnnovators. So my heartiest congratulations to each one of them!

Needless to add, these plaudits serve as massive incentives for me (and my team) to strive harder and set our sights on greater summits to conquer in the days and years ahead!

I hope they also spur me to find "ways" rather than "excuses" to write more often... :-)

 

15 Inspiring Quotes From Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali is no more... but his legend will live on... forever!

Ali threw knock-out punches not only inside the ring, but outside it as well. Never short of words, here are 15 of the icon's most profound and inspiring quotes:

1. "Float like a butterfly. Sting like a bee. You can't hit what your eyes don't see."

2. "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth."

3. "Don’t count the days; make the days count."

4. “If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, then I can achieve it."

5. “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.”

6. "Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even."

7. "The fight is won or lost far away from the witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."

8. “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”

9. “If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure make something out of you.”

10. “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'”

11. "A man who has no imagination has no wings."

12. "I don't count the sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting because they're the only ones that count. That's what makes you a champion."

13. “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”

14. "Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill."

15. “Live everyday as if it were your last because someday you're going to be right.”

Thanks for everything, Champion... you will always remain 'The Greatest'!

RIP.

 

15 Quotes To Inspire Employee Engagement

“When people go to work, they shouldn’t have to leave their hearts at home.”

The above quote by Betty Bender aptly sums up what we, at Learnnovators, unrelentlessly strive to make our workplace into… a home away from home for our employees. A place where our team members are respected, valued, empowered, recognized, motivated… and engaged!

Today’s forward-thinking organizations are no longer content with keeping their employees “satisfied”… instead, they are spending more and more time designing innovative methods to keep their employees “engaged”.

So what exactly is Employee Engagement?

Since William Kahn provided the first formal definition of Employee Engagement in 1990, there have been scores of definitions doing the rounds. But my personal favorite is the one by Kevin Kruse, who defines Employee Engagement as “The emotional commitment the employee has to the organization and its goals.”

Kevin further adds that “This emotional commitment means engaged employees actually care about their work and their company. They don’t work just for a paycheck, or just for the next promotion, but work on behalf of the organization’s goals.”

It is no surprise then that engaged employees display higher levels of INVOLVEMENT and COMMITMENT to the organization’s goals and values, are more MOTIVATED to contribute to the organization’s success, thereby leading to improved PERFORMANCE and PRODUCTIVITY.

I am glad to share 15 quotes on Employee Engagement that inspire us, at Learnnovators, in our quest for creating A GREAT PLACE FOR GREAT PEOPLE TO DO GREAT WORK! Here they are…

1. “To win in the marketplace you must first win in the workplace.” ~ Doug Conant

2. “Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.” ~ Stephen R. Covey

3. “Employees engage with employers and brands when they’re treated as humans worthy of respect.” ~ Meghan Biro

4. “Highly engaged employees make the customer experience. Disengaged employees break it.” ~ Timothy R. Clark

5. “Research indicates that workers have three prime needs: Interesting work, recognition for doing a good job, and being let in on things that are going on in the company.” ~ Zig Ziglar

6. “When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.” ~ Simon Sinek

7. “Your number one customers are your people. Look after employees first and then customers last.” ~ Ian Hutchinson

8. “The simple act of paying positive attention to people has a great deal to do with productivity.” ~ Tom Peters

9. “Everyone wants to be appreciated, so if you appreciate someone, don’t keep it a secret.” ~ Mary Kay Ash

10. “Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person – not just an employee – are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to profitability.” ~ Anne M. Mulcahy

11. “Engaged employees are in the game for the sake of the game; they believe in the cause of the organization.” ~ Paul Marciano, PhD

12. “Paychecks can’t buy passion.” ~ Brad Federman

13. “The way your employees feel is the way your customers will feel.” ~ Sybil F. Stershic

14. “People want to know they matter and they want to be treated as people. That’s the new talent contract.” ~ Pamela Stroko

15. “Engaged employees stay for what they give (they like their work); disengaged employees stay for what they get (favorable job conditions, growth opportunities, job security).” ~ Blessing White’s The State of Employee Engagement 2008

Which of the above quotes do you particularly like? Do you have your own favorites? What is your take on Employee Engagement? Would be delighted to hear your thoughts…

 

Do You ENJOY Or ENDURE Your Job?

Have you ever had colleagues or friends who consistently put in 12-15 hours of work a day for weeks on end and still not exhibit the faintest signs of mental or physical fatigue? On the other hand, you may also be acquainted with people who behave like zombies after a couple of extra-long working days. The interesting part about this contrasting behaviour, you may have noticed, is that the "fatigue factor" has nothing to do with the age of the concerned person.

Then what's it that makes the former type of people behave like superheroes? Do these guys gulp down some magic potion with breakfast every morning? Do they suffer from a genetic disorder? Or are they just visitors from a different planet?

Fortunately, none of the above.

The answer is fairly simple. The "superheroes" ENJOY their jobs, while the latter ENDURE them!

Do YOU enjoy or endure your job???

 

Stubborn on Vision, Flexible on Details

Every entrepreneurial journey begins with a VISION. But as the entrepreneur treads farther and farther away from the familiar environs of his pre-entrepreneurial comfort zones and heads deeper and deeper into the uncertainty-riddled paths of the business world, he finds himself being slowly but surely engulfed in the kinds of pressures that he never even knew existed. At this point, the original vision of a majority of entrepreneurs starts to fade... and before long, darkness takes over!

This 'loss of vision' occurs primarily because most entrepreneurs don't have the guts to stomach short-term losses even when they believe that these losses could potentially lead to long-term gains. They find it easier to cop-out rather than persist with their vision.

This is where Jeff Bezos's philosophy of being "stubborn on vision, but flexible on details" is truly inspirational. The Founder & CEO of Amazon has time and again demonstrated his ability to stand by hugely risky decisions and take on short-term losses because he firmly believed that those decisions would eventually bring long-term gains for his organization. Amazon Web Services and Amazon Kindle are two good cases of Bezos taking on immense pressure from investors and analysts for years on end, but still remaining stubborn on his vision and not giving up until he made enormous successes of these initiatives.

The key, as you can see, is for an entrepreneur to be able to handle the short-term pressures without compromising on the long-term vision... be flexible on the details, if needed, yet stay true to the ultimate vision. 

Bezos makes it seem all too simple, but believe me, it most certainly isn't.

 

POSITIONAL POWER and PERSONAL POWER

"...if you want to test a man’s character, give him power."

When he uttered those profound words, I guess Abraham Lincoln was hinting at a person's Positional Power, which can be given as well as snatched. As the name suggests, Positional Power is the authority which comes from the 'office' or 'position' to which the leader is appointed or elected. Since it is derived from external sources, this type of power is not permanent, and can quickly evaporate with the loss of the leader's office or position. Politics and military are lines of work where Positional Power plays a significant role in getting a job or task executed.

Personal Power on the other hand comes from within an individual… it is the authority which is derived from the personal traits of the leader - like character, knowledge, skill, eloquence and charisma. Since these attributes are internal to the person, this type of power cannot be taken away by extraneous factors like the leader's position or job title. Sports persons and movie stars fall under the category of people who wield an enormous degree of Personal Power over their followers.

Neither type of power is “better” than the other… an effective leader uses both Positional Power and Personal Power judiciously and wisely to acquire and influence followers as well as earn their respect, admiration and loyalty.

Positional Power is used in situations where the leader does not want to encourage a discussion with the followers to arrive at a decision… they are simply “told” what needs to be done. No questions asked! On the other hand, there are also situations where followers have to be “sold” an idea… here the leader uses the charm of his/her Personal Power to accomplish the goal.

It's not surprising, then, that most successful leaders have the decisiveness of an army general as well as the magnetism of a rockstar!

 

Learnnovators is about LEARNING and INNOVATION...

Last week I had the opportunity of doing an interview with SocialProma. Here are some excerpts:

1) What was the idea behind starting Learnnovators?

I had been working in the learning/training business for about a dozen years when I got bitten by the entrepreneurial bug. So in 2003, I started C2 Workshop along with another colleague, Srividya Kumar. In June 2013, we rebranded C2 Workshop as Learnnovators. When we began our entrepreneurial journey, e-learning was a new (infact, almost unknown) concept in India and there weren’t too many players in the market. But Vidya and I were convinced that e-learning was the future of learning. This belief is what prompted us to step out and start on our own.

2) Please brief us about your business model?

Learnnovators, as the name suggests, is all about learning and innovation. We are in the business of helping people learn.

Let’s say an organization wants to train 150 of their customer-facing staff to handle irate customers. We study the scene, speak to the staff, understand the gaps in skill and comprehension, and come up with one or more training courses that can help improve their performance in this area. Such training courses can mostly be taken up online by staff at their own pace and time, thereby saving the organization the trouble and costs of arranging face-to-face training sessions.

This is just one example. The same, or similar, solutions can be applied to several different performance related problems. Depending on the problem and the context, we come up with innovative solutions to help improve learning and performance.

3) Tell us about your core team.

The founding team comprises of Srividya Kumar and me. Vidya comes with over a decade and a half of experience in the e-learning industry, having worked her way up from being an Instructional designer to project manager and onto an entrepreneur. She handles development and delivery at Learnnovators, while I handle business development and HR.

We have a team of instructional designers, graphic designers, programmers, QC specialists and project managers handling project and client requirements on a day-to-day basis. We, at Learnnovators, believe that every single individual on our team plays a crucial role in adding value to our stakeholders, and is therefore a part of the ‘core’ team!

4) Tell us about your three most successful user acquisition methodology?

Our most successful user acquisition mode has been through client referrals. Which means that our clients have been our best salespeople. And I say this with immense pride and gratitude. You can check out some of our client testimonials at http://learnnovators.com/testimonials/

Our second most successful business acquisition mode has been through social media marketing. We are very active on social media platforms such as YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

We also have our own LinkedIn group which is of, and for, learning professionals who are passionate about bringing innovation to learning. The group’s objective is to help members engage in stimulating discussions around this topic. Activities of the group include exchanging of thoughts, ideas, experiences, news, tools, tips, trends, case studies, strategies, processes, best practices, etc. that would help the learning community create amazing learning experiences.

Also, we recently launched our own newspaper called ‘Learnobytes’ – it’s a weekly online newspaper that carries the best e-learning news from across the world. The newspaper’s objective is to help readers be up-to-date on the most recent news from the world of Learning and Development (L&D). ‘Learnobytes’ is available at http://learnobytes.learnnovators.com/. And our blog is one of the most popular e-learning blogs in the world. Infact, we recently launched a ‘Guest Blog’, where we have even our competitors contributing articles on our site.

As an industry thought leader, we believe it is our responsibility to build a learning community which can share knowledge, ideas and experiences with each other. This indirectly helps in business acquisition not only for us, but also for others involved in the community.

Check out the full interview HERE.