Ravi Pratap Singh

What Legends Couldn't Do In 17, A Rookie Did In 1.

What legends couldn’t do in 17 seasons, Rajat Patidar did in one.
RCB are finally IPL champions... and the man at the helm was leading the side for the very first time.

Rajat Patidar’s quiet rise to captaincy and his dream debut season as skipper offer powerful lessons in leadership, humility, and belief:

- Leadership isn’t about status. It’s about impact.
Rajat didn’t walk in with a legacy. He walked in with clarity, calm, and conviction. And that changed everything.

- Fresh voices can break old patterns.
Sometimes, the breakthrough comes when you hand the mic to someone unburdened by history. Patidar brought perspective unclouded by past near-misses... and gave the team a clean slate.

- You don’t lead alone.
This win stands on the shoulders of those who came before — Virat, Faf, ABD, Gayle — who built the culture, carried the weight, and passed the baton. Patidar honoured that legacy, and carried it across the finish line.

- It’s not experience alone. It’s readiness that counts.
In Rajat, we saw a leader ready to listen, trust his instincts, and rise when it mattered most. That’s what made the difference.

RCB’s win is a celebration of legacy... but more importantly, of new beginnings.
Take a bow, Rajat Patidar. You reminded us all that sometimes, the right leader just needs one season.

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

 

Collaboration + Competition = Our Secret Sauce

At Learnnovators®, we’ve learnt that success isn't about choosing between collaboration and competition; it’s about finding the right mix. And when we do, that’s when the magic really happens.

Too much competition, and teammates turn into rivals. Too much collaboration? Things can get fuzzy, and progress slows down. The trick is knowing when to team up and when to push each other to go further.

Here’s how we try to get that balance right:

• Friendly Competition: We encourage our folks to aim high and take ownership, but never at someone else’s cost. We celebrate each other’s wins and always remind ourselves: we’re all in this together.

• Shared Goals = Shared Wins: We do our best work when we stop thinking “my project” or “your task” and start thinking “our impact.” That’s how trust and real teamwork grow.

• The How Matters As Mush As The What: Sure, results matter. But so does how we get there. Helped a teammate meet a tough deadline? Handled feedback with empathy? That’s success, too.

• Deep Work + Teamwork: Some days call for deep focus, others for brainstorming with the crew. We make space for both.

And through it all, we build psychological safety... where speaking up, helping out, or challenging ideas is always welcome.

That’s our not-so-secret sauce. We collaborate. We compete. And we’ve got each other’s backs... every step of the way!

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

 

How To Build An Innovation-First Workplace Culture

At Learnnovators®, we believe innovation doesn’t happen by accident.

It flourishes when people are encouraged to be curious, experiment freely, and learn from everything—even failures.

So, what helps us build an innovation-first culture where fresh ideas thrive and teams feel confident enough to challenge the status quo?

1. WE PUT LEARNING BEFORE FEAR
Rather than avoiding mistakes, we treat them as valuable lessons. This mindset empowers our team to experiment more and uncover bold new solutions.

2. WE MIX THINGS UP
Some of our best ideas come from cross-functional collaboration. Diverse Teams = Richer Conversations = Better Outcomes.

3. WE GIVE PEOPLE ROOM TO EXPLORE
There’s no ‘one right way’ here. Our teams are encouraged to think differently, question the norm, and try new approaches.

4. WE CELEBRATE CREATIVITY—BIG AND SMALL
Every creative spark matters. We make sure innovative thinking is seen, appreciated, and encouraged.

Creating an innovation-first workplace takes intention, but the results are worth it. For us, it’s not just how we work—it’s who we are.

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

 

Flexible Work Policies: The Key To Retaining Top Talent

At Learnnovators®, we’ve always believed that work isn’t a place you go—it’s what you do. Today, top performers are looking for more than just a paycheck. They seek freedom, balance, and a workplace that respects their individuality.

That’s why flexibility is at the heart of how we work. Our approach is built on one powerful principle: trust. We trust our team to decide how, when, and where they do their best work—whether it’s from home, a café, or a co-working space.

But flexibility at Learnnovators goes beyond just remote work. It’s about asynchronous collaboration, outcome-based performance, and giving team members the autonomy to balance life and work—without having to compromise on either. For us, success is measured by results, not routines.

The outcome? A team that’s more engaged, more creative, and genuinely committed. By putting people first, we’ve built a culture that not only attracts top talent but also keeps them inspired for the long haul.

The future of work is already here. And at Learnnovators, it’s flexible, inclusive, and totally human.

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

 

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.

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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!

 

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???

 

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!

 

No Player Is Bigger Than The Team!

The third and final test match between England and South Africa is currently underway at Lord's. Having lost the first test of the series and drawn the second one, England have to win this game to avoid abdicating their number one test ranking to the South Africans.

Given this background, it would be normal for any team to come out with all guns blazing and ensure that they select their best players for this must-win game. But the eleven England players that walked onto the park at the beginning of the match yesterday did not include the charismatic Kevin Pietersen, their premier batsman by a long margin!

The reason?

Well, he was DROPPED!!!

And that too, after he had scored a breathtaking century less than a fortnight ago in the second test of the current series!

During that game, Kevin Pietersen had allegedly sent some derogatory text messages about his captain and team members to players from the opposing camp. Since this was not the first time that Kevin had got into disciplinary issues, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided to axe him irrespective of the fact that dropping him at this stage of the series could cost England their numero uno throne!

Hats off to the England selectors and captain for their brave decision. For no matter how big a player is, he can never ever be bigger than the team!

 

Don't Keep A Dog & Bark Yourself

Successful managers have one common trait... and that is, effective delegation skills!

Many a time one sees outstanding team players fail miserably as team leaders primarily because they are unable to delegate tasks appropriately.

There could be two major reasons behind a manager's "fear of delegation":

Quality Would Suffer: Firstly, the manager feels that he is best qualified to do the task. Therefore, if he delegates the same to a team member, the quality of work is bound to suffer and finally the task would have to be redone by him... so he prefers to do the job himself.

Pressed For Time: Secondly, the manager feels that the time taken to train others on a particular task would eat into the already challenging delivery timeline of the project... so it makes more sense for him to do the work himself and not risk missing the deadline.

In both the above cases, the manager feels that he is actually being "responsible" by taking the onus upon himself to save the organisation from any blushes. Though the intentions of the manager cannot be doubted, he doesn't understand that by not delegating tasks to his team members, he is actually doing more harm than good to the organisation.

An effective manager:

- Recruits the right team.

- Trains team members with the relevant job skills.

- Delegates work to the team members, and then... ALLOWS THEM TO FAIL a few times before they can work with minimal or no supervision!

By providing opportunities to sub-ordinates to develop new skills and take up more responsibilities, the manager helps build a strong and motivated team. This, in turn, paves the way for all stakeholders (team members, manager and the organisation) to grow and flourish.

Making The Impossible, Possible...

It wasn't impossible, but it sure was challenging... to find a name for the new awards we planned to initiate at C2. The whole process of creating a brand is nerve-wracking... but at the same time, exhilarating! 

It was in 2006 that C2 launched its annual Redwood Awards to honour individual employees who shone with the "right attitude". Now we wanted to introduce an award that would recognise teams who stuck together to not only successfully complete projects that seemed to be ridden with insurmountable obstacles (in terms of technologies, timelines, resources, etc), but also managed to deliver the WOW factor to the clients!

So what could we call the awards? It had to be something special, 'coz ít was meant for special people!

These were guys who walked the extra mile - day in and day out. Remained focussed even when the target was becoming a blur. Didn't give up pursuit even when the trail was cooling off. Believed that it was possible even when the world drummed into their ears that the task was IMPOSSIBLE.

Bingo!!! We got the name!!! It would be called...

"THE I'M POSSIBLE AWARDS"!!!

Because nothing is impossible... for the word itself says...

"I'm Possible". 

Leadership & Horse Sense!

I’ve always been enamoured by horse racing. The prize money is humongous, no doubt, but the most fascinating part of the sport for me has always been the horses themselves!

A lot of planning, preparation, care, commitment and passion go into the making of a champion horse.

The process starts right at the time of selecting the horse… the idea is to pick a thoroughbred with the best possible genetic lineage to ensure inheritance of superior capabilities. The next step is to offer a comfortable accommodation for the horse… this includes the preparation and maintenance of a hygienic stable. Then one needs to monitor the health and well-being of the horse by providing a balanced nutrition and diet. Cleaning and grooming also form an integral part of this process. Last but not the least, comes the training… exercise routines and training schedules are tailor-made to suit the physical condition of the horse so that it can perform to its fullest potential and become a CHAMPION!

As leaders, it is not only our responsibility to identify and select thoroughbreds in our teams… but also to put in all the planning, preparation, care, commitment and passion to make them Champions!