Calgary’s Dr. Vivek Cheba Details Crucial Traits of Leadership

Jim Rohn was a prolific writer, motivational speaker, and likely one of the most quoted businessmen. A proponent of humanity and humility in leadership, Rohn’s death in 2009 left a gap in the business world. Fortunately, his words from a lifetime of entrepreneurship live on.

“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly,” he wrote.

Therein lies the difficulty of leadership.

Many leaders feel they are walking a tightrope between responsibilities to the company and responsibilities to the people who work for them.

Dr. Vivek Cheba understands that tightrope and believes managers and owners must establish a rapport with their employees.

“I believe it is essential to give employees the space in which to share their talents fully. I noticed early on with my practices that doing so created a better working environment and allowed for them to take greater ownership of their roles within the organization,” said orthodontist Dr. Vivek Cheba. “I like to take that a step further. Employees of my clinics are also able to help collaborate with our many philanthropic efforts.”

Many people in leadership positions read myriad books and articles on the subject and only feel further confused. In the quest for guidance, they are flooded with contradictory advice.

Yet that is okay in some aspects. No one ever said the road to success was ever paved for comfort. The simple desire to be better often produces better results.

Glenn Llopis, who specializes in leadership strategy, recently wrote of the importance of a growth mindset in Forbes.

He believes in the power of individuality in corporations and that simply by following the “same corporate playbook,” leaders are not evolving as individuals, quashing their drive to be more entrepreneurial in their efforts for the companies in which they are employed.

“The result is most leaders are conflicted, battling the gulf between assimilation to what the corporate playbook dictates and being the authentic and vulnerable leaders their people want and need,” he wrote.

He argues that to transform businesses, leaders must have the freedom to be able to transform themselves. To not have that freedom encourages complacency. When leaders and employees within an organization help define the business, they take on a collaborative mindset and find ways to make contributions outside of their regular job descriptions. Personal, professional, and company growth ensue, and a positive domino effect is created.

What leadership traits help create the growth mindset that Llopis claims are essential?

For Dr. Vivek Cheba, the number one quality that he lists is to be open-minded and develop a greater understanding of the perspectives and needs of others.

He writes that growth is contingent upon a “clear understanding of human capital assets.”

In his list of essential steps for the growth mindset, he notes aspects that many entrepreneurs cite: high adaptability, anticipating the unknown, and developing a level of comfort with risk and uncertainty. He notably points out that situational awareness and a shift away from linear vision to circular to see “around, beneath and beyond what you seek” is essential.

“Most leaders don’t have a growth mindset because they are out of touch with the situations at hand — their linear vision gets in the way,” he wrote.

He also said it’s important to foster a willingness to break down barriers between managers and employees to perpetuate growth and understanding.

“In an ever-evolving world and as ever-evolving human beings living in that world, we must continue to adapt and ensure that our employees can live up to their greatest potential,” Dr. Cheba added.