55. On Being Ambitious with Strategic In/Action with Jinny Uppal

Overview

Today I’m joined by Jinny Uppal, author of the new book, IN/ACTION: Rethinking the Path to Results. In this conversation, Jinny shares how the book was written for people who are ambitious and that there is a better way to drive results than to always lean into the prevalent cultural bias for action. She encourages us to find the courage to embrace reflective thinking and strategic inaction, which offer a less stressful and more efficient way of achieving more by “doing” less.

Test it out and put in/action into action and see how this powerful strategy can help you get the results you seek.

I really enjoyed this conversation, Jinny! Thank you so much for championing an easier way for us to find nonlinear paths to better results.

More about Our Guest

Jinny Uppal is no stranger to driving contrary and innovative thinking. Uppal’s 20+ years of experience driving transformational growth by challenging existing norms in business is key to her success working with Fortune 500 telecom, eCommerce, and retail companies.

Most recently, she was Vice President of Strategy at a $12B North American retailer, driving transformative growth through new category launches and innovative store experiences.

Uppal grew up in Mumbai and is a graduate of Florida International University and Harvard Business School. She has been a practitioner of Vedic and Buddhist meditation and breathwork since 2008.

In her award winning book, IN/ACTION: Rethinking the Path to Results, published by New Degree Press, Jinny Uppal explores the downside of the prevalent cultural bias for action even when it’s unnecessary or counter-productive. Capturing insights into the benefits of reflective thinking and strategic inaction, author Jinny Uppal presents a less stressful and more efficient way of achieving more by “doing” less.

Topics Covered

  • We start the conversation by digging into what is meant by “strategic inaction” and Jinny sharing a few examples from her book.

  • Jinny shares how it often takes courage not to act, as has been brought up often on the podcast when we operate against the norm.

  • We discuss the importance of reflective thinking, and she talks about how moments of pause are a part of driving results and can fuel our creativity.

  • We discuss some of the tools Jinny notes in the book, such as meditation, mind wandering, and an Indian cultural norm of time pass (”T.P.” for short) that I love. She introduces us to the concept of a restorative habit, and we discuss her experience with taking a sabbatical.

    • “Taking a break or strategic inaction is accessible to all of us in different ways. There isn't any one formula that is going to work for everyone.”

    • “This idea of a restoration habit basically means any activity which is less engaging than your normal mode of operation. So for some people, it could be gardening. It could be doodling. It could be some physical activity, but which is autopilot so that your mental energies are getting restored as opposed to getting spent.”

  • Jinny shares how mastering inaction is a practice and not something we master once. It takes that continual practice to embed it into our way of being.

  • We talk about the idea of asking, “What if it were easy?,” and Jinny, building on this theme, offers a reflection, “What if success was guaranteed?”

  • What does Jinny want for us from the book: “I want people to take away that I am not talking about inaction as a way to stop and smell the roses and be happy. I mean, be happy, of course, I want you to be happy. But this is about getting results. That's what the book is about. So embrace it as a strategy to be successful. That's what I'd like for people to understand. [In-action] is a powerful strategy.”

Resources Mentioned

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55. On Being Ambitious with Strategic In/Action with Jinny Uppal

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2022Kathy OnetoRight Success, Right Effort, Right Aspiration