https://www.mgmtstories.com/

 

The "I care two hoots" attitude of Piyush, the R&D Leader, upon the exit of the brightest scientist on his team, Dia, was disturbing. It perplexed & rattled the whole team.

 

Dia left out of frustration since 3 of her amazing ideas of innovation had been sidelined by Piyush as not being of 'priority'! No discussions or other reasons explained!

 

Is R&D not all about innovation, creativity and exploring hitherto unknown frontiers, she wondered.

 

Dia left for an opportunity where she felt more like Percy Spencer.

 

During wartime 1945, Percy Spencer was an employee of Raytheon, a major defence equipment manufacturer. At that time, Raytheon was thriving owing to huge orders for magnetron tubes, an equipment which was required for use in radars which helped detect enemy aircraft.

 

One day Percy noticed that when he went close to the tubes, the chocolate in his pocket melted. Other colleagues had also experienced this but had not given it much thought. Percy, though, was of a different breed!

 

An extremely curious man, he was intrigued with this and explored further. He brought corn kernels close to the tubes and within minutes found them crackling and turned into ready to eat popcorn. This gave rise to an exciting idea in Percy's mind.

 

Going up the hierarchy, Percy shared is experience and the idea he had with the management, which, he said would revolutionise the food industry.

 

The Management team, impressed with Percy's enthusiasm and passion, decided to give him a chance to work on his idea.

 

Voila! Thus was born the now ubiquitous microwave oven!

 

Amazed at the success, Raytheon decided to pursue this line of business and gave Percy freedom and room to innovate and experiment more.

 

A year earlier, anyone who was told that Raytheon, the defence giant, was getting into the kitchen equipment space would have laughed at the thought.

 

Yet, thanks to one man's passion and curiosity, Raytheon built a successful business out of his idea which went on for decades.

 

Percy became an icon within Raytheon and also an integral part of all ideation and innovation initiatives.

 

Eventually he went on to become a Member of the Board of the company.

 

Oh, forgot to mention that Percy had just a high school eduction. He had been hired purely based on his attitude, enthusiasm, curiosity and eagerness to ask questions during the interview.

 

As for our friend Dia, not only did she go on to patent her 3 'rejected' ideas, but also joined a competitor who nurtured her creativity. She is today their top scientist with many more accolades under her belt.

 

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Many companies claim to encourage talent but the leadership, measurement and rewards to support it are almost non-existent. The gap between lip and the cup, as they say, is humongous.

 

"Sir, I can either do the payroll or the project work, not both" said Mani.

 

Me: "You have an entire week, Mani. We are still on 22nd of the month and payroll will take you, at best, 3 days, right? Plus you can't start work on it till 26th anyway....so you have 4 days to get the project work done."

 

Mani: "No, Sir! Need the whole week for payroll only."

 

Me: "But you have an automated system. Biometric is integrated, leave is integrated, all you need to do is send a reminder to people to regularise their records/approvals and run a report, that's it!"

 

Mani: "No one does it Sir! So, I have to first pull a report, check each with person individually, update, validate, enter into the system and then work to finalise. So, I can only do one task at a time, Sir!

 

Me: "Are you serious??? This is crazy Mani! You are wasting your time and effort on tasks which are already made easy through the HRMS! You have to work smartly, not foolishly."

 

This conversation reminded me of John Sunderland, former CEO of Cadbury Schweppes.

 

In review meetings, his Executives argued that the business could meet either margin or sales targets but not both.

 

The first time John heard this, he told them of this tribe which lived in mud huts. When they made a hole in the wall of the hut, there was light but also brought in the cold. If they sealed the hole, they would be warm but be in the dark inside, until glass was discovered.

 

They then made a hole and blocked it with glass thus staying warm and having light too!

 

After that first meeting, whenever John heard similar excuses on any task, he would only ask 'where is the glass?'.

 

Many a times I have experienced this with corporate executives too. Ability to prioritise, plan and execute tends to be off track. Despite having the tools & resources, tendency to work smart is something that executives need to learn.

 

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Mulling over the enjoyable storytelling session that I was invited as a guest yesterday.

 

Thank you Dhiraj Bose for the privilege extended.

 

It was nice to see a set of storytellers from varied backgrounds come together- IT experts, Educators, Chefs, Data Scientist, et al. In addition to learning how to tell a story, enjoyed the informal, post-session banter. I was meeting them all for the first time, ever!

 

Like a kid in a toy store, the mind now hopped, skipped & jumped to a related thought on how friendships & relationships start getting woven.

 

While i have built some great friendships (touchwood!) through this platform, i still have a long way to go in honing this art & being an introvert by nature does not help! Lol!

 

This, then, led the mind to think of Ken Morrison! More about the magic of Morrison shortly.

 

On a fine weekend morning, Mr & Mrs Tim & Judith Cairns went out shopping for a new car to celebrate his recent promotion.

 

Tim(before leaving home):"Judith, come what may, we are not going to make a decision at the first dealership we visit. We will shop around a few others as well before making a final choice."

 

Judith: "Sure"

 

At the first dealership, they were warmly welcomed by the Ben who got them seated comfortably, offered a beverage and took down their details - name, address, occupation, number, et al.

 

Ben: "Our Sales Manager, Mr. Morrison will be with you shortly. He is wrapping up a discussion with another client. Thank you for your patience."

 

Tim: "Sure. Thank you"

 

Ten minutes later, enter Mr. Morrison.

 

Ken: "Mr. Cairns! Mrs. Cairns! Good morning and a pleasure to have you here.

 

Mr. Cairns, First & foremost, let me thank you for all the great work that you are doing coaching the local baseball team. The kids really enjoy it!

 

Tim: "Huh? How do you know that? Have we met before?"

 

Ken: "We haven't met but my son goes to the same school and he keeps talking about you. We live in this area too, you see.

 

Let me also take the opportunity to congratulate you on your recent promotion. Read about it in the Business Times last week. I am sure its well deserved!"

 

By now Tim was all smiles and for 15 mins, Tim, Judith and Ken spoke about everything else except cars!

 

In the next 15 mins after this, Tim and Judith had walked out of the showroom with a brand new car!

 

Recall what Tim had told Judith before they left home?

 

What changed? Ken had spent 5 mins to 'get to know' Tim before stepping out to meet him in person. His ability & effort to connect the little dots, make relevant observations and get to know the person paid off handsomely.

 

Its now more than a decade & they continue to be best friends!

 

Are you a 'Morrison'? can I be your student?

 

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Chances are that if you hear the name Damayanti Hingorani, the mind conjures up an image of someone from Royalty or crusader in battle or something on those lines.

 

Well, in a ways, she did become a 'Rani' & a crusader, of sorts, during her life!

 

Time magazine called her a 'groundbreaker' later in life.

 

Born in the days of the British Raj, in today's Pakistan, her family had to flee to Mumbai during the partition. As refugees, they had to leave everything behind and did not even have basic facilities for living.

 

With the support of her parents, Ms. Hingorani taught herself to read and write and once fluent, the first book she read, cover to cover, was the biography of Henry Ford. Fascinated by this, she made it her single minded goal to be an engineer at Ford & build motor cars.

 

Period! Ford or nothing!

 

It seemed like an impossible dream!

 

Her parents put every penny they had and she sailed to the US, alone in those days, leaving them and the comfort of 'home' behind.

 

Through sheer hard work, she graduated from Oklahoma State University. With her degree in hand, she took a train to Detroit for a job with the ONE & ONLY company she wanted to be part of.

 

She was the only woman candidate and not surprisingly, she was told they had no woman engineers at Ford and hence she could not be hired.

 

Deflated, she stood up and turned to walk away when something clicked in her mind.

 

She came back to the interviewer and poured out her life's struggles, her journey, her effort, her knowledge of every car that Ford had made till date, from what she had read in the biography. She also told him of how she had to use a bicycle to rush to the bathroom, every time she needed to, since her college did not have one for women!

 

She closed by saying:"If you don't have any female engineers, then do yourself a favour and hire me NOW!"

 

Something clicked in the interviewer's mind too and he decided to take a chance. She was hired.

 

The first ever female engineer at Ford Motor Co. It was August, 1967.

 

When Ms. Hingorani retired from Ford 35 years later, she had achieved things that she could not have imagined and that too in a biased, male dominated world!

 

By the end of her tenure, she had championed the cause of & mentored thousands of immigrants and women of colour at Ford. She had also become an inspiring force for Girls Who Code, an organization that has provided technology training to more than 300,000 girls around the Globe.

 

Her two sons, like her, are achievers in their own right today. One is running for the US Congress and the other is a practicing neurosurgeon.

 

Unknowingly the Americans had made her a 'Rani', and rightly so, as they could not pronounce her last name, Hingorani, properly!

 

Phew! What goal orientation, sense of purpose, focus, determination et al.

 

Where are you 'sailing' to?

 

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Walking along the banks of the river Yamuna on a crisp winter evening, Akbar & Birbal chatted about nothing in particular including the freezing cold waters of the river.

 

Akbar stated that no one could survive standing in such waters overnight and Birbal countered him to say there could be people with such stamina. They got into a wager over this.

 

Akbar announced publicly that anyone who could stand in the freezing water overnight would be rewarded 500 gold coins.

 

Fearing death, none dared to take the bet except for weak, thin and destitute brahmin who was ready for anything to feed his family.

 

He stood in the ice cold water, naked waist up; his teeth chattering and body shivering - but he survived the night with two guards watching over him.

 

Next morning in his durbar, a surprised and disappointed Akbar handed over the reward to the poor brahmin. He then asked the man how he managed to achieve this feat.

 

Brahmin(Innocently):"I kept chanting the name of God and also kept staring at the burning lamps of the city far away. That helped me"

 

Akbar: "Ha! There you go! You cheated! The heat from the lamps kept you warm. Throw this man into prison for cheating!"

 

No one had the courage to counter the Emperor including a dejected Birbal.

 

When Birbal did not turn up in court the next day, Akbar went looking for him to his residence. He found Birbal lying under a tree and staring at a pot tied high up to a branch and a little fire burning below on the ground.

 

Akbar: "What are you doing?"

 

Birbal: "Cooking breakfast, Your Majesty!"

 

Akbar: "How do you expect it to be cooked when the pot is so high and the flame is down below?"

 

Birbal: "The same way the brahmin survived from the heat of the lamps far way"

 

Akbar: "Ok, ok....i get your point! Will correct the mistake once back in court."

 

Many a times I have had managers & leaders failing to give credit to team members where its deserved, quoting silly reasons and instances. Especially when it comes to worthy cases of recognising and promoting genuine talent.

 

Of course, the yardstick changes when its their own case!

 

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In 1963, Martin Luther King said the famous words "I have a dream...." but Gwen Goldman had said those very words much before him, in 1961, albeit to herself and in a different context altogether!

 

As a 10 year old then, Gwen was a passionate baseball fan and huge supporter of the famed New York Yankees team. Her dream was to become a batgirl (one who carries the bats to the players and in general helps keep all the equipment ready for them) for the Yankees.

 

She wrote a letter to the then GM of the Yankees, Roy Hamey requesting for the role. Hamey, however, crushed her dream by replying that it would be out of place for a girl to be in the midst of a predominantly male dominated environment.

 

A dejected Gwen went on with her life but at the back of her mind she still nursed that dream.

 

She also framed the rejection letter and hung it on her living room wall.

 

Someday, one day, probably, kept echoing in Gwen's head.

 

In May 2021, on a whim, Gwen's daughter, Abby, sent a photo of the 1961 letter to Brian Cashman, the current GM of the Yankees, along with a little history about it.

 

In June, 2021, a full 60 years after her rejection, yes, SIXTY YEARS later, Gwen's dream came true.

 

When Brian Cashman read that letter, he was touched and responded stating they were making Gwen a honorary batgirl and invited her to spend a day with the team. Not only did Gwen get to do that, she also got an official uniform, acted as the official batgirl and also got to throw an inaugural pitch before the game!

 

If you have or planning to give up on any dream, just remember, Gwen waited for 60 years!

 

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This was a first for us. Before we even started, the potential assignment was over with just a couple of questions.

 

Elbows on the table and her head held in her hands, bowed over her desk, is how me saw Rujuta when we entered her room. Founder of an innovative video conferencing product firm, she had reached out through a friend, seeking help with people issues.

 

Rujuta:"Hi! Thanks for coming. Sorry, i am going straight to the point. Stressed out on this issue."

 

We: "Sure. Please go ahead."

 

Rujuta:"Well, we have been around for a few years. Its only end 2019/early 2020 that we were fully ready with our product.

 

Just as we had started reaching out to potential leads that had evinced interest, I observed that some of my best people started quitting. Since then it has been a parade, even with some new hires.

 

I think we are paying pretty well, lot of flexibility to operate, not hierarchical, yet.....you know, unable to figure out! It has hit business prospects, in addition to the already difficult pandemic situation."

 

We:"Hmm! What reasons did they give for quitting?"

 

Rujuta:"Could not talk to everyone. Was busy focusing on the launch, talking to clients and did not have time to address this issue. Those I spoke with just said it was some personal issue and I did not press further."

 

We: "Anything that you see was a potential challenge in the work environment or culture or working conditions.....even if you think it was something minor."

 

Rujuta:"hmmm....nothing major that I can think of. The only small thing I insisted was that people should operate from office because we were very new and I wanted to have better control on things."

 

We:"There's your problem, Rujuta!"

 

Rujuta:"What? How?"

 

We: "Rujuta, your product is a video conferencing tool. Your selling proposition to clients is seamless remote working, eliminating commute, physical space, no location constraints, and many other things. You probably must have leveraged the pandemic too as a selling point."

 

Rujuta:"yes, absolutely plus we have many other innovative features compared to others."

 

We:"...and yet you insisted that your own people should be physically in office trying to promote a remote working tool...do you see.....?"

 

Rujuta(jumping up from her seat):"S***! How could i have been so blind? No, no, no......this is stupid, stupid...."

 

Assignment over before it started but the relationship blossomed and now, 3 months later, we are not only supporting Rujuta's HR function but also formally a coach to Rujuta, the leader!

 

At times we are like horses with blinders on, missing the bigger picture, unable to connect the dots and that's when an external catalyst like a coach helps.

 

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Aliza Sherman is a well known American blogger, writer, women's activist and sought after speaker.

 

In 1999, Aliza was invited to speak at a global women's forum in New Zealand, along with many other accomplished ladies from all over the world.

 

During a pre-session Q&A, a woman from the crowd suddenly stood up and started sharing her life story. Once she was done, a group of other women stood up and started singing a song.

 

A slightly bemused Aliza inquired with a local New Zealander as to what the song meant. The lady responded stating that it was a tradition of the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, when one shares a story like that, the others sing in support of the speaker.

 

Such a simple yet beautiful way of honouring and supporting one other. And they engendered into their tradition itself!

 

I just loved the simplicity of this tradition!

 

What a difference we could make to motivation levels by such small gestures of support to one another, be it in our professional or personal lives - teams, family, friends et al.

 

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I have a strange call scheduled for later this morning!

 

Basis a few acrimonious mail exchanges between him and a couple of colleagues, Anand wants to share what he is going to 'scream' at them and get my 'help' to refine that 'scream'! I am sure he spoilt his weekend over this, fuming and restless.

 

The tougher part is that even I realise from the communication that he is reacting since his understanding is incorrect!

 

It doesn't augur a good beginning for the week for Anand!

 

All I want to do is share what the Buddha once said to Kumara, a angry young man who was against the principles that the Buddha propagated.

 

Walking along with his disciples on a preaching trip, the Buddha was accosted by Kumara who started insulting him using demeaning & foul language. His intention was to elicit a strong, negative reaction.

 

The Buddha's disciplines were enraged and ready to retaliate.

 

The Buddha, though, calmly responded.

 

The Buddha: "Tell me, if you give someone a gift and they refuse to accept it, whom does the gift now belong to?"

 

Kumara: "Me, because I am the one who bought it!"

 

The Buddha: "Exactly! So it is with your anger. If i do not get insulted, the anger falls back on you. It makes you unhappy, hurts you and spoils your day, not mine!"

 

Kumara: (silent)

 

The Buddha: "Think well before you respond."

 

I am hoping Anand will come around. Rather than reacting he should be thankful to his colleagues for clarifying his understanding.

 

We will have "Kumaras" around and there could be situations when we would want to be a "Kumara".

 

How we react is dependent on us, no one else!

 

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Just reflecting on the week that passed and thinking about the week ahead!

 

That was a satisfying week is the thought that comes to mind; considering that other than Business As Usual (BAU), grateful to have been able to help place a couple of wonderful professionals (No, i don't do recruitment, just helped!), coach and counsel a few others, help refine resumes of a few, provided some guidance to another.

 

Some of these are known friends and acquaintances, some completely random and new 'friends' through this platform. No matter who, having 'given' something that helped them is the feeling of contentment.

 

Happy to continue with this 'Stephen King' philosophy in the week ahead! Will try to do whatever i can within my capacity and capability to assist.

 

Wait, wait! What about Stephen King, your mind asks?

 

Well, Stephen King, as most would know, is the super successful author who has enthralled readers with his horror/fantasy/supernatural genre of books. Some of these have been made into hit movies too.

 

In addition to all those published books, King wrote many other stories/scripts which were not published which, if he had, would have probably been major hits too!

 

What, then, did he do with these unpublished materials? King used to 'sell' them for $1 to aspiring film makers and students to adapt them into movies!

 

What a noble gesture of support and help!

 

I am no King but no harm in trying to get there, right?

 

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It was a complete mess! Traffic on the Autobahn was at a standstill and backed up for miles. This was an arterial road into the city and connected various business districts.

 

A huge truck had its roof jammed under a bridge, owing to the overconfidence of the driver. He had miscalculated the height of the truck and the bridge thinking he could easily clear it.

 

Firemen, police, traffic wardens and city officials were all having heated arguments as to how to get the truck out.

 

Frustrated & stuck vehicle drivers joined the melee causing more chaos. Everyone had a different idea on how to resolve the issue. There was even an idea of slicing the truck in half, horizontally, being bandied about.

 

8yr old Jimmy was walking along the service road, heading back home from school. Fascinated at some many vehicles in one place, the heated debates, the jammed truck et al, he stood and watched for a while, slowly edging closer to the group to get a better view.

 

After watching for a while, he gathered courage to walk up to a fireman and tugged at his jacket. The fireman was surprised to see the little fellow there and thought he was lost and asked Jimmy so.

 

Jimmy: "No. I just wanted to share something."

 

Fireman:"Sure, junior! Go ahead. What is it?"

 

Jimmy(Innocently): "I think if you just deflate the tyres of the truck, it would get lowered and released, right?"

 

Fireman:

 

Overanalysing an issue and making it look more complex than its reality is something that we see around us regularly.

 

If you have a 'truck jammed under a bridge', now think again on the solution!

 

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An army veteran took over as the Commanding Officer of a unit and was walking around to familiarise himself with the place.

 

As he went around, he noticed two soldiers standing to attention, one on each side of a bench in the middle of a park. Intrigued at this scene, he walked up to them and asked what they were doing there.

 

Soldier 1: "Sir, guarding the bench Sir!"

 

CO: "Why? Any threat here or other significance?"

 

Soldier 1: "Sir, this is the duty assigned to us, Sir!"

 

CO left thinking he should check with some senior officer. He inquired with quite a few people but none seem to know. The only answer he heard was that they had seen this ever since they arrived at this post.

 

Even more intrigued now, the CO decided to dig deeper and contacted some of the earlier officers who had got transferred out, some retired ones, et al.

 

Finally, he was able to gather a piece of useful information which was that this guard duty at the bench started when a particular officer, Col. James*, had come in as the CO.

 

The CO was happy he was getting somewhere, tracked down Col. James, who had retired more than 20 years ago and contacted him.

 

CO(after introductions): "Col. James, Sir, I am intrigued at these two guys guarding a bench at the unit. No one seems to know why. Finally, I heard that it had started during your stint here. Is there anything significant that I should know about this?"

 

Col. James: "Whaaaat? Has the paint not dried yet?"

 

CO(stunned):

 

That is how many organisations tend to blindly follow certain processes and procedures without asking why nor changing in tune with the times!

 

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"Phew! tiring to deal with bosses who only want to hear what they want to hear and in the way they like to hear!" expressed Madan having just stepped out of a meeting.

 

Me: "Tell me about it!" Lol!!! This one, especially, is tougher than most. Honest and straightforward opinions or thoughts are not his cup of tea! If we deal with him like this for a couple of years, we can be hugely successful in politics!! Lol!"

 

Madan:"You bet! Its like that king Mahendra Varman of yore!

 

He believed strongly in astrology and constantly kept inquiring with any and all astrologers that he came across, local or those travelling through his kingdom, as to his future, success, glory, et al. He rewarded them handsomely too, based on their predictions.

 

Most astrologers, for either the reward or out of fear, 'predicted' that only the best was in store for the king. Needless to state, the glowing king rewarded their 'efforts' generously.

 

Hari Sharma, a respected, sincere and honest astrologer was transiting through the king's land. As usual, news reached the king and he invited Sharma to the court and asked the same questions.

 

Sharma(after studying the necessary details):"Your majesty, as i see it you will live a lonely life later on since all your near and dear ones, family and friends will pass on before you."

 

King(Enraged):"What nonsense! Throw this fellow into the dungeons and starve him. When everyone else has predicted a great life ahead, this fellow predicts doom!"

 

However, Sharma's words kept rankling in the king's mind and he spent sleepless nights over it! Seeing this disturbed state, one of his advisors suggested that they seek the counsel of the Chief Astrological Officer (CAO) of the state.

 

King Varman thought this to be a good idea and summoned the CAO. An extremely clever man, the CAO knew the reasons for the summons but patiently heard the king narrate his 'harrowing' experience.

 

Once the king was done speaking, the CAO responded.

 

CAO: "Your highness! Please do not be upset! He is probably ignorant and not very well versed in this. Let me look into the details again and come back tomorrow! Kindly eat and rest now."

 

Next day.

 

CAO: "Your highness! Everything is just fine! I have gone over your details again. Based on this, I see that you are the only one among all your near and dear who is blessed with a long, healthy life. You will live the longest among them and rule for many, many, decades to come!"

 

One would probably have been blinded by the glow on king Mahendra Varman's face after he heard this."

 

Right or wrong, like it or not, being organisation savvy is something that one needs to be in this day and age!

 

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"We need to do something unique, different and well, radical, if i may venture to add, in the D&I area. I am a big proponent of diversity & inclusion" said Manas, head honcho at a rapidly growing firm. We are helping to streamline their HR frameworks & processes.

 

We: "Anything "radical" floating in your in mind?"

 

Manas: "Not really.....you folks know this better and hence called for this meeting."

 

We: "Great! There are quite a few things that can be done. Let's first see what options we have. To begin with small things, let's diversify the hiring patterns - physically challenged talent, hiring from different regions rather than all locals, transgenders, etc? Of course, these are only hiring related ideas for starters but there are other things too!

 

Manas: "Ah not sure.....i mean, that may not work well in our environment! It would also required lot of 'adjustments' to happen and will cost too! How about hiring more women?"

 

We: "oh c'mon, Manas! That's been around for ages and seems to be the only definition of D&I that organisations know! You said unique, different, almost radical....for starters, what more could be different than what we spoke about?"

 

You want different, then think on those lines like the little healthy & fitness club tucked away in Newcastle, UK did.

 

Emily Morison is a physically challenged receptionist that works there. Whenever someone walked in, neither the person nor Emily could see each other because the desk was too high for wheelchair bound Emily.

 

The manager of the gym noticed this a few times and decided to act.

He called in a designer, carpenter AND Emily for a meeting, discussed how to redesign the desk to the convenience of Emily and got it done!

 

What thrilled and touched Emily was not just the redesign but that she had been included in that discussion.

 

Outcome: Membership apparently soared not just because of the act but also because the thrilled employee, Emily, 'sells' the services actively without being told! Neither is it her responsibility!

 

Get the point? And this is just a little, local, fitness club! Imagine what such unique ideas can do to your brand!"

 

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Just want to give you a heads up! Make sure you walk on the right side of the street as you begin this week! Else, you never know what you might miss! Like Dr. Seuss almost did!

 

Dr. Theodore Seuss Geisel, more popularly known as Dr. Seuss, was the famous American children's author, cartoonist, animator, illustrator et al.

 

Before all this success, he was leading a normal life and wanted to be an English teacher. His wife, Helen, seeing his skill for drawing, encouraged him to pursue the profession.

 

In 1936, while returning from a sea voyage to Europe, the sound of the ship's engines gave Dr. Seuss the idea for his first poem and which later became his first book, "And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street".

 

Once he completed the manuscript, it was apparently rejected by more than 20 or 30 publishers and Dr. Seuss had almost decided to burn the manuscript.

 

One morning he was walking along a street and ran into an old friend who had just started working in publication.

 

And that is how Dr. Seuss's first book got published.

 

The rest, as they say, is history!

 

Dr. Seuss himself apparently said, "If i had been walking on the other side of the street, I would probably never been an author!"

 

You never know where and how an opportunity comes along!

 

Make sure you are on the right side!

 

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Daughter: "Happy Father's Day, Pa!"

 

Me: "Tanks, Tanks, vaar moch, Dog-ter!" (yes, yes, spell check not required. This is father-daughter banter lexicon!)

 

D:"So, how's the 'loom' business coming along?" (she says I 'weave' stories and hence the loom reference!)

 

Me: "pretty good, I think! No has complained yet. Lol"

 

D: "Lol! Start charging for those weaves, i tell ya! Otherwise, what's the payback?"

 

Me: "Yeah, yeah....suure! Payback will come, patience, patience! For now I am trying to be like Pon Mariappan!

 

D:"Oh, no, not another 'weave'! Haha..."

 

Mariappan, a 39 year old barber from Thothukudi, a remote town in Tamilnadu, came up with a unique idea to do some good to the community through his trade.

 

His love for reading and lack of similar interest in others around him led him to think of this. His favourite book is apparently the Thirukkural!

 

Instead of a TV and useless magazines for customers, he has set up a library within his shop. Customers who are waiting can pick up a book and start reading till their turn for grooming comes up!

 

It was slow in the beginning he says and once some people started enjoying the wait, the word spread.

 

Now, he has a collection of over 1500 books in his 'library'! Of course, his 'readers' have exponentially increased too!

 

Oh, did I mention he as invited to speak on the PM's "Mann ki Baat" as well?

 

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"So, what's the big deal? Yes, it was a minor error but mistakes do happen, and aren't you the one who keeps saying not to fret over details?"

 

It was not the error itself but this cavalier attitude which cost Mona her job. Her lack of discretion & understanding as to where and to what extent to apply logic was sad to see in such an experienced IT leader.

 

What Mona called a 'minor error' had resulted in a resignation spree, financial loss, impacted productivity, et al across the organisation. A coding glitch had ended up in sending out wrong annual increment letters to thousands of employees!

 

Ah! Now you know the extent of the problem!

 

"Mona, one rule does not work everywhere. You need to understand the nature of the task and its impact before deciding whether minor details matter or not!" Said Danish, the President.

 

Reminds one of a soft drink major's '349' problem in Philippines!

 

In an effort to boost market share, the company planned a marketing initiative in Feb 1992. It was a 'lucky draw' scheme wherein random bottle caps would carry a number between 1 & 349, along with a security code. Depending on the number printed, prizes ranging from USD $1 to $40,000, the bumper prize, were to be given out. Daily prize winners were to be announced on TV every evening.

 

Based on the permutations and probability of winning calculations, the company had budgeted a spend of USD $2 million for the entire campaign.

 

The bumper prize was equivalent of almost 23 years of wages for an average Filipino, based on the prevailing local wage rates at that time!

 

By May, their market share had shot up from 4% to 24%!

 

On May 25th, the daily number was announced, which was 349. So far, so good!

 

Next morning, there was absolute chaos at the prize distribution center with thousands of people coming up to claim their bumper prize!

 

It was then that company officials discovered that due to a 'Mona type minor' glitch, 800,000 bottle caps, yes, 800,000, got printed with the number 349 and with no security code to boot!

 

If they were to honour their commitment, the payout would add up to a tidy sum of USD $32 Billion!!!!!!!!!!! Their original budget, if you recall, was USD $2 Million!

 

For the next 4 years the company fought legal battles, not only to minimise the financial damage but had to take a beating with respect to their brand and credibility. Riots, a couple of civilian deaths and threats to the company officials were another story!

 

As a leader, one should know when and where to apply extra attention to detail. Despite this, if mistakes do happen, one should learn to own it and handle it responsibly too!

 

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"He must have got the idea from his children or grandchildren for sure, ROFL!"

 

That was the insensitive remark from Rina at the lunch table. It was in reference to Mr. Elango who had just been awarded a patent for a creative idea he had had, and turned that into a product.

 

Jai: "Whoa! Do you think he is incapable of coming up with ideas himself?"

 

Rina: "C'mon! He is a year away from retirement and been here forever. At his age, do you seriously believe he can be creative?"

 

Jai: "Hullllo! so you think there is an age bar, below or above which, one cannot be creative or think out of the box? "

 

Rina: "Kind of, yeah, not a written rule but, yeah....."

 

Jai: "haha....you certainly need to open your mind, lady! All one needs is passion, Dear! Listen to this."

 

Do the names Cherre Hermogena and Tom Moore mean anything to you? I doubt it.

 

Cherre is a Singaporean who was carrying on a regular life. She constantly observed that ladies who were returning home in the evenings carried their high heeled footwear in their hand and walked bare foot. Having worn the heels all day was probably stressful and hurting.

 

She did a survey and 4 years later perfected an innovative height adjustable heels footwear. At the press of a button, the footwear can turn into a high heeled one or flats. Its such a hit that she runs a successful business today.

 

She was all of 15 when she came up with the idea.

 

In 2018, Tom Moore had a fall and broke his hip at a time when he was already being treated for skin cancer. Double whammy!

 

He was overwhelmed with the affection and care provided by the staff at the hospital.

 

In 2020, he was distressed to see the pressure experienced by doctors & nurses during the pandemic.

 

Despite struggling to even stand up, forget walking, he pledged to do something to help them.

 

He decided he would walk 100 laps around his garden, with his walker, and raise funds. The total distance to cover, for the 100 laps, was just around 2.5kms.

 

His target was to complete the 100 laps before his birthday on 30th, April, 2020, which he achieved.

 

Tom started walking and with a little help from his daughter in spreading the word about his goal, he raised an astounding 17 million Pounds by the target date.

 

So, what's unusual with yet another fund raiser by someone, you ask? That too with a 2.5km walk around his garden?

 

Remember, Tom Moore could hardly walk.

He had cancer.

He turned 100 on 30th April

He had already done his duty once by serving his nation in WWII.

 

Cherre Hermogena - Age: 15. Tom Moore - Age 100.

 

Jai: "What say, Rina?"

 

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Constantly fretting about her limited skills & capabilities, as she perceived them, Lisa was losing focus on doing even work that she was good at!

 

Lisa's Manager, concerned about her wellbeing, constantly worked with her to help. One morning, he shared the experience of a friend.

 

As a 10 year old, Gary was involved in a horrific car accident and lost his left arm. Post his difficult, yet successful recovery, he decided to do something different and pull himself up.

 

Gary approached a Judo master who agreed to teach him after seeing his determination.

 

After months of hard work and learning, Gary had just learnt one move, albeit perfectly. Tired of this one move only, he asked his Master about it.

 

Gary: "Master, all I have learnt is one move till date. Should I not be learning more?"

 

Master: "You have learnt one move but that is the only move you'll ever need to know. Let me show you."

 

The Master enrolled Gary into his first competitive tournament.

 

Gary, to the surprise of himself and others, won the first round!

 

Encouraged by this, he found strength and won the next few rounds.

 

At each level, his opponents were getting tougher but Gary kept winning, ultimately reaching the finals.

 

In the final match, Gary was struggling a bit and the referee stopped the match worried that Gary might get hurt. However, Gary's Master asked him to let it continue.

 

After a while, Gary's opponent made a mistake and Gary grabbed the opportunity to pin him down and won the tournament.

 

On the way back, an exulted Gary asked his Master: "How is it that i won the tournament with just one move?"

 

Master: "You have mastered the most difficult move in Judo. The only defence to counter that move is for the opponent to grab your left arm"

 

Ah! The enlightenment on Gary's face must have been worth seeing!

 

Focus on your strengths rather than hemming & hawing about perceived weaknesses!

 

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The thrill of moving at 300kms/hr in the Renfe-SNCF high-speed train to cover a distance of over a 1000kms in just under 6 hrs while listening to Shankar Mahadevan's amazing rendering of "Breathless" is a completely different experience than when trying to read a paragraph with absolutely no stops in between because even that high-speed train has a few halts on its journey!

 

Now, if you are feeling breathless after reading that and wondering what's wrong with this guy, you have every right to be!

 

I feel the same way too when I read some content written in the same 'breathless' manner, on posts or blogs or elsewhere.

 

While I am neither Shashi Tharoor nor a Grammar Nazi, nor a descendant of Wren & Martin for that matter, there is a sense and purpose of why punctuation, pause, spelling and vocabulary are important.

 

It could be a matter of life and death too, like a poor man in Victorian England experienced (or so it is said!).

 

After acquitting the man for lack of evidence in a crime, the judge woke up the next morning to the shocking news that the man had been hanged!

 

When he inquired as to how that had happened, it turned out that the clerk who typed out the court proceedings and judgements had erred in his work.

 

The judge's verdict was: "hang him not, spare him!"

The clerk had typed: "hang him, not spare him!"

 

One misplaced comma killed a man!

 

Communication is an art!

 

Spending a few minutes extra to read, spell check, punctuate and ensure the message is conveyed accurately is worth the effort!

 

Yikes! I am now a bit breathless hoping that there are no errors above!

 

Before you ask, I did spent those few extra minutes!

 

Have a good laugh and a fabulous mid-week day!

 

Having observed some of his managers/leaders reluctant to do certain tasks themselves, Viki, the CEO, shared his observation with them and was a bit taken aback to hear their response.

 

"We are senior folks and those tasks are meant for the juniors"!

 

A laughing Viki then 'took them on a trip' to 'meet' Brother Leo!

 

All people knew about Brother Leo was that he was a sought after 'Guru' for many, lived in a remote monastery in France and that's about it.

 

A group of young monks, eager to learn more decided to take the long & arduous trip to meet Brother Leo.

 

After a few days of travel, they were constantly bickering about who would handle which chores during the travel. After all, they had to cook, clean, wash, et al.

 

On the 6th day, they met another travelling monk who was on a vow of silence. They welcomed him and continued on the journey. Every time they bickered over chores, the monk would volunteer to handle the task, complete it and they moved on.

 

Finally, late one night, they arrived at the monastery, fatigued and weary. The knocked and the door was opened by an aged man. He bowed and welcomed them.

 

They were provided food, drink and a place to rest. He then enquired about their purpose of visiting such a remote place.

 

The young monks mentioned their eagerness to meet the elusive Brother Leo and learn from him.

 

The aged monk laughed and said "but you have already met him! He came along with you and is now busy attending to cleaning the prayer room.

 

Realisation dawned on the stunned monks!

 

The "Guru' had never felt it was below his stature to do any of their chores and now had quietly gone back to work.

 

The young monks, of course, learnt their lesson without having a word been spoken to them during the entire journey!

 

No task is small when its something that needs to get done!

 

Titles, roles, seniority are meaningless if one is unwilling to get one's hands dirty, when required!

 

 

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"How would you like to be remembered?" was a question to a leader as part of a corporate video series on leadership.

 

"As someone who brings a smile on one's face when my name is taken!"

 

That is how Marc Haynes remembers Roger Moore, a.k.a. Bond, James Bond!

 

As a 7 year old in the '80s when Marc was at Nice airport with his grandfather, he saw Moore sitting at the gate waiting for his flight. Marc asked his grandpa to get Moore's autograph. The old man had no idea about Moore or Bond.

 

Grandpa: "My grandson says you are a famous man and he is a huge fan. Can you give an autograph?" Moore happily did!

 

Little Marc saw the autograph and was disappointed as he saw the name signed as Roger Moore! He was only aware of James Bond! He mentioned that to this grandpa.

 

Grandpa went back to Moore and said, "My grandson says your name is James Bond but you signed something different!"

 

Moore's face changed in realisation and smiled. He called little Marc and whispered "I cannot sign as James Bond because Blofeld's (A famous fictional villain in Bond movies) men could be anywhere and could cause trouble". Marc was thrilled!

 

A couple of decades later, when Marc was a media man doing some work for the UN, he ran into Moore again when he was the ambassador for them. He was there to shoot for a video for the UN.

 

Marc narrated the Nice airport incident and asked if Moore remembered. Though he seemed to not recall, Moore just smiled and said, "that's nice! Good to see you again!"

 

After the shoot was done, as he was walking out, Moore came up to Marc, tapped him on the shoulder and whispered, "earlier, I could not openly say i recall our meeting because you never know, any of the cameramen or crew could be Blofeld's men!"

 

What a lovely sense of humour and such a warm gesture from Roger Moore!

 

Hmm....worth leaving a memory like that!

 

I am off now....hoping to run into a "Marc" and try to be a "Moore"!

 

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Hitesh and I walked into a meeting along with our Boss, Mohan. It was an emergency meeting, convened at very short notice by us, to plan for contingency on an emerging people issue.

 

Various departmental heads were also invited to attend as it impacted their functions deeply.

 

Since it was a sensitive matter, we had intimated the subject of the meeting as 'contingency planning - urgent & imp'.

 

Even as we settled in, Ishan, one of the heads said: "I know why we are here and i know what you HR folks have in mind. Let me tell you its not going to work."

 

Mohan:"We haven't even told you what this is about!!!!"

 

Ishan: "I know what exactly this is about, Mohan."

 

Hitesh whispered in my ear: "Mrs. Woolworth!" I just smiled.

 

Mrs. Woolworth, a school teacher, was receiving year end gifts from her kindergarten students.

 

First, the florist's son gave her a package and she said, "Thank you! i am sure they are beautiful flowers"! The boy was surprised and asked how she knew. Mrs. Woolworth said, "Oh, just a guess".

 

Next, the confectioner's son gave her a package and she said, "Thank you so much! These smell like chocolates". The little guy was surprised too and when he asked, she said "Oh just a guess".

 

After a few more of similar 'surprises', the son of the liquor store owner came up and gave his package. It was leaking slightly and wet Mrs. Woolworth hand.

 

Mrs. Woolworth: "Ah, thank you! She licked her fingers and said, "that must be wine"

 

the boy: "No".

 

Mrs. Woolworth(licking her finger again): "Oh, then must be champagne!"

 

The boy(giggling): "No"

 

Mrs. Woolworth: "I give up! what is it?"

 

The boy: "Its a puppy!!!"

 

Mrs. Woolworth:

 

Ishan had walked in to argue vehemently against reducing the quantum of promotions that he had recommended for his team whereas we had convened to discuss a potential Union problem!

 

Assumption & overconfidence even before one knows what the matter is all about!

have a laugh as you begin the weekend but also stay away from Ishan or being one!

 

source: Wattpad

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We had a huge goal to achieve. Around 500 people to be hired, onboarded, trained, assessed and go 'live' on the job - all in about 3 months!

 

After observing the dismal hiring numbers we were experiencing even after two weeks of campus visits, I realised there was something amiss.

 

Me(to the team):"What are we doing wrong? Something missing? How are the other companies doing?"

 

We went through the plan and process again and things looked fine, well, at least on paper!

 

I accompanied the team on the next couple of campus visits, observed the proceedings and said we had to 'do' a sort of Martin Luther King job!

 

Team: "Wait! What?"

 

Me:"Yeah! We are repeating the same things and showing the same presentation everywhere. The audience is different but we are not! Stop using the ppt for the next couple of visits. Talk from your heart, ask questions, engage the audience and get them to be interested. Don't keep telling them what they already know!"

 

Team:"Ok Boss, will do! but where do we bring in King?"

 

Me: "You are the 'Kings'!"

 

Before the historic march on Washington, King had already used his iconic 'I have a dream' phrase everywhere, for almost nine months. He had used that and improvised on it at each gathering to electrify and engage audience!

 

That is how we want our audience to be energised as well. Twist 'King' around become one!"

 

Team(looking uncertain):"hmmm.....ookkkk.....can... you.... do the first one?"

 

We started our sessions with "What's your dream?" and then went to engage the students with different questions like "what kind of company would you be excited to work for?" What do you know about our company? and "What do you expect from our company?" and so on. Each of my team members did it in their own style at different places.

 

Students: Energised, enthused, engaged, ecstatic!

My team: Energised, enthused, engaged, ecstatic!

 

The results: Target done and dusted in the subsequent 6 weeks!

 

Whether its hiring or something else, if one keeps doing what one has always done, one will only keep getting results what one has always got!

 

learn, unlearn, relearn! change, adapt, succeed!

 

Those were very early days of my career. My Boss was away on leave and hence asked me to meet with a senior leader, Manju, for some updates. Manju was a fantastic leader and managed both business and people with great elan! I knocked on his door and walked in.

 

Manju:"Hey Ivan! come on in, how are you?"

 

Me: "Hi Manju, uh....Ivan?"

 

Manju:"Haha....yeah....your new name!"

 

Me: "haha...ok....but why?"

 

Manju(handing me a print out):" Read this and then we'll talk"

 

Alexi was a retired old man living a peaceful life. Everyday, he walked up to a little hillock overlooking his village, sat on a bench, smoked his cigar and generally contemplated life.

 

One morning a young man, Ivan, came walking by and asked Alexi if he could sit beside him and rest for a while.

 

Ivan: "Is that your village down there?"

 

Alexi: "Yes"

 

Ivan: "How are the people down there?"

 

Alexi: "Where are you from and how are the people where you come from?"

 

Ivan: "I am from the North and less said the better of people there. Thieves, back stabbers, rude, unhelpful folks. That is why i left there and am looking for a new place to live. Your village seems nice."

 

Alexi: "Unfortunately not! The people here are all similar to yours in the North"

 

A disappointed Ivan walked away.

 

A few days later when Alexi was on his bench, as usual, along came another young man, Igor.

 

Similar questions were exchanged and Alexi asked Igor about himself.

 

Igor: "I am from the East and oh, whatever i say about the people there is not enough. Happy, peaceful, helpful, friendly, polite and warm. I am going back there for sure but just wanted to explore the world and hence am here."

 

Alexi: "Then you are at a good place. The people here are equally good like yours. You will enjoy your stay here. Welcome!"

 

Igor: "Great! Thank you! I am sure I will enjoy it here"

 

I finished and went back to Manju.

 

Manju: "Read it? I observed in meetings that you generally started off with a negative about anything or anyone and that led to a mind block for you to move forward.

 

Have an open mind, be aware of what you say because that is what builds the image of who you are in other's minds and that, trust me, will stick for life. You don't want that, do you?"

 

Me(Stunned):

 

He taught me a powerful lesson in mindset & became my mentor for life!

 

Who's on your mind, Ivan or Igor?

 

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By virtue of his obnoxious behaviour, thoughtless and rude words and a "know it all" attitude, Alex had been asked to leave the forest trekking group he was part of. Alex was also an atheist and derided others for their religious beliefs.

 

An angry Alex thought, "I am much smarter than all of them together. Do they think I cannot survive or manage without them?". So thinking, he went the opposite way.

 

Soon, he lost his way and suddenly came face to face with a huge bear. Standing tall with a ferocious face, growling loudly and baring its teeth, it was ready to make a meal of Alex.

 

A shaking Alex went down on his knees, folded his hands and with tears in his eyes, looked up at the sky and said "God, please help me!"

 

Suddenly, there was lightning and thunder and the earth shook! Alex and the bear were transfixed.

 

Divine voice: "You atheists frustrate me always! You don't believe in God, insult others who do but when you are in trouble, God suddenly exists and you cry out for her help! If you have anything more to say, I suggest choose your words carefully!"

 

Alex: "Yes, yes, sorry! I get the point! I know its too late for me to convert but what about the bear? you can convert the bear for sure!"

 

Divine voice: "Hmm! interesting thought! OK! What you ask shall be done"

 

There was another blinding flash of light and thunder and everything turned quiet & peaceful as before.

 

The expression on the bear's face also turned calm, it bowed its head and said: "For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful, Amen!"

 

Communication is an art! Choose what to say wisely such that it not only conveys the message but also the other side understands it in the way it was intended!

 

Well, Alex had obviously not learnt the lesson!

 

Did you?

 

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All of us are trying out best to be of some help or the other to those in need; immaterial of whether that help is big or small, once or on many occasions!

 

A conversation in our group led to a debate around how much can one do and how much is enough. There is no set rule nor limit, right? Its all about one's mindset like "The Man With the Golden Arm" thought.

 

James Harrison was no hero from the start. Born in 1936, he had a normal life until he had to undergo major heart surgery when he was 14. He needed to be given huge amounts of blood for it to be successful.

 

Once he recovered and realised that it was the blood that had saved his life, he pledged to donate blood once he turned 18 and help as many people as he could.

 

After the first few donations, doctors discovered that James's blood had some rare properties against an antigen which could help save babies likely to have illnesses due to this antigen.

 

James continued to donate blood plasma regularly.

 

He never asked how much is enough.

 

His donations are said to have saved an estimated 2.4 million babies, yes, you read that right!

 

Awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia, James made his 1173rd donation in 2018, his last, not because he thought enough but just because the local policy prevents anyone over the age of 81 from donating.

 

Its not about do we have enough to give, but more about do we have enough heart to do so!

 

Do we have enough?

 

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Recently, an experienced and accomplished woman leader stepped out of a meeting with the Governing Council of a leading institution, looking amused!

 

It was for a role they wanted her to take on, for which she was anyway disinclined. but agreed to meet owing to much persuasion by a couple of members of the said Council. The persuasion was based on her outstanding past record of having built another institution, almost from scratch, and the stellar reputation she held in her domain.

 

Reason for her amused look? The Council stated that they would have to think about her a bit more since she asked too many questions!!!! Their expectation was that candidates should just listen to them and follow instructions, especially if it was a woman!

 

The woman leader, of course, had laughed, thanked them and stepped out.

 

She got into her car and laughingly told her spouse that she felt like Diane Brothers, the 1950s American Psychologist.

 

Diane had qualified as a contestant in a popular TV game show of the time called "The $64,000 challenge"!

 

Since she was a woman, it later came to be known, the producers of the show did not want Diane to win and hence intentionally chose a topic which, they thought, would be beyond her.

 

The topic was boxing.

 

Diane, of course, prepared thoroughly and despite the best efforts of the host/producers to derail her with insignificant questions, went on to win the game & the big prize! Her husband's love for boxing was a great support too in her preparation.

 

It never amazes me as to why, for heaven's sake, even after all these centuries and decades of progress, we continue to deride women leaders?

 

Why?

 

Of course, its a different story my wife declined the role in a jiffy when the Council finally offered her the position after "great deliberation" as they wrote! Got it? ;-)

 

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Rabbi Samuel was an upright and sincere individual in the service of the Sultan. By virtue of his integrity & character, he had risen to the high position of being the Sultan's treasurer.

 

As usual, a group of envious advisors were plotting to unseat the Rabbi by poisoning the Sultan's mind. They succeeded in seeding a doubt in the Sultan's mind about the Rabbi embezzling from the treasury for personal gain.

 

Influenced by their words, the Sultan decided to test the Rabbi. He summoned him and asked to submit a complete inventory of all the personal wealth he owned.

 

The confused Rabbi spent some time sitting in the court and submitted the list.

 

Sultan(after seeing the report):"This is false! I have myself granted you much more wealth than what is listed here and yet you have the audacity to lie to me? My advisors are right. You are stealing from me! I will confiscate everything that you own"

 

Rabbi:"Your majesty! You asked me for an account of my personal wealth. My worldly possessions are truly not mine. They can taken away at anytime by burglars, war, natural disaster.

 

In fact, just now, with a single command, you ordered confiscation of all that I possess!

 

The only possession that no one can take away is what I have given away as charity over the years and that is what i have put on the list! The goodwill of the charity is the only wealth I possess."

 

An embarrassed yet enlightened Sultan appreciated the Rabbi and entrusted him with more power and responsibilities.

 

Many a times we too, tend to stress ourselves over things which we believe we possess & control but actually don't, and vice versa - be it personal or professional.

 

Developing that sense of discretion and maintain a balance is where true happiness and contentment lies.

 

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Even after more than a decade knowing each other and catching up fairly regularly, when Mitu calls and says "its story time Sir", we both know what she means!

 

She needs a big shakeup which Roza Shanina had given her years ago!

 

Born in 1924 in rural Russia to a milkmaid and logger couple, Roza craved for learning and adventure right from her childhood.

 

Secondary school being the highest available in her village, she wanted to study further but her parents denied permission. She cold have led a comfortable life, but that's the zone she was uncomfortable with.

 

She defied them, walked 120 miles in severe Russian weather & very limited resources, to the town of Arkhangelst to study literature with a stipend.

 

When secondary education budget was cut due to WWII, she had to stop studying. She could have come back home but didn't.

 

In 1941, she lost one of her three brothers, Mikhail, in the war and later would lose the other two as well before the war ended.

 

She could have come back to relative safety but, naaah, that was too comfortable. She had to avenge the death of her brothers.

 

After persistent applications and rejections, she finally got admitted into the Russian sniper training school in 1943. Roza proved to be a remarkably fast learner and earned reputation as a super markswoman!

 

The school begged her to continue as a teacher to train others but no, that was too comfortable. She wanted to be on the front lines killing fascists.

 

As a safety measure for women, the Russian army deployed them well behind the front line as back up. To Roza, that was too comfortable and so she would sneak up to the front line and pick off attacking German soldiers with precision.

 

Constantly getting out of the 'zone' she kept forging ahead and had a record of 59 kills as a sniper!

 

On 27th January, 1945, she was trying to shield a unit commander with her body when a shell exploded and tore off almost her entire chest region. It was a bit too much even for someone like Roza to handle.

 

She died a couple of months shy of her 21st birthday!

 

That's what Mitu means when she says "its story time" and claims my 'dramatic' narration turns her into Roza. Then, off goes Mitu, to learn something new and conquer a new horizon!

 

Get off that couch and go find your Roza!

 

Will you?

 

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"What are you afraid of?" was the question i put to Shashi when he came up for advice.

 

His fear was, as a senior leader, his was the final call on exceptions recommended for additional merit increases. He did not want to ruffle any feathers with others in the team.

 

Want to hear something interesting, I asked.

 

Robert Gould Shaw was an officer in the Union Army during the American civil war. In 1863, he accepted command of the first ever all-black regiment and fought for equal rights and treatment for his troops. In fact, he had been one of the few vocal activists for inclusion of African Americans into the war effort.

 

Leading his men bravely and supporting them to the hilt, the courage of Shaw's 54th regiment became legendary despite being overwhelmed and defeated with many casualties.

 

Shaw himself was killed during battle. The enemy Confederate army refused to return his body to the Union and dumped it in a mass grave with his black soldiers. They thought that was an appropriate punishment for his opposing the protocol.

 

Shaw's father, when told about this, said "there could not have been a holier place than that in which he lies, among his brave and devoted men, nor wish for him better company!"

 

A memorial stands tall in Boston in recognition & remembrance of Shaw and his men of the 54th regiment!

 

Doing the right thing will always be remembered vs just doing things right!

 

Shashi ended up doing the right thing!

 

What are you doing?

 

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In the early 2000s an established company went under due to large scale fraud and embezzlement & the founders were behind bars. Bob & Lev, two key longtime leaders were put in charge, temporarily, to manage the panic in the workforce across the globe.

 

Both travelled extensively for a month, met employees, assured them that all would be well, that they were secure and also that both of them (Bob & Lev) were working hard to ensure to employee interests were not harmed.

 

Within a month after this, Bob and Lev were the first to abandon ship and took up plum jobs elsewhere. Chaos reigned and with no credible anchor, there was mass attrition, voluntary & involuntary, and the brand sunk forever.

 

In 1985, a film company was in trouble and a new CEO was appointed to revive it. One of the first things he did was to call Ed & Levy, the two VPs and asked them to prepare a list of employees to be sacked. They protested and said the problem was not with the employees but elsewhere.

 

The CEO did not want to listen and gave an ultimatum to have the list on his table by 9AM next morning.

 

Ed & Levy submitted a list with just two names on it - their own.

 

Needless to state, the CEO relented and nobody was sacked.

 

Sometime later, Steve Jobs bought the company and started Pixar with Ed & Levy. The rest, as they say, is history. We all know how big a name Pixar is today.

 

What a contrast in leadership with regard to conviction, confidence, commitment & compassion!

 

Know of any Ed & Levy?

 

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A good friend, recently promoted as SVP-Strategy, Mr. Moitra, was miffed after a conference as he was not 'welcomed' properly nor 'acknowledged' for his presence.

 

Me: “OH! but you were one among hundreds of invitees, right? Unless, of course, I am mistaken and you were guest of honour or something.....?"

 

Moitra: "No, i was just attending since I liked the themes and topics of the event."

 

Me: "So....did you enjoy the sessions?"

 

Moitra: "I walked out after a while, was angry"

 

Me: "Well, whose loss is it....? Reminds me of Michael Collins. Heard of him?"

 

Moitra: "No...does not ring a bell....why?"

 

Me(laughing):"You are not the only one! What if I tell you that he was with Neil Armstrong on the moon mission in 1969?"

 

Moitra: "But....no, that was Buzz Aldrin, right?!"

 

Me: "Exactly...Armstrong and Aldrin are the heroes that the world remembers. Michael Collins, though, remained a unheralded hero.

 

Collins was the one who commanded the spacecraft, Apollo-11 mission that put man on the moon for the first time.

 

While the lunar module landed on the moon and Armstrong took the historic first step, Collins was orbiting around and never stepped foot on its surface despite it being a monumental occasion.

 

Collins already had a stellar career prior to this and went on to hold many more important roles in future. However, was never in the public limelight and history will only remember Armstrong & Aldrin."

 

What's your focus on, just the glory or the mission too?

 

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10 words, just 10, said Joseph Sonnier (nicknamed Gabe), changed his life!

 

in 1985, he had already been working for a while as a cleaner/handyman at Port Barre Elementary School. Respectful, smart and kind, he was liked by all, students and staff alike.

 

One day, the Principal, Wesley Jones, said the magic 10 words (or 11 if one is a stickler for rules!).

 

"I'd rather see you grading papers rather than picking them up."

 

They stuck in Gabe's mind & 'haunted' him while he continued to earn his living as a cleaner, for the next 15 years.

 

Then, at 39, Gabe went back to school, earned his bachelor's degree and came back as a teacher to, surprise, surprise, the same school where he was a cleaner.

 

By this time, Gabe was stoked about his journey thus far and 'travelled' further on the same route to go on to earn his master's degree.

 

In 2013, Port Barre Elementary announced that a new Prinicpal was taking over and it was none other their very own, Joseph "Gabe" Sonnier!

 

It was tough but the effort paid off big time, he said.

 

Its never too late to start.

 

Any words from the past 'haunting' you?

 

Game on you think?

 

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Susie was a line worker in one of the biggest textile manufacturing companies. She was a seasoned and intelligent employee who went about her work diligently.

 

The company was facing a problem with a particular type of fibre which was snapping frequently, while on the looms. This was causing huge delays in the production schedules and consequently, huge losses too financially. Different experts and consultants were brought in to resolve but in vain.

 

Susie had a solution and went up to her supervisor, Mike, stating she wanted to share her idea. Mike scoffed even before she could share and said when experts could not resolve it what could she, a lowly line worker do. She even tried to talk to his boss but was sent back stating she could not bypass hierarchy.

 

After a few years of such losses, the CEO was replaced and the new CEO was told about this problem. After hearing various viewpoints from his managers, he walked to the plant and called a group of workers. When asked what they thought about the problem, Susie shared her idea. The CEO asked if that had been tried and she just looked at Mike.

 

Upon the CEO's directive, her idea was tried and the problem resolved for good!

 

All that was required was to turn a dial to reduce the speed of the loom by a tiny fraction!

 

The elated CEO publicly acknowledged and rewarded Susie. He also invited her to lunch with him and during the conversation asked her how long she had had the idea.

 

Susie said 5 years!

 

Ideas can come from anywhere. Position or title is not a prerequisite!

 

Is there a 'Silenced Susie' you know of?

 

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"I do monthly R&R, I do the annual performance reviews fairly, I do team outings and other stuff, yet my team doesn't look enthused or lively. That's not fair, I think!" - A dejected looking Ops Manager, Preethi to her Manager, Kaushik.

 

Kaushik: "Great! You are doing what's expected of you. What else? Tell me more."

 

Preethi: "What do you mean by what else? Is that not enough?"

 

Kaushik: "Preethi, do you know the power of small things?"

 

Preethi: "uh.......like......?"

 

Kaushik: "You know, in Providence, a city in the state of Rhode Island in US, has a children's hospital called Hasbro's. The city was located on two opposite sides of the river. 

 

Steve Brosnihan was a volunteer "resident cartoonist" helping to keep up the spirits of the sick children. He used to keep thinking of different ways in which to make the children smile and be positive.

 

One evening, after his work, he casually looked out of the hospital window. The beautiful sight of the blinking lights of the city on the opposite side of the river on which the hospital was located gave him an idea.

 

He went to the bus stop opp the hospital and flashed the light of his bicycle. Some children he had told this to, returned the flash with a torch and they enjoyed the game. Soon, it caught on.

 

Steve then spoke to shopkeepers, boatmen on the river, police, apartments opposite the river about his idea and everyone enthusiastically joined in.

 

So, now, every night at 8.30, hundreds of lights blink and flash for a minute as a sign of saying good night to the children patients. The excited children return the 'good night' with their torches and eagerly look forward to this every night.

 

A seemingly insignificant gesture with a such a huge positive impact.

 

What a lovely & meaningful gesture of spreading positivity."

 

Are you 'flashing lights' to your team or loved ones?

 

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Jamie Freeman of Greenwood, Arkansas, was affected with a debilitating ailment when he just three years old.

 

He did not let that impact his life and always thought positively, smiled a lot, worked his way around the ailment, and grew up to be a a nice guy overall and liked by everyone around him.

 

In 2019, the Greenwood Football team won the state championship which was a big thing for them. Usually, it was a tradition to have championship rings for members of the winning team. It was an honour, for life, to have such a ring.

 

It was, therefore, normal for their coach Chris to receive the list of names to validate for who would get the rings. However, he was surprised to see the name of Jamie too on it despite him not being a player or support member.

 

The players though were insistent that he should be on it and convinced Chris as to why and he then agreed.

 

At the ring distribution ceremony, a surprised Jamie was invited onto the stage and given a hat as a memento and hidden inside it was a coveted championship ring too!

 

Jamie was ecstatic and emotional at the same time! He just could not believe it! A championship ring? for him?

 

So, who is this Jamie guy and why is giving him a ring so special, you think, right?

 

Jamie Freeman was a 'lowly' janitor at Greenwood.

 

He was the one who kept the team facilities spanking clean and in order at all times.

 

He also constantly smiled, spoke encouraging words with the young players, patted them on the back and made them laugh and relax with his jokes.

 

The team felt that without his effort and small talk, the tension in the locker rooms would have been high.

 

And that, is the true spirit of diversity & inclusion!

 

Do you know the name of your 'Jamie'?

 

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Coming into this world in brutally racist times of the early 1900s USA, 1911 to be precise, as a woman was the first disadvantage. Adding fuel to fire, 'arriving' as a black woman could not have been worse! Or so thought the society.

 

For Bessie Stringfield, though, it never mattered. She was hell bent on pursuing her fanatic passion for motorcycle riding.

 

At 19, she started riding all over America and then it was just a matter of time before she covered all 48 states plus Europe, Brazil and Haiti on her motorcycle.

 

During her travels, she was denied accommodation owing to her colour. She slept on or beside her bike.

 

She was allowed to enter races but denied the prize when she won because she was a woman. She still competed.

 

She earned money to survive during her travels by performing some stunts at roadside carnivals.

 

In 1950, she moved to Florida and was repeatedly harassed by the police because the law did not allow 'nigger' women to ride bikes! Did that stop her? Nope, sorry!

 

She met the police chief, was asked to prove that she could ride 'properly' and once she did, was allowed to ride again.

 

She died in 1993 and had never stopped riding till the time.

 

Finally, finally, in 2000, the American Motorcycle Association instituted an award in her name & in 2002, inducted her into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

 

In 2018, New York Times published her obituary.

 

In 2020, HBO featured her in a series titled Lovecraft Country.

 

Have a passion for something? Anything holding you from pursuing it?

 

Oh, almost forgot! She also served as a civilian courier riding her own bike during WWII, carrying documents between different army offices! Phew!

 

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He kept telling me he wanted to change his negative mindset and wanted advice.

 

He kept countering any thought I shared stating he knew it wouldn't work!

 

Oh....I forgot to mention that he is Mudit, President of a company he co-founded.

 

Changed tracks and asked him if he had all the answers, what was it that he wanted my help with?

 

Mudit( after silence for a minute):"hmm....point taken! What do you suggest?"

 

Me: "Liu approached Master Wu and said he had "figured out" life very well and now wanted to learn new ways to enhance his personal development.

 

Master started saying something and Liu would counter that it wasn't right as he knew about a better way.

 

This sequence kept repeating and one day, Master Wu decided to change tactics.

 

He brought in a huge pot of tea and started pouring into a cup. The cup overflowed, spilt onto the beautifully polished table, continued on to the expensive carpet, when Liu jumped up and screamed, what's wrong with you, are you mad? Can't you see its overflowing?

 

Master Liu then said, If you want more tea, your cup has to be first empty!"

 

Similarly, If we want change to happen, we need to first unlearn our set thoughts and beliefs and be open to new ways of seeing things.

 

Hey...just check...is your tea cup overflowing?

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"Happens to most people, when one feels like packing up and saying enough! A good kick in the you-know-where from someone like Károly Tackás is the remedy," I said to Maria when she asked if it was just her!

 

"Who?" she asked.

 

Károly was a Sergeant in the Hungarian army and had become a champion pistol shooter by 1936. He was 26.

 

His goal, though, was the ultimate prize, The Olympic Gold!

 

He was denied permission to participate in the 1936 Berlin Olympics as there was an Army rule which said only Commissioned Officers could compete.

 

In 1938, while training, a faulty hand grenade exploded and took away most of his right arm. By this time the law regarding commissioned officers was also abolished but what was the use?

 

Károly thought differently though. He trained in secret to shoot with his left hand and mastered it.

 

The 1940 & 1944 Olympics were called off due to WWII.

 

When selection trials were on for the 1948 games, Károly turned up and his colleagues thought he was there to cheer them on. He surprised them saying he was there to compete.

 

He won the trials, competed in the 1948 games, and won the Gold, shooting with his left hand!

 

In the 1952 games, he won the Gold, again, with his left hand!

 

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Upender (Trg Leader): "Need a training program for our Managers."

 

Me: "What prog? and more importantly, why?"

 

Upender: "Any program. We want to do training."

 

Me(thinking): "oh, no! not another one!"

 

Reminded me of King Jayavarma's dilemma. The childless king was worried about his succession.

 

One morning, walking along a forest path deep in thought, he drifted into uncharted area and came across a large sinkhole by the side. This gave him a unique idea.

 

He announced to his subjects that the person who suggests the best idea to manage this sinkhole would be appointed his successor.

 

As expected, hundreds of men gave ideas of building a bridge, filling it with mud, use it as a trap for enemies, etc. Chinna, a boy of 14, was also in line with an idea and said "I would suggest to not do anything".

 

While the people present laughed at this foolish idea, the king asked Chinna for an explanation.

 

Chinna:"Sir, Why do you want to manage it? Its a hole which is by the side, not impacting anyone, not obstructing the way, no animals roam that area. So, what is your purpose if there is no real problem?"

 

To the shock of all present, the king announced that Chinna would be groomed his successor.

 

Be clear with your purpose, in anything that you do!

 

What say?

 

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Akash had been outstanding during the interviews and his hiring manager, Mohit, was very impressed.

 

I met with him for a final round and was equally happy. That being said, my gut had a nagging feeling about it being too rosy, unsure why!

 

After some more deliberations, we decided to go with him.

 

A few months down the line, Mohit came up to me.

 

Mohit: "Sanjay, I think I made a mistake with Akash."

 

Me: "What happened?"

 

Mohit: "He seems unable to deliver to expectations. He was different during the interviews and also submitted great test assignment then. But now.....!"

 

Me: "Hmm! Give him a couple of more assignments and lets see if there is a trend. Also, can you pull up the test assignment once."

 

We discovered that the test assignment was authored by someone else. After observing his work for some more time, we had to confront the issue.

 

After initial resistance, he admitted that the test assignment was done by a friend. He also confessed that he had been 'using' his friend for quite a while and had been 'let off' once before in an earlier job and yet, had not learnt!

 

You can only fool some people, some of the time but not all the people, all the time! Rather use the time to be your true self and invest in learning!

 

Have you been 'Akashd'?

 

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Mr. Caffrey, a businessman, was on his way from Boston to Honolulu on a packed flight.

 

An hour into the flight, the pilot made an announcement asking the passengers to fasten their seat belts as they were expecting some turbulence.

 

A short while later, a second announcement was made indicating suspension of food & beverage service for reasons of safety. This is when Mr. Caffrey realised there was something more serious than it sounded.

 

As he suspected, the aircraft hit major turbulence, there was heavy lightning and thunder, things started falling out of the luggage racks. Passengers panicked and were screaming and some started saying their last prayers too, loudly, including Mr. Caffrey.

 

Amidst all this, Mr. Caffrey was dumbfounded to see a little girl, probably around 6 yrs of age, calmly sitting by the window and playing with her doll. She seemed to have almost no idea of the panic around her.

 

Thankfully, the flight landed safely with no mishaps to anyone.

 

Mr. Caffrey then asked the girl how she was not scared up there.

 

She smilingly replied: "My Dad is the pilot and I knew he would bring me home safely!"

 

Wow! Isn't that the kind of trust and confidence that Managers/Leaders need to build with their teams?

 

Are you 'flying your team home safely?'

 

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Fred Winters was worried about his wife's deteriorating hearing. Concerned that she might be upset about it if asked directly, he visited a doctor for advice.

 

Doctor: "I understand your problem. Why don't you try this experiment that I will now suggest and that should help ascertain whether her hearing is genuinely getting worse?"

 

Mr. Winters: "Sounds like a plan, Doc. Please tell me."

 

Doctor explains the plan and Mr. Winters returns home.

 

That evening Mrs. Winters is busy preparing dinner and Mr. Winters decides this is the best opportunity to put the plan into action.

 

Mr. Winters(From the living room):"What's for dinner, Dear?"

 

No response.

 

Mr. Winters(slightly nearer to kitchen): "What's for dinner, Dear?"

 

No response.

 

Mr. Winters(moving even closer):"What's for dinner, Dear?"

 

No response.

 

Mr. Winters(now right next to his wife):"What's for dinner, Dear?"

 

Mrs. Winters: "Dammit, Fred! That's the fourth time I am telling you I am making chicken!"

 

Isn't that what we do or notice many a times in our lives too? The problem always seems to be with others and we don't realise that it could be with us!

 

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A large company operated a dairy unit in a far off town. The unit was not doing well, was continuously making losses, and the line staff were not motivated either.

 

The management team had never visited the place relied only on the onsite managers to get things done.

 

A new CEO took over the reins and was intrigued that this was the only business that was struggling. He decided to visit the unit.

 

The site managers were tensed with the never before visit and scrambled to put together all data, analytics et al to present.

 

The CEO arrived, went around the unit, met and spoke to the workers warmly.

 

He then met the Unit Managers and surprised them by saying that he did not want to see any data but just wanted to talk.

 

His simple message: "There are around 200 workers at this plant. On an average, there are 4 members in each worker's family. Therefore, the livelihoods and lives of 800 people are in your hands. Now, tell me what can i do to help run this place efficiently?"

 

The meeting took a different turn totally and the energised team shared their ideas, concerns, et al and soon the plant turned profitable.

 

All the CEO did was instil a sense of the bigger purpose, a feeling of inclusivity and his support.

 

So simple and yet many leaders fail to do this.

 

Agree?

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A preacher walking along the beach noticed a boy frantically walking between the beach and water's edge and throwing something into the water.

 

As he got closer, he saw hundreds of Starfish washed ashore and unable to get back. The boy was picking each one up and throwing them back into the sea.

 

Preacher: "Aren't you wasting your time? There are hundreds of them. You will never be able to help all of them, and what will you gain from this?"

 

Boy(picking up one fish):"May be, but it'll make a difference to this one! And, oh, I have no expectation nor do the fish know who I am!"

 

Preacher quietly started helping the boy.

 

I would be happy if am able to 'throw that one Starfish back into the water"!

 

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A political leader was famous for constantly proclaiming his principles, values, ethics and commitment to public service.

 

He was once invited to inaugurate a vehicle dealership in his constituency. After the inauguration, the owner of the dealership handed a key to the leader.

 

Leader: "What is this?"

Owner: "Sir, just a token of our gratitude. A brand new vehicle for you."

Leader: "What?? No, no, i cannot accept this. This is against my principles. I am here to only serve!"

Owner: "We respect that very much...this is our appreciation for that service."

Leader: "No, no, sorry, its not fair."

Owner: "OK. Let's do this, Sir. You pay us a token amount of 10K so that you feel you have paid something."

Leader: "Hmm.....since you are insisting.."

Owner: "Great, thank you."

Leader: "Here's a cheque for 20K."

Owner: "But...We said only 10K...."

Leader: "oh yes, I am also paying for another car for my wife....."

Owner: STUMPED!!!

 

And that is how some organisations are operating now! Public proclamations of the extraordinary care & support to their employees, community, et al.

 

Reality: Cut in salaries, reduction in leaves, forced attendance at office, suppressing cases of those who have tested positive, et al

 

What do we do with such organisations and their leaders?

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In a small pub in the highlands of Scotland a group of fishermen gathered one afternoon to swap tales over a round of ale.

 

One of them stretched his arms apart to show the big one that got away. At that very point, a waitress walked past carrying a tray of full ale glasses. The fisherman’s wild gestures sent the tray smashing against the wall. The dark brew splashed on the white wall of the pub and began running down.

 

The waitress and the fisherman tried to wipe the mess off the wall, but it had left an ugly dark stain.

 

A man who had watched the whole scene from another table walked quietly over to the wall. With a brown pastel crayon he took from his pocket, he began to sketch.

 

The entire pub watched in silent awe as a majestic stag with great spreading antlers magically took shape around the stain.

 

The artist was Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, the top 19th century British painter of animals.

 

What an amazing way to turn a mishap into an opportunity!

 

How often do we get to view things in this manner?

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Master Chen and 2 of his disciples were invited to a victory banquet by his mentee, Emperor Liu, being held after successful unification of the country.

 

Beside the Emperor were three of his key Generals - each an expert in his own field - Military strategy, Administration & Logistics, and political & diplomatic strategy, respectively.

 

The disciples were awestruck by grandeur of the setting, presence of celebrities, the food, et al but they had a doubt.

 

Disciples: "Master, we understand that the 3 key Generals are experts in their areas, but the Emperor is less than half knowledgable in these and neither is he of noble lineage, then how come he is still the emperor?"

 

Master (smiling):"What do you think makes a wheel strong and sturdy?"

 

Disciples(hesitantly):"Isn't it the spokes Master?"

 

Master:"True! but there is something more important. Just having spokes is not enough but ensuring that they are optimally and evenly spaced is critical for efficiency. That art lies with the craftsman."

 

Disciples:"So, how does that...?"

 

Master(smiling):"Emperor Liu is like the craftsman. By utilising the full potential of each General and giving each of them equal importance, he ensured success & loyalty!"

 

Isn't this a key trait for every leader managing teams/organisations too?

 

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During World War II, the Allies found that the number of aircraft missing and/or unable to return to base was increasing due to the superior anti-aircraft weapons deployed by the Germans.

 

The Americans put together a small group of brilliant minds to examine this issue and come up with a solution. After analysing all the possible data from the planes that had returned, the group found that the average number of bullet holes in the tail section of the planes were much higher than those in the nose and engine areas.

 

The obvious conclusion was that the tail section should be armoured.

 

Abraham Wald, a Hungarian statistician, was part of the group and he disagreed. He said that its the nose and engine areas that need to be armoured which, to the group, sounded foolish.

 

He asked a simple question: "Where are the missing holes?"

 

His logic was that if planes with more bullet holes in the tail section had returned, then the possibility that those that did not return were hit in the nose and engine areas!

 

The group, needless to say, was stumped!

 

Many a times what is obvious may not be the answer and could need a 'Wald'ian mindset.

 

I have 'missed some holes' in the past, have you too?

 

source: Storiesatwork

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Over 80 years ago, more than 60000 Jews lived in the town of Thessaloniki in Greece.

 

When the Nazis attacked Greece in '41, most of the community was wiped except for a few lucky survivors. One lucky family was the Bouria.

 

In 1961, a son was born into this family and the parents named him Israel-Abraham. He went on obtain a doctrate in biotechnolgy from the University of Salonika.

 

At age 34, Abraham moved to the US, changed his name to Albert and found a job in the pharma industry. Being a diligent and hard working guy, he quickly & steadily moved up the ladder to become of the CEO of his company in 2019.

 

Throughout 2020, he put all his efforts to find a vaccine for the virus that had hit and finally succeeded in doing so. Finally, they also received the necessary approvals from the Government and other regulatory bodies.

 

Today, this vaccine is being widely distributed globally. Ironically, this vaccine saving the lives of millions of people around the world including many Germans, was led by a little Jew from Thessaloniki, son of the Holocaust survivors. Most of his people were exterminated by Nazi Germany.

 

This is the man who is today famous as Albert Bouria, CEO of Pfizer!

 

No obstacle is big if your purpose and determination is strong!

 

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Reflecting on the week that was:

 

Monday - Friday: "Oh, God, no, please!" Said that, on an average once, daily! It was either a friend or former colleague or a family member of theirs who we lost forever! No words to say that could provide solace.

 

Monday - Friday: "Oh, no! Please take care and get well soon. You will be just fine. Is there anything that I can help with?" Said this too, more than once, every alternate day, to some friend, acquaintance or extended family member(s) Other than a jab of positive messaging, what else do you say?

 

Monday - Friday: "here is some info that is validated. They seem to have beds, oxygen, ventilators, medication, et al. Hope it helps". Providing people in need with information that might be of help.

 

Am sure am not the only one who had a week such as this!

 

Other than being there for others, physically or remotely, we can only hope for the best and think positive.

 

Let's continue to support each other and pray for this to pass, as it will, hopefully at the earliest!

 

I just couldn't think of anything to post other than what's occupying the headspace!

 

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William the farmer was famous all over Iowa owing to the high quality of corn he grew. Winner of various awards, year after year, at state agricultural fairs, he was almost a celebrity.

 

A journalist visited William to interview him for an article about his success. During the conversation, the journalist came to know that William shared quality seeds with his neighbouring farmers all around too.

 

The surprised journalist asked William how he could do this since they also competed with him at the fairs.

 

William: "Why wouldn't I Sir? You know corn is pollinated mainly by wind and If my neighbours grow inferior corn, that would, in turn, pollinate my crop and turn my corn inferior too!

 

If I have to grow high quality corn, they need to do so too!"

 

So it is with teams too, right? Its vital that every member does well and supports one another, to ensure collective success of the team and organisation overall.

 

Are you sharing 'high quality seeds' too?

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It continues to rage across the country & we continue to see and hear heart wrenching stories of the affected.

 

It has hit much closer to home than before

 

As I continue to check in on wellbeing of family/friends and vice-versa, these small gestures remind me of Douglas.

 

At Thanksgiving, his teacher, Ms. Rose, asked her students to draw a picture of what they were most thankful for. Naturally, she expected them to draw cookies, turkey, a gift, other goodies, et al these being special for that occasion.

 

She was not wrong. Most of them had done exactly that!

 

While the students showed each of their images, they could not understand Douglas's picture for he had just sketched a hand!

 

When asked by Ms. Rose later as to whose hand it was, he said "Its yours Miss!"

 

With a tear in her eye, Ms. Rose realised the power of her actions!

 

You see, Douglas had been a frail, reticent and sad little boy owing to circumstances. He would stay by the side of Ms. Rose during any activity. At all such times, she would just say "hold my hand, Douglas, lets go outside" or take his hand and say "let me show you how to hold the pencil" and so on.

 

That's all it takes! We don't have to say or do too much. Just let people know you are there when required. It makes a huge difference.

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A mighty king once decided to tour his kingdom extensively, to meet his subjects and see for himself as to how things were at the ground level.

 

Unlike usually, this time he visited remote places too and since many of those were inaccessible by horse or chariot, he walked through some difficult terrain.

 

Unaccustomed to walking long distances, his feet started aching pretty badly and he had to camp midway to rest them. This experience led him to think that if he felt this way just walking once, what hardships his people must be facing traversing these paths regularly!

 

He came up with an idea which, he thought, was a brilliant one! He asked his minister to pave all such roads in the kingdom with soft leather so that his subjects would not feel the pain.

 

The startled minister, aghast at this impractical idea, wondered how to handle the situation! He then came up with a simple solution of getting a new pair of soft leather shoes for the king.

 

This is how we see many leaders or even citizens blaming the govt or the overall system for failure to handle situations. Everything else, except self, seems wrong!

 

Let the change begin with oneself! First, let's do what is expected of us and then talk of others!

 

I had been coming up with some weak excuse or the other for not doing a task assigned by my daughter. Late last week she said, "so, this time, at least give me an excuse which will make even Rhea Bullos proud!"

 

Needless to say, curiosity kicked in.

 

As a 11 year old, living in Balasan, Philippines, a passionate athlete, Rhea had won gold in the 400, 800 and 1500m events at a district level athletics meet. That, in itself, was a 'wow' for a 11 year old kid.

 

The bigger secret, and 'wow' behind her success is yet to come.

 

Unable to afford sneakers, she had wrapped her feet - ankles, toes, soles and top with bandages to look like a pair of sneakers.

 

The best part, she had even drawn the 'swoosh' of the Nike logo on the 'sneakers' with a marker, for inspiration!

 

Her proud coach, Predrick Valenzuela's joy knew no bounds. He made her achievement go viral stating that her passion, commitment and giving no excuses to procrastinate or give up were inspiring.

 

A 11 year old kid! Ouch!

 

Finished my task shortly after, smiling, after being 'embarassed' by Rhea!

 

Anything pending, for no reason, on your 'to-do' list? Go find your 'sneakers'!

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One day two men, Ed and Bill, went out fishing hoping for a good catch and enjoy some fresh fish for lunch. They both had packed utensils, accessories, ingredients, all needed for their outing.

 

Once they arrived at the lake, they chose to sit at a distance to fish.

 

Within a few minutes, Ed caught a large and beautiful fish. A happy Ed then placed it in the ice box to retain its freshness and to cook later that day. He also caught a few more small fishes and froze them to take back home.

 

Bill, however, had to wait for almost an hour before he caught an equally large fish. Shockingly, though, he threw it back into the lake.

 

Ed was bewildered by this but remained silent until he watched Bill capture a few more large fish only to throw them back into the water.

 

Ed:(now annoyed): "What is wrong with you? Those were large and lovely fishes!"

 

Bill (sadly): ‘I know they were big, but I don’t have a big enough pan to cook them! So I’m looking for smaller fish that fits the pan!”

 

Ed (Shocked): "Could you not cut those fish to fit into the pan?"

 

Ha!

 

Many a times we tend to be like Bill, missing to recognise opportunities which may come in different forms; because we tend to look at things only the way we see them mentally!

 

Who are you, Ed or Bill?

 

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She had it all and would have been a pioneer in her field if not for......

 

At 19, Elizabeth Holmes dropped out of Stanford to follow her dream of revolutionising healthcare with a path breaking idea in medical testing. In 1999, testing blood with just a finger prick was unheard of and Elizabeth claimed that her idea could help detect multiple health issues with just that one tiny poke.

 

With passion, ambition and financial backing, she embarked on this journey by founding her company, Theranos.

 

Within a decade, it went on to become a Unicorn, she was hailed as a pioneer, funding poured in, some of the who's who of business and government were on the Board.

 

Then it all started crumbling! The technology was found wanting, the machines were failing, test results were fudged, false reports submitted to the authorities, employees were threatened to keep it all a secret, those who refused were fired, and all this at her behest.

 

Despite all this, Elizabeth continued to defend her company and actions, albeit foolishly. Investigations unraveled the truth.

 

She is fighting a protracted legal battle still fiercely defending her actions.

 

Profits, power and status overshadowed purpose, integrity and ethics.

 

Hers is a classic case of what leadership should not be!

 

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Stan Mikita, a Canadian Ice Hockey player, was named one of the 100 greatest NHL players in 2017. His talent helped his team, the Chicago Blackhawks to win the coveted Stanley Cup in the very second year after he joined them.

 

Apart from being the highest scorer on many occasions, he also led the league tables, had his statue erected outside the Blackhawks stadium, a golf tournament named after him and had many more accolades.

 

So, what's special about Mikita, you think?

 

In his early days, Mikita was one of the most penalised players owing to his behaviour and temperament. This was a huge problem for all concerned but he did not seem to understand or control until 'hit by an arrow'.

 

One evening, Mikita returned home after a game. His wife said that their little daughter, Meg, who used to watch her Dad playing on television, had a question.

 

Meg asked: "Mommy, why is Daddy sitting on the bench most of the time more than playing?"

 

That one 'arrow' pierced hard and a stunned Stan changed, to end up a star in his own right all the way to even the Lady Byng Trophy for Most Sporstman Like Conduct.

 

The impact bad temperament, behaviour and attitude have on one's image and performance is incalulable - whether in professional or personal life.

 

Have you been 'on the bench' often?

 

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Arshi sought advice about quitting his job to start a business. When asked why and how, he had no clear thought or plan for it.

 

He wanted to do it just because a friend was into it!

 

Me:"Hmm! Hear me out and then its your call."

 

"A young man, Ivan, thinking about ways to make money met a traveller who halted at Ivan's village for the night.

 

He shared stories of all the lands he had been to including the strange one where they had no onions!

 

An idea struck Ivan to introduce onions in that country. He, therefore, landed there with a cart load. The guards, perplexed by this new item, led him to the king.

 

After praising the onions, Ivan cooked various delicacies with it, fed the king, and impressed him. The pleased king rewarded Ivan with gold equal to the weight of onions.

 

A thrilled and rich Ivan started his return journey. On the way back, he met another traveller and shared his tale.

 

This traveller was excited and thought if onions fetched gold, then garlic, a more delicious item would definitely fetch him diamonds!

 

He repeated the same tactic of Ivan, but with garlic. The king was pleased and decided to reward him with what he thought very valuable namely, onions!"

 

Have your purpose and plan clear! What works for someone may not for you!

 

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Many years ago, there was a group of brilliant young men at the University of Wisconsin. Possessed with amazingly creative literary talent, they met regularly to discuss and critique each other's work.

 

These sessions became so intense, aggressive and almost mean, in their quest for excellence. Due to this intensity, they called themselves 'The Stranglers'.

 

Not to be left behind, an equally talented group of women formed a similar group and also started meeting regularly to discuss their work. They also presented each other's work to the entire group and called themselves, 'The Wranglers'.

 

The women gave and received feedback in a positive, encouraging and calm manner. Even the most feeble attempt was encouraged to keep trying.

 

Two decades later, a classmate started a research to track their careers.

 

None of the Stranglers had achieved any degree of literary success. Among the Wranglers, most had gone on to make a mark in the literary world.

 

Both groups had the same education. The difference, though, was that while the Stranglers created an atmosphere of self doubt the Wranglers brought out the best in each other.

 

The greatest success we'll know is when we see others succeed and grow!

 

Are you a Strangler or a Wrangler?

 

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Don Ritchie was awarded the Order of Merit of Australia. A retired army veteran, and later life insurance salesman, Don lived near Sydney next to a place called The Gap, which was a steep cliff.

 

This cliff was infamous as a suicide point.

 

Every time Don saw someone standing there, he would cross the road, walk up to the person and ask "Can I help you in some way?".

 

He would then calmly invite the person home for a cup of tea, chat for a while and get him/her to go home. Don and his wife, Moya, were the heroes of their community.

 

Official figures show that he saved the lives of 160 people while his family claims that number is closer to 500.

 

Many of those survivors apparently returned years later to thank Don for his timely help.

 

Everyone goes through tough times, at one time or another, pandemic or not, even if its not as extreme as at The Gap!

 

Everyone needs help/support, big or small, at one time or another, pandemic or not.

 

Challenging times like now have pushed mental wellness to the top of our priority list. Health, job, financial, family or other issues are taking a toll.

 

Whatever support we can provide, big or small, to the best of our ability, will still make a difference to someone!

 

Who will you be the 'Don' for today?

 

Meeting with the Boss at 4 was the group message! His 8 direct reports wondered what now? That too, on a Friday afternoon!

 

Boss: "You are being watched!" His first statement.

 

Silence from the perplexed audience.

 

Then he said: "haha! don't worry, nothing suspicious! just a bit rattled from a recent event and wanted to share the experience."

 

Sigh of relief all around!

 

He continued, "On Wed, was at the Ground Breaking ceremony for our new office. Since there were some rituals involved, we had to take off our shoes there.

 

A young man came and stood beside and I did not know him.

 

Young man(After a while): "Sir, you don't know me. I am Sharat from the Admin team."

 

Boss: "Oh, nice to meet you. Thanks for all the nice arrangements."

 

Sharat: "Sir, if you don't mind can I say something?"

 

Boss: "yeah, sure."

 

Sharat: "Sir, you are socks are mismatched today. One is blue and the other is black."

 

Boss (Stunned): "Uh, what, oh, thank you..I.....well...."

 

Boss: "That really shook me up. As a leader, made me realise how our actions or behaviour may be impacting our teams. Just wanted to share how we need to be watchful in the smallest of actions as people look up to us, so closely."

 

Being in the room, it had a profound impact on me too!

 

What's been your experience?

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The annual appraisal cycle was almost at the fag end.

 

Me: "Guys, can we have a quick catch up today on the overall status?"

 

Shashi: "4 of the 6 businesses all done and dusted, Sir! For those two, need you to intervene and help. Just because of these, the entire process is on hold and issuing of merit letters etc likely to get delayed."

 

Me: "hmm.....which ones and what's the problem?"

 

Rao: "The usual, Big Babies, and this time the problem is new & creative!"

 

Big Babies being the two largest business verticals bringing in the max revenue. Two different vertical heads but a common sales team with matrix reporting and responsibilities.

 

Me: "Oh, not again! What's the creative issue?"

 

Shashi: "Don't laugh! As you know, for teams with matrix reporting, both the business heads sign the letters. So, the argument this time is whose name should appear first on the signature panel at the bottom!"

 

Me(with bulging eyes):"Are you kidding me?"

 

Shashi: "haha...I told ya! its new"

 

it took a few days to resolve after continuously cajoling the two 'leaders'.

 

Why and how can leaders lose sight of the bigger picture with such trivial ego hassles?

 

The rest of the organization, of course, blames HR for the delay!

 

Seen such leaders?

 

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Joel and Denise each led fund raising campaigns for their respective communities.

 

Joel's real strength was planning & organising. He set targets, efficiently established roles and responsibilities for each group member.

 

He gave crisp reports at each meeting, pushed everyone hard to meet commitments and deadlines.

 

However, at the end, they fell just short of their target.

 

Denise knew that organization was important. She recruited someone with those skills to help her manage that part while she personally concentrated on connecting the donors and volunteers to the difference they were making in the lives of so many.

 

She narrated stories about people who had benefited from the campaign and also invited some to come in and tell their stories. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room after people heard the stories.

 

Throughout the campaign, she constantly reminded the group of their vision to build a “caring community".

 

Donors, businesses, government agencies, and volunteers were moved and energized. They were making a difference.

 

The fund raising exceeded its target.

 

Both were efficient, smart and intelligent. What was the difference then, you think?

 

Inclusivity, communication, sharing and motivating. Traits that are vital for any leader and team to succeed.

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Mrs & Mr Rowland had been married for over 60 years. They were a wonderful couple who lived happily.

 

They had no secrets between them except for one box stashed away in the attic, for ages, by Mrs. Rowland. That was the ONLY thing she requested her husband NOT to ask about or touch and he adhered!

 

Came a time when Mrs. Rowland fell seriously ill and the couple decided to put their affairs in order while both were still around. During this process, Mrs. Rowland asker her husband to fetch the box from the attic.

 

Mrs: "Open the box, Dear."

 

Mr: "Are you sure?"

 

Mrs: "Yes. Go ahead"

 

Mr. Rowland opened the box to find two doilies (little crocheted mats/coverings) and a big bundle of cash, 25K in all, inside!

 

Mr: "What is this?"

 

Mrs: "When we got married, my Grandmother told me a secret for a happy marriage. She said, every time you get angry, crochet a doily."

 

Mr. (Choked & tears in his eyes): "Honey, just two doilies, in all these years! I am speechless! However, what's with all this cash?"

 

Mrs: "Oh, that is the collection from all the doilies I have sold!"

 

its only natural to get angry in various situations, either at work or home. How we manage to control it and handle situations is the key!

 

How many doilies have you crocheted?

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In June 2018 John Williams, one of America's most celebrated composers for concert and films, conducted for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

 

A key member of the troupe was Seth Low, a celebrated Cellist.

 

Over 2,400 people attended the concert and, as always, there were raving reviews of the program.

 

Probably owing to the presence of John Williams, there was extra security at the venue.

 

A security guard, a huge fan of William's music, was disappointed that she could not listen to it. She was on duty and posted outside the locker rooms to watch over its safety.

 

After the concert, Seth heard about this and promptly took his cello out and played a brief tune for her in the stairwell of the building! Needless to state, she was over the moon!

 

When asked about it, he shrugged it off saying "well, there's not much to it. I just heard she was at the venue and yet could not listen to the concert and I thought that's not fair! So, decided to play a little tune for her."

 

Small gesture, huge impact!

 

Empathy and kindness do not need money, effort or title!

 

Imagine the number of opportunities one has - in professional or personal life - to be empathetic!

 

Its a mindset and needs to come from the heart!

 

Who will you 'play the Cello' for today?

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My team and I messed on an issue a while ago! When we sat together later, to dissect where the 'crash' occurred, we realised we were like the cricket team of Gloucestershire!

 

in 1978, Gloucestershire was playing a county match and, batting second, were 9 wickets down. Nos. 10 & 11 were at the crease, and freakily both got injured.

 

Both, unusually, were allowed to have runners.

 

One of the batsmen played a shot. His runner decided that a run could be had and called the 2nd runner for it. Meanwhile, the batsmen, in the anxiety of getting things wrapped up, also started running.

 

Midway, the 4 of them realised the confusion but had to reach one end or the other to be safe. They started shouting 'yes', 'no', to each other and in this fiasco ALL 4 of them ended up at the same end!

 

A smart opposing player, who had fielded the ball, recognised the opportunity, ran and whipped the bails off at the opposite end.

 

While the opposition started celebrations, the confused umpires walked up to the 4 batsmen and said "Well, one of you buggers is out in this melee, you figure it out who it is and let us know!"

 

That is exactly what happens when there is a lack of clarity on roles, responsibilities, goals and breakdown in communication!

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My partner and I withdrew from a client engagement recently, leaving the client a bit shocked.

 

CEO: "Consultants are falling over each other to work with me, you are walking away? Are you sure?"

 

We: "As you know, one of the items on the scope of our work was to help change the organization's culture, right? You spoke about having high attrition, wanting to know why, set that right, enhance pride of brand, etc etc."

 

CEO: "Yes......among other things....."

 

We: “You also spoke about how tough times are since 2020, business is down, resorted to salary cuts, no increments, that people seem unhappy, et al."

 

CEO: “mm...so....."

 

We: “Well, have you had a chance to go through our report on the group conversations with employees, to understand their view?"

 

CEO: “No, not yet, I was away on vacation overseas, just got back."

 

We: “Well, do you think it was a good idea to post your vacay pics or that of your new villa last month on the all employee Whatsapp group?"

 

CEO: “What has that got to do with company culture.....everyone is welcome to share their joy on the group....we don't stop anyone from posting personal pics there...."

 

We: "I think we are not on the same page here..."

 

If this is how leaders want to change culture, well, we have not much to say!

 

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"God, please, no" were the first words from his Mom that Paul Alexander heard, when he walked in the door of his home in Dallas, Texas, drenched, muddy and shivering one evening in 1952! He was 6.

 

While Paul thought she was angry with the mess, it was actually for a totally different reason. She had instinctively guessed that Paul had contracted polio which was raging across the country and had afflicted many.

 

Thus started Paul's ordeal. After months of treatment, paralysed neck downwards, bound to a wheelchair, permanently needing a ventilator to breathe, he was finally sent home being told he had but a few months to live.

 

Paul, though, had a different plan. Determined to go to school, he graduated from college with a degree in Economics at the Univ of Texas.

 

Wait, he was not done yet!

 

He enrolled into law school at Austin and hired a helper to attend to his needs. The 'excitement' did not end! His helper absconded and he refrained from calling his parents as they may have called him back home!

 

He learnt to write with his mouth, graduated, practiced as a lawyer for years and at 75, lives in Dallas, Texas, and just self published his memoir, "Three Minutes for a Dog" - it took 8 years!

 

He is known as the man in the Iron Lung!

 

Planning on giving up? On anything?

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Nancy really had no reason to stress herself! Born into a wealthy physician's family, she could have led a happy and comfortable life. During her time, which was the early 1900s, it would have been perfectly normal for a woman!

 

But then, that was not who Nancy Harkness Love was!

 

With a keen interest in aviation, she got her flying licence when she was hardly 16. She worked as a flight trainer/instructor and multiple other aviation related works - she even married an aviator to boot and ran their own flying school.

 

During WWII, a determined Nancy struggled and succeeded in convincing the powers that be, that a women pilots force be formed to deliver new aircraft from factories to air bases. This, she said, would save time of fighter pilots and help in deploying them to the war zones.

 

Within a few months, she trained 30 women to become pilots and they all contributed immensely to the war effort.

 

Oh, did i mention that she also raised three daughters?

 

Her list of achievements is long and, mind you, all during tough times, and as a woman!

 

Being awarded the highest honour, the Air Medal, speaks of her success!

 

There have been others too, no doubt, and yet, here we are, in the 21st century, STILL debating on the capabilities of women leaders!

 

Unfair, don't you think?

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Stephen Pettigrew was the CEO of a successful logistics business.

 

Owing to changing business dynamics with newer technology, competition and more importantly, employee complacency to change, the company started seeing poor results.

 

Try as he might, Stephen struggled to turn things around. Despite investing in upgrading infrastructure, facilities, et al the attitude of his people was an obstacle.

 

That's when he came up with a seemingly strange idea!

 

Stephen invited an external expert to train employees on how to invest in the stock market! A completely irrelevant topic to resolve his business issue, right?

 

After a couple of weeks of training, the expert gave the employees a case study and asked if they would invest in the company based on their analysis. The answer was an unanimous NO.

 

The subsequent week he gave the group another case and the answer was NO again. He then revealed that this case was that of the their own company.

 

It then dawned on the employees as to what risk they were facing if the business were to shut down.

 

Needless to say, things quickly turned around and the company was back on track.

 

Many a times, regular solutions may not be the ideal way to get things done. Some lateral thinking and out-of-the-box solutions are the need of hour.

 

Agree?

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An enthusiastic, 90+ year old Mrs. Jones was always keen on being well dressed and looking good.

 

After her husband passed, having no children, she decided to move to a nursing home.

 

After arriving at the nursing home, an attendant helped Mrs. Jones towards her room. Even as she started describing how the room was, Mrs. Jones said, "I love it” with the same joy as a kid presented with a new toy.

 

Attendant: "Mrs Jones, you haven't even seen the room yet...!"

 

Mrs. Jones: "Well, My joy has nothing to do with the room."

 

"Whether I like my room or not, depends on how I arrange my mind, happiness is something you can decide ahead of time. And I have already decided to love my room, the people and my life. You know what, the greatest asset we all have is the power to choose how we feel."

 

"I can spend my entire day in bed thinking of the pain I am in, or I can get out of bed and be thankful for those things that are fine. As long as my eyes can still open, I will continue to focus on today and all the happy memories I have, just for this time in my life."

 

Attendant(astounded):

 

So true, right?

 

Only problems happen automatically,

Happiness is a choice.

 

Being negative happens automatically

Positive attitude is a choice.

 

How's your 'room' looking?

 

Source: Deb Ghoshal

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Coaching a group of youngsters just into their first corporate stint, on various skills to succeed professionally, we were talking about the importance of communication.

 

One of the over enthusiastic ones was miffed that English was being given too much importance. Tried explaining to him that is NOT the ONE and ONLY aspect of communication; albeit an important part, since he is now part of a global organization and has to interact with overseas stakeholders wherein a common language is required!

 

He continued to argue!

 

Narrated this incident from my experience.

 

Customer Rep (On call):"Good Morning, M'am! How can I help you today?"

 

US customer: "I am delayed in paying my credit card dues this month due to a personal emergency. Could you please waive off the late fees?"

 

Rep(unempathetic): "OK. What happened?"

 

Customer: "I lost my husband two weeks ago!"

 

Rep: "Oh! sorry to hear that. Have you filed a police complaint?"

 

Needless to state, you know what would have happened next!

 

This young executive still did not get it and when explained the fiasco, was embarrassed.

 

Of course, no smart comments from him after that!

 

What's your take on the subject?

 

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In its heydays in the '80s, the band Van Halen had very exacting and specifically detailed contracts with all its concert organisers. The exact number of power points required, their positioning, the exact power output required from each and so on!

 

It also had one standard yet strange clause which, if not adhered to, according to the lead singer, David Lee Roth, would be a show stopper.

 

This clause, no. 126, stated: "There should be a bowl of M&Ms placed backstage at every venue AND there should be NO BROWN coloured M&Ms in the bowl AT ALL!"

 

Argh! The usual rock-star tantrums, you think? Read on!

 

When asked about it, Lee Roth explained: "Every time i walked into a venue, I would first check out the bowl of M&Ms. If I saw brown ones in the bowl, I knew for sure that the contract had not been read through in detail by the organisers. I would then ask for a complete check of the technical requirements and, most certainly, would find some fault or the other in the set up!"

 

WOW! What a brilliant & smart idea to ensure quality, responsibility and ownership!

 

Its the small things that can make a big difference sometimes, good or bad!

 

Do you have your own M&M secret?

 

Source: Business Advice by Van Halen

 

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In a coaching conversation with Shree, a young, ambitious and very talented manager.

 

Shree: "Sir, by the end of my career, I want to leave behind a kind of legacy remembered for a very long time! What should I do?"

 

Me: "Hmm! interesting! I can't prescribe that! It has be something you feel strongly about and will make a big difference.

 

Shree: "That's also true....it has to be my thought....."

 

Me: "OK. Here's something for you....

 

Around 1831, the then US Government passed an act which allowed settlers to forcibly relocate many Native Indian tribes (not us!) from various parts to one identified region of the US. One such tribe was the Choctaw. Displaced, homeless and helpless, they had little choice but to move.

 

In 1845, Ireland was struck by a potato blight a.k.a The Great Potato Famine which led to mass starvation, disease and death.

 

What's the connection?

 

The Choctaw, who had almost nothing, donated $170 to help the people of Ireland.

 

In 2018, Ireland announced an annual scholarship for Choctaw students stating that it had NEVER forgotten the kindness & generosity. 173 years later!

 

In 2020, the Irish people crowdsourced funds to help the Choctaw to survive the pandemic. 175 years later!

 

Now think of your legacy!"

 

Like to be a Choctaw?

 

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Mr. Krish Rao retired as the CEO of a famous business house, moved out of his palatial official residence and into his own apartment in a community.

 

He hardly interacted with anyone during his daily walk as he expected others to talk to him first. After all, he had been the CEO of a large company!

 

One day he sat for a while on a bench on which another gentleman was also sitting and they struck up a conversation.

 

Krish(sulking): "I was a CEO and forced to move here after retirement. Nobody respects me here nor talks to me."

 

Gent (smiling): "Mr. Krish, we are like fused bulbs! It does not matter whether the bulb was 40w, 60w, 100w or LED, regular or any other kind. Once fused, they are all the same!"

 

Krish: "What do you mean?"

 

Gent: "I retired as a Major General from the Army. That man in white you see there was the head of our national space agency, that lady in blue was MD of our country's largest bank......and they are all here! No one is looking into the past and are all fused bulbs, enjoying life"

 

Krish(stunned):

 

Titles, designations, power, position, influence are all temporary. Its the chair which is revered, not the person.

 

People will not remember you for who you were, but the way you behaved, and treated them!

 

Who are you?

 

Source: Sunil Robert

 

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Peter, a well to do guy, visited a restaurant which came highly recommended by many. Vincent was assigned to wait upon Peter that evening and he served to the best of his abilities.

 

Vincent: "How was your meal, Sir?"

 

Peter: "Good, except that you only served two pieces of bread"

 

On Peter's next visit, Vincent remembered the preference and served him 4 pieces of bread this time.

 

Vincent:" Hope the meal was to your satisfaction, Sir"!

 

Peter: "Yes, but the bread was not enough."

 

Vincent was determined that he had to please Peter when he came back the next time.

 

The third time Vincent cut up a nine-foot long loaf into two and served.

 

Vincent: "Was the meal to your satisfaction, Sir?"

 

Peter: "It was good but I see that you have gone back to serving only two pieces of bread!"

 

That's how we are at times. We miss the small, yet vital efforts that others put in to get something done for us; or help to achieve some joint goal, even without being told.

 

Recognising and celebrating these small successes matters a lot.

 

Have you been thankful to the 'Vincents' on your team?

 

Joe and Sarah, an aged, cute couple walked into a restaurant holding hands and sat at a table. The man went to the counter, ordered and returned to his seat. A young man, Rob, watched them and smiled seeing their bond.

 

When the food got served, Joe sipped a bit of the drink and passed it to his wife. Next, he cut the burger neatly into two and divided the fries too, equally.

 

Rob, still watching the cute couple, felt bad about it and offered to buy them another meal. Joe respectfully declined and started eating while Sarah sat quietly not eating.

 

Unable to hold his curiosity back further, Rob asked Sarah as to why she was not eating.

 

She just laughed and said, "I am waiting for the teeth"!

 

Yes, my initial reaction too was to say, "Yew, gross!" But go beyond.

 

Think of it! Things may not always be as they appear.

 

How often do we not tend to jump to conclusions without understanding a problem or issue in totality.

 

What has been your experience in jumping to conclusions?

 

Source: Teamwork and Leadership

 

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Bobby was training his dog, Jiffy, to be the best hunting dog in all of Arkansas. He took her daily to the fields and ponds nearby, and trained vigorously, for months, to retrieve things.

 

Finally, the duck hunting season came around and Bobby went out to hunt.

 

When a couple of birds flew by, Bobby shot them and they landed in the water. He commanded Jiffy to retrieve them, who dashed off through the bushes to do so. However, instead of swimming in the water like he was trained, he skipped swiftly on the surface of the water and fetched the birds!

 

Bobby stood stunned at Jiffy's ability to walk on water!

 

Of course, no one would believe him until they witnessed it themselves. He, therefore, invited his neighbour to join him for the hunt the next day.

 

They went, the ducks flew by, Bobby shot them, commanded Jiffy who, again, skipped over the water's surface and fetched the birds.

 

Bobby (proudly):"Did you see that?"

 

Neighbour: "Well, i wasn't going to say it but since you asked, your dog cannot even swim!"

 

Bobby (shocked): ????

 

That's how some people tend to be even when you do some amazing work! Point out potential flaws rather than recognizing the miracles!

 

You are special, unique and amazing! Never let YOURSELF down!

 

Agree?

 

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Policeman: Where do you live?

Man: With my parents.

Policeman: Where do your parents live?

Man: With me!

Policeman: Where do you all live?

Man: Together, in our house.

Policeman: Where is your house?

Man: Next to our neighbour's house.

Policeman: Where is your neighbour's house?

Me: If I tell you, you will not believe me!

Policeman: Try me!

Man: Next to ours!

 

Had a good laugh? That sounds vague, like there is avoidance, nothing concrete, no likely outcome, et al, right?

 

Now, replace the characters of

Policeman with an "Employee/Team Member" and

Man with "Manager/Leader"

 

and visualise this as a performance evaluation conversation.

 

The "Policeman" asking relevant questions around his/her performance, feedback on strengths, deltas, future goals, career development, et al, and

 

The "Man"(ager) continues to give similar answers like the Man in the above conversation.

 

How does it play out in your mind?

 

Is it fact based, objective, clear, outcome oriented, aimed at skill enhancement, growth?

 

No?

 

If you are managing a team, you now know what NOT to do!

 

Oh, and also, think of yourself as the employee having a similar conversation with your Manager.

 

Food for thought? Do share your views.

 

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It took 2 weeks to get Sohan and his Manager, Ravi to sit together for a chat.

 

Ravi had not liked the fact that Sohan had logically countered a viewpoint of his. It went to the extent of their ending up not communicating at all!

 

Missed deadlines and project delays only elevated the stress and pressure on the entire team, not just the two of them. Both, Sohan and Ravi, missed the bigger picture entirely!

 

Finally, sitting together, I thought, may be a closure! Boy, was i wrong! The silent heat could beat a sauna!

 

Me: "Guys! listen....you are acting like this bickering couple who, after a fight, would not speak to each other."

 

The husband, being a heavy sleeper and having to travel the next day, wanted to make sure he woke up early to make his flight. He, therefore, left a note for his wife asking to be woken up at 5AM.

 

Next morning, he woke up to see it was 9AM and he had missed his flight! Furious, he was about to shout at his wife when he saw a note by his bedside which said, "Its 5AM!"

 

"By all means continue with your cold war but not at the cost of the project or the organization. You get me?"

 

Disagreements and differing opinions are part and parcel of our lives. Learn to deal with it maturely keeping the larger picture in mind!

 

What say?

 

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On a hunting trip to the countryside, a lawyer shot a bird which fell into a neighbouring farmer's land. He crossed over the fence to retrieve it when the farmer came over and asked as to what the lawyer was doing there.

 

Lawyer: "I shot a duck and now I'm here to get it."

 

Farmer: "This is my land, and you are not allowed here."

 

Lawyer(Angry): "I am one of the best trial lawyers. If you don't let me get it, I'll sue you and take everything you own."

 

Farmer(smiling): Apparently, you don't know how we settle disputes here. We settle disagreements like this with the 'Three Kick Rule.'

 

Lawyer :"What's that?"

 

Farmer: "Well, I kick you three times, then you kick me three times and so on back and forth until someone gives up."

 

The lawyer thought about the proposed contest, decided that he could easily take the old man, and agreed.

 

By the end of the third kick, the lawyer was down and out, face first in a fresh pile of dung!

 

Summoning every bit of remaining strength the lawyer slowly managed to get to his feet.

 

Lawyer: "Now it's my turn."

 

Farmer(smiling):"Nah, I give up. You can have the duck."

 

When you are educated, you'll believe only half of what you hear.

When you're intelligent, you know which half.

 

Are you educated or intelligent?

 

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Facing abject failure with everything in life, a man left everything and went into the woods where he met a Hermit.

 

He shared his story and said “Give me one good reason not to quit?”

 

The hermit pointed towards two plants. “Do you see that fern and bamboo there?

 

“Yes”, the man nodded.

 

“Despite planting both those at the same time and taking care of them equally, within a short period of time the fern quickly.

 

The Bamboo did not outwardly grow as much as an inch. In fact, nothing at all happened in the first few years. But, I did not give up and continued to water and nurture it.

 

By the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. And within six months, the tree grew a hundred feet tall.

 

So, did the bamboo tree lie dormant for four years only to grow exponentially in the fifth?” the hermit asked.

 

Baffled by the question the man kept quiet.

 

“The answer is quite obvious. The little tree was growing underground, developing a root system strong enough to support its potential for outward growth in the fifth year and beyond. Had the tree not developed a strong foundation, it would not have sustained its life as it grew.”

 

“Did you know that all the time you had been struggling, you were growing strong roots”, remarked the hermit

 

Come what may, Be the Bamboo!

 

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Long ago, a man wanted to play in the Imperial Orchestra, but he couldn’t play a note. Being a person of great wealth and influence, however, he demanded to be allowed to join the orchestra so that he could perform in front of the king.

 

The conductor agreed to let him sit in the second row. Even though he couldn't read music, he was given a flute, and when a concert would begin, he would raise his instrument, pucker his lips, and move his fingers. He went through all the motions of playing, but he never made a sound.

 

This deception went on for two years.

 

Then one day a new conductor took over. He told the orchestra that he wanted to personally audition all the players to see how well they could play. The audition would weed out all those who did not meet his standards, and he would dismiss them from the orchestra.

 

One by one the players performed in his presence. The worried phony flutist pretended to be sick. Unfortunately, a medical exam pronounced him healthy.

 

The conductor insisted that the man appear and demonstrate his skill.

 

Shamefacedly, the man had to confess that he was a fake. That was the day he had to “Face the Music”.

 

Incompetence cannot be hidden forever!

 

Do you know any such 'flutists'?

 

Source: Sunil Robert

 

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A childless king was contemplating on how to choose a worthy successor.

 

After much thought he hit upon a unique idea. He announced that he would give a seed each to a number of children, ask them to grow a plant and after a year, check on how they had progressed.

 

The child who had managed to grow the healthiest plant would be chosen and groomed.

 

Excited parents of thousands of children sent their kids to collect the seed. Among them was a little boy named Chand too.

 

As the year progressed, all other children were excited to see their respective saplings growing beautifully, except for Chand. Despite his best efforts, his seed did not sprout.

 

A dejected Chand's parents asked him not to despair and continue to just do his work.

 

On the appointed date, the king inspected each pot. He walked past each but just stopped a little longer at Chand's pot which had nothing in it!

 

Finally, the king announced his decision and said: "It was actually the easiest decision I have ever made! Chand is the chosen one!"

 

The assembled crowd was shocked! The king then explained:

 

"I had given a seed which was well boiled and could not sprout."

 

Integrity is a non-negotiable trait for any leader!

 

Agree?

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A revered saint with amazing powers lived on the outskirts of a village. Of his thousands of disciples, there was one who was belief was so staunch that he would not have his daily meal without first offering it to the Master, in person; however long be the wait.

 

One day,

 

Master: "Why do you do this? I am with you in spirit always, you don't need to travel all this way, daily, to see me before your meal."

 

Disciple: "It is impossible. I need to see you in some form, physically, before I eat."

 

Master: "OK. I promise that I will appear before you daily and save you the trouble of coming all the way here"

 

Disciple (ecstatic):"Thank you, Master! I am blessed"

 

Four days later, the disciple came back to the Master.

 

Disciple: "You failed to keep your promise! I was waiting and you did not turn up. So, I stayed hungry"

 

Master: "I never fail my disciples. I came every single day and you shooed me away!"

 

Disciple: "Impossible!"

 

Master Try and remember, the first day there was a beggar, the second day an old lady, the third day it was a black dog.....they were all me.....you failed to recognise me because it had to be the way YOU wanted to see.....!"

 

Opportunities could come in many forms, from anywhere. Recognising them is in our hands!

 

Are you looking keenly?

 

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A veteran, long haul, truck driver was assigned a young, new driver as a trainee. One fine Friday morning they set off on a long trip to deliver goods, with the trainee taking the wheel first.

 

After a couple of hours of continuous driving, the trainee expressed fatigue, boredom and asked if they could halt for a break.

 

Post the break, the veteran took over and drove straight for over 9 hrs and yet, was still looking and sounding as fresh as he was at the start of the day.

 

Trainee (amazed): "how do you manage it? This is unbelievable! I was drained after just a couple of hours!"

 

Veteran:"Ha ha! Tell me, what do you say to your wife when you leave home in the morning?"

 

Trainee: "I say, bye, I am heading out to work"

 

Veteran: "Ah! There's the problem, right there"

 

Trainee(confused):"What? How?"

 

Veteran: "You know what I tell my wife when i leave? I say, I am going for a drive in the country!"

 

Aha!

 

Are you 'working' or 'driving in the country' this Friday?

Source: Ten Minutes blog

 

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Dennis and Sara were patients in a mental institution. One fine summer day, while taking a walk by the pool side, Sara suddenly jumped in at the deep end of the pool and was drowning.

 

Dennis, instinctively, just dived in, went underwater and pulled Sara up and resuscitated her.

 

Dennis was scheduled for his annual health review the next morning.

 

At the review, the doctors assessing him said: "In view of your heroic act yesterday, we think you are fit enough to get back to society and lead a regular life. However, we are also sorry to inform you that Sara, the patient you saved yesterday, is dead. She was found hanging in her room with a belt, from her bathrobe, around her neck."

 

Dennis: "She did not hang herself. I put her there to dry"!

 

Whoa!

 

Assessing individuals based on just one recent event or occurrence is not ideal. A holistic view based on observations of behaviour and performance over a period of time is the fair and logical way.

 

What's your view?

 

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A newly promoted young officer was out on rounds inspecting his troops. A Rifleman, who was training hard, did not see the officer walking by and hence missed saluting him.

 

Officer: "You there! Why did you not salute me?"

 

Rifleman: "I am sorry, Sir! I did not see you coming."

 

Officer: "That is a pathetic excuse! You must be punished for this insubordination! Salute me a thousand times now so that you never forget again!"

 

Just as the Rifleman started the punishment, a Field Marshal walked by and inquired with the Officer as to what was happening.

 

The Officer explained the situation.

 

Field Marshal: "Excellent! That is bloody good punishment! Now, make sure you return each of the salutes that the Rifleman is giving you."

 

Managers & Leaders: Irrespective of whether your team members have performed well or not, have made mistakes, treating them with disrespect is unacceptable, at all times!

 

Even more so at this time of the year (at least in our part of the world) when you are assessing performance. Be objective, be respectful, be fair!

 

Think of yourself in a similar situation with your Managers!

 

How would you feel if not treated with respect?

Source: Daily Ten B

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A lady had the habit of baking some extra bread daily and leaving it by the window for any needy person to take.

 

A hunchback came by daily, took the bread and muttered "the evil you do remains with you, the good you do comes back to you"!

 

This went on for days and irritated the lady no end, as she thought "instead of a thanks, why the curse?"

 

After a while, she was at her wits end and decided to do away with the man. She poisoned the bread and left it on the window, albeit with a trembling hand. However, her folly hit her and she immediately threw it into the fire and left some normal bread there.

 

The hunchback, as usual, came by, took the bread, muttered his 'curse' and went away!

 

That evening, there was a knock on the door and when she opened it, there stood her son looking all worn, tired, lean and thin. He hugged his mother and said: "I was almost dead from hunger a short distance away from home and thought would not make it. Miraculously, a hunchback came by and offered some bread looking at my condition. If not for him, I would be no more."

 

The lady stood shocked thinking about her action from that morning!

 

In personal or professional life, one needs to think of long term consequences, direct or indirect, with every action that we take.

 

Yes?

 

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After years of training under a Maestro, a painter decided to test his own skills.

 

He spent three whole days, painted a beautiful scenery and put it up in a public place with a note at the bottom which said:

 

I am a new painter and may have made some mistakes. Please help me improve by marking a "X" wherever you see one.

 

After leaving it there the whole day, he returned in the evening to find the canvas full of "X" marks, to the extent that some parts of the painting itself were now not visible!

 

Completely shattered, he returned to his Master, shared his sorrow and said he would give up the profession entirely!

 

The Master just smiled and said, "You are a great artist. Trust me! Just paint the same scenery again and I will prove that you are a pro!"

 

Reluctantly, the student spent another 3 days to recreate the same painting.

 

The Master asked him to put up the painting again as earlier. However, this time, they placed a palette of colours and some brushes as well with a note stating: As I am a new painter, please help to improve my work by redoing the parts which need it.

 

Even after a couple of days, there was not a single change made by anyone!

 

Criticising is easy but is it constructive is the question.

 

Food for thought you think?

 

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Its that time of the year for entrance exams, admissions, et al. A recent conversation that I had with a father and son.

 

Father: "Please counsel my son that there is nothing better than Engineering. He just does not seem to understand when I tell him."

 

Me (to the son):"so, what's your thought?"

 

The son: "I am not interested in it. I want to get into Astrophysics. That's where my passion is."

 

Father:" You see! All in my family are from IIT and this fellow thinks he is different."

 

Me: "Sir, with so many options now, youngsters have interest in diverse fields, so don't you......"

 

Father: "Sorry to interject Sir.....but what is there in Astrophysics?"

 

Me (after a pause): "Sir, hear me out.......there was a circus with some unusual characters to entertain people. One such was a Bearded Lady and the world's strongest man. They fell in love, and decided to start a family.

 

One day the Bearded Lady and the circus ring-master were talking.

 

Master: "All well?"

 

She: "Yes thanks - very excited! We have so many plans for the baby - we want to be supportive parents."

 

Master: "That's nice. Do you want a boy or a girl?"

 

She: "Oh, we really don't mind as long as it's healthy, and it fits into the cannon...!"

 

I say, think beyond!

 

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Apparently 20th March is World Happiness Day; why just one day in the year, don't ask me!!

 

A man from a wealthy family took his young son on a trip to show him how the less fortunate lived. He wanted the boy to appreciate what he had been blessed with.

 

They pulled up to a farm where a very poor family lived and spent several days there, helping the family all around.

 

When they left, the dad asked his son if he enjoyed their trip and if he had learned anything during the time.

 

The boy quickly replied, “It was fantastic, that family is so lucky!”

 

Confused, his father asked what he meant by that.

 

The boy said, “Well, we only have one dog, but that family has four!

 

We have four people in our home, but they have 12, that's so many people to play with!

 

We have a pool, but they have a river running through their property that is endless.

 

We have lanterns outside so we can see at night, but they have the wide open sky and the beautiful stars.

 

We go to the grocery store, but they grow their own food.

 

Our fence protects our property and family, but they don‘t need such one, because their friends protect them.”

 

The father was speechless.

 

Finally, he said, “Thank you for showing me how rich people live, they’re so lucky.”

 

A government official rode into a farm as part of a regular check on growing crops of drugs, which was illegal.

 

He showed his badge to the farm owner and stated the purpose of his visit.

 

Owner: "Sure! Welcome! Request you to stay away from just that one field there, on the east side. That's because....."

 

Official (fuming & thrusting his badge again in the owner's face): "Stop! Do you see this? How dare you tell me where to go and not to go! As an official, I have the right to go wherever I like and inspect whatever i want! You have no right to stop me!"

 

Owner(in a resigned tone): "Well, OK! go ahead!"

 

After a while, the owner heard loud screams from the east side, turned and just chuckled!

 

The official was being chased by a big bull which was left to graze there. By the looks of it, seemed it was gaining fast on the official who was sprinting as best as he could.

 

Owner (shouting): "Show him your badge, your badge, show him that badge!"

 

Is this not what we often see with leaders too?

Throwing rank to showcase one's status or standing is foolishness!

 

Have you come across such 'officials with badges'?

 

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"I have been in the same role for ages. I want a new role. What should I do?" Question from an experienced recruitment specialist.

 

Me: "What role are you thinking of and have you had a conversation with your Manager about a role change?"

 

She: "Not sure yet, but something different in HR and no, i have not spoken to anyone yet."

 

Me: "OK. Would it not be good for you to first think of what role would interest/excite you?"

 

She: "Actually, I can do any role."

 

Me: "How? Have you got any prior experience or are you trained/certified in some other area(s) too."

 

She: "No, i have been seeing other people do it and so I know i can manage."

 

Me (after a longish pause): "I have also been watching pilots fly planes for many years now during my travels. So, you think i can fly planes?"

 

She: "But.....that's a........yeah, ok, i get your point....."

 

Me: " Nothing comes to you on a platter.....you need to put in efforts too, if you want to grow."

 

With the demands of business being dynamic, the work environment rapidly evolving, and the people demographic transforming, one needs to constantly re-skill, up-skill, cross-skill, learn, unlearn, relearn....its an ongoing process, at every stage of life!

 

Where are you at?

 

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There was a very wise, well educated man who constantly collected and read the best of books from authors far and wide, on a range of subjects and could speak on the most complex topics.

 

He had the habit of walking a lot which helped his deep thinking process. Owing to this, his shoes had worn out beyond redemption.

 

He fretted and fussed over what kind of shoes to buy such that his feet were well protected, did not bite, would not cause injury, et al.

 

In his quest for the perfect shoes, he read up all the books that he could find on the subject and felt happy to gain knowledge to buy the perfect pair.

 

He then took a stick, measured his foot exactly and marked the stick. Next, he walked around the market eyeing for the perfect pair and finally saw one.

 

To his dismay, he realised that he had forgotten the measured stick at home. By this time, the old shoes he was wearing gave away and he had to return home barefoot.

 

Next day, he visited the shop and found that the pair he had seen were sold! He explained his predicament from the day before to the shopkeeper.

 

The confused shopkeeper asked: "But, you had your foot with you, didn't you?"

 

Ha!

 

Overthinking cripples decision making, be it in professional or personal matters.

 

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A devout farmer trudged for miles through frozen snow to attend Sunday mass, faithfully and consistently.

 

One such Sunday, he entered the church and found that he was the lone attendee probably owing to more than usual cold weather. The preacher walked in, saw the situation and said "i guess we might as well call it off and go back to our warm cozy homes, what say?"

 

Farmer: "Well, when i go out to feed my herd, i don't stop even if there is just one head of cattle wanting to eat."

 

The embarrassed preacher got the message and started the service which went on for a full two hours. He ended by stating that however small the need, our duty is to do what we are supposed to, and thanked the farmer for the lesson learnt.

 

At the end of it, the preacher asked the farmer: "How was it? What did you takeaway from the sermon?"

 

Farmer: "Well, i am a simple farmer but when i go to feed my herd and only one animal turns up to eat, I sure don't force it to eat all the food meant for the entire herd."

 

Preacher: (stunned silence)

 

Think of it! One size does not fit all. As professionals, we deal with a variety of stakeholders each day and adapting to each is so vital.

 

So, who do you want to be? The farmer or the preacher?

 

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A struggling, badly in debt, businessman sat in a park, thinking deeply as to what to do.

 

Suddenly an old man appeared and said, "you seem to be in trouble."

 

For some reason the businessman felt like sharing his woes, and he did.

 

Old man: "I believe I can help you, here's a cheque for $500,000".

 

Old man: "Take this & let's meet here exactly one year from today and you pay me back." He then turned and disappeared.

 

The businessman held a cheque signed by John D. Rockefeller, then one of the richest men in the world!

 

But instead of using it, he put the cheque in his safe. Just knowing it was there gave him the strength to work his way out of trouble.

 

With renewed optimism, he worked really hard and was thriving again very soon.

 

Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the uncashed cheque and met the old man.

 

Just as he was about to hand back the cheque, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man.

 

"I hope he hasn't been bothering you. He regularly escapes from the rest home telling people he's John D. Rockefeller."

 

The businessman stood there, stunned!

 

He had worked all year believing he had a huge cheque to save him, just in case!

 

He realised it was just his self-confidence that did the trick!

 

Do you still need a cheque? No, you don't!

 

Stella Adler was an American actress and later an acting coach in the early 20th century, managing her own training academy.

 

She once had the legendary Marlon Brando as a trainee. During one of the classes, she asked the students to act like chickens after they were told that a nuclear bomb was to be dropped shortly.

 

The entire class started running around wildly making loud, clucking noises, except Brando, who sat quietly in a corner, in a strange posture.

 

Stella: "what are you doing?"

 

Brando: "Incubating an egg that I laid!"

 

Stella: "What? Why?"

 

Brando: "I am a chicken. What do I know about nuclear bombs!"

 

Whoa! Like me, I am sure many of you may go back and read this a second time!

 

That hit me like a mini-bomb!

 

Think! Is that not so true?

 

Similarly, with many people or in various situations, don't we often:

 

React rather than respond!

 

Hear more than listen!

 

No wonder he became the legend that he was!

 

Are you Marlon?

 

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A man had four sons with an angry and ever doubtful temperament. Despite his attempts to talk with them mend their wrong ways, nothing changed.

 

He then decided to send them on a quest, one by one. All he asked them to do was visit a far off place, look at a particular tree, return and describe what they saw.

 

When all of them had returned after visiting the same tree, he called them together and asked for their experience.

 

The first son said the tree was ugly, bent and twisted.

 

The second said that the first was wrong, and the tree was full of green buds and looked promising.

 

The third disagreed with both and said the tree was filled with sweet smelling blossoms and looked beautiful.

 

The fourth said all three were wrong and that the tree was full of sweet tasting fruit and looked full of life and fulfilment.

 

The father now said that all of them were right! Perplexed, they asked how that was possible! He explained that each of them had gone in winter, spring, summer and fall respectively!

 

Similar is the case in professional or personal life, in general! We have a variety of situations and people that we encounter all along! Judging people & situations just by one experience leads to unnecessary friction and stress.

 

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Circa 2017. An ambitious, aggressive, temperamental HR Manager, aspiring for quick growth, was sharing her frustration at being constantly compared with her predecessor by colleagues, who saw the predecessor almost as a demigod!

 

She: "what am I doing wrong? I want to grow quickly!"

 

Me: "I have heard there was someone exactly like you many many years ago and like you, went to his chosen guru for advise."

 

The guru did not say a word. He piled some logs, lit a fire and just sat by the raging flame for hours. Not a word exchanged! Only after the fire died completely, did the guru speak.

 

"You are like the flame", he said, - "strong, raging with the winds, burning everything in its path, not caring for anything but itself and ultimately dying out without a trace.

 

On the other hand, look at a river. Starts as a small stream, gathers pace, grows in size, provides succour and sustenance to all, is forever flowing and growing deeper, until it merges with the ocean."

 

She: (after a few minutes of silence) "I.....I never looked at it that way.....did not mean to harm or hurt....but....well, i guess i have a lot to think about."

 

2021: She is a much loved and respected Head of HR of a leading organisation.

 

Are you the river or the raging fire?

 

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In a research study subjects were put to a test.

 

They were asked to count the number of times players with white shirts passed a basketball in a video. Most of the subjects achieved a fairly accurate account of the passes, but only 42% saw something more important. A person in a black gorilla costume walked right into the center of the action, beat his chest and moved off.

 

More than half the subjects were so engrossed in the task at hand that they couldn’t see the gorilla.

 

An entire gorilla, right in front of their eyes!

 

Hmm....very interesting! Now, relate it to our daily lives.

 

Many a times our attention creates blinders that limit what we see.

 

Any gorillas moving through your field of vision right now that you fail to see?

 

Source: Jerry Wind

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9th December 1934. Winter was at its peak and yet sporting enthusiasts were gathered to watch two strong teams play each other in a rugby game, in New York. Both teams being very competent, the game was expected to be exciting and challenging but what made it more difficult was the weather that year which had turned the field into a sheet of ice! It was also a decider of sorts, on the future of the teams in the tournament.

 

As the game progressed, the home team was trailing and its fans were feeling frustrated & let down.

 

During the mid game break team huddle, the home team was discussing on how to regain lost ground. One of the players had an idea which had nothing to do with game rules or playing positions or game tactics.

 

He suggested, of all things, that they change their shoes from cleats to sneakers to get better traction on the ice! Outlandish, as it sounded, the team, having nothing to lose, agreed to try it!

 

Needless to state, the home team not only played well but went on to win the game!

 

What an unlikely yet out-of-the-box solution!

 

Sometimes, we need to look beyond the obvious to find our answers.

 

What have been your 'sneaker' moments? Do share your experience(s).

 

Source: Management Story

Sending a Strong Message: Protecting Your Employees

In 1985, a film company facing financial pressure hired a new president. In an effort to cut costs, the president asked the two leaders of a division, Ed and Alvy, to conduct layoffs. Ed and Alvy resisted—eliminating employees would dilute the company’s value. The president issued an ultimatum: a list of names was due to him at nine o’clock the next morning.

When the president received the list, it contained two names: Ed and Alvy.

No layoffs were conducted, and a few months later Steve Jobs bought the division from Lucasfilm and started Pixar with Ed Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith.

Employees were grateful that “managers would put their own jobs on the line for the good of their teams,” marvels Stanford’s Robert Sutton, noting that even a quarter century later, this “still drives and inspires people at Pixar.”

Source: “Givers Take All: The Hidden Dimension of Corporate Culture” by Adam Grant | The McKinsey Quarterly

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When she passed away, suddenly, 6 years ago, the shock was tremendous!

 

Within hours, the crowd that turned up to pay last respects was overwhelming. Even for the family, who had been around her it was surprising to see so many unknown faces there.

 

Most of them shared stories of her compassion, help, empathy, affection and generosity. How she had counseled, guided and supported many to build (or rebuild) their lives.

 

They felt like their leader was gone!

 

While the family knew of these qualities, the extent of influence it had over a wider circle was an eyeopener!

 

And yet, this woman ‘leader’ was no corporate honcho!

 

Who, then, was she a ‘leader’ for? The ‘team’ that heaped praises were her ‘regulars’: grocer, milkman, florist, housekeeper, driver, tailor, priest, et al!

 

It was so touching to know the amount of goodwill she carried and the legacy she left behind.

 

She was a quiet home maker who had managed a family nurtured around values, morals, integrity and loads of love. Her phenomenal networking and relationship building ability made her the favourite among friends and family alike.

 

Even to date they recall her goodness with fondness!

 

What a woman leader she was, everyday, and not just once annually!

 

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What Should Be True

Some organizations and initiatives are so successful that a sort of folklore arises around them. John F. Kennedy is said to have asked a janitor scrubbing a floor at Cape Canaveral what he was doing and received the reply, “I’m working to put a man on the moon.” The story is probably apocryphal, as it’s also been attributed to architect Christopher Wren at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Legend or not, the point is that all great legends encapsulate what should be true. We think all workers should believe they are contributing to a worthwhile goal. If they don’t, is it their fault? Or is the burden on leaders to close that gap in the middle of their strategy, ensuring that their visions and goals are communicated in a way that can provide meaning to all they encounter?

 

Source: Turning Strategic Vision into Action: It’s a Mind Game by Simon Mezger and Maurice Violani | A.T. Kearney Executive Agenda, Volume XIII, Number 1, 2010

 

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The Best Bosses Shield those Who Work for Them

Annette Kyle managed some 60 employees at a Texas terminal where they loaded chemicals from railcars onto ships and trucks. In the mid-1990s, Annette led a “revolution” that dramatically raised her unit’s performance through a host of changes, including better planning, greater responsibility at the lowest levels, improved and more transparent metrics, and numerous cultural changes. She personally sewed “no whining” patches on workers’ uniforms, for example, to discourage the local penchant for complaining and auctioned off her desk to workers for $60 because, as she explained it, “I shouldn’t be sitting behind a big desk. I should be contributing to team goals however possible.”

 

This transformation virtually eliminated the penalties that were levied when ships arrived at the terminal’s dock but (despite considerable advance warning) workers weren’t ready to load them. These “demurrage charges,” which cost the company $2.5 million the year before the revolution, were down to $10,000 the year after. Previously, it had taken more than three hours to load an average truck. Afterward, more than 90 percent were loaded within an hour of arrival. Surveys and interviews by University of Southern California researchers showed that employees became more satisfied with their jobs and felt proud of their accomplishments. I asked Annette how she could make such radical changes in her giant company. She answered that her boss shielded her from top-ranking managers—he found the resources and experts she needed but never discussed these moves with senior management until they succeeded.

 

Source: Why Good Bosses Tune in to Their People by Robert I. Sutton | The McKinsey Quarterly

 

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A lion, too lazy to hunt, was lying in wait for some prey to pass by. Despite a long wait, no prey came in sight.

 

Suddenly, a little mouse was scurrying past and the lion tapped its huge paw on its tail and held it from running.

 

Despite the scared little mouse’s shivering and repeated entreaties to be released, the lion did not and kept toying with the mouse.

 

The mouse then said “King of the jungle, I know I am puny and weak but I promise you that whenever you need any help, you can count on me. Kindly let me go.”

 

The King laughed and said: “Of what help can you be of to me you weak creature?"

 

After a while of this banter, the lion finally let the mouse go out of pity!

 

A few days later, the lion got trapped in a hunter’s net and its desperate attempts to free itself only entangled it more.

 

While the scared lion was wondering how to free itself, there came a mouse and said: “oh King, did you recognise me? I am the grateful mouse whom you let go the other day”.

 

The embarrassed lion now recalled the incident.

 

The little mouse now offered to help and quickly bit through the net and freed the lion.

 

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A Military General was on a visit to the battlefront to meet with the soldiers.

 

Suddenly, a bullet whizzed past just over his head!

 

General (Shocked): "What the hell was that?"

 

A Soldier: "Its a sniper Sir! He has been shooting at us & missing for two weeks now!"

 

General: "Then why the hell have you not sent anyone to kill him?"

 

Soldier: "Sir, if we kill him, they might replace him with someone who can shoot straight".

 

Aha! Its not necessary to try and resolve EVERYTHING that seems to be a challenge! Don't overthink and stress out!

 

Sometimes, like its said, its better to let sleeping dogs lie!

 

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On a coaching call with a client recently,

 

Me: "How was last year? Especially considering that you have a team spread all over the country."

 

Coachee: " Oh, it went very well, I controlled things, I made changes in the way team works, I told them to communicate more, I tracked each of them, I achieved more than the target....I also....

 

Me: (after 3 whole mins): "Great! You seem to have a done loads of stuff.....so, what did your team do?"

 

Coachee: "uh...I mean.....my team.....what do you mean.....?"

 

Me: "Let me trigger your thoughts....."

 

A pair of geese were preparing for their seasonal migration. A frog, watching this every year, was always curious to experience this journey. It asked the geese if he could go along too. The geese, taken aback, said they didn't know how. The frog suggested that they hold a stick between their two beaks and he would hang onto that while they flew! The geese hesitantly agreed and soared in the sky with the frog.

 

Another bird flying by, amazed at the sight, asked the geese how they came up with this idea!

 

The frog, unable to control his excitement at 10000 ft, opened his mouth and said, "it was MY idea.."

 

Me: "What did that tell you? Think it over and we will discuss on the next call."

 

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Annette Kyle managed around 60 workers at a Texas terminal where they loaded chemicals from railcars onto ships and trucks.

 

She faced productivity issues leading to penalties of almost $2.5 million being paid by the terminal to customers. This was owing to the workforce constantly complaining about something and not loading the goods on time!

 

Annette decided to lead a 'creatie revolt' to rectify the situation.

 

First, she personally sewed “no whining” patches on workers’ uniforms to discourage complaining!

 

Next, she got rid of her desk!

 

She said: "i should not be behind a desk but contributing in every way possible to achieve team goals!"

 

The team's attitude changed leading to a dramatic rise in performance through each member contributing a host of changes, including better planning, responsibility, transparency, metrics et al.

 

The average time taken to load a truck fell from 3hrs to within 1hr of arrival.

 

This transformation drastically reduced penalties to $10,000 next year.

 

When asked how she managed such radical changes, Annette said: "My Boss, Mr. Rock, shielded me from top-ranking leaders—he found the resources and support I needed but never discussed these moves with senior management until they succeeded"

 

Are you 'Annette' or the 'Rock'?

 

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A truck driver was on his usual delivery rounds to nearby places. It was dark by the time he finished and while returning he suddenly had a flat tyre.

 

He parked by the side and started changing it. Owing to the darkness, he accidentally kicked the bolts of the tyre which fell into a deep drain.

 

While he stood there thinking of a solution, an old lady with a bent back and stick in hand came by.

 

She: "What seems to be the problem?"

 

Driver: "Its nothing you would be able to help with. Carry on."

 

She: "May be. At least tell me so that I may think of someone in the village close by who might be of help.'

 

Driver(irritated): "oh, well, wanted to change the tyre and the bolts fell in the drain. Do you have a solution?"

 

She (after a few seconds): "Can't you take one bolt out from each of the other tyres and fix them here until you reach your destination?"

 

Driver: (Speechless)

 

I have been a 'truck driver' on many occasions and have also had the 'old lady' to solve my problem.

 

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Mr. Brown was running his family gardening business.

 

For as long as anyone could recall, the staff, current owner, his ancestors, the business, and everyone there was always happy, positive and optimistic. Naturally, people assumed that was because they were all successful.

 

This belief was further strengthened because there was a tradition of all the owners to wear a big lapel badge saying “Business is Great!”

 

No doubt it was but there were tough times too. Irrespective of good or bad times, the key was that the owners attitude was always the same. The badge invariably led to a conversation with every customer inquiring what was so great.

 

Mr. Brown would then talk about all of the positives of the business:

 

how he loved meeting with new people each day,

how rewarding it was as he helps staff grow,

how well the team got along, laughed, in the relaxed workplace

how he felt satisfied from finishing a job to the best of his ability

how new challenges forced them to learn something new everyday

 

The list went on!

 

However customers felt while walking in, they left a lot happier after a couple of minutes talking to the owner.

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When asked, Mr. Brown said “The badge was first. The great business came after.”

 

Near a battlefield, a rider passed a group of exhausted soldiers who were digging themselves into an important defensive position.

 

He saw that their section lead was on horseback and shouting orders at the men to work faster, dig deeper and threatening to whip anyone that didn’t complete their work within the hour.

 

When the rider asked the lead, “If this is so important why are you not helping?” The section lead said that he was in charge, and the men must do as he says. Irritated at being questioned, he said to the rider “You should help them yourself if you feel so strongly about it.”

 

Much to the surprise of the section lead the rider dismounted, worked in the trenches, side by side with the men until the job was finished. Once the work was done he congratulated the men and approached the puzzled section lead.

 

“Next time your rank prevents you from supporting your men, notify your top command and I will provide a more permanent solution,” said the rider, who was now up close and easily recognizable as General Washington!

 

What a great, practical leadership lesson!

 

As a leader one should be ready to roll up his/her sleeves and get to work with the team, when required. Just having fancy titles does not make one a leader.

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A farmer used to sell a pound of butter to a baker each week. After several weeks of buying, the baker decided to weigh the butter to ensure it was indeed a full pound.

 

When the baker weighed it, he learned that the butter was under a pound, which enraged him. He felt he was being cheated and he decided to take the farmer to court.

 

When in court, the judge asked the farmer how he was weighing the butter. The farmer said, “Your Honor, I am poor. I do not own an exact measuring tool. However, I do have a scale.” The judge asked if he used the same scale to measure the butter.

 

The farmer said, “Your Honor, I have been buying a one-pound loaf of bread from the baker since long before he began purchasing butter from me. Whenever the baker brings bread for me, I put it on the scale and then measure out the exact same weight in butter to give him in return. So, if the baker is not getting a pound of butter, he is also not giving a pound of bread like he promised.”

 

Aha! As you sow, so you reap!

 

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A boy once asked a wise old man what the secret to success is.

 

The wise man told the boy to meet him at the river the next day to get his answer.

 

In the morning, the wise man and the boy began walking toward the river, continued on into the river, past the point of the water covering their nose and mouth. At this time, the wise man ducked the boy into the water.

 

As he struggled to get out, the wise man continued to push him further down. The boy felt a fish slip by his leg and squirmed to get up even harder. The man eventually pulled the boy’s head up so he could get air. The boy gasped as he inhaled a deep breath of air.

 

The wise man said, ‘What were you fighting for when you were under water?”

 

The boy replied, “Air!”

 

The wise man said, “There you have the secret to success. When you want to gain success as much as you wanted air when you were under water, you will obtain it. That’s the only secret.”

 

Its all in the mind! If your motivation to achieve something is weak, so would be the results! Its easy to get influenced by the people and environment around but how we react and control our mind to focus is where the 'Air' is! Just because the fish in the water is comfortable, doesn't mean we could be too!

 

Sets you thinking, right?

 

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Anita, my flower vendor friend, with the smiling countenance and chatty nature is back! If you recall she was away for a while!

 

After usual inquiries about mutual well being,

 

Me: "So, business ok? not affected in your absence?"

 

She:(surprised) "Why?"

 

Me: (surprised): "I mean, you were away, right...and...you know...no one to look after it.."

 

She:"oh, no....my friends in these shops around me took care of it and things were as usual..."

 

Me: (more surprised): "but...i mean, are they not competition...would they not care for themselves first...?"

 

She: "doesn't work that way here, Sir....its all trust...we are like a family and no one lets the other down...."

 

Me: (curious)"How does that work?"

 

She: (pointing to people) "These three people handled it....one got the flowers daily and handled its sales, this one here managed sales of all other stuff I stock, this one here collected the money and handed over at my place every night!"

 

Me: "What if customers came and got pulled to their kiosk...? They too sell similar stuff, right?"

 

She: (laughing) "no, no...not here....if one comes to my kiosk, the sale WILL happen only from here!"

 

I was speechless! What a lesson in trust, teamwork and integrity!

 

Wish this was the case in all corporate teams too!

 

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McGinty needed to plough his field before the dry season, but his own plough had broken.

 

He decided to borrow his neighbour, Murphy's plough who, he thought was a helpful guy.

 

McGinty began to walk to Murphy's farm some distance away.

 

After walking a bit, McGinty thought, "I hope that Murphy has finished all his own ploughing or he'll not be able to lend me his machine..."

 

Then after a few more minutes of worrying and walking, he again thought, "And what if the plough is old and worn - he might not lend it to me, would he?"

 

After a few more minutes, he thought, "Murphy was never very helpful, maybe he won't lend it.. even if it's in working order and he's finished ploughing...."

 

He arrived at Murphy's farm thinking, "This old guy can be mean; even if he is done, he'll not lend it to me just so watch me go to ruin..."

 

He walked up Murphy's front path, knocked on the door, and Murphy said "Well good morning Mr McGinty, what can I do for you?"

 

And McGinty said, with eyes bulging, "You can take your bloody plough, and you can stick it up your backside!"

 

What happened here? Whenever we face a challenge, doubts assail and cloud our mind!

 

How we tackle those doubts and keep thinking positively is in our hands!

 

You don't want to be McGinty, do you?

 

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A family of squirrels had been living in an oak tree for generations. The tree supplied all the acorns for them to eat, enough shade and protection from predators.

 

As the tree got older, it started to die and wither. With it went the comfort that it was providing to the family.

 

Nibbles, the eldest son of the family said they had to move and find a new home. Uncle Nutty, the oldest member, argued that it was not safe to move and that they should stay put and manage.

 

Slowly but steadily, the other members of the family moved out one by one until Uncle Nutty was left all alone in the old tree.

 

He adamantly stayed on, became weak and bony due to lack of food, shade and proper comfort. No amount of pleading from others changed his mind and they finally stopped visiting him.

 

Uncle Nutty had taken it for granted that all of them were killed by predators.

 

One day he crawled out in search of food and was surprised to see that the entire family was living happily in another healthy tree, hardly a few hundred meters away from the old one!

 

Change is inevitable! Think of some of the iconic companies that have perished due to their inability to change.

 

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A radio conversation between a US naval ship and Canadian maritime contact apparently took place somewhere in the coastal waters off Canada.

 

US Naval vessel: Please divert your course 15 degrees North to avoid a collision.

 

Canadians: Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees South to avoid collision.

 

US Naval vessel: This is the captain of a US navy ship; I say again divert your course.

 

Canadians: No. I say again, you divert YOUR course.

 

US Naval vessel: We are the USS Lincoln. The second largest ship in the US fleet. We have destroyers, cruisers and other support vessels with us. Alter your course or we will take counter-measures to ensure safety of this ship.

 

Canadians: We are a lighthouse! Your call.

 

Aha!

 

While there has been a huge debate about whether this is a real conversation or not, the message is still so relevant for all!

 

Ever so often we end up making assumptions and react before getting all the facts in order, be it in our personal or professional lives!

 

As you begin the week and start work with your emails, meetings, interactions, et al think before you act!

 

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Sameer is a sales manager with an experience of over 10 years. In the 5+ years that I have known him, he is one with a reputation of being a go-getter. Was also doing very well with his current organisation and climbing up the career ladder rapidly.

 

I was, therefore, surprised when he called to say he was planning to quit and was seeking some advice before doing so. Upon inquiring as to the reason, he shared his experience.

 

On a project group call with a client, with more than 20 people present from the client and his organisation, Sameer, being the project lead, was being questioned by the customer for some minor delays. These were actually a result of hitches on the client side.

 

Before Sameer could explain, his Manager started abusing him despite being aware of the reality. Given no opportunity to speak and being part of a group call, Sameer chose to remain silent.

 

Later, his Manager called to say that he was sorry but he "had" to do what he did to "save" Sameer!!

 

It was too late and the damage was done! It felt like bolting the stable doors after the horses had fled!

 

Inability of Managers/Leaders to back their team under any circumstances and take ownership, makes them unworthy of being a leader.

 

What would you do if you were Sameer? Do share your thoughts.

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One sunny day a pig and a chicken were walking down a long road into town.

 

As they were passing one of the local restaurants, the chicken turned to the pig and said, “I have an idea. How about we open up a restaurant?” The pig agreed that was a great idea!

 

“What will we serve at our restaurant?” the pig asked.

 

“Ham and eggs of course!” said the chicken.

 

“Whoa! Not so fast Mr. Chicken” said the pig. “While you’re simply making a contribution, I’m making a real commitment!”

 

Think of that last statement!

 

The same happens in many teams in an organisation too. The levels of commitment, skills, efficiency, collaboration all differ. As a result, some members get away with doing very little and some carry a much heavier load than necessary.

 

Its upto the Manager/Leader to ensure that he/she recognises the strengths and pitfalls of each member, uses their skills appropriately and equitably allocates work to get the best out of them.

 

Failure to do so only leads to a dysfunctional team, negativity and then the journey is all downhill from there!

 

What do you think?

 

Story credit: Michael G Rogers' book titled "You are the Team"!

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A man joined a monastery where the monks were only allowed to speak two words every five years.

 

At the end of five years they were given an audience where they could say their two words.

 

At the end of his first five years, the novice simply said, “Bed hard.”

 

At the end of the tenth year, he said, “Food bad.”

 

Then at the end of the fifteenth year his two words were, “I quit.”

 

“I’m not surprised,” said the abbot, “you’ve done nothing but complain ever since you came here.”

 

If just 6 words in 15 years 'branded' the man negatively, imagine what could happen to employees/managers/leaders who speak daily, for hours and with a variety of people!

 

The reality is that it doesn’t take much to be seen as a complainer.

 

What image of yourself do you want to build?

 

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Anna, a little girl from a remote village in former Yugoslavia, was excited about her new school. Having completed her primary schooling in her village, she had to transfer to a new school for higher classes.

 

On her first day at the new school, she was mocked by other students given her modest dress & appearance. The teacher stopped the children and formally introduced Anna as the new student.

 

A blissfully ignorant Anna continued to enjoy her first day at school.

 

As a pop quiz for the day, the teacher asked the students to list out the 7 wonders of the world.

 

The excited students started working and listed out as many as they could recollect - The Taj Mahal, Tower of Pisa, Pyramids, etc. and handed in their sheets, except Anna.

 

Upon inquiring, Anna said to the teacher that there were so many wonders and she was thinking which ones to choose! Though a bit surprised, the teacher encouraged her to write whatever she could.

 

Later, going through the papers, she was shocked to see Anna's answers!

 

She had listed her 7 wonders as - The ability to see, hear, feel, smell, taste, love and be kind!

 

The little village girl had reminded her teacher (& us!) a great lesson of gratitude!

 

Do you have an attitude of gratitude?

 

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An American Pastor, late Harry Emerson Fosdick once talked about how, in the mountains of Colorado, lies the ruins of a gigantic tree which had stood for hundreds of years.

 

It was just a seedling when Columbus landed and just about half grown when the pilgrims settled at Plymouth.

 

During its long life, the huge tree had been struck by lightning fourteen times and endured adversities including avalanches and storms.

 

However, it wasn’t any of those things that brought it down. What brought it down was an insect – a beetle to be exact.

 

An army of beetles had attacked its innards by chewing its way though the bark and destroying its strength and leveling it to the ground.

 

This giant hadn’t withered or died due to any natural calamity but was brought down by a small beetle, so small that it could be crushed between the thumb and forefinger.

 

So it is with corporate leaders. Most leaders will probably survive lightning, avalanches and other adversities of business, but it is the small things that they have to keep an eye on.

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Envy, pettiness, gossip and negativity, to name just a few, can creep in and quickly destroy the culture.

 

Culture and leadership depends on the recognition of the small things and acting quickly upon their potential cumulative effect.

 

She fought like hell for workers! They were like her children and hence her moniker “Mother” Jones!

 

She grew the membership of mine workers union in America from 10,000 to 300,000! This was in the 1890s.

 

She was in her sixties at this time; an Irish immigrant in the USA.

 

She had had just some training to be a teacher and dressmaker.

 

When she was around 30, she lost her husband and four children in an epidemic outbreak, all at once!

 

She rebuilt her life in Chicago as a dressmaker. Then her shop burned down in a great fire in 1871.

 

She was made of steel. She reinvented herself.

 

She worked various obscure jobs for the next few years and was moved by the plight of her co-workers.

 

She was fearless and fought against the powers that be for workers rights.

 

she criss-crossed America advocating tirelessly for better hours, wages and working conditions for workers.

 

She became a national phenomenon and was instrumental in bringing about favourable changes.

 

She had passion, drive, commitment, purpose.

 

All this in the 19th century.

 

She was Mary Harris, born 1837, in Cork, Ireland to an ordinary farmer.

 

And yet, in the 21st Century, we are still discussing/debating/questioning diversity & capability of women leaders!

 

Sad, right?

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Sir Nicholas Winton may not a be a very famous, public figure but then, he was way beyond being just 'regular' famous!

 

A Jewish immigrant to Britain and a banker by profession, Nicholas organised the escape of 669 lucky, Jewish children from Czechoslovakia to Britain to save them from being killed by the Nazis. A dangerously selfless act which could have cost him his own life!

 

The real story though, starts in 1988. A full 43 years after the war ended! Nicholas's wife, Grete, found the list of names & details of all the 669 children tucked away in their attic. Nicholas had not spoken about his extraordinarily humanitarian deed, ever, till that date!

 

BBC later honoured him by organising a surprise TV show where all the surviving 669 children saved by Nicholas were invited! He was also knighted by the British Govt in 2002!

 

What an extraordinary example of leadership!

 

Sense of purpose, commitment, conviction, risk, empathy and yet, no expectation or pride or ego even after such an astounding achievement of the mission!

 

Who else do you know of such an exemplary club?

 

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A king received a gift of two magnificent peregrine falcons from Arabia, the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave them to his head falconer to be trained.

 

Months passed and one day the head falconer informed the king that though one of the falcons was flying majestically, the other had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived.

 

Try as he might, calling in the best healers, sorcerers and other experts, nothing worked.

 

Having tried everything else, the king thought, "May be I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem." He summoned a farmer for help.

 

In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above the palace gardens. He said to his court, "Bring me the doer of this miracle."

 

The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The king asked him, "How did you make the falcon fly?"

 

With head bowed, the farmer said, " It was very easy, your highness. I simply cut the branch of the tree where the bird was sitting.”

 

What a simple, yet powerful message!

 

We are all made to ‘fly’ but we cling to the ‘branches’ that are familiar to us. The possibilities are endless, but for many of us, they remain undiscovered.

 

Have you cut your ‘branch’?

 

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An old, traditional brewery decided to modernise by installing a new canning line to market directly thru supermarkets.

 

Watching the installation, three men stood discussing transport and distribution. One was the present manager, second his predecessor and the third a retired one; collectively representing three generations spanning 60 years.

 

The present manager confessed that his job was becoming more stressful because policy required long deliveries be made on Monday and Tuesday, short ones on Fridays, and rest mid-week.

 

"It's so difficult to schedule efficiently and its only going to get tougher with the tight demands of the supermarkets."

 

"It was the same in my day," said the predecessor, "It always seemed strange to me that trucks returning early on Mondays and Tuesdays couldn't be used for little local runs, because these had to be left until Friday."

 

The retired man thought hard and then said "I think I remember the reason now, during the WW II fuel rationing was introduced and so we had to stop using trucks and use horses. On Mondays the horses were well-rested after the weekend - hence the long deliveries. By Friday the horses were so tired and hence the short local drops."

 

Got it?

 

Question the status quo and keep thinking of doing things better!

 

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It was shocking to hear the sudden passing of Mr. Matthews, a long time family friend! He maintained a disciplined lifestyle and was never ill, as we knew!

 

A career banker, he rose from a probationer to CXO of a leading bank. Over the decades, he had earned a reputation for being a honest, sincere and no-nonsense banker. The who’s who of the business world treated him with respect.

 

With his career growth, also came the associated ‘perks’ - respect, accolades, loyalists, material benefits et al. They all grew on him and by the time he retired, a sense of entitlement and self-importance had taken over!

 

He had retired just a few months before his passing and was in pretty good shape!

 

 

What then, happened?

 

His son shared the ‘secret’.

 

Mr. Matthews was confident that post his retirement, corporate leaders would be falling over each other to seek his advice. However, within a week of his retirement his calls/messages to them went unanswered and not returned. It was the same with some from his former team.

 

The shock that it was his ‘chair’ and not him that was being respected led to depression and ultimately, his demise!

 

EGO was the poison!

 

What legacy you leave behind is dependent on who you are as a person and not what position/title you hold.

 

Think! What say?

 

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A young man, who had just lost his father, came to The Master, Buddha, and asked for help. He said he wanted The Master to ensure salvation for his late father and that he would go to heaven!

 

The Master, realising that no sane argument would work with the bereaved man, asked him to do a task.

 

He asked the man to fill two pots, one with butter, the other with pebbles and asked for the pots to be tightly sealed. Once done, he instructed the young man to place the pots in a pond. Both the pots promptly sank due to the weight!

 

The Master now asked the man to jump in and break the pots by hitting them with a stick. The surprised man did as asked.

 

Once the pots broke, the butter floated up to the surface whereas the pebbles sank. Now, Buddha asked the man to make the butter sink and pebbles float!

 

The flabbergasted man responded by stating that it was impossible!

 

The Buddha then gently explained our life is similar to the butter or pebbles! Our actions and attitude determine whether we sink or float! Therefore, whether the dead man's soul goes to heaven or not is dependent on how he lived his life!

 

Expecting others to do something or blaming others for consequences that we face is unfair!

 

Its in your hands to decide whether to be butter or pebbles!

 

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It was a Catch22 situation!

 

in 2018, Los Angeles libraries found that a growing number of children were raking up debt through late fees because of not returning books on time! This was obviously leading to their never returning to the library ever again!

 

The rule book said that if the late fees were not cleared within a certain time, the membership was to be suspended.

 

Hmm..neither situation was conducive for anyone! Dilemma!!

 

Some deep thinking went in to come up with the novel solution that emerged.

 

The libraries announced that for readers under 21 years of age, late fees worth 5$ would be knocked off from their account, for every hour of sitting and reading in the library,!

 

What a simple, yet great solution!

 

The libraries logged in more than 50000 reading hours and reinstated more than 13000 accounts previously suspended!

 

Wow! A great example of Creative Problem Solving (CPS)!

 

Have you tried any CPS? If not, here’s your motivation to think of one for solving any issue at hand!

 

You have all the ingredients in hand: a relaxed Sunday, a Cuppa, a favourite seat and, hopefully, some lovely weather wherever you are!

 

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A Manager with one of our clients was working with his HR team to fill some roles on his team. Having shortlisted a good candidate, he asked the HR partner to make an offer for 50% of the salary that the candidate was currently at.

 

His logic? The candidate lost his job due to COVID, is currently working a temp job, and is desperate!

 

After making a weak effort to convince his 'senior', and failing, the HR partner asked for our help.

 

I had a chat with the Manager and after a long discussion set things right, albeit his reluctant acceptance!

 

Cut to Jan 2021.

 

The Manager called.

 

Manager: Sir, wanted to share something and also seek your help.

 

Me: Sure! Please tell me!

 

Manager: You recall the Nov 2020 hiring case we had discussed?

 

Me: Yes!

 

Manager: I now realise the truth behind that! I lost my job and the few offers that I am getting now are at half my salary, stating the same reasons I had used for that candidate!

 

Me: Well, I am sorry to hear but glad you realised, though the hard way!

 

What goes around, comes around too!

 

Learn to respect the experience and situation of other individuals.

 

Values. Integrity. Compassion. Ethics. (VICE)

 

This is one VICE that one should be an addict to!

 

What do you think?

 

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In an age when the term Venture Capitalist was still uncommon, Fred Smith managed to secure funding of a whopping US$80 million for a business idea he had - for a package delivery service.

 

The year was 1973.

 

He started operations and in the first year, they delivered 6 packages! With some changes to the plan, managed to grow to 186 packages. Still no good!

 

His detractors were watching and smirking to say “tsk, tsk, we told you so”!!!!

 

True to their thoughts, Fred’s company bled money and was going nowhere! A few years later the bank account whittled down to have a balance of just $5000. Creditors were queuing up and trouble looming larger!

 

Fred was a risk-taker and he did something crazy, unthinkable and without telling anyone about it!

 

He flew to Vegas with the last $5000 of the company’s money and gambled, literally! Luck was on his side and he returned with $27000!

 

With this, he got a few days breather and in this time managed to get further funding of $11 million!

 

The rest, as they say, is history! FedEx today is a name to reckon with in the logistics world!

 

Believe. Take risks. Forge ahead!

 

We may not all be Fred Smiths, but taking a calculated risk, at times, is healthy!

 

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The legendary Mughal Emperor, Akbar, was apparently known to throw impromptu questions in his court and seek answers. Needless to state, not everyone had the answer, every time!

 

On one such occasion:

 

Akbar: “Can anyone tell me the difference between Falsehood and Truth in just two words?”

 

A courtier: “Just two words? That's a tough ask,Your Highness!”

 

Akbar: “But that’s the challenge!”

 

Silence!

 

As usual, the maestro of wit & prominent member of Akbar’s court, Birbal, was summoned and the asked the same question.

 

Birbal (without a second’s hesitation): “Four Fingers, Your Majesty!”

 

Akbar (shocked): “What? How?”

 

Birbal: “Its simple, your Majesty! The distance between one’s ear and eye is four fingers.

Between what we hear and what we see for ourselves is what differentiates falsehood from truth!”

 

The entire court burst out in applause at the answer!

 

Think!

 

As Managers and Leaders, feedback is such an important aspect of the role & giving it based on hearsay/perception vs actual observation makes a world of difference.

 

Am sure you are trying to see if the distance between your ear and eye is actually four fingers!

 

I did, it is!

 

What are your ‘two words’ on this powerful lesson from Birbal?

 

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Just think of your life till date and the journey you undertook to reach here! Hold those thoughts there!

 

She was born deaf for starters. She struggled through her childhood blissfully unaware of her impairment. She faced rejection, resentment and even bullying at school to the extent of being called retarded but she soldiered on, somehow.

 

She grew up and one fine sunny day, while getting a tan on a beach in LA, was run over by a jeep in a freak accident! The doctors treating her gave her no hope but she didn’t “listen”! She spent nearly five years, in and out of hospitals, and fought death to get back to life!

 

Life moved on and she carried on with it!

 

In due course, during a routine check up, she was told she had cancer! Looks like God is not done with me yet, she thought! She was told she had six months to live! She refused to ‘listen’!

 

Today, she is a most sought after comedienne, and the first hearing impaired one, who shares her life story around the globe!

 

She is Kathy Buckley, an American ‘fighter’ who refused to ‘listen’!

 

If you had a journey like Kathy and made it thus far, you are a star! And, if you did not, you are blessed!

 

Naysayers, detractors, highs & lows are all part of life! How we handle them reflects our attitude!

 

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Born in a remote village in the interiors of Russia, Alexey Maresyev was a child who was sick most of the time. Prone to a series of ailments, he struggled to even get to school and. His dream, however, was to become an aviator.

 

When he came of age, the Communist regime assigned him to a construction team. However, Alexey NEVER forgot his dream! After his return, he joined the Air Force as a technician, later joined the Military School of Aviation and became one of the best trainees and was retained as an instructor there!

 

World War II broke out and, though Russia initially stayed out of the war, was forced to join when the Germans invaded it in 1941. Alexey’s dream finally came true and was deputed to fly.

 

In April 1942, Alexey crashed in enemy territory, both his legs were badly injured and he crawled to safety, for 18 days, in snow!! By this time, his legs were beyond repair and had to be amputated. Obviously, his career as an aviator was over, right?

 

Alexey just did not give up! In due course, fitted with prosthetics, he started walking and to dance too!

 

In 1943, he convinced doctors, re-joined combat flying and shot down 7 German aircraft! He was awarded the Golden Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union!

 

Are you considering giving up on anything? Think again!

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Anita is a small time, road side, flower vendor who sets up shop on a rickety wooden table and equally shaky stool, at a busy junction, from 6AM to 9PM, every single day! No 5 day week for her! I have been a regular customer for quite a while.

 

She is the third generation of her family running this show!

 

Anita is always smiling, chatty, enquires about the family, shares about her life events and generally always happy!

 

On my last visit, after our usual pleasantries, she said would be away for a while and I said, sure! What happened next was what really touched me!

 

Anita: Since I will be away for a while, I don't want you to be troubled in my absence. I have asked my friend, another vendor, who will fulfil your usual order.

 

Me: How do I recognise him?

 

Anita: Oh, no issues! He runs this little outlet behind my table and he knows you because you are the only one who says “thank you” every time you are here!! In fact, these folks selling stuff on either side of me know that too!

 

Whoa! I was left speechless! I had not even observed the tiny outlet or others around her's but people were observing every move!

 

A timely reminder, once again, that people do not remember us for who we are but how we treat them!

 

Relationships, kindness, empathy matter!

 

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Over the years, as a Manager & Leader, I have followed the principle of seeking periodic feedback from my key stakeholders - team, peers, seniors, friends et al (family gives it everyday, anyway!!!!).

 

In the same spirit, I thought, "let me pause and seek some feedback from my amazing Linkedin family!

 

I have been sharing stories over the past weeks and many of you have been kind enough to comment/like et al.

 

Thank you immensely for that!

 

What I share is definitely not rocket science but my purpose is to just keep reminding ourselves about simple truths of life - personal or professional!

 

A simple task for you today; to just share a line in the comments on

 

- what you like about the posts

- what else do you think I could write which would interest you

 

Needless to state, I will continue writing but your feedback would only act as a catalyst to think deeper and share more!

 

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A woman bought a parrot to keep her company, but returned it the next day

 

"This bird doesn't talk," she told the owner.

"Does he have a mirror in his cage?" he asked.

"Parrots love mirrors. They see their reflection and start a conversation."

 

The woman bought a mirror and left.

 

The next day she returned; the bird still wasn't talking.

 

"How about a ladder? Parrots love ladders.

The happy parrot is a talkative parrot." The woman bought a ladder and left.

 

But the next day, she was back. "Does your parrot have a swing?

No? Well, that's the problem.

Once he starts swinging, he'll talk up a storm."

 

The woman reluctantly bought a swing and left.

 

When she walked into the store the next day, her countenance had changed.

 

"The parrot died," she said. The pet store owner was shocked.

 

"I'm so sorry. Tell me, did he ever say anything?" he asked.

 

"Yes, right before he died," the woman replied. "In a weak voice, he asked me, 'Don't they sell any food at that pet store?"

 

We get so caught up with "good" things in our lives that we forget about what is necessary!

 

What say?

 

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A Mother was reading a magazine and her cute little daughter kept distracting her every few minutes.

 

To keep her busy, the Mom ripped off a page on which was printed the map of the world, tore it into pieces and asked the girl to go to her room and put them together to make the map again.

 

She was sure her daughter would take a lot more time and probably whole of day to get it done.

 

But the little one came back within minutes with perfect map.

 

When she asked how she could do it so quickly, she said,

"Oh Mom, there is a man's face on the other side of the paper. I made the face perfect to get the map right." she ran outside to play leaving the mother surprised.

 

There is always another side to whatever you experience & for every challenge or a puzzling situation, look at the other side and be prepared to be surprised!

 

What are your experiences?

 

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Was all set for a virtual session and just waiting for a few more participants to join. As it happens in most sessions, there was total silence, mute buttons were on, cameras were switched off, et al. To keep the audience engaged, I started having a general chat with those logged in.

 

Had a few known 'devils' (ex-team members) in the group and it was a while since we had connected.

 

One of the 'devils': "Sirji, you haven't changed much at all in all these years! Good to see you! On a lighter note, what's the secret of your maintaining your moustache thick and dark? Ha Ha!"

 

Me: Boss, thick is thanks to God, and dark is thanks to God(rej)!!!!

 

There was a healthy round of laughter all around and suddenly, all the cameras, audio got switched on, conversation kicked off around humour at work. What works, what doesn't, et al

 

Ice broken, an important session on 'Goal Setting', went off well with active engagement and interaction in the group.

 

Icing on the cake, a couple of participants connected with me post the session, requesting for an exclusive session on 'humour at work' for their organisations.

 

Humour at work, works!!! Provided one knows how and where to use it!

 

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An old lady worked for a long time as a floor maid at an asylum.

 

Annie Sullivan was a young girl who was brought in and caged because she'd bite and scream and throw her food. The doctors and nurses couldn't even examine her.

 

The maid wanted to help Annie but did not know how.

 

One day, she baked some brownies, walked carefully to her cage and left them there. She then rushed out immediately fearing a violent reaction. However, Annie ate them and slowly started being nicer to the maid and even occasionally laughing.

 

One of the nurses noticed this and she told the doctor and so, every time they wanted to examine Annie, the maid went into the cage first and calmed her down.

 

This is how they discovered that Annie was almost blind.

 

After working hard with her for about a year, Annie was transferred to an institute for the blind where she went on to study and she became a teacher herself.

 

Annie came back to the asylum to visit, and to see what she could do to help. She was assigned to a young girl who was absolutely unruly, blind, deaf and ‘deranged.' The girl’s father wanted someone who could work with the girl at home.

 

And that is how Annie Sullivan became the lifelong companion of Helen Keller, the Nobel Prize winner.

 

What’s our lesson from this touching story?

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Once a King sent his son to a great master to learn the traits of how to be a good leader.

 

The master sent him alone to the forest, for a year, and asked him to describe the sound of the forest upon returning.

 

Master: Describe all that you could hear

 

Prince: I could hear the cuckoos sing, leaves rustle, hummingbirds hum, crickets chirp, grass blow, bees buzz, and wind whisper.

 

Master: Good! Now, go back to the forest to listen to what more you can hear.

 

The puzzled Prince returned to the forest and sat listening. After a few days, one morning as he sat silently, he started to discern faint sounds he had not heard before. The more acutely he listened, the clearer they became. A feeling of enlightenment enveloped the boy. Upon returning,

 

Master: What more did you hear?

Prince(reverently): when I listened closely, I could hear the unheard—the sound of flowers opening, the sun warming the earth, and the grass drinking the morning dew.”

 

Master: Good! To hear the unheard, is a necessary discipline to be a good leader. For only when he has learned to listen closely to people’s voices, their feelings uncommunicated, pains unexpressed, and complaints unspoken , can he hope to inspire to be successful.

 

True for every corporate leader too, right?

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At an award ceremony for outstanding leadership, a very senior sales leader dedicated the award to his team!

 

The strange point was that he dedicated it to his team from his previous company!!!

 

Flashback....

 

Like most sales professionals, he was an assertive and 'driven' focused solely on numbers.

 

One morning, while he was busy reviewing data, a senior team member (STM) rushed in and before he could utter a word

 

Leader: Later, I am busy!

 

STM: Sir, I just got a call. My spouse has had a heart attack and i need to rush!

 

Leader (lost in numbers): OK. just make sure someone covers for you in your absence.

 

STM(shocked): ?????

 

Couple of weeks later, the STM returned to work and resigned asking to be relieved immediately.

 

Leader: What's wrong with you? You are a fantastic sales guy and doing brilliantly, your team loves you, I promoted you, gave you a good raise, what's the problem?

 

STM: My spouse passed away the same night that I rushed home!

 

Leader: What? How come I did not know? I am sorry to hear that!

 

STM:(Silence)

 

Of course, he did not stay, moved to a competitor and almost his entire team followed voluntarily!

 

Empathy & Humanity is key! Everything else comes next

 

Now you get why the 'strange' award dedication!

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An aged man, nearing the end of his life, was worried about his 3 sons who were constantly bickering with each other over everything. He was constantly thinking of how he could get them to be one and live a happy life.

 

One day he called them and gave each of them ten sticks and said the one who would break the sticks fastest, would inherit all his wealth.

 

The men quickly got onto the task and once done, started fighting among themselves as to who had done it the quickest. The disappointed father told his sons that the test was not done yet and one other round was remaining.

 

This time he gave each of them a bundle of sticks and said whoever breaks the entire bundle at once is the winner.

 

Try as they might, none of them could break the bundles!

 

The old man then called them and said, "do you see how strong the sticks are when they are bundled together? Similarly, imagine how strong you three would be if you stick together as one!" Needless to say, the men got the message!

 

How great it would be if ALL Managers/Leaders also used this analogy to build amazing teams, right?

 

Do share your experiences here!

 

Nov 2019. Conversation with a client MD, after completing a HR audit for his 10yrs old, around INR 100cr revenue, company!

 

Me: Hope you had a chance to go through the report? Your thoughts?

 

MD: oh, its very good, lot of things to work on. BUT this won't work for us. We are too SMALL and ONLY have 200 people...so we can manage as is.

 

Me: Well, with your growth plans, don't you think its a good idea to put things in place for the long term?

 

MD: May be later.

 

Me(after a 15min conversation): Well, I can't force you, your call! (I got paid, shook hands and we parted).

 

Dec 2020. Got a call from the MD.

 

MD(After pleasantaries): Badly need help with HR!

 

Me: Oh, sure! of course! What happened?

 

MD: Facing lot of issues with attrition, dissatisfaction, issues with statutory compliances, etc. When can you start work and I want your support on a long term basis.

 

Me(thinking): ITYS...(I told you so...)

 

Think 'small' about your people priorities, the org will remain small & your challenges will grow 'tall'!

 

Respect and manage the biggest asset well, people!

 

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A bus driver faced a curious problem on his route every single day.

 

At one particular stop, a big hulk of a guy got on, six feet tall, built like a wrestler, with long dangling arms. He glared at the driver and said, "Big John doesn't pay!" and went in.

 

Did I mention that the driver was five feet three, thin, and of a weak constitution?

 

Naturally, he didn't argue with Big John, but he wasn't happy about it.

 

This went on for a while and irritated the driver who was losing sleep over being taken advantage of!

 

Finally he could stand it no longer. He signed up for body building courses, karate, judo, and all that good stuff and built up his body! And felt good too!

 

So, the next Monday, when Big John once Again got on the bus and said, "Big John doesn't pay!," The driver stood up, glared back at the passenger, and screamed, "And why not?"

 

With a surprised look on his face, Big John replied, "Big John has a bus pass."

 

Be sure of what is a problem in the first place before working hard to solve one.

 

Quite often we over-evaluate the problems and start working on huge solutions spending time, money, efforts, energy and focus, whereas, in actual, problems eventually tiny!

 

What do you say?

 

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Julia Stewart rose from being a waitress to become the Chairperson of Dineequity, a casual dining business in the US.

 

She knew the in and out of what it meant to run the business smoothly.

 

As part of her regular visits to the various restaurants, she walked into the food preparation area to see how things were going. She stopped by and spent time with each employee who was handling a different responsibility and either complimented them in public or gently showed them 1:1 on how to do something better.

 

Julia spent 15 mins going around the place, taking to employees, gave them a pat on the back, suggestions on what could be done differently, etc and left.

 

That short visit and learning from the Chairperson herself, energised the employees and inspired them to work better.

 

So, what’s the big deal you may ask? Key points to ponder as a leader.

 

- Know the business inside out

- Spend quality time with frontline employees regularly

- Mentor/coach employees whenever there is an opportunity

- Share a kind word of appreciation periodically

- Believe that their people are the true assets

 

Look forward to hearing your views!

 

Like many of my of countrymen (& women!) I am a cricket fan too, not a fanatic, but still a big fan! (After all, I am Indian!!!!). An exciting last day of the cricket season in Australia is in progress at this moment and our team has redeemed itself splendidly Down Under, again!

 

Some lessons for life, of the many, that can be gleaned from this great game are these:

 

There is NEVER just YOU in a team! Camaraderie and backing up for each other is crucial to success. (Ask Shradul and Sundar!)

 

There will be adversity to face. Get up and keep running. (Turnaround from the debacle to glory at Adelaide!)

 

There will always be highs & lows. Don't give up. (Aussie bowling peppered with bouncers, short one, body blows, et al)

 

There will always be detractors, especially when you are doing well. Don't get distracted. Stay the course! (The Aussie sledge fest & psychological games!)

 

Opportunity rarely knocks twice! Grab it when you see it! (Ask Siraj and Saini & Rahane on the captaincy!)

 

Add your 'cricketing lessons of life' to the list in the comments (if you are a cricket fan!)

 

A young HR Manager of an IT org messaged and asked for time to speak to seek some advice. We connected and after exchanging pleasantries,

 

Me: So, pls tell me....how can I help?

HR Mgr: We have decided that 30% of the workforce should return to office. When I speak to the identified employees and inform them of this, many are refusing to return.

Me: What is the reason for the refusal?

HR Mgr: All sorts of excuses - COVID still there, kids are at home, public transport still not safe, etc etc

Me: To an extent, they are right, isn't it? So, Has your organization taken all necessary protocols to ensure wellbeing at the workplace - like social distancing, sanitising, temp chk etc?

HR Mgr: hmm...I think so!

Me: (thinking): ?????

Me: (asking): Are you WFH and if yes, are you also expected to go back to office once people starting coming back?

HR Mgr: Yes, i am supposed to go back too.

Me: Are you ready to get back?

HR Mgr: Not really...not totally comfortable.

Me: Then, how are expecting your employees to return?

HR Mgr:

 

Lessons:

Don't preach what you can't/don't practice.

If you are not serious about your chosen profession, you are in the wrong one

Empathise and understand others perspective too

Learn the art of communication - its not only what to say but how to say it too!

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An old lady rushed home and directly started gargling with TCP (an antiseptic liquid)! Upon inquiring, all she said was something occurred at the post office!

 

What had transpired was this.

 

The old lady had gone to post a letter.

She bought a stamp, licked it and despite pressing and thumping and licking it again, the stamp failed to stick.

Lady: "Excuse me, this stamp won't stick," said the old lady.

Clerk:"You need to peel the paper off the back,"

The old lady put on her spectacles, fiddled, peeled off the paper - and then licked the stamp again.

Lady: "It still won't stick,"

Clerk:"It's a self-stick stamp,"

Lady (loudly): "Well this one isn't sticking - there's something wrong with it".

ClerK "It won't stick now because you've licked it."

Lady: "Well I'm totally confused now,"

Clerk: (Explaining)"Just give it here and I'll post it for you. These new stamps don't need licking. They are self-sticking"

The old lady continued to look blankly at the assistant.

Clerk: "Look," said the well-meaning but desperate post-office clerk, "Just imagine they've already been licked..."

 

Now you know why she was gargling with TCP!!!

 

Its a hilarious anecdote but highlights the importance of right communication! Know your audience and also not only what to say but how to say it as well!

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On hearing one of his students use the expression, "I don't know nothing about it..." a teacher took the opportunity to explain about double negatives and correct grammar.

 

The teacher: "In the English language a double negative makes the statement positive, so your assertion that you 'don't know nothing about it' is actually an admission that you do know something about it."

 

Encouraged by the interest in this among certain class members, the teacher went on to demonstrate more of his knowledge of world languages: "Of course not all languages operate according to the same grammatical rules, for example, in Russian, a double negative remains negative, although perhaps surprisingly, there is not a single language anywhere in the world in which a double positive makes a negative.."

 

At which a voice from the back of the classroom called out ironically "Yeah, right.."

 

Smart, right? Quick lessons:

 

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- Know when to stop talking!

- Humour can be a good way to make one's point

- Communication is not only a skill but an art too!

 

Do you have any smart stories or experiences to share? Would love to hear.

 

(Apparently this is a story based on a true incident at a Modern Language Association meeting in New York in the mid-1970's, reported in the NY Times.)

 

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Yogi Aeron, Munna Master, Sathyanarayan Mundayoor, Usha Chaumar.

 

Do the names ring a bell? At least, not to me till this morning!

 

Look up the 'Padma' awardees list of 2021! These are some of the names that appear on the list

 

No limelight till date, no jarring publicity, quietly going about their work with passion, commitment, dedication and with no expectation!

 

Goes to show that a sense of purpose and dedication to a cause are key to achieving a goal. Rest of the ingredients will fall into place.

 

Kudos and respect to all the winners on this list!

 

Do share your views!

 

Reminds me of Robin Sharma's book "The Leader Who Had no Title"!

 

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A heart surgeon took his car to his local garage for a regular service, where he usually exchanged a little friendly banter with the owner, a skilled but not especially wealthy mechanic.

 

"So tell me," says the mechanic, "I've been wondering about what we both do for a living, and how much more you get paid than me.."

 

"Yes?.." says the surgeon.

 

"Well look at this," says the mechanic, as he worked on a big complicated engine, "I check how it's running, open it up, fix the valves, and put it all back together so it works good as new.. We basically do the same job don't we? And yet you are paid ten times what I am - how do you explain that?"

 

The surgeon thought for a moment, and smiling gently, replied,"Try it with the engine running.."

 

Humans, in general, have the tendency to judge the work or importance of others without the right perspective in place.

 

Every task requires a different skill and not everyone may have all the skills, always!

 

Its important to focus on what we are good at and build on that.

 

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In 1968, 3M scientist Dr Spencer Silver discovered a formula for a glue which didn’t seem to work properly. It was sticky, but didn’t stick! Another failed experiment?

 

Possibly, if not for the predicament of a colleague.

 

Silver’s colleague Art Fry was experiencing a problem. A very frustrating problem. Whilst singing in the church choir his book marks kept falling out of the hymnal, causing him to lose his page. Fry needed a repositionable note, one which would stick, but would not remain stuck. Six years after Silver’s “failed” experiment, Fry remembered his colleague’s low-tack glue.

 

You may think the story ends here and that the rest is history, but connecting a problem to a possible solution was only the beginning.

 

Using 3M’s 15% rule, it took Fry another three years to create a practical product. Post-it notes were first introduced in 1977, and were in mass production by 1980.

 

Today, Post-it is a globally recognised brand, with around 600 products.

 

One never fails, only learns or wins!

 

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Me: Hey, Chief! Back in India?

 

He: G' morn! back last week. Wanted to take the inaugural All Women Flight back but could not...had to return earlier due to work commitments.

 

Me: Great!

He: Its really so good to see....the all women flight, fantastic! Amazing to see women at the forefront in all fields now!

 

Me: (Thinking) true, but when it comes to actual 'action' and not many still firmly believe that women are well and truly capable and don't need to keep proving themselves all over again, every time!

 

Also Me: (Talking): True, its just that they have always been good (if not better than us men!) but just have not been recognized that way! So, like we discussed a while ago, why not we look at hiring only women professionals at your company. At least, in some functions/departments to begin with.

 

He: Arre...no yaar! that will not work!

 

Me: Why?

 

He: See, they have lot of personal commitments and may not be able to focus on work fully.....plus managing women at work is not easy!

 

Me: (Thinking) : ?????? but you just said......????

 

Should I be confused, angry, amused, ????

 

Why is it all good when its happening elsewhere but when it comes to my company, it won't work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

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On an interview call with an individual with over 12yrs of experience, for a HR Lead role. During the conversation,

 

Me: Could you share some details on what initiatives you have undertaken towards employee engagement?

 

Candidate: We have a very open culture in our organisation. We celebrated Valentine's Day and we also have no problem if our employees hook up at this event. We provide balloons and other decorations also.

 

Me: (thinking)...?????

 

Courteously ended the call after a few minutes after thanking the individual.

 

If experienced HR professionals see employee engagement with such a narrow lens, no wonder the HR function, in general, does not get the respect it deserves.

 

As you sow, so you reap!

 

My fellow HR professionals - Think big, think business, think growth, think talent. HR goes beyond just payroll, fun events and grievance handling!

 

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A few years ago, Market Basket, a thriving, family owned, Supermarket chain ran into a unique situation!

All Its stakeholders - customers, employees, suppliers went on a protest against the chain and boycotted it- employees stopped working, customers stopped buying, suppliers stopped supplying.

 

Why?

 

The Board of Directors, under pressure from one of the members, had decided to fire the CEO at the time without a strong cause. The CEO was the cousin of the director and the obvious reason was the billions at stake!

 

Have you ever heard of such loyalty and support from all concerned for a CEO??

 

Stakeholders had their reasons for protesting. Under the leadership of the current CEO,

 

Employees said: they were paid well, treated with respect, opportunities to learn and grow, work culture & environment was amazing!

Customers said: prices were the best, were served with a smile and respect, the company did a lot of CSR for the community

Suppliers said: paid fairly and on time, treated with respect and never felt like they were just vendors.

 

In this age when we hear mostly hear cases of CEO's acting in their own interests and not the organization's, this is an amazing case study!

 

How great would it be if more companies operated on such values?

 

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A senior monk and a junior monk were traveling together. At one point, they came to a river with a strong current. As the monks were preparing to cross the river, they saw a very young and beautiful woman also attempting to cross. The young woman asked if they could help her cross to the other side.

 

The two monks glanced at one another because they had taken vows not to touch a woman. Then, without a word, the older monk picked up the woman, carried her across the river, placed her gently on the other side, and carried on his journey.

 

The younger monk couldn’t believe what had just happened.

He was speechless, and an hour passed without a word between them.

 

Two more hours passed, finally the younger monk could contain himself any longer, and blurted out “As monks, we are not permitted a woman, how could you then carry that woman on your shoulders?”

 

The older monk looked at him and replied, “Brother, I set her down on the other side of the river, why are you still carrying her?”

 

What a beautiful message about living in the present moment. How often do we carry around past hurts, holding onto resentments when the only person we are really hurting is ourselves and sap our energy.

 

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Mr. Friedman got lost driving through the countryside. He then made the mistake of trying to read his map as he was driving and soon landed in a ditch.

 

Luckily, he wasn’t hurt but his car was stuck in deep mud. He spotted a farmhouse and decided to ask for help.

 

Mr. Friedman met the farmer and told him of his predicament. Pointing out to his field, the farmer said, see that old mule out there? Mr. Friedman looked at the old, haggard and frayed mule then looked back to the farmer. The farmer said, “Yep, old Warwick there can do the job!”

 

Mr. Friedman shrugged his shoulders and thought to himself, I have nothing to lose, so the two men and Warwick made their way back to the ditch.

 

The farmer hitched up old Warwick to the car, snapped the reins and yelled out, “Pull, Henry! Pull, Nellie! Pull, Ted! Pull, Franklin! Pull, Warwick!” Then, with minimal effort, the aged mule popped the car from the murky sludge, the car was free!

 

Mr. Friedman stood in amazement. He thanked the farmer, patted the mule, then asked, “Why did you call out all those other names before you called out Warwick?”

 

The farmer just smiled and said, “Old Warwick is almost blind. As long as he believes that he is part of a team, he doesn’t mind pulling”

 

Positive motivation key to teamwork!

 

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In December 1937, a match between Chelsea and Charlton foot ball clubs at the Stamford Bridge stadium London was stopped in the 60th minute due to heavy fog.

 

Charlton's legendary goal keeper Sam Bartram remained unaware and kept on guarding the goal 15 minutes after the game had stopped, as he did not hear the referee's whistle because of the crowd behind his goal post.

 

He stood there with his arms out stretched and completely focused, looking forward so as not to be surprised by the opponent's shots.

 

Fifteen minutes later, when the stadium police approached him and informed him that the match had been abandoned, Sam Bartram said these famous words with great sorrow,

 

"How sad that my friends forgot me when I was guarding their goal post."

 

Bartram thought his team was attacking and not allowing the opposing team to get close to the goal post.

 

There are so many players in the field of life whose goal post one defends with enthusiasm and support, but when the situation becomes like a wave of fog, they walk out of the field and leave us alone.

 

Always pay attention to the goal keepers of your lives. Never abandon the one guarding your goal post.

 

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Dan Price had a tough choice to make and the 2 options he had were both not acceptable to him !

 

Dan is the founder & CEO of Gravity, a credit card processing company. He already had a reputation for being an amazing and unconventional CEO when he slashed his own salary from $1.1 million dollars to $70,000 just so that he could raise the minimum wage of his employees to $70,000!

 

Thanks to the pandemic, Gravity was hit hard and lost more than 50% of business! He realised that at this rate Gravity was about 6 months away from bankruptcy unless he fired 20% of his workforce.

 

He was unwilling to accept either situation, firing people or going bankrupt!

 

What did he do then?

 

Dan took a most stunning route to manage this situation! He held hour long meetings with groups of employees and transparently shared the situation with them. He then asked them to share how much of a salary cut each one was willing to take based on their personal circumstances. Each employee provided a diff figure and submitted privately to him!

 

With this, not only did Dan save Gravity but also avoided laying off people!

What a lesson in emotional intelligence and leadership!!

 

How great would it be if other leaders took such a great humanitarian stance to manage difficult situations!

 

A guy walks into a bar, alone, and orders three drinks!

 

Bartender: Waiting for your other two friends?

Guy: "Nope" and starts taking a sip from each glass.

Bartender (thinking): OK. good for me!

After three or four such visits by the guy, the bartender could not hold back his curiosity any longer and inquired:

 

Bartender: "Tell me, you come alone each week but order 3 drinks each time, why?"

Guy: My two brothers are in diff locations and every week, all three of us go out in our respective locations, order 3 drinks each, and feel like we are drinking together!

Bartender: "wow! that's some bonding!"

 

Three weeks later

Guy: 2 drinks pls!

Bartender: Sorry about one of your brothers! Hope you are ok!

Guy: "What's wrong with my brothers?"

Bartender: "but you ordered only 2 drinks this time."

Guy: "oh! that's because i am trying hard to give up drinking!!!"

 

Like the bartender, if the ASSUMPTION is that there is a message in this post, there isn't! Of course, other than the fact that we assume a lot of things in life without enough clarity!

 

Sometimes, its good to just have a laugh, go with the flow and not overthink; especially as we enter the last week of a tumultous year like 2020!

 

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A group of suppliers were invited to a quarterly meeting by the management of an institution for the mentally challenged. A facility tour was also part of the agenda for them to get an idea of how things were there. Bill, a kind hearted, long time employee and head of security was their chaperone for the 'tour'.

 

Bill observed one of the visitors constantly mocking the inmates and making insensitive remarks about them throughout the tour but did not react.

 

During lunch at the canteen,

 

The visitor: "Are all those who come here as crazy as the ones we saw?"

 

Bill: "no, only the ones who fail the test".

 

The visitor: "What test is that?"

 

Bill: "Its simple, really! We fill a bath tub with water, place a bucket, large cup and a spoon beside it, and ask the people what is the easiest way to empty the tub!"

 

The Visitor: "oh, that is a stupid question! Of course, its the bucket, obviously!"

 

Bill(Patiently): "Well, actually no! Pulling out the plug in the tub is the easiest way! Would you like us to book a place for you here?"

 

Its so common & easy for us to highlight and dwell on the weaknesses of others while not realising our own deficiencies!

 

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Nicole Snow! Chances are that not many may have heard that name!

 

Nicole is the founder of, Darn Good Yarn, one of the fastest growing online textile companies in the US.

 

A perfectionist, workaholic and taskmaster, Nicole not only pushed herself hard but did the same with her team too!

 

Just at a time when her business was ready to 'takeoff' to the next level, Nicole got to know that she was pregnant! This made her paranoid, that her absence would be a disaster to the business. She drove herself and her team even harder after to the extent that she made an employee cry!

 

Then came the day she delivered her baby and had to stay home.

 

A few months later when she returned to work dreading that things would be a disaster, she was surprised to find that, in fact, things were much better than before, business had grown faster, her team was more relaxed and things were progressing very smoothly.

 

This set her thinking as to what was it that was different between the time she left and now. She realised some key truths:

 

1. TRUST your people - you will never have ALL the answers.

2. ENABLE & EMPOWER the team to make decisions.

3. DELEGATE - Don't try to do everything yourself.

4. ENGAGE with the team and build an INCLUSIVE environment.

 

Success will follow!

 

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You know, for sure, what "https://" denotes in relation to the internet.

 

For those who may not, https:// stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol, the foundation for all secure communication across the internet.

 

What set me thinking was that if this one set of 4 words defines almost the entire foundation on which communication happens; that is a pretty powerful formula!

 

I used this thought to build my own philosophy of leadership. It not only meant thinking about what traits would constitute it, but actually walking the talk too! The one other factor that was on my mind was of an easy way to remember the formula!

 

After much deliberation of what had worked for me in my experience, and observations of many leaders who I was associated with; I honed in on the following, of course, https:// provided basis, and the ingredients too! So, here goes:

 

Humility - H

Trust - T

Transparency - T

Patience - p

Sincerity - S

 

There you have it, my https:// protocol!

 

Think of it! Do you agree that each of these traits are critical for leadership?

 

What’s your "protocol"?

 

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A leading US airline decided to use slightly lighter paper for its inflight magazine reducing its weight by 1oz. Doesn't sound like much right?

 

Well, it turns out that this 1oz reduction, calculated across all its flights operated over a year, resulted in savings of around 170,000 gallons of fuel, in dollar terms, around $290,000 in costs! Needless to say, it had other indirect benefits like reduction in carbon emissions.

 

catch your attention, now? Minor change, big impact!

 

As a HR consultant, more often than not, i hear the term 'cost optimisation' in organisations and the first act towards thia is either workforce reduction or pay/benefit cuts!

 

Why should people be the first target and why not other such ideas like the airline did, be thought of which can bring in the desired, if not higher, benefits?

 

People are an organisation's main asset and need to be treated as such with respect, valued and nurtured in its long term interests.

 

Of course, I am sure there are other companies which have thought of such ideas but they are still in the minority! Of course, going the other extreme of removing toilet paper from toilets, as i have heard, is also not the way to go!

 

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Quality vs Quantity - No brainer, right? Not everyone seems to think so!

 

Recent conversation with a Director of an organization.

 

Dir: Can you go through these profiles of trainers that I received and recommend which one suits best to deliver some training for our organization?

 

Me: (After going through the profiles) I suggest X as the real world experience and background + variety of programs delivered seems good!

 

Dir: Hmm...ok. I thought Y is good because of the NUMBER of certifications that the individual holds.

 

Me: Well, certifications on paper need not necessarily be a certainty of actual quality of content and delivery.

 

Dir: I think I will go with Y.

 

Three weeks later.

 

Dir: You were right. The quality is very bad and feedback from my team is even worse!

 

Me: Well.....I don't want to say ITYS (I told you so!)

 

Many organizations seem to continue to blindly trust certifications just listed on a profile! The more the better seems to be the mantra!

 

Training or for that matter any Talent/OD intervention is NOT a cost, its an INVESTMENT for the future! Choosing the right professional based on real time experiences and doing a 'pilot' is a far better choice than going with paper pedigree!