Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal had just played the longest match in Grand Slam finals history.
It was a great match of tennis, a true exhibition of resilience, strength, patience, courage, toughness and persistence; throughout those 5 hours and 53 minutes of marathon.
This is how champions are made, through constant grinding and pushing up against the wall. Both the players were so drained out that they could barely stand during the award ceremony.
After coming back from 5-3 down to win the fourth-set tiebreaker, Nadal was up a break at 4-2 in the fifth set against Djokovic, who seemed to be tiring. But the No. 1-ranked Djokovic, who needed almost five hours to win his semifinal against Andy Murray, somehow responded. He broke for a 6-5 lead and saved a break point before finally claiming the win.
This was a true exhibition of never say die attitude from both the players, however the physical and mental strength makes the big difference at the end. This is the difference between a champion and a mediocre.
It was just a great game of tennis at the end of the day.
Leander Paes has won men’s doubles championship and is runner up in mixed-double, which is good news for all of us.
The smell of winning sweat is always great and that keeps the players motivated to give more.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Going Down The Memory Lane
Recently I was in my hometown on a vacation and I got a chance to meet few of old people.
First to mention was my 1st grade school master, who probably taught me first lesions in alphabet. He barely recognized me, obviously so!!
Second was my high-school teacher, who remembered me and asked about my journey etc.
Third was my college professor who taught me few subjects.
The third was an interesting one as it appeared me that my young friends who are currently studying in that college where I studied do not have information about where things are going on outside corporate world, nor they have the direction required. It was almost similar affair while I was studying in there.
Few things never change!!
I also visited a village where I used to visit with my father when I was probably 6-7 years old. The houses, the people, the area where I played, where I fought with my sister; that all reminded me on my childhood.
It was kind of re-visiting part of my biography, like in movie ‘My Autograph’
Going down the memory lane, was perhaps describes it better!
First to mention was my 1st grade school master, who probably taught me first lesions in alphabet. He barely recognized me, obviously so!!
Second was my high-school teacher, who remembered me and asked about my journey etc.
Third was my college professor who taught me few subjects.
The third was an interesting one as it appeared me that my young friends who are currently studying in that college where I studied do not have information about where things are going on outside corporate world, nor they have the direction required. It was almost similar affair while I was studying in there.
Few things never change!!
I also visited a village where I used to visit with my father when I was probably 6-7 years old. The houses, the people, the area where I played, where I fought with my sister; that all reminded me on my childhood.
It was kind of re-visiting part of my biography, like in movie ‘My Autograph’
Going down the memory lane, was perhaps describes it better!
Monday, December 26, 2011
The monk who got his bike!
First of all, I am not a monk, but I guess I am heavily influenced by Robin Sharma!!
Second, I got a bike as gift and have started riding it (like pro???). I got this dream of biking after I read Lance Armstrong’s biography and got the required push/motivation in time.
Let me tell you, it’s a great oxygen pusher, which pumps in lot of O2 in to your system and riding that little machine in the morning is a divine experience.
It’s little different than brisk walking, which I am used to. It’s much tiring comparatively and needs constant focus on the road in order to mitigate the risk of rash driving of others.
But, it brings in lot of energy and cheerfulness due to high oxygen intake.
And I am liking it…
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Business trips and the time spent in reading.
Busines trips and the solitude time on the plane and airports gives lot of time to catch up on reading.
During my last business trip, i finished reading three books, in planes; between sleeps, on trams, on buses, cabs and in airports.
“The Secret Letters of the Monk who sold his Ferrari”
Jonathan Landry is a man in trouble. After a bizarre encounter with his lost cousin Julian Mantle'a former high-powered courtroom lawyer who suddenly vanished into the Himalayas.Jonathan is compelled to travel across the planet to collect the life-saving letters that carry the extraordinary secrets that Julian discovered.
On a remarkable journey that includes visits to the sensual tango halls of Buenos Aires, the haunting catacombs of Paris, the gleaming towers of Shanghai and the breathtakingly beautiful Taj Mahal in India, The Secret Letters of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari reveals astounding insights on reclaiming your personal power, being true to yourself and fearlessly living your dreams."
“The Leadership Code”
What is the leadership?
It's a question that has been tackled by thousands. In fact there are literally tens of thousands of leadership studies, theories, frameworks, models, and recommended best practices. But where are the clear, simple answers we need for our daily work lives? Are there any?
Dave Ulrich, Norm Smallwood, and Kate Sweetman set out to answer these questions--to crack the code of leadership. Drawing on decades of research experience, the authors conducted extensive interviews with a variety of respected CEOs, academics, experienced executives, and seasoned consultants -- and heard the same five essentials repeated again and again. These five rules became The Leadership Code.
In The Leadership Code, the authors break down great leadership into day-to-day actions, so that you know what to do Monday morning. Crack the leadership code--and take your leadership to the next level
“Unusual People Do Things Differently”
Unusual people are ordinary people who strive hard to do extraordinary things. They are sensitive to nuances, look to provide lateral solutions, dare to think out of the box, and often end up changing the rules of the game.
T.G.C. Prasad presents the views and experiences of sixty-five individuals, from well-known names like Mike Lawrie, Azim Premji and Mother Teresa to a chef, a masseuse and a service boy, with whom he has had meaningful interactions and who have inspired him. He includes people from a broad professional spectrum; CEOs, doctors, the director general of police, realtors, an attorney, a chartered accountant, a consultant and a sports coach are among those who make his list. Singling out a dominant factor from each person’s story, he outlines the journeys these people undertook and the behaviours they exhibited, and shows how these link up to the results they achieved.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Differentiate in the market place
Differentiation is the essence of strategy, the prime source of competitive advantage. You earn money not just by performing a valuable task but by being different from your competitors in a manner that lets you serve your core customers better and more profitably
The sharper your differentiation, the greater your advantage. Consider Tetra Pak, a company that in 2010 sold more than 150 billion packages in 170 markets around the world. Tetra Pak’s carton packages extend the shelf life of products and eliminate the need for refrigeration. The shapes they take—squares and pyramids, for example—stack more efficiently in trucks and on shelves than most cans or bottles. The packaging machines that use the company’s unique laminated material lend themselves to high-volume dairy operations. These three features set Tetra Pak well apart from its competitors and allow it to produce a package that more than compensates for its cost.
All successful companies have this kind of well-defined and easily understood differentiation at the center of their strategy. Nike’s differentiation resides in the power of its brand, the company’s relationships with top athletes, and its signature performance-focused product design. Singapore Air’s differentiation comes from its unique ways of providing premium service at a reasonable cost on long-haul business flights. Apple’s differentiation consists of deep capabilities in writing easy-to-use software, the integrated iTunes system, and a simplicity of design and product lines.
You can find high performers like these in most industries. The cold truth about hot markets is this: Over the long run, a company’s strategic differentiation and execution matter far more to its performance.
But differentiation tends to wear with age, and not just because competitors try hard to undermine or replicate it. Often the real problem is internal: The growth generated by successful differentiation begets complexity, and a complex company tends to forget what it’s good at. Products proliferate. Acquisitions take it far from its core. Frontline employees, more and more distant from the CEO’s office, lose their sense of the company’s strategic priorities. A lack of consistency kills economies of scale and retards the company’s ability to learn.
The entire last week was spent in sales reviews, forecast meetings and building a new business model for a new market, where the thought process was to differentiate in the market place.
The outcome of that thought process is this article...
The sharper your differentiation, the greater your advantage. Consider Tetra Pak, a company that in 2010 sold more than 150 billion packages in 170 markets around the world. Tetra Pak’s carton packages extend the shelf life of products and eliminate the need for refrigeration. The shapes they take—squares and pyramids, for example—stack more efficiently in trucks and on shelves than most cans or bottles. The packaging machines that use the company’s unique laminated material lend themselves to high-volume dairy operations. These three features set Tetra Pak well apart from its competitors and allow it to produce a package that more than compensates for its cost.
All successful companies have this kind of well-defined and easily understood differentiation at the center of their strategy. Nike’s differentiation resides in the power of its brand, the company’s relationships with top athletes, and its signature performance-focused product design. Singapore Air’s differentiation comes from its unique ways of providing premium service at a reasonable cost on long-haul business flights. Apple’s differentiation consists of deep capabilities in writing easy-to-use software, the integrated iTunes system, and a simplicity of design and product lines.
You can find high performers like these in most industries. The cold truth about hot markets is this: Over the long run, a company’s strategic differentiation and execution matter far more to its performance.
But differentiation tends to wear with age, and not just because competitors try hard to undermine or replicate it. Often the real problem is internal: The growth generated by successful differentiation begets complexity, and a complex company tends to forget what it’s good at. Products proliferate. Acquisitions take it far from its core. Frontline employees, more and more distant from the CEO’s office, lose their sense of the company’s strategic priorities. A lack of consistency kills economies of scale and retards the company’s ability to learn.
The entire last week was spent in sales reviews, forecast meetings and building a new business model for a new market, where the thought process was to differentiate in the market place.
The outcome of that thought process is this article...
The TCS Story ... and Beyond : Review
When a man who has headed an organisation – and it happens to be India’s largest IT services provider – for 13 years writes a book, you feel compelled to read it to gain a better understanding of leadership and management strategies. The TCS Story ... and Beyond by S Ramadorai does not disappoint in this regard. Ramadorai, who was with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for 40 years, has not only given an account of his personal journey and the strategy that TCS adopted but also provided a deep insight into the Indian IT industry, and the beginnings of the offshoring model that has made India’s software exports an over $60-billion industry, and TCS an over $8-billion company.
The TCS story is one of modern India’s great success stories. In this fascinating book, S. Ramadorai, one of the country’s most respected business leaders, recounts the steps to that extraordinary success. The inside story of one of India’s premier corporate institutions, this is also in part a history of the rapidly developing IT software and services industry in India, told from the perspective of an industry leader.
Ramadorai highlights how the Y2K problem created an enormous opportunity for the entire Indian IT industry to expand its client base. He explains how the company went about its vision of becoming a multi-billion dollar firm. In 2003, for instance, around 90 per cent of TCS’ revenues came from IT services. So the TCS core team drew a single bubble and added the text “IT Solutions and Services” on a PowerPoint slide. Five more bubbles followed on the PowerPoint slide: Global Consulting, Engineering and Industrial Services, Asset-based Offerings, Infrastructure Services and IT-enabled Services (or BPO). There we were with six neat bubbles on a PowerPoint slide. “We declared we would grow each of these into a $1 billion plus business,” Ramadorai writes.
Ramadorai also gives an interesting insight into the manpower angle, which is now the strength of the Indian IT industry. Today, TCS has over 200,000 employees (including subsidiaries). And in recent years, excluding the 2008-10 downturn, TCS has recruited about 30,000 people each year. “I am often asked how the induction and training of such a large number of new recruits happens. This is a skill that TCS has mastered, developing a very well-oiled system that transforms young adults into confident and competent professionals ready for a global career,” he writes.
Towards the end of the book Ramadorai has put in his thoughts on education in India and how vocational training has to be brought in and strengthened as that would open up more avenues of employment for the students passing out of the numerous schools and colleges. It would give a different means to livelihood to the millions who today strive to find a job and then try to find satisfaction with whatever job comes their way rather than being able to select a job as per their abilities and likes.
Behind the phenomenon called TCS lies a quest for excellence and an attention to detail—captured in the company’s motto ‘Experience Certainty’—that can benefit any organization. There is a great deal to be learnt from the TCS example, and Ramadorai outlines a vision for the future where the quality initiatives he undertook can be applied to a larger national framework. This is a book that every Indian who is committed to building a better and more productive future must read.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
It's Not about the Bike
It's Not about the Bike: My Journey Back to Life is an inspiring story of Lance Armstrong, great US athlete, who won Tour De France seven times in a row and more importantly came back from cancer to compete.
I just finished reading this book.
'I want to die at a hundred years old with an American flag on my back and the star of Texas on my helmet, after screaming down an Alpine descent on a bicycle at seventy-five miles per hour. I want to cross one last finish line as my wife and ten children applaud, and then I want to lie down in a field of those famous French sunflowers and gracefully expire: the perfect contradiction to my once anticipated poignant early demise. A slow death is not for me. I don't do anything slow, not even breathe.'
This talks about mettle of a winning professional, individual and character of a person who can think about winning from his cancer bed, think about winning Tour even when there were no sponsor to take him.
In 1996 twenty-four-year-old Lance Armstrong was ranked the number one cyclist in the world. But that October the Golden Boy of American cycling was sidelined by advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. His chance for recovery was as low as twenty per cent. Armstrong embarked on the most aggressive form of chemotherapy available and underwent surgery - including brain surgery - to remove cancer that the treatments could not reach.
Five months after his diagnosis he resumed training under a cloud of uncertainty. Armstrong returned to competitive cycle racing in 1998 when the United States Postal Service team invited him to join them, and from there he trained himself to victory in the 86th Tour de France in 1999.
Although scarred physically and emotionally, Lance Armstrong considered his cancer a 'wake-up call', one that crystallized for him the blessings of good health, family, friends and marriage
This is the story of a journey, from inauspicious beginnings through triumph, tragedy, transformation and transcendence. Filled with the physical, emotional and spiritual details of his recovery, It's Not About the Bike traces the remarkable journey of this great athlete to a singularly inspiring appreciation of life lived to the fullest.
This booked taught me one thing, never never give up. You can overcome obstacles in life though dedication, determination and hard work.
Salute to Lance, for fighting against all odds and showing a path !
Sunday, October 02, 2011
Habit of winning
The habit of winning makes a difference and with which most of the business or the teams go for a kill!
When you take a hard look at India’s debacle in England you find that there are echoes of it in the world of business. Three companies in the last month — Yahoo, Apple and Research in Motion (makers of Blackberry) — considered giants at one point, are in the news because there are questions if they can continue to be major players in their businesses. Yahoo, because in spite of multiple CEO changes it hasn’t been able to break out of its rut for the past five years; Apple, because Steve Jobs has stepped down as CEO and Research in Motion because it’s fallen way behind Apple and Samsung in the Smartphone race.
Great teams do not surrender meekly. Look at Sony. The Japanese electronics giant had suffered a series of failures in the first half of the decade before it entered the high definition optical disc format war where its Blu-ray disc went up against HD DVD from Toshiba. The war could have been the death knell for Sony but the company triumphed. It came back from the brink when Toshiba admitted defeat and launched its own version of Blu-ray in 2008.
Some teams seem to get in to constant winning, for longer time. So does the business. There is lot of similarity how a sports team or business team work. It’s extremely important to have the momentum of winning going. Because, as winning is habit, so does loosing.
There are several factors that make a high performance team. If you change any one of them, the equilibrium of the team will change and it might take a shift in team dynamics to make it work again. The role of coach is to give the vision to the team, to give the direction to win, to build the habit of winning. Like a coach, a CEO or a head of function need to build this culture of winning.
Technically speaking, coach or CEO, are not part of the playing team (operational team); but their contribution is in building high performance teams, building the team which continue performing and producing results for long haul. A coach or CEO can’t be man of the match, but they produce match winners.
They stand at background and build the culture. That is what a great leadership is all about.
Someone asked me about role of change in coach of India cricket team in team’s debacle in England.
Time to think how Gary Kirsten managed to build that habit of winning?
When you take a hard look at India’s debacle in England you find that there are echoes of it in the world of business. Three companies in the last month — Yahoo, Apple and Research in Motion (makers of Blackberry) — considered giants at one point, are in the news because there are questions if they can continue to be major players in their businesses. Yahoo, because in spite of multiple CEO changes it hasn’t been able to break out of its rut for the past five years; Apple, because Steve Jobs has stepped down as CEO and Research in Motion because it’s fallen way behind Apple and Samsung in the Smartphone race.
Great teams do not surrender meekly. Look at Sony. The Japanese electronics giant had suffered a series of failures in the first half of the decade before it entered the high definition optical disc format war where its Blu-ray disc went up against HD DVD from Toshiba. The war could have been the death knell for Sony but the company triumphed. It came back from the brink when Toshiba admitted defeat and launched its own version of Blu-ray in 2008.
Some teams seem to get in to constant winning, for longer time. So does the business. There is lot of similarity how a sports team or business team work. It’s extremely important to have the momentum of winning going. Because, as winning is habit, so does loosing.
There are several factors that make a high performance team. If you change any one of them, the equilibrium of the team will change and it might take a shift in team dynamics to make it work again. The role of coach is to give the vision to the team, to give the direction to win, to build the habit of winning. Like a coach, a CEO or a head of function need to build this culture of winning.
Technically speaking, coach or CEO, are not part of the playing team (operational team); but their contribution is in building high performance teams, building the team which continue performing and producing results for long haul. A coach or CEO can’t be man of the match, but they produce match winners.
They stand at background and build the culture. That is what a great leadership is all about.
Someone asked me about role of change in coach of India cricket team in team’s debacle in England.
Time to think how Gary Kirsten managed to build that habit of winning?
Sunday, September 25, 2011
The Spirit of Marathon
While returning back from Oslo this weekend, I watched a movie, ’The Spirit of Marathon’; it’s a documentary on marathon and runners.
It was very inspiring and motivating.
It’s a feel-good documentary that follows the lives and training plans of 6 runners and ultimately culminates with their running of the Chicago Marathon. It includes elite runners Daniel Njenga and Deena Kastor along with 4 other runners of varying backgrounds and performance levels.
I really enjoyed the insight to the various training philosophies and motivating factors of each of these runners. Getting that open and honest glimpse of what it takes to train for and run 26.2 miles from a diverse group was awe-inspiring. The movie allowed you to get to know the runners as they shared their lives and 4 months of training. From a single-parent trying to get her life back on track to a 70-year-old marathon veteran…this movie inspires everyone as we all can relate to some of their hurdles, feelings, and challenges as they prepare for and run the marathon.
This movie is more than a documentary about distance running, it’s a well-woven tapestry of inspiring stories with motivational music and athlete background clips that has you literally cheering for the athletes in their ultimate marathon race. Despite not knowing the outcome of the race (2005 Chicago Marathon), I still found myself on the edge of my plane seat cheering for Deena & Daniel as they kicked in that last 0.2!
For anyone that’s run a marathon, considering a marathon, or wants to understand the marathoner in their life…watch Spirit of the Marathon. Watching the training, injuries, personal triumph, and successes of these runners will have runners and non-runners, alike, thinking about signing up for the next marathon.
For those who don’t want to run marathon, still good see, you will for sure start running!
Happy Running!!
It was very inspiring and motivating.
It’s a feel-good documentary that follows the lives and training plans of 6 runners and ultimately culminates with their running of the Chicago Marathon. It includes elite runners Daniel Njenga and Deena Kastor along with 4 other runners of varying backgrounds and performance levels.
I really enjoyed the insight to the various training philosophies and motivating factors of each of these runners. Getting that open and honest glimpse of what it takes to train for and run 26.2 miles from a diverse group was awe-inspiring. The movie allowed you to get to know the runners as they shared their lives and 4 months of training. From a single-parent trying to get her life back on track to a 70-year-old marathon veteran…this movie inspires everyone as we all can relate to some of their hurdles, feelings, and challenges as they prepare for and run the marathon.
This movie is more than a documentary about distance running, it’s a well-woven tapestry of inspiring stories with motivational music and athlete background clips that has you literally cheering for the athletes in their ultimate marathon race. Despite not knowing the outcome of the race (2005 Chicago Marathon), I still found myself on the edge of my plane seat cheering for Deena & Daniel as they kicked in that last 0.2!
For anyone that’s run a marathon, considering a marathon, or wants to understand the marathoner in their life…watch Spirit of the Marathon. Watching the training, injuries, personal triumph, and successes of these runners will have runners and non-runners, alike, thinking about signing up for the next marathon.
For those who don’t want to run marathon, still good see, you will for sure start running!
Happy Running!!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Founder CEO or Professional CEO?
The founder CEO of my last organization, Manu Parpia, when he decided to pass the operational control to a professionally hired CEO; mentioned to his close circle that after a certain time founders need to step back and give control to a professional CEO and see he/she builds it to a great height.
Manu is back as CEO of Geometric after gap of four years, this is different story.
But, the point we need to draw is founder CEO or professional CEO.
It’s very difficult to take one side in this argument. We have seen cases, like Infosys where the founder team continue taking the charge, Wipro saw Pramji back in to helm after short time of non-founder CEO. At global level Google saw this kind of transition.
But, there are several example in medium enterprise segment, where professionally hired CEOs made it big and taken the organization in to a newer height.
As I wrote earlier, it’s very difficult to assume one way is best or the other. Founder CEO Model seems to work as one person or group of people seems to have control on the course of the strategy of the company, the direction it needs to take. (Though board decides it finally). It has disadvantages as well in not able to get out of the mold and scale to new heights. It will lack bigger ideas or broader market experience to position the company.
On the other hand, professional CEO would need lot of time to understand the organization culture and its strengths/weakness. Understanding the current problems and then creating a strategy to provide value to customers will be a huge task to manage.
Building the organization and managing the business and stakeholder’s expectation should be primary focus of the company.
If customer/business growth becomes the center of any company, it will have bright future.
Currently we are going through some organization changes in my company and these are the thoughts came to my mind looking at current state of merger and takeover.
Manu is back as CEO of Geometric after gap of four years, this is different story.
But, the point we need to draw is founder CEO or professional CEO.
It’s very difficult to take one side in this argument. We have seen cases, like Infosys where the founder team continue taking the charge, Wipro saw Pramji back in to helm after short time of non-founder CEO. At global level Google saw this kind of transition.
But, there are several example in medium enterprise segment, where professionally hired CEOs made it big and taken the organization in to a newer height.
As I wrote earlier, it’s very difficult to assume one way is best or the other. Founder CEO Model seems to work as one person or group of people seems to have control on the course of the strategy of the company, the direction it needs to take. (Though board decides it finally). It has disadvantages as well in not able to get out of the mold and scale to new heights. It will lack bigger ideas or broader market experience to position the company.
On the other hand, professional CEO would need lot of time to understand the organization culture and its strengths/weakness. Understanding the current problems and then creating a strategy to provide value to customers will be a huge task to manage.
Building the organization and managing the business and stakeholder’s expectation should be primary focus of the company.
If customer/business growth becomes the center of any company, it will have bright future.
Currently we are going through some organization changes in my company and these are the thoughts came to my mind looking at current state of merger and takeover.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Stockholm thoughts….
In Stockholm today; after too much of waiting at airports, first in Delhi and then in Frankfurt. Tired!
I have been thinking ever since I started from India, why I am traveling? :)
Why this feeling? Is it because of emotional rollercoaster? Or just, plain physically tired? Or it is really there is no business involved?
No, third can’t be true, I have about three and half dozen meetings lined up in next two weeks and very important decisions to be made; so there is a need for this travel.
So, it’s either one of the two remaining.
I was watching a demo robot in Frankfurt airport; sometimes it’s better to be a robot, emotionless!! But, reality is you are not a robot.
And you can’t be one either….
I have been thinking ever since I started from India, why I am traveling? :)
Why this feeling? Is it because of emotional rollercoaster? Or just, plain physically tired? Or it is really there is no business involved?
No, third can’t be true, I have about three and half dozen meetings lined up in next two weeks and very important decisions to be made; so there is a need for this travel.
So, it’s either one of the two remaining.
I was watching a demo robot in Frankfurt airport; sometimes it’s better to be a robot, emotionless!! But, reality is you are not a robot.
And you can’t be one either….
Sunday, September 04, 2011
The light of life….Deepavu ninnade
One of my favorite all time kannada song, which captures the complexity of life is from Mysore Mallige album. It made me to think that poet has captured the essence of life so nicely;
Whenever I listen to this song-am mesmerized- it’s so thought provoking, takes me into another world – forget myself and the surrounding. Life is so uncertain, everything is the divine play of the supreme lord….the song says the same:
Deepavu Ninnade gaLiyu ninnade, aaradirali beLaku
kaDalu ninnade, haDagu ninnade muNugadirali badaku……..
‘Everything is yours- the light, air, water……do not put off the light of life- the shore/bank (as in river)belong to You oh god, so does the boat in which we sail-do not let the life drown/get washed away’
BeTTavu ninnade, bayalu ninnade, habbi nagali preeti
neLalu bisilu yellavu ninnave irali ekareeti
The mountains and the plains are yours; let love blossom(the poet means to say let there be vegetation/there ought not be a draught)
The sunny days and rainy are yours -measure them on a same scale
Alle ondu siDilu iigondu mugilu,ninage alankara
alle ondu hakki, ille ondu muguLu ninage namaskara
kaDalu ninnade,haDagu ninnade muLugadirali baduku….
The roaring thunder and the rain clouds adorn you like jewels; the birds and smiling faces sing thy praise…..don’t let the boat of life to be drowned
Alli raNa dundubhi illi ondu veeNe ninna pratidwani,
aa mahakavya, ii bhavageete ninna padadhwani
deepavu ninnade, gaLiyu ninnade aaradirali beLaku
kaDalu ninnade, haDagu ninnade muNugadirali badaku……..
Amidst the war cries, I string the melodious Veena which is your very voice; Epics have been written in your praise, I’m singing a song for you which I regard it as a foot-step to realize you……you are the light and wind too ; let not the light of my life extinguish, let the shore of my life along with the boat in which I sail by your support; not wash away/drown.
These are reflections of a thoughtful Sunday morning…
Whenever I listen to this song-am mesmerized- it’s so thought provoking, takes me into another world – forget myself and the surrounding. Life is so uncertain, everything is the divine play of the supreme lord….the song says the same:
Deepavu Ninnade gaLiyu ninnade, aaradirali beLaku
kaDalu ninnade, haDagu ninnade muNugadirali badaku……..
‘Everything is yours- the light, air, water……do not put off the light of life- the shore/bank (as in river)belong to You oh god, so does the boat in which we sail-do not let the life drown/get washed away’
BeTTavu ninnade, bayalu ninnade, habbi nagali preeti
neLalu bisilu yellavu ninnave irali ekareeti
The mountains and the plains are yours; let love blossom(the poet means to say let there be vegetation/there ought not be a draught)
The sunny days and rainy are yours -measure them on a same scale
Alle ondu siDilu iigondu mugilu,ninage alankara
alle ondu hakki, ille ondu muguLu ninage namaskara
kaDalu ninnade,haDagu ninnade muLugadirali baduku….
The roaring thunder and the rain clouds adorn you like jewels; the birds and smiling faces sing thy praise…..don’t let the boat of life to be drowned
Alli raNa dundubhi illi ondu veeNe ninna pratidwani,
aa mahakavya, ii bhavageete ninna padadhwani
deepavu ninnade, gaLiyu ninnade aaradirali beLaku
kaDalu ninnade, haDagu ninnade muNugadirali badaku……..
Amidst the war cries, I string the melodious Veena which is your very voice; Epics have been written in your praise, I’m singing a song for you which I regard it as a foot-step to realize you……you are the light and wind too ; let not the light of my life extinguish, let the shore of my life along with the boat in which I sail by your support; not wash away/drown.
These are reflections of a thoughtful Sunday morning…
’Main Khelega’
December 1989, Sialkot, Pakistan. It was fourth test match between India and Pakistan. And it happens to be fourth test of Sachin Tendulkar’s career.
Making debut at Sixteen, Sachin was seen as a precocious talent. However, several young stars had sparkled briefly in India’s cricketing sky and almost suddenly faded away as fast as they appeared.
The series was tied 0-0 after three tests. Despite conceding lead of 65 runs in first innings, Pakistan hit back through blistering spells from Wasim Akram and Waqar Yonus reducing India to 38 for 4 wickets. Experienced pros like Shrikanth, Manjrekar, Shastri and Azarauddin were back to pavilion. In walked Sachin, to join Sidhu.
Waqar bowled a nasty bouncer that went smack on Sachin’s nose. The poor sixteen year old was badly hit and his nose was bleeding so profusely that every one watching the match started feeling bad about this brutality.
As Indian team physiotherapist rushed to offer first-aid and Pakistan gathered to check out the bloody sight, where Sachin was shaken and was still bleeding. As the physio tried to stop the bleeding Sidhu suggested Sachin that he should retire hurt and come out later. That would give him some time to get his nose fixed. Even physio suggested him to get back to pavilion.
‘Main Khelega’ said Sachin, I will play!
A star was born. Those two words verbalized the fierce determination of a young man who was not going to quit.
Sachin could have gone into the relative comfort of the dressing room but he didn’t. The heat was on, India was in trouble. The pace attack had its tail up, the blood was staining his gloves, his shirt, his face, his spirit. But the kid would have none of it, Main Khelega, that’s it.
Sachin went on to score 57 runs and shared in a match-saving 101 run partnership with Sidhu. With two words- main khelega- talent transformed in to genius in Sialkot.
It’s always like that, what separates champions from mere mortals is not just talent, its attitude. Its mental strength, its willingness to fight when chips are down, its Main Khelega spirit. The spirit which keeps team’s need ahead of one’s own interest.
There are many times in our lives when the pressure mounts and we feel like throwing in the towel and calling it quits. That is just the time when we need to raise our hands and be counted. Time to say Main khelega…
Some years down, long after the little master blaster has retired, when we tell our grandchildren about the batting legend, we should remember to tell them and teach them, those two magical words that defined the spirit of the champion and which translates talent in to performance.
Time to say, Main Khelega…
Making debut at Sixteen, Sachin was seen as a precocious talent. However, several young stars had sparkled briefly in India’s cricketing sky and almost suddenly faded away as fast as they appeared.
The series was tied 0-0 after three tests. Despite conceding lead of 65 runs in first innings, Pakistan hit back through blistering spells from Wasim Akram and Waqar Yonus reducing India to 38 for 4 wickets. Experienced pros like Shrikanth, Manjrekar, Shastri and Azarauddin were back to pavilion. In walked Sachin, to join Sidhu.
Waqar bowled a nasty bouncer that went smack on Sachin’s nose. The poor sixteen year old was badly hit and his nose was bleeding so profusely that every one watching the match started feeling bad about this brutality.
As Indian team physiotherapist rushed to offer first-aid and Pakistan gathered to check out the bloody sight, where Sachin was shaken and was still bleeding. As the physio tried to stop the bleeding Sidhu suggested Sachin that he should retire hurt and come out later. That would give him some time to get his nose fixed. Even physio suggested him to get back to pavilion.
‘Main Khelega’ said Sachin, I will play!
A star was born. Those two words verbalized the fierce determination of a young man who was not going to quit.
Sachin could have gone into the relative comfort of the dressing room but he didn’t. The heat was on, India was in trouble. The pace attack had its tail up, the blood was staining his gloves, his shirt, his face, his spirit. But the kid would have none of it, Main Khelega, that’s it.
Sachin went on to score 57 runs and shared in a match-saving 101 run partnership with Sidhu. With two words- main khelega- talent transformed in to genius in Sialkot.
It’s always like that, what separates champions from mere mortals is not just talent, its attitude. Its mental strength, its willingness to fight when chips are down, its Main Khelega spirit. The spirit which keeps team’s need ahead of one’s own interest.
There are many times in our lives when the pressure mounts and we feel like throwing in the towel and calling it quits. That is just the time when we need to raise our hands and be counted. Time to say Main khelega…
Some years down, long after the little master blaster has retired, when we tell our grandchildren about the batting legend, we should remember to tell them and teach them, those two magical words that defined the spirit of the champion and which translates talent in to performance.
Time to say, Main Khelega…
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Training ground of global bosses
Recent addition to Time magazine has an interesting article on what factors account for the rise and rise of India-trained business minds, be it Vikram Pandit of CitiGroup, Ajay Banga or MasterCard, Indira Nooyi of PepsiCo, Nikesh Arora of Google or Ajit Jain of Berkshire Hathway.
Competitive and complex, India has evolved from a poorly run, centrally controlled economy into the perfect playground in which to grow a 21st century CEO. Indians think in English and we are used to multinational in our country. Indians are very adaptive and are supremely confident. The subcontinent has been global from centuries, having endured and absorbed waves of foreign colonizers, from the Mughals to Britishers. So, an Indian executive is raised in a multiethnic, multifaith and multilingual society, one nearly as diverse as the modern global market place. This kind of upbringing plays a huge role in shaping a global mindset.
India’s economic liberalization which began in 1991 was another blessing for this generation of executives. It gave them exposure to a young and fast-growing consumer market. The global competition due to globalization unleashed greater level of competition not only with international players but also with very competitive home grown players. This prepared the young executives to face the global competition and come out with the winning combination.
One of Indian manager’s great advantage is their native disadvantage: they have learned their skills in a country with huge aspirations but often faulty infrastructure. This Indian managers suit tough times, accustomed as they are to making complex systems work, even with finite resources. For Indians navigating uncertainties is an art, not a source of complaint. We have the training to deal with complexities. Growing up in a country where resources are often tight forces you to blow through the constraints and find the answer.
Indian executives tend to pay more attention to the bottom of the pyramid, or the lower-middle class as most part of the country lives around that income bracket. For any emerging market this market segment adds lot of value to the business. And understanding of that business area prepares the Indian executive for a global job really well.
Overall, the current competitive business environment in India is preparing young executives to take up more challenging top management jobs across the globe. This is a very good trend.
Competitive and complex, India has evolved from a poorly run, centrally controlled economy into the perfect playground in which to grow a 21st century CEO. Indians think in English and we are used to multinational in our country. Indians are very adaptive and are supremely confident. The subcontinent has been global from centuries, having endured and absorbed waves of foreign colonizers, from the Mughals to Britishers. So, an Indian executive is raised in a multiethnic, multifaith and multilingual society, one nearly as diverse as the modern global market place. This kind of upbringing plays a huge role in shaping a global mindset.
India’s economic liberalization which began in 1991 was another blessing for this generation of executives. It gave them exposure to a young and fast-growing consumer market. The global competition due to globalization unleashed greater level of competition not only with international players but also with very competitive home grown players. This prepared the young executives to face the global competition and come out with the winning combination.
One of Indian manager’s great advantage is their native disadvantage: they have learned their skills in a country with huge aspirations but often faulty infrastructure. This Indian managers suit tough times, accustomed as they are to making complex systems work, even with finite resources. For Indians navigating uncertainties is an art, not a source of complaint. We have the training to deal with complexities. Growing up in a country where resources are often tight forces you to blow through the constraints and find the answer.
Indian executives tend to pay more attention to the bottom of the pyramid, or the lower-middle class as most part of the country lives around that income bracket. For any emerging market this market segment adds lot of value to the business. And understanding of that business area prepares the Indian executive for a global job really well.
Overall, the current competitive business environment in India is preparing young executives to take up more challenging top management jobs across the globe. This is a very good trend.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Workplace Social Networking
As social networking is catching up being essential part of our day-to-day lives, it’s apparent as how corporate sector is trying to make use of social networking to keep in touch with customers, employees and prospects.
Jive software, though hardly a household name, it is catching up on its social-flavored web collaboration as what Facebook has done to our social networking.
Jive has about 3000 customers, including Nike, HP, Cisco and SAP. Its software is in use by 15 million employees to sync on projects with co-workers, vendors and customers. It offers blogs, user profiles, Twitter like status updates, Wiki-like document sharing and a ‘what matters’ news feed of all the people and projects you are following. People can also share and tag pictures, video and other contents.
So, how Jive is different than Facebook?
Its ability to work like an Enterprise Social Network software is what makes Jive more standout when comes to cluttered social networking area. It does much more than Linkedin (Linkedin’s revenue model is different and it aims at targeting recruitment process and provides leads for hiring process) and provides enterprise look to Facebook/Twitter.
Jive is not without competition, Microsoft and IBM have software collaboration tools which have more or less with same features.
But for now Jive has first mover advantage and is doing well.
Jive software, though hardly a household name, it is catching up on its social-flavored web collaboration as what Facebook has done to our social networking.
Jive has about 3000 customers, including Nike, HP, Cisco and SAP. Its software is in use by 15 million employees to sync on projects with co-workers, vendors and customers. It offers blogs, user profiles, Twitter like status updates, Wiki-like document sharing and a ‘what matters’ news feed of all the people and projects you are following. People can also share and tag pictures, video and other contents.
So, how Jive is different than Facebook?
Its ability to work like an Enterprise Social Network software is what makes Jive more standout when comes to cluttered social networking area. It does much more than Linkedin (Linkedin’s revenue model is different and it aims at targeting recruitment process and provides leads for hiring process) and provides enterprise look to Facebook/Twitter.
Jive is not without competition, Microsoft and IBM have software collaboration tools which have more or less with same features.
But for now Jive has first mover advantage and is doing well.
A day spent in thoughts!!
I took couple of training sessions last week; it took me out of present tense and one day of weekend spent in the thought process and old memories.
By and large, ours is a teacher’s family, most of my relatives/cousins are teachers, lecturers or in education department.
I myself was taking tuition classes during my graduation to support myself and my engineering expenses. I like this profession a lot and have a normal tendency to be associated with students.
I kept on thinking, what I would have been if I were not in to this software industry. I bet you, I would have been a teacher or lecturer. I can’t think of any other profession!
But, life is a trajectory which always surprises you and takes turn when you think I took control of it. Sum of all the consequences is what we finally end up being.
Everything is a predestined in life, whatever supposed to happen will happen, and only that happens which is supposed to happen!
By and large, ours is a teacher’s family, most of my relatives/cousins are teachers, lecturers or in education department.
I myself was taking tuition classes during my graduation to support myself and my engineering expenses. I like this profession a lot and have a normal tendency to be associated with students.
I kept on thinking, what I would have been if I were not in to this software industry. I bet you, I would have been a teacher or lecturer. I can’t think of any other profession!
But, life is a trajectory which always surprises you and takes turn when you think I took control of it. Sum of all the consequences is what we finally end up being.
Everything is a predestined in life, whatever supposed to happen will happen, and only that happens which is supposed to happen!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
What is life?
What is life after all?
It’s about 100 grams of toddler, 300 grams of childhood, another 300 grams of youth, 200 grams of maturity, 150 grams of old age?
It is about very few liters of happiness, few liters of sadness, few liters of disappointment, half liter achievement, few milliliters of success, and few liters of fight to achieve few milliliters of success?
Krishna says in Bhagavad-Gita: it is not possible to understand life as whole; we can only understand a part of it.
So, why try understanding it? Let it be complex!!
It’s about 100 grams of toddler, 300 grams of childhood, another 300 grams of youth, 200 grams of maturity, 150 grams of old age?
It is about very few liters of happiness, few liters of sadness, few liters of disappointment, half liter achievement, few milliliters of success, and few liters of fight to achieve few milliliters of success?
Krishna says in Bhagavad-Gita: it is not possible to understand life as whole; we can only understand a part of it.
So, why try understanding it? Let it be complex!!
Agriculture Growth of India: Do it like Gujarat
In the 60 years since independence Indian agriculture has recorded an average growth rate of 2.7 percent. In last 30 years the rate has been slightly more than 3 percent, well below the target of 4 percent.
It is striking that the agriculture in seven sizable states (Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa) grew faster than four percent between 2000-01 and 2007-08. The star performer is Gujarat clocking eight percent, nearly triple the national average.
IIM Ahmadabad professor Ravindra Dholakia studied the trajectory of this growth. Broadly speaking Prof Dholakia lists six factors which helped Gujarat to grow faster:
• A sustained program of water conservation and management.
• A massive and well-coordinated extension effort
• A successful overhaul of rural electricity distribution
• A strong emphasis non-food crops like horticulture
• Sustained and comprehensive support to livestock development
• Major revamping of agriculture supporting infrastructure, including roads, electricity and ports.
This case study talks in detail about each and every initiative Gujarat government took in order to improve the agriculture output.
What is really striking is, a semi-irrigated state, where major part land is desert and land is not real fertile compared to few other states; it is really exceptional that the state government has done a complete overhaul of the situation.
It’s also important to note, Gujarat is also ahead in industry development, export business and it has developed itself as a transportation hub. It should be a good case study to other states; a sheer determination of the leadership can really change a state.
I see a big lesson of leadership and vision in this case.
It is striking that the agriculture in seven sizable states (Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa) grew faster than four percent between 2000-01 and 2007-08. The star performer is Gujarat clocking eight percent, nearly triple the national average.
IIM Ahmadabad professor Ravindra Dholakia studied the trajectory of this growth. Broadly speaking Prof Dholakia lists six factors which helped Gujarat to grow faster:
• A sustained program of water conservation and management.
• A massive and well-coordinated extension effort
• A successful overhaul of rural electricity distribution
• A strong emphasis non-food crops like horticulture
• Sustained and comprehensive support to livestock development
• Major revamping of agriculture supporting infrastructure, including roads, electricity and ports.
This case study talks in detail about each and every initiative Gujarat government took in order to improve the agriculture output.
What is really striking is, a semi-irrigated state, where major part land is desert and land is not real fertile compared to few other states; it is really exceptional that the state government has done a complete overhaul of the situation.
It’s also important to note, Gujarat is also ahead in industry development, export business and it has developed itself as a transportation hub. It should be a good case study to other states; a sheer determination of the leadership can really change a state.
I see a big lesson of leadership and vision in this case.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Google+
The battle for the eyeballs of social media network users is intensifying, with Google launching a demo version of 'Google+' (called Google Plus), the search engine giant's renewed attempt to take on Facebook in the social networking arena.
While designing the new service, Google has kept in mind social circles, called plus circles, and a Twitter-inspired feature that resembles real-life social interactions. It allows users to selectively share information with specific groups within defined circles, rather than sharing it with all their social connections at once. One can create as many circles as one wishes to, for whatever categories one wants, adding friends and contacts simply by clicking and dragging names onto various circles.
Google is also featuring a web conferencing option, in which up to 10 people can join in simultaneously. A feature called Sparks would provide users with web content on various topics like sports or fashion, allowing the user to subscribe to categories of interest, create custom categories, and share content with friends. Google would also release Google Plus mobile apps for Android smartphones and iPhones. This would include special features like cloud-based photo storage and group messaging. With its instant upload feature, one's photos and videos automatically upload themselves to a private album on Google+. Its 'Huddle' feature turns different conversations into a group chat.
When Google launched Gmail seven years ago, people went crazy to get an invitation from peers. Though, at that time web based email service was common. In every blog and every forum, people were requesting an invitation. Now, the same is happening with Google+. It’s natural for people to get attracted to it, as it’s open only to a select few. It’s becoming like status: Hey, I have a G+ account. Some are even selling G+ invites on eBay for $0.99,
Google+ offers a huge benefit over Facebook, where everything you say is to everybody. On Google+, it’s easier to build groups or circles of different people, say family, colleagues, alumni and such, and only share content with the group you want to share it with. Google+ is a loosely stitched-together-version of existing Google services like Picasa, blogger and some influenced by Facebook. For instance, Google+’s Stream is Facebook’s News Feed, and the +1 button is an open imitation of the Facebook Like button. And + has a great usability and much more user friendly compared to any social networking site.
I am only few hours on to it, but already started liking Google+ !
While designing the new service, Google has kept in mind social circles, called plus circles, and a Twitter-inspired feature that resembles real-life social interactions. It allows users to selectively share information with specific groups within defined circles, rather than sharing it with all their social connections at once. One can create as many circles as one wishes to, for whatever categories one wants, adding friends and contacts simply by clicking and dragging names onto various circles.
Google is also featuring a web conferencing option, in which up to 10 people can join in simultaneously. A feature called Sparks would provide users with web content on various topics like sports or fashion, allowing the user to subscribe to categories of interest, create custom categories, and share content with friends. Google would also release Google Plus mobile apps for Android smartphones and iPhones. This would include special features like cloud-based photo storage and group messaging. With its instant upload feature, one's photos and videos automatically upload themselves to a private album on Google+. Its 'Huddle' feature turns different conversations into a group chat.
When Google launched Gmail seven years ago, people went crazy to get an invitation from peers. Though, at that time web based email service was common. In every blog and every forum, people were requesting an invitation. Now, the same is happening with Google+. It’s natural for people to get attracted to it, as it’s open only to a select few. It’s becoming like status: Hey, I have a G+ account. Some are even selling G+ invites on eBay for $0.99,
Google+ offers a huge benefit over Facebook, where everything you say is to everybody. On Google+, it’s easier to build groups or circles of different people, say family, colleagues, alumni and such, and only share content with the group you want to share it with. Google+ is a loosely stitched-together-version of existing Google services like Picasa, blogger and some influenced by Facebook. For instance, Google+’s Stream is Facebook’s News Feed, and the +1 button is an open imitation of the Facebook Like button. And + has a great usability and much more user friendly compared to any social networking site.
I am only few hours on to it, but already started liking Google+ !
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