Quotes 1 : Leadership

Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect to with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.

--Oprah Winfrey

A leader's job is to look into the future and see the organization, not as it is, but as it should be.
-- Jack Welch

Here is a simple but powerful rule: Always give people more than what they expect to get.
-- Nelson Boswell

One must be fond of people and trust them if one is not to make a mess of life.
-- E.M. Forster

Good management consists in showing average people how to do the work of superior people.
-- John D. Rockefeller

Managers are people who do things right; leaders are people who do the right thing.
-- Warren Bennis

Without a road map and a clear understanding of the "rules of the road," it can be much harder for employees to get to where they need to go.
-- Eric Harvey

Sacrificing individual gain for the team's greater good is the price of admission members must pay…and keep paying…to be on the team.
-- Scott Beare

The best part of being a leader? Dealing with people! The worst part of being a leader? Same answer!
-- Eric Harvey

Your elves and reindeer are depending on you – just as you depend on them.
Don't let them down.
-- Santa Claus

All successful leaders place a premium on keeping their promises and commitments.
-- Steve Ventura

Never forget that getting big things done all year long isn't about magic.
It's about leadership.
-- Santa Claus

Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.
-- Jack Welch

As a leader, your word is only as good as your last promise kept…or broken.
-- Barbara "BJ" Gallagher

The highest compliments leaders can receive are those
that are given by the people who work for them.
-- James L. Barksdale

Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the
self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in
themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish.
-- Sam Walton

A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.
-- Arnold H. Glasgow

Readings : The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Why do some people achieve so much more than others? Can they lie far outside the ordinary? What is the secret of their success?

These were on the back page of the book. This Post summarises the book as I see it. In summary the ingredient for an Outliers are:

• Genetic (Inheritance in the DNA)


• Family and social background


• Timing


• Hard work


• Luck or better put Opportunities exploited


• Doing not the ordinary

Having said all this post mortem of a success will give us leads, the above give us some leads form the many post mortem done by Malcolm and other social scientists, anthropologists, psychologists etc.

Success has many godfathers and failure is an orphan. However, failure is the best teacher, not success.

The Genetic or the race helps in designing attitudes, lifestyles, health and ability and the fire to succeed. In the Indian context why do Marwaris make better businessmen?

Those who have get more, the Mathew effect. Clear example rich get richer. Ambanis get richer. Bureaucrats kids go to Ivy League colleges for sure.

There are many first generation success stories but it more than helps if there is a good social and economic family background. It helps in enriching the learning, access to resources and support. Upper caste kids have always had it betters than the SC/ ST kids in India.

Timing is important. Timing of action, timing of birth, timing of start ups etc. In India those who stated a venture early 2000 are more successful than those who are starting it now. When were you born and what opportunities your time bring you? Baby boomers? Also January kids are stronger and smarter than December kids if we categorize by age.

There is no short cut to hard work. Beatles did it at Hamburg, Bill Gates at the local University. At least 10,000 hours. The 10000 hours rule.

Luck is important. Being at the right place at the right time. The Bollywood movie "Luck by chance" in a clear example. But opportunity does not knock the door twice. Exploiting the opportunity is a key differentiators. What did Gorbachev did that Brechnev could not?

Doing the run of the mill may not help. You must do something different, take the challenge, face the consequence. Put in hard work (10000 rule), exploit the opportunity, use your background etc etc...

IQ levels alone don't make you a genius, it is the application of those and the other characteristics.

Overall an excellent book. Must read for all those who feel that they deserve success and it is eluding them. This will give them some reasons why success is eluding them or give them eye opening facts of hard work and luck. :)

Dilution in Corporate Communition (or is it Value Addded?)

Programmer to Team Leader:

"We can't do this proposed project.**CAN NOT**. It will involve a major
design change and no one in our team knows the design of this legacy
system.
And above that, nobody in our company knows the language in which this
application has been written. So even if somebody wants to work on it,
they can't. If you ask my personal opinion, the company should never
take these type of projects."

Team Leader to Project Manager :

"This project will involve a design change. Currently, we don't have any
staff who has experience in this type of work. Also, the language is
unfamiliar to us, so we will have to arrange for some training if we
take this project. In my personal opinion, we are not ready to take on a
project of this nature."

Project Manager to 1st Level Manager :

"This project involves a design change in the system and we don't have
much experience in that area. Also, not many people in our company are
appropriately trained for it. In my personal opinion, we might be able
to do the project but we would need more time than usual to complete
it."

1st Level Manager to Senior Level Manager :

"This project involves design re-engineering. We have some people who
have worked in this area and others who know the implementation
language. So they can train other people. In my personal opinion we
should take this project, but with caution."

Senior Level Manager to CEO :

"This project will demonstrate to the industry our capabilities in
remodelling the design of a complete legacy system. We have all the
necessary skills and people to execute this project successfully. Some
people have already given in house training in this area to other staff
members. In my personal opinion, we should not let this project slip by
us under any circumstances."

CEO to Client :

"This is the type of project in which our company specializes. We have
executed many projects of the same nature for many large clients. Trust
me when I say that we are the most competent firm in the industry for
doing this kind of work. It is my personal opinion that we can execute
this project successfully and well within the given time frame."

The Startup CFO : The Shared CFO

Who is a start up CFO? Is he a CFO who is starting his career or a CFO of a start up? Well both are the same. As a CFO for a start up you need to learn everything new. If you were a CFO earlier you need to unlearn what you learnt earlier. What makes a start up different from any other organisation?

• Entrepreneurial (read no processes)
• Passionate (read no bottom line focus)
• Committed (read no Job descriptions)
• Flexible (read delays in salary payments)
• Value creation (read the ESOPS are worth the paper now)
• Building the foundation (read you have no secretarial or admn help)

The list can go on.....From a large global organisation to the start up. The ride is all the way down hill into the gorge. The turbulent river will teach you to swim, dodge the boulders, face the crocodiles and if lucky get rescued or reach the other side.

Having tasted this adventure you will not go back to the glass house on the cliff top for the beautiful view except to go up again to para glide down....

The journey of a start up CFO is not one that all individuals can perform. It is one which requires passion. stretch, commitment, thinking out of the box, hands on, so on and so forth. Most of all ability to work in uncertainty and a 'can-do' attitude.

At the same time the start up CFO is still the conscious keeper, moral and ethical officer, a good book-keeper, protector assets, devils advocate and most importantly after having done all of above, a trusted friend.

Does a start up need a CFO? It jolly well does as much as it needs money.

Can it afford one? Most often not.

Can it keep one? (motivated, charged up and occupied)? Most often not

Can a few start ups share a CFO? I think they can.

India has hundreds of start ups and many without a CFO. I think it is time for a shared CFO for the start ups.

Six Packs of Corporate Governance

I wish I too had six packs!

Is it easy, is it long term?

How do I build it (Initial effort) and how do I maintain it (Continuous maintenance effort)? How do I show if off (Recognition and publicity)? Will my peers accept that it is a great six pack (Endorsement)? What will I get in return (Payback)?

Well this what I did and where I am today.....

Initial effort:

I read and surveyed a bit to understand what works and what does not. Surveyed to find where I can get help (Gym/ Personal Instructors). I created a detailed work out plan. Made some compromises on some of my other activities, like stopped eating fatty food and drinking beer. Broke my work out plan into Immediate and Long term. I started to work on my plan with some support from a instructor. Build my regimen and built my focus.

Continuous maintenance effort

I am getting there!! Ob it is tough, need to get up early every morning! Jog and work out. Eat right. Every day and every meal. No exceptions really. Abstain from some stuff (crispies, colas and chips) and focus on some stuff (veggies, greens and fruits). I cannot stray and remain focused to build my six pack and I see the lines and shapes coming.

Recognition and publicity

Friends say, hey where is your beer belly? Hey getting washboard abs? I get motivated and energised. I believe in my work out plan. I start wearing tight T shirts and V cut shirts. A little show off and publicity wont hurt me.

Endorsement

I feel I am getting there. Will John Abraham envy me, will I replace Michael Bergin in CKs ads? i want to get the endorsement that I have arrived and am in the right league. I benchmark with others at the Gym and with my personal instructor. (no pun intended)

Payback

Here comes my ego massage and my returns. What is my payback? My well maintained six pack get me the envy of other men and ogling and attention of women. I think I have earned it.

At this stage I introspect and analyse. What I see is that these steps to build my six packs are similar to building an organisation with good/ sound corporate governance.

Initial effort

A company needs to understand where it stand and what it needs to do to build a world class CG. It needs to take tough decisions and shed some bad practices (creative accounting). It may need professional help. Planning and positioning is the key activity
I read and surveyed a bit to understand what works and what does not. Surveyed to find where I can get help (Gym/ Personal Instructors). I created a detailed work out plan. Made some compromises on some of my other activities, like stopped eating fatty food and drinking beer. Broke my work out plan into Immediate and Long term. I started to work on my plan with some support from a instructor. Build my regimen and built my focus.
Continuous maintenance effort

Building a world class CG structure is not a one time effort. It needs to be maintained every day and every hour. In every action and inaction of the organisation. In every person. It is continuous and real time. Move from adhoc to structured decision making. From opaque (chips) to transparent (fresh fruits) decision making.

I am getting there!! Ob it is tough, need to get up early every morning! Jog and work out. Eat right. Every day and every meal. No exceptions really. Abstain from some stuff (crispies, colas and chips) and focus on some stuff (veggies, greens and fruits). I cannot stray and remain focused to build my six pack and I see the lines and shapes coming.

Recognition and publicity

Eventually the organisation wants to get recognised for its efforts internally and externally. With its employees, suppliers, customers and investors. It will publish its CG to capture the value.

Friends say, hey where is your beer belly? Hey getting washboard abs? I get motivated and energised. I believe in my work out plan. I start wearing tight T shirts and V cut shirts. A little show off and publicity wont hurt me.
Endorsement

The organisation will look for some endorsement. Benchmark data, peer level comparison, awards etc to know that it has done the right things and it has arrived. Can the organisation not be the Top 10 for CG best practices?

I feel I am getting there. Will John Abraham envy me, will I replace Michael Bergin in CKs ads? i want to get the endorsement that I have arrived and am in the right league. I benchmark with others at the Gym and with my personal instructor. (no pun intended)
Payback

Its payback time for the company. The envious men are its competitors and peers. The women ogling and in attention are prospective and current investors.

Here comes my ego massage and my returns. What is my payback? My well maintained six pack get me the envy of other men and ogling and attention of women. I think I have earned it.

Well now that I see a simile between the building of my six packs and building a world class Corporate Governance structure for an organisation. I ask myself are there any other similies? Maybe there are the six packs are the six pillars of Corporate Governance. These in my view are:

• Tone at the Top


• Organisation Culture


• Corporate Ethics


• Corporate Social Responsibility


• 360 degree feedback


• Risk Management

Is there a quick way to build the six pack, maybe. If CG different in India and in other countries. Yes, in some ways but the basic stucture may not change. But if i was to sustain and maintain it. It is sheer dedication, commitment, some compromise and all the time. What are each of these six packs of CG made of? What are the individual tissues that make the muscles for each pack?

Loneliness

How can one be lonely at work, surrounded by the clatter and chatter of over 200 persons, ringing of phones and the occasional "how are u?" "What new?" How can one be lonely where there are constants emails coming in and the mobile phone ringing? How can one be lonely when there are numerous meetings and conference calls in a day?

Loneliness is not about the people and the technology around you that talk to you or meet you. Loneliness is about not being able to share ones inner most thoughts and views. It is about not being able to behave in a way one would like to, say what one wants to, do what one want to and so on and forth. Loneliness is when one wears the corporate masks when one greets fellow colleagues, or responds to emails and interacts in meetings. It is when we speak what others want to hear, do what others want us to do and often hear and see only what others want us to hear and see.

Oh dear can I be different from my company? Am I am a Japanese employee a couple of decades ago whose identity was merged with the employer? Am I an individual in my own right? Am I what I think I am or am I imagining what I am? The answer to these questions lies in the believing in oneself.

Do I believe that what I am doing is right, am I enjoining it and am I becoming a better individual doing what I am doing?

If the answer is Yes, I don't think I would be lonely. Otherwise I am caught between two ends. A split personality perhaps? Or confused? Indecisive? Everything but a star performer, long term player or a blue eyed boy?

Can we all chase our passion? Can we do what we believe in? Maybe Yes. The answer is in starting somewhere. From zero it can only go upwards. Start and if convinced and passionate, it will soon cross 25%. If you are a influencer or a leader you will soon cross 50%. It will be a mixture of happiness and joy and loneliness and confusion. If other are in awe of your ability to change the environment and the culture it will move to over 75%.

You will then have arrived into an area free from loneliness. In an empty meeting room, in the washroom, as you drive alone or in an empty office the joy and achievement of chasing your belief and passion will scare the loneliness away. And more importantly the passion will attract thought . Joy will bring energy. Achievement will follow. Loneliness will disappear.

Follow your passion (your inner belief).

38/120

38/120 sounds like a very bad blood pressure reading. Well that is not what it is. It is the easiest way I could balance my life. According to Hindu Astrology, the horroscope is prepared for 120 years. That was possibly the maximum life expectancy at the ancient times. Therefore the 60 and 80 birthday celebrations, Shasthiabtha poorthi etc. symbolifying comletion of the half way mark and the 2/3rd mark. By that record with my insignificant knowledge of Hinduism or Astrology, I accepted the base of 120. I then set out to find out what I have achieved. In many of my achievements there were scars of failures. In some failures, there seemed to be sucessess. Then arose the concept of private and public failure and achievements. Monetary and spiritual. It was so easy to convery every failure into a sucess and a sucess into a failure. The failure in marriage was a success in the two children. The success in career was a failure in monetary terms. The educational qualifications lacked public achievements. Reading of books a great private achievement, but compared to what many are reading the list seems old and insignificant. I too read the Alchemist, but not the White Tiger. Oh I have many hobbies and interets. Well what do I know about them, how deep and how wide?
Well mid life or otherwise, the balancing was getting to be very difficult. I could not scope myself. The best seemed to be something that is a fact and cannot be disputed. Ah ha, like 120 the years that I have lived on earth in this life with this mortal body. 38 it shall be. My achievements and my pursuits. My toil, sweat and blood, my agony and ecstasy, my epitome of achievement, my undisputed Oscar.
I managed to put a score card. 38/120.
I still need to know what I need to do in the balance 82 years to become 1.
How do I prepare my scorecard for the future. What is it that I need to do, what should I improve, what should I add and delete?
Please help

Wheezing and Coughing

As I wait outside the clinic of the new doctor that some one referred me to this year, I am thinking of where I can buy "pana kalkandu". Pana kalkandu is palm sugar. If eaten or rather chewed, it is supposed to arrest the cough or atlest soothe the throat. This was recommended to my mother by her sister in law's cousin. By this time most people who know people who know me, know about my cough and wheezing. Most of them are not as update as my secretary at work, as I inform her whenever I am out of office and unable to take calls. Some people know about my problems of last two years and others who like history and trivia remember it from the many years that I am trying to forget. But most people try and help. As they have had coughing or wheezing problems in the last year or so or know someone who has. Many also claim to know of cures, of docs and magic to get me rid of my suffering.
My colleague S recommened tulsi and honey in warm water, after a rather musical client meeting that I went with him. We were trying to hard sell Enterprise Risk Management to this CEO of a back office IT company. The CEO was a bit lost, but got many break from our sales talk, as I coughed or waited to catch up my breath. S tried to fill in, but his flow and accent complemented my cough. So the client was not sure whom to focus on. After some 30 minutes of meeting and 10 minutes of coughing, we left. Of course there we no handshales for me. My embarassed collegue advised me this magic portion. This I tried for the secon time in my life. Last was three years ago in Delhi under my mothers supervision. This time it was in Bangalore under my wife's supervision. Except for the differnet voices giving me the instructions, nothing else was different.
"Hey I know of a doc at Mylapore"
"Go to the Anjaneyar Temple at Banaswadi"
"Drink ginger powder with ...."
"Have you tried brnady with hot water"
"Eucalyptus oil does it"
"Warm fenny with cinnamon and cloves is what my grandfather used to have every day till he died"
"Gargle?"
Of course docs said:
Rx.......Anti allergnets of all shapes and sizes, bottles of syrups, inhalers, and nose drops, vaporisers, steam inhalation with and without additives, antibiotics of all names, shapes and prices.
Met GPs, Pulmologists, Paediatricians, Homeopaths, Aryvedics, Siddha etc....Young, old, experinced and convincing.
After years of different docs, attempted treatments and poorer and low in energy, I am here at Manipal Hospital to meet the pulologist suggested by my daughters paediac.
As in case of Manipal, I wait ofr over an hour. Many people look like me tired of coughing or wheezing or both. With and without kerchieves depending on etiquette or years of agony. The music of the different decibles of coughing was saddisticaly soothing. A bit scarry when and oldie would cough like TB or yeek.
Some of these coughers resembled my wheeze or cough......i could see my future looks and state in them. Uncombed hair, tube from nose or mouth, not sure, faded hospital clothes, in wheel chairs or escorted, shrinking and looking away and holding the chest and throat in alternate when coughing. I was tempted to ask them...did this doc help? What medicines? How long? I was scared, if I did not get the positive answers, this doc was my last hope. The last two docs were also my last hope till I was convinces by a well wisher to see another one.
Will I become like these lack of energy tired of the cough and the resultant body pain, disorientation and social and conversational outcaste. I love to talk and carry on conversations. But no one wants to listen or talk to a person who speaks and coughs at the same time and breaks only to wheeze. No more invites for client meetings or lunch with collegues. I was becoming a Outcaste Brahmin.
As I wait to see this docs, my years of efforts and results, some sucessfull, many failures and my investments of energy, time and money suddenly come to me together. As a Chartered Accountant, I promptly prepare a profit and loss account and a balance sheet. It shows a loss and the going concern is questionble.
I get a call from home to check when I will be back? I can hear N & N shouting in the back as my wife is enquiring. They want to go swimming in the evening.
Energy is sipping back into me. I want to get better. I want to be able to swim. Just then my nmae is called, and I go into the pulmologists office.