Last weekend, I went to a music concert with friends. The ambiance was magical; one artist stayed with most of us—the sarangi player. As his fingers danced effortlessly on the strings, the hall resonated with melodies.“Wow! He is so talented!” we exclaimed, marvelling at the ease with which he created magic.The next day, I was stuck … Continue reading Behind talent
Growth mind-set in action
It happened more than two decades ago, but I vividly remember the emotions: sense of failure and melancholy.I was facilitating a session on Key Account Management for the first time. I had prepared for it for days. By lunch, the participants were walking out of the room! They found the session extremely boring. My manager … Continue reading Growth mind-set in action
Who is your best competitor?
Who is you best competitor? Spoiler alert – its closer than you imagineAs I went for my morning walk today, I started comparing my pace with others. “Oh, that elderly man has moved ahead of me, am I slower than him? Really?”Few minutes later, I caught myself… I was astounded… I was competing for something totally … Continue reading Who is your best competitor?
Unfiltered – Authenticity – lesson 4
This was from the years when I first became a manager. We got a large project and I wanted it to be successful. I spoke a lot about pushing boundaries and encouraging creative work. However, I was also risk averse and wanted to stay anchored to the shore.Result?Whenever my team brought any bold ideas or … Continue reading Unfiltered – Authenticity – lesson 4
Unfiltered – Authenticity Lesson 3
Our team had gone for an offsite; the goal was simple – to connect on a deeper level and foster trust. In one of the exercises, our facilitator asked us to share a challenge, personal struggle, difficult situation or an ongoing weakness.One by one we began sharing: the stories were raw and honest. Someone spoke … Continue reading Unfiltered – Authenticity Lesson 3
Unfiltered – authenticity Lesson 2
Authenticity Lesson 2 - learnt from a senior leader.He was a busy man and held several responsibilities. He was traveling extensively and overlooked a critical email. He had seen it the previous week and recognized that it required action by few members in his team. He intended to share it with concerned people. But, he … Continue reading Unfiltered – authenticity Lesson 2
Unfiltered – my path to authenticity – Lesson 1
My lessons in authenticity – Lesson 1Over the next few days, I will share my personal lessons around becoming more authentic.I recall an incident from my consulting days. After closing a critical project, I asked my team for candid feedback on what I could have done differently.I scheduled one-on-one meetings with each of the 5 … Continue reading Unfiltered – my path to authenticity – Lesson 1
Overcoming cognitive intertia
I have been trying to include strength training into my exercise regime for last few months… I do it couple of times and quickly fall back to my routine.The change simply doesn’t stick! I realised I am dealing with cognitive inertia.Just as inertia keeps an object moving in the same direction (or remain stationary) unless … Continue reading Overcoming cognitive intertia
Mad over tulips
Say you love tulips, how much are you willing to pay for a tulip bulb?Will you pay a price which is equal to buying a house?In the 1600s, people in the Netherlands did exactly that during the period called ‘Tulip Mania.’ The prices of tulip bulbs shot up, not because tulips were actually worth that … Continue reading Mad over tulips
Pen or Pencil
Last week, I wrote about how our brain works when we write by hand and why it enables better thinking.Is there a difference between writing with pen or pencil?I prefer pencils over pens. I wondered if there was any reason behind it… I asked Google (and ChatGPT), but didn’t get any neurological reasons.Here are the … Continue reading Pen or Pencil
Perspectives 