Articles

November 12, 2006

WHY IITs PRODUCE TERRIFIC LEADERS

12th November 2006, ECONOMIC TIMES

Just as microorganisms grow better in some mediums, the leadership ‘microorganism’ grows very well at IITs. This statement is made, not to exclude others, but to underscore the uniqueness of IIT as a medium to multiply the leadership trait.

November 6, 2006

Success is about direction more than distance

6th November 2006, ECONOMIC TIMES

Many managers spend a lot of their working time, thinking about how to accelerate their promotions, how to impress the boss more than their colleagues, and how to earn money faster. The management world is indeed very competitive.

October 30, 2006

Enjoy what you do, and do what you enjoy

30th October 2006, ECONOMIC TIMES

A career means different things to different people. To some, it is an end point: it is a statement of ambition e.g. I must become the CEO of this company. To others, it means the landmarks on the way e.g. I must become regional manager in two years and general manager in three years thereafter. To most it is a combination. However, these are all ‘destinations’ and not the ‘journey’.

October 23, 2006

Success in management is based on courage

23rd October 2006, ECONOMIC TIMES

Management is about leadership--of people, of ideas, of markets. It is not merely about how far you go, and definitely not about doing what you are told to do; it is about doing what you are paid to do. Managers need to remind themselves about this eternal truth.

October 16, 2006

Learn from the simple ideas and the ‘stories’ that surround you

16th October 2006, ECONOMIC TIMES

While reflecting about the column on careers and business life, I asked myself what purpose could be served by such an effort. A simple idea, supported by a simple story,

October 16, 2006

Learn from the simple ideas and the ‘stories’ that surround you

16th October 2006, ECONOMIC TIMES

While reflecting about the column on careers and business life, I asked myself what purpose could be served by such an effort.

August 13, 2006

VASANT RAJADHYAKSHA: A TRIBUTE

13th August 2006, ECONOMIC TIMES

Adhyaksha means official in Sanskrit, and the chief among officials is the Raja Adhyaksha. It is rare to be a fine gentleman as well as a successful chief executive. It is even rarer to possess a surname that describes such a characteristic; It is a one-in-a-zillion coincidence to have a real-life personality that matches your name and profession.

August 10, 2006

TRANSFORMATION: the philosophical dimension

10th August 2006, ECONOMIC TIMES

Philosophy tells us that knowledge is what we know we know. Intuition is what we do not know we know. When knowledge merges into the intuition, there is wisdom. Successful transformations need wisdom.

March 15, 2006

SWIMMING STRONGLY IN LOW TIDE

15th March 2006, ECONOMIC TIMES

We thought of writing this piece when recently, we were seated adjacently at a national chamber of commerce meeting. The mood was euphoric and kudos is due to our economic policies, the corporate sector and to those selling the India story. Ministers Lalu and Chidambaram have both delivered their magical budget acts, sending the mood index to stratospheric levels.