Measuring Knowledge Work in Hours

Since the who’s who of the corporate world is singing praises about hard work, I want to put on record that I agree with them 100%. But the problem is that we immediately translate ‘hard work’ into 84 hours, 96 hours, or 120 hours a week. So before...

Why Comparing Career Choices Is a Dead End

During my MBA, a college friend visited us in Philadelphia. And during our conversation, I asked him about his career plans. But he had no ‘plans’ — he was happy with his life, and I couldn’t understand how that was possible! After an IIT...

The Myth of the Top of the Hierarchy

I once met a mega business leader in his office in Mumbai. And on the office wall, there was a photo of the Indian PM with another head of state, behind whom he was standing quite deferentially. I am sure, when this business leader’s direct reports stood in his...

How Seniority Can Hide Incompetence

I once knew a guy who had spent decades in investment banking and had climbed up the hierarchy but he was clueless about finance and deal-making. I often wondered how he got there. My guess is that in many organizations, if you don’t antagonize the right people,...