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,...

Are Meetings Hiding Your Insecurities?

Why do we spend so much time in meetings, even when it’s a horrendous waste of our time and talent? One might say, “What choice do I have?” Who wants to ruffle feathers by declining or pushing back on meeting invites? That’s partly true. But...

The Mid-Career Trap And How to Avoid It

Mid-career can be a dangerous place — you might become too expensive for the roles you can perform, and unwilling to take the roles you can get. This happens because aging is mandatory, but upskilling is optional. As we become older (‘senior’), in...

Education Without Values Is Dangerous

Before we graduated from college, our electrical engineering professor (I think it was Dr SS Prabhu) told us, “As you graduate, it is not enough to be technically competent — you also need a value system, without which, you are no better than a highly...