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The Hardest Test of Leadership
The best tonic for your mental health is having a kind boss. Even in the most high-profile assignments, when my bosses have been bad, I have hated the experience. And when I had good bosses, even mediocre work felt worthwhile. If you lead a team,...
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To become a student, empty your cup
A few years ago, my Indian Police Service training boss, Shri Atul Karwal, told me the story of his commando training with India's elite National...
Don’t stay busy to escape reality
Believe it or not, hard work can be counterproductive. And staying busy can be like morphine -- it numbs the pain of not knowing what to do in life...
Multitasking Is Not the Solution to Overload
Napoleon said, "Nothing is impossible." Well, he was wrong. Today, in the corporate world, many people are trying to solve the problem of overload...
You Can’t Pick Wins Without Accepting Losses
A friend once asked an insurance sales guy, "Don't you feel disappointed by so many rejections, every single day?" The guy said, "I have a 10% hit...
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Are You a Slack Policeman or a Problem Solver?
Two decades ago, when I first saw traffic policemen at work, I did not realize that one day, entrepreneurs and business leaders would be behaving exactly like them. Here is how. A traffic policeman’s job entails the following: 1. He has to be...
How to Truly Get Things Done
My favorite childhood author, Robert Louis Stevenson, reportedly burnt the first draft of his bestseller 'Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.' Here is why. When he showed the first draft to his wife, instead of showering praise, she was quite...
Why Ambitious Plans Often Fail
Whenever my planning has failed, it is because I did it in "Rambo mode." During my student days, I would sometimes set ridiculous goals, e.g., "study for 18 hours a day, for the next 6 months!" But when I would start the execution, reality would...
To start a forest fire, it just takes a spark
I received this email from a young lady suffering from depression and severe weight gain, which is preventing her from socializing and living a normal life. She stays awake at night, sleeps during the day, and is addicted to junk food. She wants to...