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First, Let People Work
A corporate executive I was recently talking to, said that on many days, he has meetings from morning to evening -- sometimes without even a break for lunch. So I asked him, 'When do you get to do your work?' I thought he would say, "I stay up late...
Recent Posts
Remembering Deepak Ratan
A year ago, we lost Deepak Ratan, my friend, IPS batchmate, and an illustrious officer, to a heart attack. We are all in shock. Deepak was still in...
Break free from digital distractions
You are distracted. But not for the reason you think. MORE than 50% of the work interruptions destroying your productivity aren’t triggered by your...
The power of downtime and diffuse thinking
A few years ago, when I was doing my previous startup, a student once asked me an IITJEE Advanced physics problem. The question appeared so...
3-step process to clarify thinking
Here is a 3-step process to clarify your thinking, whenever you feel you have a lot to say about something but it all feels jumbled up in your head....
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The efficiency paradox
During my days at McKinsey, I once asked a retired senior partner about life before PowerPoint. How did they make presentations to clients? He said that they used to create presentations on big chart papers using felt-tip pens. They would have to...
Freedom over fortune
You should envy Warren Buffett and the late Charlie Munger -- I certainly do. But not because of their billions. But because of how happy and joyful they are. In their 90s, they have the infectious enthusiasm and curiosity of a 25-year-old. They...
Embrace constraints
A McKinsey partner once told me about his niece who got a job offer as a management trainee from a world-leading healthcare company. This company had (and still has) a spectacular global brand, and is a market leader in many categories. And...
The right kind of smartness in business
At the Berkshire Hathway annual meeting, (the late) Charlie Munger said, "We are not that smart but we kind of know the edge of our smartness. But a lot of people who are geniuses, think they are a lot smarter than they are. What they are, is...