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The Simplest Way to Disarm an Angry Person
The next time someone is angry and you want to disarm them, just listen to them. They should know that you are genuinely listening, without being condescending. You are listening to understand, not to come up with a retort or a response. When...
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Willpower alone can’t break habits
When your fingers are itching to open WhatsApp or Instagram, why is it so hard to resist? Why can't you break distractions through sheer willpower?...
Hidden secret to longevity
Once I wrote a newsletter about a sprightly 101-year-old Navy veteran Commander (retired) Sriramulu, who runs 18 km every alternate day. In...
Do less, focus more
A McKinsey colleague, curious about my policing experience, once asked me, "What was the most difficult aspect of leading a police force?" The...
Perspective is everything
Once I had to visit a cancer hospital in Trivandrum to seek a medical opinion for a friend's father. The hospital was packed with patients, many of...
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The Truth About Influencers
Most influencers are lying. They tell you that you can make a 6 or 7-figure income working 2-4 hours a day while chilling on the beaches of Maldives. You have no bosses, no stress, full freedom, lots of money, creative work, and public adulation....
How to Find Your Inner Motivation
Today, during a Q&A session I was conducting at Nokia, someone asked -- "How do I find motivation for a task?" A part of the answer is hidden in plain sight -- in your own life. Take this example: Nobody likes filling out forms, waiting in...
The Pain of Growth
Talking about growth mindset has become such a cliche that not a day goes without hearing it. Then why aren't we all adopting that mindset? Because growth does not come free. Take the example of muscle growth -- how does it happen? You go to the...
The Yerkes-Dodson Law
Why do deadlines improve performance? It makes no sense because deadlines create anxiety, which is the enemy of focus and productivity. For that, we need to understand Yerkes-Dodson law. When we have a deadline, our brain releases an alerting...