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For Once, Be Selfish: Learn to Listen to Criticism
About a decade ago, I was in Mussoorie (at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration) during the training program for senior Civil Servants. During one of the sessions, a guest speaker gave a talk that was critical of the bureaucracy...
Recent Posts
The World Runs Just Fine Without You
In my very first job as a senior cop, I saw that many sub-inspectors of police were reluctant to take their weekly day-offs. When asked why, they...
The Hidden Joy of Having a Compelling Goal
I know many people who miss the days when they prepared for IITJEE or some major exam. Why? 1. A singular, compelling goal like a big exam overrides...
Make New Mistakes, Not Old Ones
In my previous job, a team member was making an investment proposal that my boss thought was quite disastrous. So my boss said, "Why do you want to...
Your Struggle Isn’t Waking Up Early — It’s Sleeping Early
Your struggle is not waking up early. Your struggle is sleeping early. If you are scrolling and 'Netflixing' till late at night, you obviously can't...
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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...
How Hurrying Blinds You
In the early days of India's e-commerce boom, in 2011, I was among 30-odd investors gathered around a renowned entrepreneur in Mumbai's Oberoi Hotel. With casual bravado, he said, "In the current market, if you are not growing 30% month-on-month,...
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,...
The Irony of Life: Why Chasing a Better Future Steals Today’s Joy
A few years ago, I was at IISc Bangalore to give a talk. And I was raving about the beautiful, idyllic campus to my host, a retired civil servant who was teaching an undergraduate class. When my host told me that he had previously worked as the...