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Everyone Feels Fear – Face It Anyway
Everybody feels scared: -- On the first day of a job. -- During a job interview. -- Before closing a big sales deal. -- Before the performance review. Fear is nothing to be ashamed of. It is not a personal weakness. Fear is universal -- what varies...
Recent Posts
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...
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...
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 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...
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The Truth About Wealth: Why Side Hustles Rarely Work
I know quite a few wealthy and well-off people. But I don't know even one person who got somewhat wealthy doing "side hustles, generating multiple income streams." Not one person! And yet, on LinkedIn, you are made to believe that side hustles are...
Flying, Safety, and the Myth of Magic Solutions
Whenever I take a flight, my mother becomes anxious and is on tenterhooks till the flight lands. For 20 years, I have been convincing her that flights are safe but to no avail. Her logic is that the survival rate of flights is negligible. Also,...
Why the Zero Inbox Philosophy Fails
If you follow the 'zero inbox' philosophy for email, I have some bad news for you. Zero inbox is great in theory but in practice, it fails. Here is why. When you go zero inbox, by replying to emails, you throw the ball back in someone else's court....
The Hidden Truth Behind Motivational Content Online
I was once recording a video talk for a TED-like online platform. When I was preparing the script, the organizer asked, "Can you insert some struggle in this part of the video? We want it to really motivate our audience!" I told him that I did not...