A few years ago, while teaching physics to a bunch of high-schoolers, I erred in deriving a formula. And in a split second, even before I could correct myself, a kid raised his hand and pointed out the error. This kid was so brilliant that anything you explained to...

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? Here is why: 1. Willpower is like a muscle -- the more you use it, the more tired you get. So if someone resists...

Once I wrote a newsletter about a sprightly 101-year-old Navy veteran Commander (retired) Sriramulu, who runs 18 km every alternate day. In response, many people emailed me back asking -- "What is the secret of his longevity and good health? Surely, there must be...

A McKinsey colleague, curious about my policing experience, once asked me, "What was the most difficult aspect of leading a police force?" The biggest challenge was not the riots or hooligans. It was that everyone thought that everything was urgent and top priority....

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 whom were suffering immensely. When you see those gaunt faces and shaved heads, you realize what a 'life and death'...

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. You travel while you...

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 queues, etc. But if a...

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 gym and lift weights,...

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 chemical called...

What happens when you take a risk? If you succeed, people will sing folklore about you on LinkedIn. And if you get really lucky, Harvard will write a case study, which MBA students will interpret in all kinds of funny ways. But if you fail, you will bear the pain all...

Today, I saw an article in 'The Print' in which the author explained why he quit the 10-day Vipassana course run by Sri SN Goenka's organization. He criticized many aspects of the program such as the 'noble silence' and the lack of discussion and debate. The author...

A year ago, virtually every second LinkedIn profile mentioned 'Web3' as a skill. Today, nobody is doing that. Similarly, I recently saw an ad proclaiming that 'Prompt engineering' is the new hot thing for which employers are paying Rs 4 crore salaries! Thankfully...

One funny thing I saw in B-School was how secretive some people were during their job search -- you would have thought they were recruiting with Mossad. I understand that people don't want competition. And it might be somewhat understandable when the jobs are very...

LinkedIn is ablaze with posts that tell you, “Never quit.” But the biggest mistake I have made as an entrepreneur is not quitting when I should have. Let me share this story which started in 2012 when I quit my job and launched CourseBrew, my first startup. I built a...

Every leadership training I have been through, be it for the Indian Police Service or at McKinsey, was missing a critical element -- training people how to dissent. Without the ability to dissent, you only have yes-men (or yes-women), not leaders. In the uniformed...