Maximise Potential

Here are 5 business books I liked reading recently. The Mind of the Leader by Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter  – I really enjoyed this book. This is particularly useful for our current times with many distractions. The first tool is mindfulness which is all about focus and awareness. Self-awareness is the need of the hour for all leaders. Getting to know your strengths, weaknesses and values is critical to your success. The second tool is selflessness which is all about reducing your ego while leading. This will enable greater team work and ensure trust is enhanced. The third tool is compassion which is a requirement to lead others successfully. This also promotes greater joy and engagement. I found the tools provided excellent and practical. The Human Advantage by Jay W. Richards  – The book starts discussing about the American Dream. The first one was all about agriculture and the second was all about owning a home. The third one is creating and sharing of value itself.

I had written earlier on the champions mindset of Federer and Djokovic. Here are the articles Djokovic Champion Qualities and Federer's Champion Mindset . However, if I don’t write about Nadal I would be leaving out my favorite player Nadal. While some Federer fans might not want Nadal to win and vice versa I take a nuanced approach to sports. My philosophy is to learn from every winner even if you are not rooting for them. So, I love all 3 of them and all of them are great champions. Here are the 5 Champion qualities of Nadal. Self-Belief –  I love this word because all of us need to have this if we want to win big. He believes in himself even if no one else does. In 2005 he was considered a clay court specialist and he was someone who had a good chance only in the French open. How he turned that around to win multiple Wimbledon championships, US Opens and Australian Opens is the stuff of legend. The key is never put limits on yourself based on others opinion. As Henry Ford

We all want to be high performers in whatever we do. I have been studying this topic and immersed myself in many books on this topic for well over 7 years. The most recent addition to the literature is Brendon Burchard’s High Performance Habits. He has identified 6 habits which I found to be simple but if implemented can be life changing for all of us. Here are 6 performance habits with my take on each. Seek Clarity –  I love this word because all of us need to have clarity or we will not be able to win big. The first step to develop clarity is to get to know yourself. You should know who you are, what your strengths are, what your weakness are, what your goals are and what your ambition is. One of the keys I have found is to write your own obituary and really get clear on what you want to be send at the end of your life. Once you are clear on that make sure every day you take steps towards that ultimate vision you have for yourself. Of course, we will not live to our highest idea

Novak Djokovic has won his 4th Wimbledon today and his 13th grand slam overall. This is an amazing feat considering the quality of the opposition he had. People had written him off for the last 2 years. What makes him a true champion is how he has bounced back in-spite of his critics. He made history by winning the 2016 French open and became the first person since Rod Laver to hold four grand slams at the same time. That was an amazing feat. Considering that super stars like Federer, Nadal, Sampras and Agassi have not been able to do that this is beyond comprehension and a testament to the champion in Novak. I remember watching him in the 2007 US Open Final against Federer which he lost and thought this guy has a lot of talent but does he have the heart to survive the onslaught from Federer and Nadal? Well he has proved beyond doubt what it takes to be a champion. I have expanded his name Novak with the champion qualities he displays. Here they are N – Never Say Die Spirit  –No

John Wooden the legendary coach created his "Pyramid of Success," which defines 15 "blocks" of personality traits strategically arranged to generate "competitive greatness." I love his definition of success which can be applicable to all of us. “Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.” That’s all what success. It is a very individual thing and everyone must define what success means to them. Here are the 15 blocks of personality traits. 1.      "Industriousness" – This is absolutely required to win in any field. Hard work is truly the key to a great life and career. So, there are no easy formulas for success in any area of our lives. 2.     "Enthusiasm" – When you are enthusiastic you do better in all areas of your life. Be enthusiastic about your life and you will enjoy it more. Your enthusiasm is also contagious to the pe

Careers are always interesting. We all want to get the most out of our careers. However, considering the pace of change how does a 10-year plan sound or even a 2-year plan. The fact is the product lives are getting shorter and so are the project lives. The question is how to navigate through this fog and uncertainty with some level of calm. This is where Daniel Pink’s book “The Adventures of Johnny Bunko” can help. Of course, Daniel Pink makes the audacious claim that this is the last career guide you will ever need. Review this with me and see if that is indeed true. Here are the 6 keys to navigate your career going forward with my take on each. There is no plan –  This should stop all of us on our tracks. Truly there is no plan. We should be more flexible and ready to pivot at any point of our career. While this is not meant to be taken literally I think it does require us to go with the flow. Career plans may not be that useful but what maybe more useful are career pivots.

The Motivation Myth by Jeff Haden was pretty good. It was a reliable guide for authentic success. One of the tenets of the book is to decide what you want and then invest in the process to getting there. Here are my key takeaways. Focus on process not goals – Process could be things like wake up early, exercise daily, write daily lists and watch only 1 hour of TV. Jeff gives some thoughts here like exercise first thing in morning, drink a glass of water before any meal, stop eating when you are full, eat slower, don’t eat anything light and try to eliminate as many decisions as possible. Serial achievers – The main point here is don’t stick to only one thing you can succeed in many areas. You might be doing great at work but you might also have a hobby you are good at. Venus Williams is a tennis super star but she is also an entrepreneur. Preserve Willpower – Here are some ideas to make willpower irrelevant Step 1 Decide what you want to accomplish and let everyone know you w

We all want to reach towards the stars and our unlimited potential. We all want to get the most out of ourselves. There are lot of self-help books which promise a lot but there are a few which are data driven and immediately practical. One of the books I liked on the subject is The High Potential’s Advantage by Jay Conger and Allan Church. Here are the five factors: 1. Situation sensing This is the absolute clarity to understand your boss’s priorities. Once you know what your boss wants you can then align your daily activities to the larger cause. The bottom line is it pays to ensure you and your boss are singing of the same hymn book. 2. Talent accelerating This is all about leadership. The ability to identify the skills of a talented team member is one of the keys to be an outstanding leadership. Become an extraordinary talent scouter. 3. Career piloting This is all about ensuring your career reflects your priorities. It is about getting the right projects and executing the

It is mid-point in 2018 and it is an appropriate time to reevaluate how this year is going. We can also see what is working and what isn’t. Most people make resolutions at the beginning of the year and most of them fall away after a few months. I believe it is far more important to set goals for the long term and make lifestyle changes. One book which I liked is “Nine things successful people do differently” by Heidi Grant Halvorson. This is a book that can be read in 2 hours but it really boils down what success. Here is my take on it. 1. Get Specific – This is so obvious but worth repeating. If you know where you are going you will be more focused and inspired. So, the first step towards success is determining exactly what success means to you. Set goals which are specific in every area of life like physical, career, financial and contribution. This will keep you inspired most of the time. 2. Seize the moment to act on your goals - Obviously without action goal setting is a faç