Maximise Potential

Here are the books I liked recently. They offer bother inspiration and information. They cover a range of topics. Trailblazer by Marc Benioff and Monica Langley This was totally inspirational to me. Marc gives his back story which was interesting. He was always interested in technology from childhood. The main theme is that culture not only eats strategy for breakfast but everything else. Doing good and giving back is good for business. It does have an idealistic tone, but I think this book is a must read for all entrepreneurs and business leaders. He also talks about taking a stand on issues which Marc has done on numerous occasions. He also talks about setting a vision, knowing your values, having a method, overcoming your obstacles and finally measures for progress. Good Habits Bad Habits by Wendy Wood I thought do we really need another book on habits. There has been enough written on this subject. However, I found this to be quiet well researched. The main theme is the

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 is. It is a very individual thing and everyone must define what success means to them. Here are the 15 blocks of personality traits with my take on each. 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. Hard work mixed with discipline can ignite your potential to the highest level. 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 mo

Everyone has their own definition of leadership. Mine is simple it is about dreaming big, inspiring others and leading by example. Leaders really do dream big dreams think of Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Roosevelt, Churchill among others. The current business landscape requires more leaders who are willing to chart new seas and deal with change in a world that has not only flattened but also eliminated geographical boundaries. The 21st Century leader needs to pack the following traits in their kit bags. Leaders are made and of course they are born as all of us are. Here are my muses on leadership and everyone can come up with their own versions. Leaders are visionaries  – What separates a leader from a manager is an audacious vision. Only leaders have vision and vision is something that can get us out of bed and into the market to deliver excellent value. Let’s consider the vision of JFK to land a man on the moon. It was clear and audacious. Clearly set the vision for your life an

I found the book “The Infinite Game” by Simon Sinek to be illuminating and interesting. Business is an infinite game. There are finite games in life like sports where there is a clear winner. However, for most of us normal folks’ life is an infinite game where there is no clear winner. At the end of our lives nobody will say he was a winner at life. The main premise of this book is most of business is an infinite game. Play the long game and out last the competition. There are five ways to play the infinite game and here they are with my take on each.  First is to have a just cause  – This is a cause bigger than just profits. If we have a just cause we will wake up without an alarm clock and will want to get going. This is like a mission statement but one that evokes the inspiration of the people. We can have a just cause for our personal lives as well as it increases meaning. Having a moon shot is not a just cause because once it is done it is over. In a finite game players ke

We might have had great plans for 2019 and we are already into the tenth month of the year. However this might be the time where we might have lost a little bit of momentum. I want to pull together some key ideas to keep the momentum going so that we keep that enthusiasm we have at the start of the year for the rest of the year and on to next year as well. Whenever we think of not giving in one name that always comes to mind is Winston Churchill. In one of his speeches he famously said.  “Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”  Another great quote from him was  “We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender” So with those in

I wanted to name this post time management but felt 24 hours is a more apt description. 24 hours is what all of us get every day whether we like it or not. The way we use our daily 24 hours over a long period of time ultimately determines where we finish. Time management is an oxymoron and I am surely not an expert on it. I see myself more as a student and have gathered some ideas that can help in managing ourselves better. I firmly believe that time management is not reserved for only the work we do but it plays a very important part in our personal lives as well. When we manage ourselves better it reduces stress and increases our experience of joy. Everyone’s philosophy of time management is different so finding what works for each person is the key. For some people it may mean spending more time with the family, while for others it maybe to reach the apex of corporate success. Here are nine ways that can help us on our journey to optimum personal effectiveness. Focus on the