Maximise Potential

Self-esteem is a key quality that determines your overall success. Lack of self-esteem can result in a feeling of inadequacy, depression, anxiety and an inferiority complex. Recently I read that all you need in life is a wishbone, jawbone and backbone. A wishbone will enable you to dream big dreams, a jawbone will remind you that if you believe in something you have to speak about it and a backbone will remind you that anything worthwhile requires you to persist when the going gets tough.  Here are eight ways to develop your self-esteem to a high level. Develop a high appreciation for life  – This is the starting point for high self-esteem. When you understand that your life has meaning and there is a specific purpose to your life you get excited about the possibilities and opportunities. Your life is important and you have a unique contribution to make in this world. When you understand that you feel better about yourself. As Victor Frankl said it is not what we want ...

I have read many books during this lock-down across various topics like technology, business, success and leadership among others. Most of them are business books which is my preferred genre. Here are the 27 books I liked reading so far in 2020. The first three are the most recent ones I read. Leading without Authority by Keith Ferrazzi and Noel Weyrich – This is a good practical guide on leading in the 21st century. The crux of the book is that leadership is not about position or title or hierarchy. The key word used here is co-elevation and co-creation. This is where all the silos are broken between the folks on the team, everyone engages with each other without fear of rebuke, building psychological safety and engage in purposeful co-creation. It is a good view on leadership. Unleased by Francis Frei and Anne Morriss – Leadership is not about you. This theme is recurring in all the leadership books. It is all about unleashing the potential in others and th...

I was invited on the Project Management Podcast by Cornelius Fichtner. We discussed about leadership and how to navigate turbulent times. Click on the below link to listen. https://www.project-management-podcast.com/podcast-episodes/episode-details/875-special-episode-leadership-during-crisis These are the first lines of my article which this podcast is based on. In times of crisis like this, we look to leaders for inspiration, hope, and direction. The last word is the key as the first thing to suffer in a crisis is direction. Leaders have a guiding vision for the future and turn to hope when others can only see mud. Let’s hope in this time of enormous crisis it also unearths true leaders who can navigate the turbulent times and move us into a greater future however distant that may seem at this time. Shyam Ramanathan The article is  27 Traits of Strong Leaders in Times of Crisis and Turbulence  that we explore in this interview. The views expressed here are my...

Life is truly a marathon it is not a sprint. In times of great uncertainty we have to really take the long view. If we take a long view of life our happiness levels increase and just the very act of thinking about the future releases positive chemicals in our brain. As Angela Duckworth says “Grit is passion and perseverance towards long term goals.” I found this to be true because if you have a long term vision for your life you will be able to meet short term setbacks with the appropriate level of poise. So the first step to view life as a marathon is to clearly define a vision for your life. Here I have expanded each letter of the word marathon. Mastery  - When you have a long term view of life you will understand that mastery is the key to a fulfilled life. The key to mastery is to identify the area you need to master. You cannot spread your energy in too many directions. Focus is the key. So decide exactly the area where you have to focus and improve only in that area. It...

We all have reservoirs of potential to be unleashed and to recognize our unlimited potential is the first step towards getting the best out of ourselves. Talent is a strange word that we use to describe only the uber-successful like multimillionaires, sports superstars and other public figures but we all have talent that can be unleashed. Most of us are unlikely to achieve public acclaim so that may not be the best yardstick for a successful life. Talent is not something most of us are born with, it is something we develop through thorough soul searching, self-analysis, practice and deep learning. It is a cinch but worth repeating find out what ignites your passion. Passion ignites reservoirs of talent that is hidden within our vast reservoirs. The main obstacles in our path are our self-doubt and lack of patience. Let’s face it once we embark on a journey we get a little overwhelmed with the effort that is required to get to our summit. There are no guarantees in life and the ...