Here is a 3-step process to clarify your thinking, whenever you feel you have a lot to say about something but it all feels jumbled up in your head. Imagine that you have to make a presentation before someone (a client, colleague, etc.). Now, dump all the thoughts in...
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The efficiency paradox
During my days at McKinsey, I once asked a retired senior partner about life before PowerPoint. How did they make presentations to clients? He said that they used to create presentations on big chart papers using felt-tip pens. They would have to write in big font,...
Freedom over fortune
You should envy Warren Buffett and the late Charlie Munger -- I certainly do. But not because of their billions. But because of how happy and joyful they are. In their 90s, they have the infectious enthusiasm and curiosity of a 25-year-old. They have a point of view...
Embrace constraints
A McKinsey partner once told me about his niece who got a job offer as a management trainee from a world-leading healthcare company. This company had (and still has) a spectacular global brand, and is a market leader in many categories. And therefore, he advised his...
The right kind of smartness in business
At the Berkshire Hathway annual meeting, (the late) Charlie Munger said, "We are not that smart but we kind of know the edge of our smartness. But a lot of people who are geniuses, think they are a lot smarter than they are. What they are, is dangerous." One might be...
Why multitasking destroys focus
Years ago, I had a young colleague who would steal a glance under the table at his WhatsApp every minute or two. Today, that behavior has gone mainstream -- many of us work with constantly buzzing notifications from apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams. In this post, I...
Tools can’t replace competence
You (and I) are in danger. Right now, LinkedIn is flooded with tools, templates, and hacks, especially after chatGPT. And to be sure, many of these tools have great value. They will make you faster and more efficient. But we might assume that these tools can replace...
The price of privilege
In some ways, King Charles is quite lucky -- he has unimaginable wealth, privilege, and status (for no fault of his). But would you or I want to be in his position? He has to spend much of his life doing meaningless ceremonial stuff. Having endured a little bit of...
Complacency kills
During my summer internship recruiting at Wharton, there was only one consulting job interview I bombed. And it also happened to be the easiest one. Here is what happened. I was interviewing with a partner at Booz Allen Hamilton, a well-known consulting firm. The...
Why jaw-drops don’t happen in consulting
After my MBA, when I joined consulting, I imagined that we would solve complex business problems, and finally, when we presented our solutions to the clients, their jaws would hit the floor. As it turned out, that jaw drop never happened. In fact, in the world of...
The cost of addiction
Anna Lembke, a psychiatrist and the author of 'Dopamine Nation,' said that the most bizarre addiction she had come across was, shockingly, 'water addiction.' One of her patients would drink so much water that it would throw her system out of gear and somehow produce...
Pause before you respond
I once had this habit of responding to any question a nanosecond after the person stopped speaking (or sometimes, even before that). Maybe, I was afraid of a pause between the question and my answer. Yet, there is nothing more pleasing to our ears than a few moments...
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Rajan shares insights from his own life journey to help you build better habits in yours.