Latest Post
Earning Respect That Lasts a Lifetime
A few weeks ago, I called a former boss of mine (the then Director General of Police, Kerala) to wish him a happy new year -- he is nearing 80 and is not keeping very good health. This officer was the most draconian disciplinarian to have headed...
Recent Posts
Stop Trying to Prove Yourself
If you are trying to prove yourself, there is bad news -- this game has no endpoint. There is no finish line at which you will feel, "Finally, I...
Focus on Your Own Journey, Not Someone Else’s
In a high-rise office building in New York, I was once looking across the street at the next skyscraper, craning my neck. And I felt so 'low down'!...
Why Intelligent People Often Aren’t Rich
Why are intelligent people often not rich? Because they want to make money only using their intellect. For example, if a "non-intelligent"...
Everyone Feels Fear – Face It Anyway
Everybody feels scared: -- On the first day of a job. -- During a job interview. -- Before closing a big sales deal. -- Before the performance...
More Articles
How to Know If Your Idea Is Real
Early in my startup days, I used to sometimes wonder -- am I doing something real or am I just fiddling around, fooling myself? How do I know this is not all in my head? The ONLY real way of knowing whether you are doing something real (and...
The Secret of Confidence: Focus on What You Know
As a rookie consultant at McKinsey, before the final client presentation, I used to feel very jittery. No matter how much work I had done, there would be so many things we were not sure of -- what if the client asked about them? But the senior...
In Investing and Life, Patience Beats Luck
My friend Vinod Thomas and I have together been investing in public equities for the last one year. So are you ready for some investing wisdom? Kidding. 😊 It is very tempting to think of yourself as a good investor in a bull market. But one of my...
When Focus Feels Like a Battle, Step Back
Yesterday, when I was doing some focused work, after some time, I felt so agitated and restless that I desperately wanted an escape -- check the news, open LinkedIn, do anything. When the task is hard or tedious, this 'escape impulse' comes to me...