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Great Managers Don’t Create Clones
While working with McKinsey, I worked with two types of managers: Type 1: They wanted you to just solve the problem as best as you could. Type 2: They wanted your output (PPT slides) to look exactly like they would have done it. But the problem...
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The essence of simple writing
When I was in 6th grade, I read an abridged version of Mahatma Gandhi's "My Experiments with Truth" for a competition organized by our school. And...
We value things only when we lose them
A Trivandrum-based cardiologist once shared this story I am unable to forget. Two of his patients would often crib about life when they met him....
A Case for Dr. Malpani’s LinkedIn Return
About three years ago, Dr. Aniruddha Malpani’s account was permanently blocked by LinkedIn. I am not questioning LinkedIn’s judgment or decision – I...
Only one thing is progress — doing
Which is the best running shoe in the world? Who cares? You just need a good enough pair. Because the shoes won't run, you will. And I am not being...
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Productivity = focus + prioritization
Today, I had dozens of pending tasks. So here is what I did. I just picked one task that really mattered. I dropped everything else, started my timer, and did 10 focus sprints of 25 minutes. By around 5:30 pm, the task was done. No sweat, no...
Remembering Deepak Ratan
A year ago, we lost Deepak Ratan, my friend, IPS batchmate, and an illustrious officer, to a heart attack. We are all in shock. Deepak was still in his 40s and looked fit and strong. Who could have seen this coming? Deepak and I were in the same...
Break free from digital distractions
You are distracted. But not for the reason you think. MORE than 50% of the work interruptions destroying your productivity aren’t triggered by your phone or email notifications but come from inside your own mind. App blockers can’t defeat digital...
The power of downtime and diffuse thinking
A few years ago, when I was doing my previous startup, a student once asked me an IITJEE Advanced physics problem. The question appeared so unsolvable that I asked him, "Are you sure the problem is correct?" Sadly, it was 🙂 I thought about it for...