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Train your people to build focus
In this deafening clamor of notifications, pings, and rings, do you know the one thing nobody cares about? You. And your attention, your well-being. Nobody cares about your attention because you can always work late nights and get work done. Then...
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Self-Respect
When I took on my first major assignment in the police service – as the Police Commissioner of Trivandrum City – I got a lot of unsolicited advice....
Embracing Abnormality
When I landed at Wharton, the constant refrain I heard was – “MBA is all about networking. So build connections and make friends.” Academics and...
Intuitions
During my stint as an investor, once the CFO of an Indian conglomerate came to our office with his team. They were looking for funding since their...
Prioritizing Health Over Career
I first went to a gym in class 12th, for three days. And then, I quit. After many false starts, in 2009, I finally nailed the habit. For the last 12...
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Ego’s Paradox
Ego is not always your enemy. I first realized this in 2001, when as a police officer, I was facing a fierce agitation by a tribal group from Kerala’s Wayanad district. For publicity, these agitators decided to disrupt the annual Onam procession, a...
Winning is not everything
VCs love to talk about the unicorns in their portfolio – and understandably so. But why don’t we talk about how many of our companies are ethical? Sometimes, winning at ANY cost is not 'winning’ -- it is ‘cheating.’ Long ago, when I came to Kerala...
Principle of leadership
A few years ago, at an organic food show in Trivandrum, a girl at the entry counter stopped me. And with the zeal of a convert, she shoved a pamphlet in my face, and started lambasting how evil genetically modified (GM) food was. I am not for or...
Lessons from Finance
In a finance class at Wharton, I realized the root cause of the 2008 financial meltdown -- complexity. And if we are not careful, for the same reason, many will get hurt in the current crypto craze. In the abovementioned class, the professor...