To succeed in the workplace (and even in your personal life), here are some things you should never say: 1. No offence. Why is this a bad idea: Saying ‘no offence’ after saying something offending is like slapping a person and saying, ‘No slap.’ It doesn’t make it any...

One lesson I learned at McKinsey -- "Never go to a meeting without a polished presentation." Before the meeting, everybody might say, "It is just a brainstorming session -- the slides don't have to look good. Just bring whatever you have." But don't listen to them --...

The day I get a LOT done is also a day when most routine things remain pending. And those are the days I cherish. Just striking off the maximum number of items from a to-do list is another rat race. What's the point? One day, try this: 1. Pick one or two tasks that...

Here is the wicked story of the 20th-century technology revolution that may change your resolutions for 2023. William Shockley was working at AT&T Bell Labs with John Bardeen and Walter Brattain when they came up with the point-contact transistor. But when Bardeen...

Everybody knows how to be a good leader – until their tail is on fire. Everybody knows how to advise startups until they do their own startup. Then, they are staring at an empty bank balance and the family on the verge of disowning them 🙂 Some things in life can't be...

Perfectionism is not excellence -- it is a mental trap. When we are anxious and unsure of our work, we keep editing our emails and keep fine-tuning the presentation far beyond the point of adding value. The root cause of perfectionism is anxiety. And sadly,...

I have found that the biggest benefit of exercising is better mental health -- even more than physical fitness. Exercising reduces anxiety and depression, and improves well-being and brain health, though it is not 100% clear how that happens. However, here are a few...

Here is a fascinating experiment involving split-brain patients, whose left brain cannot communicate with the right brain. Whenever we see something on the left side, the visual signal goes to the right brain and vice versa. Normally, the left and right brains...

Since it is impossible to not see Elon Musk in your online feeds, yesterday, I saw a photo of him sleeping on the Tesla factory floor in his sleeping bag. And this, I thought, was real leadership. While I sometimes cringe at some of his actions (e.g., keeping...

You are focused or distracted due to two networks in your brain -- 1. The Default Mode Network (DMN) -- it makes your mind wander, e.g., when reading a book or when sitting idly. 2. The Dorsal Attention Network (DAN) -- it enables you to deliberately focus your...

If you have wondered why some people seem naturally happier than others, here is what research says: 1. 50% of our happiness is genetic. 2. 40% of it comes from intentional activity -- i.e., how we spend our time. 3. Only 10% comes from life circumstances -- e.g.,...

A few years ago, I was at IIT Kanpur to give a talk. As I was waiting for my event, speaking on the stage was a renowned entrepreneur who has built a multi-billion dollar company from scratch. While he was talking, quite unexpectedly, the students started clapping....

Here are a few things I saw many people say: 1. I feel like I am old enough and should be able to manage it on my own. 2. Being a man, it is expected that I should handle these things myself. 3. This is my problem and I need to figure out the solution. What can...

Since I write on LinkedIn frequently, I occasionally get abused and trolled. And here is why I think it is a good thing. When you have a strong point of view, you have two options: 1. You can say it as you see it. And in that process, you may offend someone. 2....