The King Of Hope

After the landslide victory in recent polls, CM Nitish Kumar has certainly become a global icon. The modest man, who reinforced the idea of ‘Action speaks louder than words’ has attracted attention from Forbes, WSJ and many other International Media houses recently while he has already been a darling to domestic media . He has transformed Bihar from a land of destitution to a state of glory, without any doubt. The person, who was a second class politician till a few years back, has become an example in Indian political circle. I was not surprised when a leading news anchor gave him higher rating than President Obama. He has set new standards, scrapped many political myths and has come out with unique solution to perennial problems. All this brings me to the question—“Do we need to relook at the definition of leadership?”


Some of the external qualities expected in global leaders are: Charisma, eloquence, positive body language, designer clothing, sense of humor etc. which make them pleasing to our eyes and music to our ears while the internal qualities expected are: Integrity, Commitment, Magnanimity, Humility, Openness, Fairness, Objectivity etc. While Nitish scores badly on the first set of qualities, he gets distinction on the second set. This bring me to the conclusion that:

a. If you are committed and hardworking, results will show.
b. Charisma and glorification may sway people for some time, but finally result matters.
c. If you can deliver, who cares about the look and accent.
d. Humility draws respect and trust.
e. You don’t really need a designer suit and fine language to inspire hope.
f. Astute planning pays off.
g. What’s done on the ground, cannot be erased with words.
h. You can shut others up by justifying, but they know very well what you are up to and
i. Even if you are not loud, the world will listen and clap if they believe in you.

Do the Words Speak Your Mind?

Recently, a friend regretted that she wanted to tell her boss how terrible she felt working with him, but on facing, ended up saying how handsome he looked that day. The worst happened when the Boss responded with smile considering this a compliment oblivious of the fact, she had running in mind.

This is a classic example of imbalance between the words and mind.
I myself have faltered on various occasions when it came to express what I thought. If the person was superior in hierarchy or someone who I’m not very comfortable with, made things all the more difficult. Sometimes it also happened that I didn’t know how to respond to a comment and ended up saying something what did not make sense.

After deep thinking, I have reached a conclusion that the factors which created the imbalance between my speech and mind could be one or the combination of these: courage, rapport with the person, state of mind, clarity of thought, sensitivity of the topic and the ability to articulate.

The irony is- this angle is never discussed in any communication training. If you too are down with this sickness, I have got a tip. Whenever the tongue slips, ask yourself WHY? And commit yourself not to repeat the same mistake ever.

Else, your may find a friend writing a blog on you.

Ferrari. Does It Really Matter?

I had a very humble upbringing and have continued to live a modest life. My home to work run has improved over time. You can see the transition below:

1. Walk to School (free in 1991)
2. Second hand Bike (Avon for 300 rupees in 1993)
3. New Bike (Hero Royal for 1050 rupees in 1994)
4. Public Bus (Mostly without tickets being student 1997-2000) & Autorickshaw (2000-2005)
5. Motor Bike (TVS Apache for 56,000 rupees, 2005-2007)
7. Car (Toyota Corolla for 1,100,000 rupees, 2008-till date)

I’m very satisfied with the way I commute to office now. The car has excellent pick up, AC is fantastic, and it meets my every need very well and hasn’t ditched even once.

What if I make a lot more money. Will Ferrari make much difference? Probably not. A car like Toyota Corolla is decent enough to meet my on-road requirements.

Then why the rich brats drive Ferrari? It’s more to do with how they are perceived than the pleasure derived from driving.

Same thing applies to watches.. Timex or Rolex.. they are equally efficient.

Let me tell you.. I’m not against Ferrari or Rolex. I’m just analyzing their utility. After it reaches a stage on quality scale, the scope to improve is miniscule.

If you are a white-made millionaire, go for Ferrari. Dirting your hands for it is not worthwhile. And taking a loan to drive the red monster is sheer insanity. To experience the best of mankind, it’s always available on hire for a day or two.

Money better be put to other use. Sorry GUCCI, Prada and Armani. No wonder, you’d call I don’t have taste.