The Mask Of Sorrow

I have a dream, declared an ambitious heart.

If you can dream it, then I can achieve it challenged the cunning brain.

Aim bigger and go for more, egged the greedy mind.  

We are born to rule roared the ego.

Our superior intelligence has certainly given us the edge over the other species. And this advantage has also given us the belief that the earth belongs only to us. Our world domination might still be a work in progress but this juggernaut has been gaining momentum. The fun part is, we even managed to get rid of the unnecessary nuisance of guilt and remorse along the way. So we don't regret our actions. Life was never this beautiful and comfortable. Who cares if animals don’t share this sentiment? The Earth itself might feel abused. Do we care? Of course not? We are born to rule this planet and rule we shall. 

With an air of invincibility and conviction of our destiny to reach the imagined future, we were all set for another high octane ride this year. Unfortunately, the pride of our past success and the race towards the imagined future, made us lose sight of the present. We failed to notice that nature was secretly scheming to put us in place. We even ignored the clues that nature was trying to give us. We failed to listen to a chilling question that nature was asking us, 'Where is your mask'? 

Why would we pay heed? After all, we are invincible and we fear nothing. Do we? Since the beginning of this year, that ominous question Where is your mask kept ringing in the air. But most countries were busy squabbling over who created this menace rather than acting swiftly. We even challenged the social distancing measures and got too close for comfort with each other. 

Life is all about the trade-off. And as Newton would say, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Progress and Development give us comfort but also the side effects in equal measure.  But the rapid increase in human avarice sadly matched the advancement in technology. The result was a powerful backlash that we couldn’t handle. We might be able to destroy nature but we can’t beat the laws of nature. Can we?

Alas, the juggernaut has come to a screeching halt. The invincible humans are brought down to their knees. We could achieve anything that we could imagine and we could destroy anything that we see. But nature played it smartly and unfairly by unfurling an invisible enemy. In just a matter of 2 months, we are shown our place in the pecking order. We are scared, locked down, and socially distanced. Powerful leaders are exposed for their inefficiencies, Nations are clueless. Ambitions have given way to mere survival. We finally listened to nature and picked up our masks.

We are forced to put a mask around our ego, our desire, our arrogance, and our cockiness. We are desperately trying to cover our fears and uncertainties behind the mask. Behind the mask, we are learning the power of humility and the truth of who we are. The mask has uncovered a simple peaceful world that we long forgot. The mask is revealing what a sad, insignificant, and fragile species we are. The invincible mankind is cowering behind the mask mortified by an invisible enemy. Under the cover of the mask, we are silently uttering some long-forgotten prayers to save us from this misery. The mask is not just a cover to protect us. It's a cover that reveals the truth. The sad, bitter truth that we are not as indestructible as we thought we were. 

Nature is not done yet. The humiliation is still not complete. The mask might help many humans survive this threat. But will it save humanity? Will we take the truth we are discovering about ourselves behind these masks once the world returns to normalcy? 

Or will nature force us to wear this mask of sorrow again? 

Is it right to use the virus to go viral?

So many viral marketing campaigns referencing the Corona Virus pandemic are going around. Is this smart marketing or insensitive opportunism?

December and January are usually the most positive periods in our lives.  I don't know if it's the much-awaited holidays or relief of a hard year gone by. Maybe, its the overdose of those feel-good Hollywood Christmas movies. Somehow, everyone believes in miracles in these months. We somehow believe that the turnaround is imminent. In our over-enthusiastic positivity, we make resolutions that would be broken in a few days, promises that would be forgotten even before we spell them out. Our romantic magical world slowly fades away like a beautiful dream does on a Monday morning. 

And reality sets in. 

2020, started with the same emotional cycle of life. Promise and hope fuelled the energy. The world was ready to take on the challenges of a new year, a new decade. But unknown to many, a nightmare that will shake the world, was brewing. A virus that was not too familiar to humans was sharing its CV in a little town with an evil intent that our race is all too familiar with. Colonizing. With every cough and sneeze these little devils spread from one person to another. Little did we anticipate that COVID -19 as they call it now, would change our realities completely. And so rapidly. 

Issues that everyone was fighting for, rooting for or fretting about are no longer as important. Who cares if the Mexican's could Trump the wall or not. Who cares what the Khan is rambling about. Who cares if the fugitive would live with his diamonds forever or if the Kings would be fished out of their good times and dragged back to India. Who cares about CAA or NRC.  Who cares about global warming or the "How dare you" squeal of a little girl. Is it Krona or Karona or Karuna virus? Who cares. Who cares about anything, anymore.

Who cares? The marketers certainly seem to do. Or at least they claim to have a solution to reduce the human sufferings that even the Doctors and Scientists are clueless about. From Cumin Powder to Rasam Powder, everyone wants to ride on the fear. IT solutions that have been around for decades are suddenly promoted as a solution to this Corona conundrum. Even Sari 's (Indian wrap around for woman)  with few splattering of random colors are sold as Carona design. 

The line that separates creativity and sensitivity is too thin. Capitalizing on a trending hot topic is always part of a creative marketing strategy. However, is it right to capitalize on this human despair? Something about using the virus to go viral with your product seems wrong. However, Ethics and Morals are a matter of perspective. A terrorist for one is a freedom fighter for the other. So who is to say what is right or what is wrong. We can draw the line as thin or thick as we want to. We can choose a side and get ourselves in knots with this self-imposed moral dilemma in the name of sensitivity. Or we can be the creative opportunists who simply are smart enough to capitalize on an opportunity. The answers to these questions are as difficult as finding a cure for this virus. Even if you get one, you will never be sure if its the right one.

The global lockdown may be preventing us from crossing the real borders. But are we crossing the moral borders by capitalizing on this unprecedented fear? By writing this post on this subject, did I just step over that line too? 

Who cares?

Leadership Lessons from WWE Wrestling

Do you enjoy watching giant men, built like oak trees beating each other to a pulp, inside a steel cage?  

Well, for the uninitiated, I am referring to World Wrestling Entertainment, WWE,  a billion-dollar industry, running successfully for the past 30 years or so. Most sane people might think of it as a mind-numbing dumb act of violence. But not the 100,000 frenzied spectators in the stadium and billion others who watch it in on TV.  

Fake matches, fixed fights, entertainment, violence. Call it what you may. This sports entertainment is a billion-dollar industry today. Not many IT solutions companies have reached this size. Can we learn some leadership lessons from this entertainment show? After all, running a billion-dollar industry is not an easy task. and keep it interesting and relevant is even harder.  They must be doing something right that we could learn from. Shall we ring the bell?

Balancing The Opposites

The success of this wrestling entertainment show depends on the wrestler's ability to display some extremely opposite skills. The players have to have the combination of size, stamina brutal strength of a wrestler along with the flexibility, agility, and athleticism of a gymnast to pull off those gravity-defying and some times jaw-dropping moves. If this is not enough, they have to display a wide range of emotions while mouthing some lengthy dialogues as well. Remember, this is an entertainment show. So these giant wrestlers are great orators and actors as well.

Leadership is no different. The success of a leader depends on the ability to balance some seemingly opposing traits. One has to be assertive and yet be empathetic, has to frame the rules and yet be street smart in knowing when to break those, balance ambition and vision without compromising the core values. A good leader has to understand the facts and yet trust his instincts to make that calculated leap of faith, at times.

Kiss enough frogs to find the princess

The storyline in WWE usually lulls you into believing that you got a hang of it. The story builds a specific wrestler to become the fan-favorite. Just when the support for the wrestler reaches a frenzy a sudden unexpected turn is introduced - A Face turns Heel or vice versa. In case you are wondering, Heel is a villain and Face is a good guy in WWE lingo. While these sudden twists and turns to the storyline have been the key to its success for over 3 decades, not all these changes are appreciated by all the fans, all the time. A typical WWE fan has more than one favorite wrestler and more than many reasons to like this entertainment show. That is why for a hardcore WWE fan, there is never a dull episode or never permanent despair. They anticipate these twists, they are prepared to get disappointed but yet have plenty more reasons and options to enjoy this show beyond these setbacks. 

The life of a leader works pretty much the same way. The decisions she takes seem perfect and they might even lull her into believing that success is just around the bend.  And then the twist happens to the tale. All the well laid out plan fails for reasons beyond her control.  As painful as it may be, a smart leader bounces back quicker because she always works on parallel plans and newer initiatives. She is never too disappointed and certainly not long enough to sulk. Because a good leader knows that the only way to find the prince is by kissing enough frogs. 

Length of Woman's skirt

Another big reason for WWE's success over the years has been its story length. They are neither too long winding like our soap operas nor too short to understand the point. They are usually just long enough for you to fall in love with the story and a specific wrestler and root for him with all your emotions. After all, its the emotions that drive the story forward and not pure logic. When you have a plot that is captivating enough for the right length of time, for billions of fans to invest in it emotionally, you have a winning formula.

A smart leader is one who pursues his long term vision with a series of short term goals to keep everyone motivated and interested enough to follow his dreams. The plan of a good leader is like a woman's skirt. Long enough to cover the essentials but short enough to keep everyone interested. 

Competition and Coopetition

In WWE Wrestlers are made to pair up randomly. At times, close friends and tag team partners for years are pitted against each other. Often we see bitter enemies teaming up to take on a common enemy. It is this surprise element that has kept this enterprise remain as popular as it was 30 years back.

The drama of life sometimes demands that a leader should constantly assess the competition, not just to outwit them but to partner with them if needed. Coopetition is a key part of a smart leader strategy.  There are no permanent friends or foes. Success often means putting up with some strange bedfellows.

As always happens in life, "When the student is ready, the teacher arrives". If you are an aspiring leader, then be a keen student first. Your teacher could be right in front of you choke slamming a hapless opponent or hidden behind a well-conceived storyline. Or he could be the Sports Entertainment show itself.  So, keep your eyes open and be alert. Who knows your teacher could be flying right at you from the top of that steel cage. 

Remember, you can start with 1,2,3 or be counted out 1,2,3. The choice is yours. So, will you now enjoy watching giant men, built like oak trees beating each other to a pulp, inside a steel cage? 

When the heart smiles

What is Maturity?

Modern psychology says that maturity is being aware of the surroundings and acting accordingly. From Adi Shankara to Buddha, to many other modern philosophers have given their views and wisdom on this question as well. In spite of their different schools of philosophy separated by centuries, the definition of maturity by all of them is more or less the same. My summary of understanding of these great minds definition of maturity is

It is the awareness and ability to distance ourselves mentally when needed.

While I respect this conventional wisdom, my personal definition of maturity is about our ability to balance the constant needs of our head and heart. It is about our ability to satisfy the logical need of pursuing life-altering larger goals without forgetting to cherish those little things that make the heart smile. It is not a this or that choice but a this and that balance. 

Achieving the larger goals is no doubt important for they would make us proud. They give our life a sense of purpose, discipline and ultimately respect. Desire is not always the root cause of all evils as the Budhha taught us. Pursuing it at all with costs without balance maybe is.  

But, some of our best memories are about the ‘meaningless’ little things we did in our life. Aren't they? The ones we indulged in because we chose to follow our hearts. These little moments might not always serve any quantifiable purpose to our lives but they always give us something more important. The big goals make us proud for sure but it is those silly little moments that give us a smile from deep inside the heart. 

Unfortunately, we distance ourselves from these little pleasures in the name of maturity. Remember, Smile of the heart is often the result of these little memories and not just those big proud achievements.

Maturity is not always about doing big things. 

Successful life is all about balancing the opposites. Chase the big dreams, pursue the important goals but never miss an opportunity to do what the heart says. That is maturity. So go ahead, get silly if you have to and enjoy those little things that make you happy. Who knows, they can become beautiful memories, sometime in the future and make you flash that all-important silent smile from your heart. 

When the heart smiles, it means you have achieved that perfect harmony between your head and heart. And that is Maturity. 

Are you a Lion or Lamb? Who would you rather be?

Every now and then we come across a piece of creation and wonder if we had what it takes to do that. An interesting painting by Marcel Witte, a world-class artist who paints realistic animals, caught my eyes and kindled that deep desire to try. My initial apprehension was the patience required to bring out all those details. You can learn techniques through YouTube videos but not patience.   

But then, fun is all about playing out of your comfort zone. Is it not? So after nearly 40 hours of resisting the temptation to rush through and with a relentless push from a friend, I was finally able to step back from the canvas and admire the finished painting.  My own Lion and Lamb.

When you stay focused on a particular subject that long, subconsciously you start forming doubts and theories. Is it a good painting or a sad painting? Should I make the Lion carry a cub instead of the poor Lamb? But then, I was not sure if Lions carried their cubs. I know lionesses do. Should the lamb be scared? Do lambs have an expressive face to show fear or happiness? In cartoons maybe. 

Then came the clichéd doubt in my head. Am I the Lion or the lamb? Who would I rather be?

A lion is Powerful and Majestic for sure. That is cool especially if you play a leadership role. They are certainly Ferocious and Feared. Not too cool but that is not going to hurt your position as a leader. A mighty Lion grabs what he wants and when he wants it. Modern management gurus will dig this Alpha predator characteristic and set you as the benchmark for Leadership

A lamb, on the other hand, is cute at best. Brings about a smile when you look at their clumsiness. But then they are lunch or dinner for just about every beast with claws or fangs or even a knife and fork. I certainly would not like to be the vulnerable one. 

But then I am not a lion either, as much as I envy most of its power.

By now the painting progressed significantly and reached a point that I had to take that decision of cub or a lamb in the lion’s mouth.

Just then, I remembered a fundamental principle of painting realism. Paint what you see and not what you think should be. The original masterpiece had a lamb in the lion’s mouth and so will my lion too. For the remainder of the painting, I did not worry about the cause or logic. I did not care if the lion was hungry or if the lamb was scared. It did not matter to me if the lion was protecting the lamb or taking it to the dinner table. I became an earnest trier, an 

artist who wanted to get better, a hobbyist who simply wanted to have fun, a humble student who was not worried about failing and many more at different stages of the painting process. All that mattered was the fun of putting paint-dipped brush to canvas and see those images shaping up. I was many versions of the one person that mattered.  

After all, the Lion and Lamb is a metaphor for the ultimate sacrifice (Lamb) of God and his resurrection to life (Lion). Many versions that ultimately represent the ONE 

My Lion and Lamb painting might be a humble imitation of the original masterpiece. This painting might not be exhibition worthy or good enough to be sold. It does not matter. What matters is that this painting will keep reminding me that we do not have to be a powerful lion or vulnerable lamb. We do not have to bother about the game but be the best player while the game is on. We do not have to understand the play but act the part we chose to perfection. We do not have to worry about the war but battle hard as a true warrior as long as we are standing. We do not have to be something or someone but be many versions of ourselves that are constantly trying to get better

Because the best way to be is to become the best version of ourselves.  

Artificial Intelligence or Natural Stupidity?

This might be a rhetorical question but an interesting one at that. How can an exciting evolving technology and a not so exciting human behaviour impact organisations? I thought the sarcasm in it was thought-provoking. Do they really have an impact or are there other factors that are more impactful. Let us explore. 

It cannot be Artificial Intelligence for sure

AI is the simulation of human intelligence by machines, developed to overcome some of the human limitations. Is it not? So how can it be a challenge? Hollywood embraced this technology earlier than the real world did. Maybe all those men vs machine movies are causing this paranoia. AI as a technology is evolving and the adaption is too nascent. So it’s not fair to call it a challenge even before it has made a significant impact. 

So we can safely eliminate AI from the suspect list. 

Or is it Natural Stupidity?

Well, let us admit that there are many out there with this special ability.  Stupidity naturally becomes a prime suspect for any detrimental impact.  And of course, it is a problem, for society at large. But is it one of the biggest challenges faced by companies today? I am not too sure. 


Stupidity is a lack of intelligence, understanding, reason or wit. So a question to organisations? Why hire those who display these signs in the first place or why keep them if we are intelligent enough to recognize these telltale signs of stupidity. So if Natural Stupidity is a reason we are whining about, then we need to reassess our own intelligence. This is more a case of Artificial Problems that companies impose on themselves. Yes, Natural Stupidity will have a damaging impact if we continue to breed this lot. Otherwise not.

So let us not blame natural stupidity to cover our own lack of intelligence.  

Can Natural Rebels be the issue?

Non-Conformists or as a modern marketing manager calls them ‘Disruptors’ are those who impact society and organizations. They are the change agents. They are usually considered mad because they are often ready to risk it all. But don’t we need these madmen to help us stay ahead in the race and make this world a more convenient place to live in? Our thoughts, our beliefs, our technology and everything else that we have are because of these few out of the box thinkers who dared to think differently, who chose to question the status quo. Having these mavericks in our mix is probably the sanest thing to do. After all, “In a mad world, only the mad are sane." So they can’t be a challenge. They are in fact a boon.

If Artificial Intelligence, Natural stupidity or Natural Rebels are not the real challenges then who or what is?

The real culprit: Artificial Stupidity

We search, hunt, hire and nurture natural intelligence. Why do we look for intelligent people? Natural Intelligence enables a better understanding of the environment and quick adaptability to it, among other things. 

But, when the adapted environment becomes a comfort zone complacency sets in. And complacency results in dumbing down of all the traits that made us intelligent in the first place. In other words, Natural Intelligence breeds conformists who thrive on the status quo. They learn to curb their instincts, their passion and most times their intellect thus creating this destructive human trait that I call Artificial Stupidity.

Capable and intelligent individuals who over a period of time, morph themselves into this unrecognizable version of themselves. They become so proficient at turning a blind eye to mistakes, are happy following a non-existent rule, they become risk-averse and their only interest becomes survival. Fear of failure is their primary instinct.

Should not the organizations be more worried about this dangerous lot that they breed and nurture?

Who is responsible for this slide? Is it the organisation or the employee himself? Well, that’s another topic for another day.

The Ban and The Don

a random thought on Modi's Demonetization and Trump becoming the President. Two events that can have huge political and economic impact across the globe.

Demonetization and Trump

Fear and Hope are probably the two most important aspects of human psyche that have dominated us since the beginning. We tend to fear what we don’t understand and mostly the ones that we think we understand. At the same time, we tend to get excited about anything that sounds positive and get our hopes high, even if we don’t understand it completely

Two major decisions got taken in the last 24 hours across the globe that has caused Fear and Hope amongst us. One is a seemingly brilliant economic move at home and the other a seemingly dumb political decision in the US. So what if we don’t understand the nuances of either of these decisions and the impact it could have on us.   If the brave move against black money made the working class Indian happy then Trump’s win in the US has brought back those familiar worries.   Most of us don’t have a clue how exactly these decisions will impact us but we know they will. Or at least we think we know it.

A man who is termed as a part time clown or a full time socio path trumped not just Hillary but our collective ego. Why do we fear his victory? We don’t care about the Mexicans and immigrants that he has promised to shoo away. We don’t care about the women he has groped for sure. We are afraid because he might stop outsourcing. Period. We fear losing the status quo. We fear that the American Dream of an Indian might end. Can he do that? Will the political and economic compulsions allow that? Will the demographic reality make it viable? We don’t know because we don’t understand it enough. We fear him because he said he will beat the odds and he did it. We fear him because we are angry. After all, the clown trumped the collective predictions of all the pundits and our prayers.

Where there is fear there is always hope.  Last night’s move against corruption seems good enough so far not because we understand the specifics of its economic impact but because of the intent of this decision. If this can give heart burns to all those corrupt politicians and unworthy rich guys who are hoarding black money, then why not. It’s the hope of having that last laugh which makes us all jump in joy. Rs 500 and 1000 apparently amounts to nearly 80% of the cash in India. Can the RBI pump in enough smaller denominations in time to compensate? Apparently the cost of printing a smaller denomination is higher. What about the non cash black money?  How will that stop? With the concept of cashless economy still a distant dream, the days ahead might not be as convenient as it used to. But then, there is this hope. The hope to see the corrupt bleed. Economics might never get into our head but hope has entered our hearts. And that is good enough for now.

We never know how the reality pans out. We don’t know what we don’t understand. We have seen our best hopes shattered and the worst nightmares turning angels. We will all do well to simply back these two decisions and believe that they turn out better than our fears. Let us believe that this ban is the best move against corruption and the Don decision works not just for the US but for all of us.

What did you say?

A funny conversation (of course with some fiction) with a friend on my pencil drawing

Feedback and constructive criticism, they say are vital for self-improvement. I couldn’t agree more. For someone who shamelessly shares his bad pencil sketches out on FB and Whatsap, I have had more than my fair share of criticisms. Feedback, if must say so.

Sometimes, the challenge for me is not so much in working on a feedback but taking it in the first place. How do you work on someones opinion? How can a comment be taken as a feedback?

I recently did a pencil drawing of a fearsome T Rex. Remember the dinosaur eating dinosaur from Jurassic Park? It was not the greatest of drawings but I was particularly glad that I could capture the ferocious look of this monster predator. As usual I shared it with few of my friends and one comment in particular dragged me into this conversation

Hey nice drawing, what animal is this?

That’s T Rex

What’s that? Whatever, But I don’t like it

You don’t like the animal or my drawing

Uh… the drawing is ok. But the only problem is, it’s too scary to look at

Thanks

Thanks?

Yeah, this animal was scary and glad I could get that right.

I prefer cute ones. Try making it look little cuter. Like a calf

This animal used to eat animals twice the size of a cow for snacks. In fact it used to hunt and eat animals that were 70 feet in length. This was the most ferocious alpha predator that has walked the earth. Cute is not going to work.

Blah blah blah …I don’t like it. Besides, it’s not looking real.

It’s a pencil drawing for God’s sake. Not a photograph

Duh…I know that. But what I meant is that the drawing does not resemble the real T Rex or whatever you call it

Sorry, the last of these animals lived 65 million years ago. I couldn’t get any photographs from around that time. Have you seen a real one?

Ha ha. Very funny. It looks 65 million years old though. I meant your drawing

Alright, I get it. You don’t like this drawing. Fine. When I draw a calf or a cat next time I will share it with you.

Thanks but one feedback for you.

Please tell me

You need to learn to take feedback. You can’t be this defensive

Hmm…of course I am good at taking feedback.Why would you say that?

Coz you got offended when I said that your drawing isn’t cute.

How do you even draw a cute T Rex? Maybe I should try a cartoon version the next time.

Ok forget it. Do what you please. I was only trying to help you.

Hmm

Ok can you draw my portrait?

Yes but I thought you don’t like ferocious faces

I never heard from her again. I might probably not hear from her in the next 65 million years. I don't blame her for being angry. I need to work on my ability to take a feed back. Maybe i should start with drawing the cutest scary face and make it look as real as as an un photographed creature that is believed to have lived 65 million years back. Well ,who say's taking feedback is easy.

We didn't start the fire

We are a country steeped in customs and traditions and we pride in keeping every age old practice alive. How else do we explain the annual violence in the name of Cauvery water dispute that has almost become a part of the culture between two states? Everyone knows that this dispute is kept alive for political reasons and leveraged well by crooks to settle personal scores. The burning buses not just provide the much needed fireworks but make for sensational viewing on tele as well. News anchors like Arnab Goswami  and his wannabes with their histrionics provide the sound effect needed to stoke the fire. After all what is celebration of a tradition without fire and noise.

The high decibel news channels were busy sensationalizing the violence that was happening in some isolated corners and make the chaos look worse than it actually is. While this was happening the social media was abuzz with self-appointed critics and peace makers. Amidst this entire circus, in the relative calm of my apartment complex I heard 2 elderly gentlemen lament about violent path that our world is heading towards. They were also nostalgic about how wonderful people were during their times and romanticizing the past with a popular notion that 'the golden age of anything is when I was there’. 

Was the world less violent in the days gone by? I was somehow not willing to accept this notion. Were our ancestors more tolerant towards their fellow humans?  I don’t think so and here is why.

"Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out in the field.” When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him."   Genesis 4:8.

With Adam, Eve, Abel and himself being the only humans on earth at that point in time, statistically, Cain wiped out 25% of the world’s population by killing his younger brother. The world has never seen such a wipe out since. The World War 2 wiped out 3% of the world’s population. Yes, humans killed 60 million of their brothers. If this is not violent then what is? The Nazi holocaust wiped out 10 million humans in the name of ethnic cleansing. This probably is the lowest humans could demean themselves to.  The war between Iran and Iraq took away over 2 million human lives and the more recent Afghan war took more than a million lives. We have read about the Spanish Conquistadors responsible for wiping away the highly advanced Mayan civilization and several other cases of mass violence by fellow humans wiping out civilizations from the face of earth. All in the past

If you look at the chronology of these events, we were more violent and deadlier as a species than we are today. The two old men would have certainly heard Billy Joel sing

We didn't start the fire

It was always burning

Since the world's been turning

We didn't start the fire

Humans have always overcome their inherent fears by creating chaos all around them. In fact,We have thrived on this weakness. I was so tempted to tell the 2 old men that the golden age of anything was never as golden as it seem today. If anything, we were more violent and cruel in the past.  

So all you degenerate morons who burn buses and ransack shops, don’t feel too proud about your violent shameful acts. Please remember that you didn’t start the fire. Your ancestors were more violent than you can ever be. They caused more damage to this world than what you aspire to do. So stop what you do as you can never match up to your grandfathers. Instead, Let us try being humans for a change. Who knows it could be good too.  

Ewwww... Brexit

I am pretty sure that the most people in the United Kingdom heard EU more as a teenage girl’s disgusted scream ‘Ewwww’. So when they were asked to make a choice to stay with EU their natural and understandable answer was a resounding ‘Leave’.    

You can’t blame them can you? After all, who wants to live with Ewwww forever?  That also explains the spike in Google analytics on the search about EU and referendum right after the poll.  Too bad, they to chose vote first and understand what they were voting for, later.

Their unintended and disgusted Ewwww for EU has led to the not so United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union sparking a global debate on the rights and wrongs of it.  Ireland and Scotland might have wanted to stay with EU but their opinions didn’t matter much as England (outside London) with majority voters chose the Ewwww reaction.  It was meant to be as simple a decision as ‘To be or not to be’. But the complexity of the decision far outweighs the simplicity of the question and thus leading to what is now famously known as the Brexit. This will forever be a decision that will be judged, taunted, criticized, and appreciated by all and sundry across the globe.

Is Brexit right? Did the United Kingdom make a silly decision to break free from the EU? Or will the Empire Strike Back and vindicate this unintended brave move?  Brexit supporters call it the choice of freedom and risk over stability. Those who wanted to stay will continue to taunt the decision.  Only time, sound economic decisions, healthy global market scenario and many other associated factors can give us the answers. Until then, the joke will be on the British humour.

Every now and then life takes us to a cross road where we are asked to make a choice. No matter what choice we make , we will have our supporters who justify our decision and nay Sayers who ridicule us, in equal measure. There is never a permanent right or wrong decision in life, politics or in economy. No matter how right we may seem, there will always be a road not taken that would come to haunt us if we choose to let it.

The United Kingdom opted for a divorce from its nagging in laws (Unfavourable trading rules) a burdensome joint family that was sucking it’s funds (350 M Pounds per week to EU), unwanted stream of friends visiting every day  (Immigrants) and above all , for the freedom (UK Parliament to decide on all laws and EU cannot overrule UK Court decisions).  The United Kingdom chose to leave the house.

Did they choose their destiny? They certainly did. Will they be able to admire their newly chosen destiny and exclaim ‘Awwww’ or will they feel the pinch and scream ‘Ouch’?  Whatever they do, they will only hope that the rest of EU does not shun them with a disgusting Ewwww.  

Is Innovation a fine art of plagiarism?

What has been will be again? What has been done will be done again. There is nothing new under the Sun – Ecclesiastes 1.9

Ecclesiastes is one of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible.

What is innovation? Is it materializing an idea that has never existed before? Or is it just a clever tweak to an already existing one? 

Life on this planet is a result of a progressive mutation that we call evolution. It’s the subtle variation of an earlier idea that has resulted in modern-day species, including humans. Nature is the greatest innovator and thrives purely on altering the previous version. Sea turning into tall mountains, landmass becoming oceans are all part of the continuous reworking and tweaking by nature. The world will forever be a work in progress.

Innovations often are a result of enhancing a previous attempt. The winning difference could be the approach, the viewpoint, or adaption. Apple did not invent computers or Mobile devices but they simply elevated the standards of innovation by adding little tweaks and creativity to an existing idea. From electricity to medicines, technology to farming methods, art to culture everything is a variation of an already existing idea.

So no matter how brilliant the idea seems in your head, be rest assured that someone has already thought about it. Don’t shy away from expressing it though. You can claim the idea as your own as long as you adapt and use it with a different approach. You can never be completely unique. You are never the first.

How can we forget that the insipid but still funny Mallu legend that astronaut Neil Armstrong was greeted on the lunar surface by man selling steaming tea. ... chai, kappi?

Mankind can always pride itself on the giant leap with a small step. But we will always do well to remember that there is always a tea shop set up earlier. 

So go ahead and innovate. It is not a bad idea after all. 

Transform and stay relevant

“Change is the only constant” - I bet, this has got to be one of the most boringly cliched quotes used over the last 30 years or so. With everything about us changing so fast, the only way to stay in the hunt is to learn and adapt quickly. The Prime Ministers' words are not just sage advice for individuals but a brutal truth for the organizations. No pasture is green enough, at least not long enough Transformation is the key.
The need for change is no more an option but a must-have strategy to stay in the race, if not win it. The rapidly changing technology, the equally fast-paced growth of adaption, evolving competition landscape, and several other dynamic factors have been constantly reshaping the business environment.  It is not a lake but a river, a rapid white water river that requires us to watch, learn and Change frequently to stay relevant.
Repackaging of service offerings, repositioning of the brand, exploring newer markets, content quality, Website visibility, social media interactions, etc are no longer onetime or once in a while activity but a perpetual work in progress. 
But this transformation is easier said than done.  This metamorphosis cannot happen without a contribution from every employee.  Here's a look at some of the common factors that can make or mar this transformation journey.  
Be the Squirrel if not monkeys: Ownership 
We tend to believe that the 'management' is machinery that is supposed to churn out innovative thoughts and this transformation process has nothing to do with us, the ordinary employee. It's their problem. While we are more than happy to pick holes about the organization's culture, lack of service offerings, lack of visibility, etc, how often have we tried to plug the gaps? We might not all be monkeys and be able to lift heavy stones to build the bridge but can’t we at least be like the squirrel from Ramayana, that helps fill the gaps? Feel a part of the change and chip in where ever or however you can. Even if it is by staying away from cynicism and negativity. 
The Mobile Phone Charge: Empowerment 
A mobile phone is put in charge when it does not have power. Humans are no different. If you want someone to take charge, give them the power. Responsibility without authority is a breeder of frustration and negativity. How often do we hear people in leadership roles complain about the lack of empowerment.  If you want productivity, then empower your managers. Trust them to make the right decisions. Cut out the red tapes. 
Two in a box: Adaptability 
To enable a rapid transformation sometimes people have to work in teams or in pairs to execute a common goal. In a Two-In-A- Box scenario, it is important that the individuals in the team adapt to each other quickly and complement one another.  There is no room for ego and one-upmanship. If these aspects are not handled properly then the Two in a box model are better left for a pair of shoes.
Girl’s skirt: Be interesting and be Agile 
Another source of frustration is when the ‘management’ turns down our ideas or does a U-turn after a few months. An idea should be like a girl’s skirt. Long enough to cover the essentials but short enough to be of any interest. Short term deliverable and positive results are just as important as the long term goals. Keep it agile. Keep it short and more importantly, keep it sexy. 
Lipstick to a pig: Content and Offerings 
No amount of go to market strategy or tweaking of the value proposition would help if they are not backed with the right content and service offerings.  A pig will still be a pig even if you paint it with expensive lipstick. Content is the king might be a stale marketing catchphrase but the content itself should never get stale. Keep it fresh. Keep it interesting. 
So go ahead and change. What's the worse that could happen? You can always change again because the world would have changed further anyway.