Quotes:
"You are all very talented, but will face multiple dilemmas in life. At every
dilemma, you will have two options - you can follow your mind or follow your
heart. Always follow your heart because mind is divisive, political and trained
while the heart is relational and pure" - Prof. Sunil Maheshwari in the last SHRM
lecture.
"You can live life two ways. You can be a warrior who strives for victory at every
step..makes compromises....and wins in the end. Or you can be defeated
occasionally...do not make any compromises..and live your life with your head
held high and without any regrets. The former is what you have been doing since
9th standard. Time to try the latter?"
"To be kind is more important than to be right. Often people need a patient heart
that listens, not a brilliant mind that speaks."
Lesson 1: Naked Wife
A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower when the doorbell rings. The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next door neighbor. Before she says a word, Bob says, “I’ll give you $800 to drop that towel.” After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob.
After a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 dollars and leaves. The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks,…
“Who was that?” “It was Bob the next door neighbor,” she replies. “Great!” the husband says, “Did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?”
Moral of the story:
If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.
A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, “I’ll give each of you just one wish” “Me first! Me first!” says the administration clerk. “I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.” Poof! She’s gone. “Me next! Me next!” says the sales rep. “I want to be in Hawaii,relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.” Poof! He’s gone. “OK, you’re up,” the Genie says to the manager. The manager says, “I want those two back in the office after lunch.”
Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.
Lesson 3
A priest offered a lift to a Nun. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg. The priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The nun said,”Father, remember Psalm 129?” The priest removed his hand. But,changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again. The nun once again said, “Father, remember Psalm 129?” The priest apologized “Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.” Arriving at the convent, the nun went on her way. On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, “Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.”
Moral of the story: If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.
Lesson 4
A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day. A rabbit asked him,”Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?” The crow answered: “Sure, why not.” So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested.
A fox jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very high up.
Lesson 5: Power of Charisma
A turkey was chatting with a bull “I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree,” sighed the turkey, but I haven’t got the energy.” “Well, why don’t you nibble on my droppings?” replied the bull. “They’re packed with nutrients.” The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree. Soon he was spotted by a farmer, who shot the turkey out of the tree.
Lesson 6
A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field. While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.
Moral of the story:
1. Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy 2. Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend
3. And when you’re in deep shit, it’s best to keep your mouth shut!
Lessons from Narayan Murthi
1) You might fail, but get started
2) Think big, don‘t hesitate to start small
3) Cut yourself a slice, not a large one always
4) Own up & clean up (Take responsibility & accept the mistakes)
5) Trust in god, but verify with data
6) Keep the faith and get involved
7) Sharing is caring
8) Treat your people good but your best better
9) Hire a good accountant, even if he is argumentative
10)
When in doubt disclose the things
11)
Leave the family out
12)
Mind your business, you‘ll see things coming
13)
Keep it simple not silly
14)
Hold on to your people but don‘t cling
15)
Give, it only gets you more
16)
Do it first, do it right
17)
Invest in learning
You'll never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks. Rather keep biscuits in your pocket, feed the dogs & move ahead...
21 Life Lessons from Steve Jobs
#1 Skate to Where the Puck is Going to Be
In 2007, Steve Jobs said, ―There‘s an old Wayne Gretzky quote that I love. ‗I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.‘ And we‘ve always tried to do that at Apple. Since the very, very beginning. And we always will.‖
Steve‘s ability to anticipate future trends helped Apple dominate now-burgeoning markets like digital music sales (through the iPod and iTunes Store).
#2 Accentuate the Positive
Steve started life out on the wrong foot. He was given up for adoption at birth because his mother had wanted a daughter.
Tough break? Young Jobs didn‘t think so: he was thankful for his loving adoptive parents — who happened to live in Palo Alto, California (which would eventually become Silicon Valley).
#3 Learn from Others
In high school, Jobs attended lectures at a small computer technology company called Hewlett-Packard. Before turning 21, Steve had worked for both HP and Atari. He saw what these companies were doing and learned what he wanted to do differently with Apple.
Because Steve was still a sponge-brained teenager when he started working with computers, he learned quickly.
It also helps that he started Apple in his early 20‘s: when he was still full of energy, fresh ideas, and not yet restrained by a family or career.
#5 College is Important…
At its best, higher education challenges us to make connections and solve problems. Jobs credits a college calligraphy course for part of the Macintosh‘s development:
―If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts.‖
#6 …But it’s Not Necessary
Reed University was expensive and Jobs didn‘t want to drain his parents‘ savings. If Jobs hadn‘t dropped out, he would have been a junior in 1975. He co-founded Apple Computer that year instead.
#7 Travel the World
The year before he founded Apple, Jobs journeyed to India. Travel has a way of broadening a person‘s perspective and expanding their sense of what‘s possible – good traits in an
entrepreneur.
#8 Surround Yourself with Good People
Steve Jobs wasn‘t a great computer engineer. Apple would have had no chance if Jobs was the only one building the computers. That‘s why he recruited Steve Wozniak.
Through the years, Jobs‘ companies have blossomed thanks to the brilliant people he‘s brought on board – like Apple CEO Tim Cook and Pixar CCO (Chief Creative Officer) John Lasseter.
#9 Expect Greatness
#10 Fake it Before You Make it
In Apple‘s early days, Steve recognized that Palo Alto, California was the epicenter of
innovative computer technology. Steve wanted his company to be associated with this place – but Apple was still headquartered out of a garage in nearby Los Altos.
Jobs‘ solution was to set up a PO Box in Palo Alto and hire a voice answering service. A potential client would get the impression that Apple was a big company in the heart of Silicon Valley – even though the truth was that it was still just two sweaty guys in a garage across town.
#11 Obstacles are meant to be Overcome
Jobs and Wozniak ran out of money while developing the first Apple computer. Instead of giving in, Jobs sold his van and Wozniak sold his graphing calculator. When there‘s a will, there‘s a way.
#12 Don’t Value Money
As CEO of Apple, Jobs earned $1 a year. Jobs wasn‘t incentivized by his salary, but by his own unrelenting pursuit of excellence. (Then again, his expansive stock holdings may have
been some incentive.)
#13 Value People
Jobs hired passionate people and cultivated exceptional company cultures at both Apple and Pixar – and their work speaks for itself.
#14 Take Risks
Jobs was willing to cannibalize his company‘s products in the name of progress. Many CEOs would have been hesitant to develop the iPhone, knowing full well that it would help to make the iPod obsolete – but Jobs did it anyway (and took a big bite out of the lucrative mobile market).
Don‘t be afraid to take risks. Especially smart ones.
#15 Create a Personal Brand
Steve Jobs was one of the first people to recognize the growing importance of personal brands in the Internet age. His black turtleneck is as instantly recognizable as the Apple logo.
#16 Have a Higher Purpose
Buddha said, ―We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.‖
Jobs has turned his vision into reality since he began practicing Buddhism in the 1970‘s.
#17 Find the Right Partner
There is no more important decision in your life than the person you decide to share it with. Choose wisely (as Steve did), and you have a partner who will help see you through daily challenges.
#18 Fail Forward
Everybody fails. It‘s how you respond to those failures that makes all the difference. In 1984, Steve Jobs was fired from Apple.
―I didn‘t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.‖
#19 Learn How to Take a Brick to the Head
More inspiring words from the Stanford speech:
―Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don‘t lose faith. I‘m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You‘ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.‖
#20 Remember You’ll be Dead Soon
―Remembering that I‘ll be dead soon is the most important tool I‘ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.‖
Our time on this earth is short. Let‘s make it count.
#21 Put a Dent in the Universe
Jobs once said, ―We‘re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise, why else even be here?‖ Having a higher purpose doesn‘t just help you find success. It redefines the meaning of the word.
Ready to Redefine Success?
I‘ll let Jobs have the last word:
―The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven‘t found it yet, keep looking. Don‘t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you‘ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don‘t settle.‖
