During the visit of our GRBS students to the Hebei University of Economics and Business, Hebei, China in 2009, I was invited by the Director, Dr Ms.Wang Qingyun to deliver a lecture on India’s Cultural Heritage. I spoke to a group of over 100 students of the International Exchange Centre. The theme was the distinctive characteristics of the Indian Ethos and the inspiration that countless generations of Indians, regardless of language and religion, had had from the wisdom of the scriptures. These have shaped the Indian philosophy of life and encouraged Indians to look inwards and find both the unique and the universal in one’ self and thus connect the self to the larger Self that is all pervading. I had also drawn attention to the cultural ties between India and China.
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On Stephen Covey’s book – The 8th HABIT
Stephen Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People was a milestone in the history of “success” literature. The 8th Habit comes 15 years later, not as an afterthought or extension of The Seven Habits, but as an attempt to offer a new roadmap to personal and organizational greatness. Effectiveness is no longer an option, Covey says. It is an imperative, the ‘price of entry to the playing field’. To survive and thrive in today’s world we need to go to an altogether new dimension of fulfillment, passionate execution and greatness. We need to tap into the higher region of human genius. This he calls “VOICE” Continue reading
Myths, legends and authentic stories abound in visionary organizations. Some see great instructional value in story telling; it is said that storytelling is fundamental to informal learning and that 70% of the skills, information and competence in the workplace is acquired through informal learning. Stories build trust, raise vital issues and communicate more effectively than cold analysis of the organization’s vision and core values to its stakeholders. Social service organizations like World Vision India and Cry put them to good use in India. The medical profession recognizes the healing attributes of story telling. So do religious leaders.
Even in formal learning, the cases taught at business schools resemble story telling and these are used for analysis, generation of solutions and understanding of intricate issues… Publications like the Harvard Business Review and the Wall Street Journal have published articles on the uses of business story telling. At business schools in the U S, offering courses in story telling for leaders is a growing practice.
“Our abilities to capture, analyze and recognize patterns in dynamic data have reached critical mass and now provide us the ability to anticipate future business events with a high degree of probability. When combined with the flexibility and agility to act before an event occurs, this creates a powerful new way of conducting business.”
This is essentially the message of the book. The author compares the impact of predictive business to that of corporate networks linking desktop computers and servers in the 80’s.
Vivek Ranadive is Founder and CEO of TIBCO, a business integration and process management software company located in Palo Alto, California. His earlier book THE POWER of NOW, published seven years ago, was a New York Times business best seller. This is a take-off on that book.
Like the character in one of Moliere’s plays who suddenly discovered that he had been speaking prose all his life, we might suddenly discover that we are marketing ourselves all the time. Not very effectively, because we hardly give any thought to it. Understandably we do not think of ourselves as brands as well as brand managers to market that brand. Is a professional approach needed?
Personal branding is apparently a growth industry in the United States. Persons like Charles Schwab and Oprah Winfrey are as powerful brands as Pepsi and Kodak. Tom Peters is a one man brand. They have a vision of where they want to go and an understanding of what it takes to develop brand power.
I have the privilege of being closely associated with Prof KCR Raja for over a decade now. Every minute spent with him has been enriching! His erudition knows no boundaries; in any situation he is able to dive deep into the ocean of knowledge that he has mastered and retrieve pearls of wisdom. His ironclad commitment to excellence and ethics make him the tallest in any company. Working with him has been undoubtedly the most rewarding experience of my career. His blog on management for education and education for management should be mandatory reading for students and practicing managers alike. Prof Raja’s ideas should be studied with seriousness by anyone interested in the sustainability of institutions.
K.C.R Raja – Coach and Counsellor
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