We Are South Indians & Not Just 'Madrasis'

A brilliant video every Indian from the South should definitely show this video to their friends from the Rest of India....ooph! to the Rest of the world. Most of them think South Indian means Madarasi, its time we educated them....

20-pictures-that-prove-that-nature-can-be-a-piece-of-art

Nature is the inspiration for many artists and many a piece of art. Be it a lake, a desert, a mountain, a volcano, a forest, or beaches.... nature has so much to offer to the art lovers. Well here are 20 places that prove that nature can be a piece of art. Must see it once in our life time. Come explore it @
20-pictures-that-prove-that-nature-can-be-a-piece-of-art

19 BRIDGES YOU MUST CROSS BEFORE YOU DIE

If you thought that bridges are meant to connect Point A to Point B, you are sadly mistaken. Its more than that. It can be picturesque, adventuresome, technical marvel and purely a exhilarating drive across mountains, seas, rivers, canyons, deserts etc.

Here have a look at 19 bridges that you must cross before you die

19-bridges-you-must-cross-before-you-die

Why not relive the Child in You....

If you thought that life is all but over in your old age, here is a great opportunity to live life again, after all Sophocles said "A man growing old becomes a child again". Why shouldnt you live your life as a child again.

Primus Eden, a one of a kind luxurious residential community for seniors nourishes and enriches the senior lifestyle through its palette of world class services available on demand around the clock, tailored just for you. Like your favourite coat that always fits or your all time favourite song that has every note right, the Primus Eden experience is a commitment to your individuality for a lifetime.

Primus Eden is a whole new living option which enhances every day with a 360 degree view of senior living providing for comfort, care, safety, and enrichment of its residents in a resort style environment where everything is literally the touch of a button away.

Its open to all who are above 55 years of age and Im tempted to consider trying it out when I cross the line...... why not relive the child in you

Check it out @

Mantri Primus Eden

Veg With An Edge! 16 Vegetarian Restaurants To Check Out In Bangalore

Tired of the pitiful looks that non-vegetarians give you? Non-vegetarians asking you what's the point in going out to eat if you're limited to soups and salads? Maybe you find your options to eat out limited. Does being a vegetarian make it difficult to try out new cuisines? 
Who said Vegetarian food can be boring & repetitive. Here is a list of restaurants and cafes in Bangalore that are perfect for the vegetarians that can tickle your taste buds no end and add spice to your life. 
We suspect we'll find the non-vegetarians trooping in too!

16 Vegetarian Restaurants to check out in Bangalore

13 Romantic Restaurants in Bangalore

A romantic meal on Valentine's day is so passé. Take that special someone, or even pamper yourself, to these intimate, epicurean dining experiences Bangalore has in store:

1. Olive Beach

Image credit: burrp

Despite being around in the city’s gastronomic landscape for several years, this fine dining restaurant does not fail to fascinate food connoisseurs. Nestled amidst the noisy streets of Ashok Nagar, the blue door at the entrance bridges you into a quaint Mediterranean escape. Fine wine, gourmet dishes and dimly lit old-fashion lanterns splattered against white walls make it nothing short of a romantic atmosphere in the heart of the city.

Location: Ashoknagar

Follow them here.

2. Grass Hopper

Image credit: Zomato

Founded, designed and run by Sonali Sattar and Himanshu Dimri, Grasshopper is a rare fusion of scrumptious food, serene space and personalised service. Tucked in a quiet farm, it is popular for its indulgent 7 course meal customized for each table. Ample greenery, relaxed setup and the hassle-free experience ensure a much needed break from the bustling cityscape.

Location: Bannerghatta Road

Follow them here

3. Big Brewsky

Image credit: Google+

One of the latest watering holes in the city, this microbrewery is spread across a lavish 23,000 sq.ft and claims to be one of the largest in South of India. The menu spells inspiration from the bylanes of Bengaluru and world over. The ambience; a chic blend of water bodies, starry lights and contemporary décor is a definite catch to the eye. Make sure you make a reservation around the beautiful pond for that special someone.

Location: Sarjapur Road.

Follow them here

4. Bricklane Grill

Image credit: AngelasBangalore

Simplicity meets elegance at Bricklane Grill. Dominating white interiors seated atop a hotel make it a classic in the alfresco dining culture of the city. A section of the restaurant has a view to the pool below. A short yet crisp food menu showcases Parsi, Mediterranean and Italian fare.

Location: Indiranagar

Follow them here.

5. Om Made Café

Image credit: Kunjal Thakkar Yipeedo

This European rooftop café overlooks the picturesque life of the neighbourhood. Originally a second to the Om Made Café at Anjuna, Goa, the franchise menu boasts organic ingredients and healthy dishes. Potted plants, candle lights and simple fuss-free furniture radiate a relaxed mood for a romantic meal in silver moonlight.

Location: Koramangala

Follow them here or here.

6. Tao Terraces

Image credit: Zomato

Another Asian diner, Tao Terraces gives you the feel of a walk across Thai Temples with cuisine hailing from nine oriental countries. Buddha Stupas, gold-leafed cielings, mammoth pillars and dark spaces make it a cozy dining spot. The terrace, flanked by high rising cabanas peering over the buzzing M.G Road, makes a neat private enclosure.

Location: MG Road

Follow them here

7. By the Blue, Grand Mercure

Image credit: Travelpod

Placed within Grand Mercure, this restobar specializes in Indian cuisine and grills, and is known for its poolside dining experience. A turquoise pool, live cooking stations and soothing music sets the mood right for a lazy Sunday brunch.

Location: Koramangala

Follow them here.

8. The Fatty Bao

Image credit: The fatty bao facebook

Lively, fun and distant from quiet sit down meals, the Fatty Bao stands distinct in the gastropub blooming hub of the city – Indiranagar. Multi coloured décor, giant pandas as wall art and quirky concoctions breathe boisterous youthfulness into this rooftop. Scrumptious Asian bites amidst off-beat ambience turn it into anything but regular prissy dining.

Location: Indiranagar

Follow them here or here.

9. 153 Biere Street

Image credit: 153 Biere Street facebook

A destination much more than a mere restaurant, 153 Biere Street houses a microbrewery (The Biere Club), a restaurant (Mustard and Cress), a bakehouse (Everything Stops for T), retail shops (Tailorman, Design Studio etc), a floristry (Ohana flowers) and an open space for events (The Patio). The cobbled pathway and Victorian streetlamps stage the old-world charm of European streets inspired by the locals. Catching up with your partner over a leisurely stroll along such a backdrop may just turn magical!

Location: Whitefield

Follow them here

10. Bene

Image credit: starwood hotel

This Italian restaurant is a blend of both warm indoor and breezy outdoor dining. Don’t expect traditional Italian décor as natural wood and stone bring out the feel of a modern Californian pizzeria.  The centrally placed Pizza Bar allows you to savour your order in the making, ingredient by ingredient.
 

Location: Malleshwaram

Follow them here.

11. Bang

Image credit: ritz carlton bangalore

A brand new addition to the city’s skyline, Bang, the rooftop bar on the 15th floor, offers a bird’s eye view of downtown Bangalore. Posh bar seating, centre fireplace, soothing water features and gardens will help build the mood. The menu offers platters, sliders and multi-cuisine dishes inspired by a novel ‘sharing concept’.

Location: Residency Road

Follow them here.

12. Le Cirque Signature

Image credit: zomato

A second in India, Le Cirque Signature, Bangalore is one of the latest additions to the fine dining destinations in Namma Uru. It brings culinary signatures of Italian and French origins from the flagship Le Cirque New York. Glass arch, candlelight and comfort ridden high rised seating extend a royal dining experience.  

Location: Old Airport Road

Follow them here.

13. Glass House

Image credit: The fork tales

Needless to say this deli bistro bar is overpowered by clear glass accents. Smooth see through glass setting lends timeless glamour to the place. Glass House brings world cuisine closer to Bangaloreans and will keep your date as transparent as it can get!

Location: Lavelle Road

Follow them here.

Source : http://www.polkacafe.com/articles/240/food/healthy-eating/veg-with-an-edge-16-vegetarian-restaurants-to-check-out-in-bangalore.html

The GODMAN or the gullible public - Whoz to blame ?

The recent drama regarding the arrest of self styled Godman Rampal has once again brought the spotlight on India’s numerous spiritual gurus and preachers. Though health, well-being and spirituality are what they all profess, some have made it to the headlines for the controversy they create, like financial irregularities, sexual abuse and, sometimes, even murder.              

Though gurus or godmen in India have huge followings and are usually considered holy and utterly blameless, allegations of sexual misconduct and depravity on their part crop up with regularity. In India, godmen wield a lot of power over their devotees, which is a heady feeling. They have the money power and influence. Many a leading politicians hob nob with these self styled Godman for seeking solace, spiritual guidance, eager to peep into the future (most of these Godman are adept with astrology), dip into their deep & huge pockets (many of them are billionaires), use them to store their ill-gotten wealth, use their resources in their election campaign and leverage their followers to gather votes. It’s a quid-pro-quo arrangement and in return the Godman expand their operations and soon begin to  believe they can get away with anything - financial irregularities, sexual abuse and, sometimes, even murder. No wonder, most  godmen get away with their unpleasant acts simply because they enjoy political clout.            

In the past two decades, spiritual life in the country has undergone a transformation as Indians embrace hectic urban lifestyles and move away from their cultural roots of village-based worship .

The result is that many have sought solace by flocking to the ashrams of gurus who offer spiritual tourisms, chanting routines, yoga lessons and herbal cures . Most of these Godman’s appear on TV regularly and some even have their own 24x7 TV Channels thro which they spread their propaganda and brain wash innocent, gullible followers.

These modern-day mega- gurus are nothing like the wandering saints of ancient Hindu religious texts, who meditated and lived on alms, renouncing all worldly possessions.

Today’s gurus have built hundreds of ashrams across the globe and run flourishing businesses in everything from herbal medicine to meditation and yoga workshops. They travel in luxury cars, fly in private aircrafts, glide past airport security and are guarded by gun-toting police officers and bouncers. Some have criminal pasts.

Followers being sworn to secrecy is a common practice of godmen. No wonder so many "godmen" get embroiled in sex scandals? Sociologist Dipankar Gupta agrees that godmen prey upon the vulnerability of their followers, especially women. "Once the women are drawn in, it is easy for these godmen to force themselves upon them," he says. The belief that so-called godmen are above sexual impulses is totally false. "Their sexual desire is no less than that of an ordinary man," says andrologist Sudhakar Krishnamurti. Many incidents of rape or sexual assault by godmen happen because they deprive themselves of a natural sex life.

So what is it that makes these Godman thrive and continue to exploit the innocent & gullible public. Experts say that it is the blind faith of their devotees that enables these "gurus" to influence them. "We Indians are great believers in miracles and feel that somebody can get us out of our miseries. This is the prime reason we fall for these godmen," says Prabir Ghosh, general secretary, Science and Rationalists' Association of India, Calcutta.

Historically if one were to go down the spiritual past and the religious scriptures, mankind mostly turn to religion & GOD when in distress. It could be as a result of poverty, ill-health, loss of near & dear one, financial losses, legal threats, depression, love failure, approaching of an exam, appearing for a job interview etc. At this stage the person is at the lowest ebb of his emotions and will easily be attracted by anyone who promises or appears to help alleviate their problems. The person is looking for a quick fix solution, though it may take a long time to resolve their problems. Most of the time it’s a case of “Placebo” effect. In many cases the person is looking for some someone to hear them out (ventilation) and possibly offer an instant solutions -  it’s a case of Soothe sayer. 

Its here that the self styled Godman intercept. They are well versed in the religious scriptures, can rattle them from the back of their head with consummate ease. Recite slokas and can communicate & articulate well. They are able to relate the problems of mankind with that of the religious scriptures and there fore are able to connect well. On top of it they have learnt & mastered meditation and hence can do gravity levitation, specialized in yoga, reiki (healing touch)  and have learnt a few tricks (magic) – vibudhi generated on the photos remotely, sudden appearance of a ring in the Godman’s hand, mouth etc, instant disappearance from public view, sudden lighting of the aarti without a match stick, plucking out a flower from the open etc.

On top of it all, they use a part of their earnings and build hospitals, educational institutions, social infrastructure and other social work. This is seen as a great piece of charity by the gullible public and further strengthen their bond and relationship with these Godman. They have made it into a business and mastered ROI (return on investment). They invest in charities (a percentage of their revenues) and in turn reap in huge donations and fundings from their devotee’s. History is replete on the financial fortunes of Tirupati, Iskon, Raghavendra Swamy temple. 

Take the case of Thiruvananthapuram temple (estimated 22 billion in gold diamonds – jewels found in Indian temples secret vaults). It's a find worthy of a "Raiders of the Lost Ark" plot line: Jewels, gold trinkets, coins, and statues worth an estimated $22 billion were uncovered in a series of secret vaults beneath a Hindu temple in the southern Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram.  The loot includes about 1,000 kilograms (2,205 pounds) of gold coins – some dating back 400 years – ropes of gold, sacks of diamonds, and a gold statue of the Hindu god Vishnu studded with precious gems, as well as an 18-foot solid gold ornament weighing 35 kilograms (77 pounds) and rare silver and brass platters. So far the find is worth nearly double India’s 2011-2012 education budget ($11.61 billion) – and there's still another vault to be unlocked. The 16th century Sri Padmanabha temple, in the capital of the southern coastal state of Kerala, is now considered to be the richest of India’s temples.

Imagine if all this money is unlocked and released back into the society, our GDP will grow a few percentage points instantly and many a poor can be lifted out of poverty. 

No wonder world renowned Indian Magician – PC Sorkar – Sr  used to say that if he wanted to become a Godman, he could have easily become one and far more popular & powerful than Sathya Sai Baba. He would often say that what these Godman claim to be miracles (because they are God or have supernatural healing powers) are but simple magic tricks that are being used to dupe the gullible public. Imagine if a PC Sorkar, Houdini, David Blaine,  Chris Angel were to grow a long flowing beard & hair, wore a orange or a white dhoti, bare chested,  were able to recite a few slokas what would have happened to them. They would have ruled the world because they are far more skillful in magic than these Godman- who look so poor in front of them.

With the combination of good knowledge of religious scriptures, meditation, yoga and magic they are able to captivate their audience, who in their lowest ebb of their emotions, connect instantly with the Godman and slowly become addicted with them and refuse to detach themselves. Because of their magical skills (maya) even the educated often fall prey to them.

Many a times they instill fear in their devotees in the name of GOD (you will go to hell – naraka) and promise the moon in Moksha. The scriptures themselves instill fear in the devotee’s and threaten that if you don’t follow the rituals (kriya) or don’t do your duties (karma), you will be punished by God and will go hell (Naraka). However they also prescribe a solution to a problem. If you did this (fast), a pooja (homa) & offer some fruits, vegetables, jewelry, in some religions sacrifice an animal, shave / tonsure your head, your sins will be washed off and you will be forgiven by God. Isnt this a form of bribery or one of a trade off with God himself.

That’s why many a religious destinations, temple are the hot bed of corruption, sleaze & exploitation. Take the case of the ritual of visiting Sabarimala. Millions throng the Sabarimala every year. Before the darshan, devotees perform a sort of penance and then visit Sabarimala offer their prayers. Just have a look at the other side of Pampa and check with the Railway authorities on the condition of the rail coaches on the return home or the case of Tirupati, Varanasi etc.

There is an erosion in the value systems in today’s society & generation. Every own wants instant gratification and hence every one adopts shortcuts to meet their expectations and ever growing demands. With more & more individuals adopting a Nuclear family, living a fast & high life style, tolerance levels are growing lower & lower because of financial independene (no wonder most urban marriages are heading to a divorce). They get stressed, become sick (physically & mentally) and are prone to depression sooner than later. Its here that the Godman having read and learnt all these solutions (parihara’s), they leverage on these and further exploit the illiterate, innocent & gullible followers. Even the educated who don’t have time or have access to these solutions (shortcuts), rely on these Godman to help them wash their sins.

If at all anyone has to be blamed it’s the people at large for without an audience these Godman are nobody & nothing. Because we commit many sins and want to wash them off and instantly, these Godman thrive. In the process many of them get exploited mentally (emotion), financially and physically (sexual exploitation).

Its time we realize that it pays to live a life with values, slow down our pace, distress ourselves and realize that there is no quick fix to life problems. Its time that we realize that there is no such thing or anyone who is a Godman and that they are also a human being just like all of us and abhor believing in Godman and shun them from their lives and put an end to this mad faith in their supernatural powers & healing powers.

Till such time we will have many more such Rampals, Nithyananda, Asaram, Rajneesh, Dheerandra Bramachari etc. Only time will tell if we ever learn from past lessons…. or will it be .......

The greatest Birthday Gift

The greatest gift one can ever get on a birthday. A wonderful & a surprise gesture from my large HR team (85 of them) @ Schneider Electric and it feels so nice to know that I am revered by them and from their heart.I have always said that "I am only as good as my team and whatever I have been able to achieve or am today, its because of my team, their unstinted support, their toil, hard work, dedication, loyalty, determination, the passion they bring to work & top it all the love & warmth that they shower on me. I have for long been contemplating to hang my boots, but this wonderful team is the reason why I am extending my corporate world each quarter. It would be hard to imagine living a day without this team. They inspire me to continue my journey & give the best. This would probably be the best gift ever and truly to cherish the rest of my life. Thanks to all my team members for this great gesture and for the wonderful party that we had..........

11 rare Tourist spots in India to be explored

11 STUNNING INDIAN HOTELS from Ramesh Ranjan

BestQuotaions.com

BestQuotaions.com

Career and life lessons from M. C. Mary Kom

By now all of us are aware about M C Mary Kom (yes, her complete name is Mangte Chungneijang Mary Com). The 5 time world women boxing champion, awardee of Padma Bhushan and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Puraskar, a mother, a wife and finally an Olympian who won medal for India.

She was from a very poor family whose father was a landless labour in Manipur. Her introduction in her official website says "Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom, (born 1 March 1983), also known as MC Mary Kom, Magnificent Mary or simply Mary Kom, is an Indian boxer belonging to Kom tribal community of north-eastern state of Manipur. She is a five-time World Boxing champion, and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships. She is the only Indian woman boxer to have qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics, competing in the flyweight (51 kg) category and winning the bronze medal. She has also been ranked as No. 4 AIBA World Women’s Ranking Flyweight category"

Mary Kom was born in Kangathei, in Churachanpur district of Manipur. Her parents, Mangte Tonpa Kom and Mangte Akham Kom, worked in jhum fields. She completed her primary education from Loktak Christian Model High School, Moirang, up to her class VI standard and attended St. Xavier Catholic School, Moirang, up to class VIII. She then moved to Adimjati High School, Imphal, for her schooling for class IX and X, but could not pass her exam. She did not want to reappear for her exams so she quit her school and gave her examination from NIOS, Imphal and graduation from Churachandpur College.

Although she had a keen interest in athletics from childhood, it was the success of Dingko Singh that inspired her to become a boxer in 2000. She started her training under the close eye of M.Narjit Singh, Manipur State Boxing Coach at Khuman Lampak,Imphal.

For her age and background , she has achieved much more than average of us do. She has achieved multiple awards, name, fame and recognition even in the condition when she had nothing - neither MONEY nor support. Today, when women do not want to have child to make "career" even at her age, Mary Kom is an example that its you who can decide your own limit, nobody else.

Here is few take away for all of us. I have seen people complaining lack of support, lack of resources. When she started, she even did not have basic MONEY to travel. She did not have good trainer, she did not have enough support. It is not about having resources, it is about having excuses for not getting success in our life.

Learning from Mary Kom

1. Its not resources, its passion who make us successful: When Mary Kom thought about boxing, she had nothing. She even used to hungry, she had to depend on relatives. But she was passionate enough about boxing. She even left education for it and she succeeded. Follow your passion.

2. We can get the money and fame we want if we follow your passion: Mary Kom faced lot of difficulty in her life even till few years back. She had to travel in general coach of the train (and forget about a reservation class and flight was a distant dream). Her things were stolen, she was ill. But finally, due to her determination, dedication and passion, she became 5 times world champion and even won Olympic Medal. With this she could change her own financial condition as well as of her family. We struggle to do MBA/ qualification TO MAKE MONEY .

3. We cannot get success without other's help: Reaching to the glory at this height would not have been possible for her without the help of other people. It includes his father and mother who sent money to her despite of their own adversity. Its support of her own Kom community who always stood with her. Its about her coaches at SAI as well as others, its support of her husband Onler who gave up his career for her success. You cannot remain isolated and never remain successful. If you are a leader, without support of your team member- whatever they are, whoever they are, without them you cannot remain successful.

4. We should always remain grateful: Mary Kom, in her autobiography mentions contributions of everybody who helped her. It includes her all coaches, friends and community who supported her. She reached to the top level of fame. But she never forgot all these people in her life. How many of us do that? We work, company provide us employment and when something goes wrong (particularly our expectations) then we abuse the company and boss and we start to find out what they do not have. Agree, but she should not forget the positive side and should remain always grateful of what we have. If she would have started to hate all of us Indian because somebody stole her luggage in train, because one of her teammates stole her cash then I do not think she should have reached to this place. She feels gratitude towards her sponsors like Monnet Steel and Herbalife and Olympic Gold Quest. This is lesson for us- to remain grateful always.

5. It is about giving, not only taking: When she won the medal, money started following. She purchased land for her father, she made enough provision for her siblings, she included her brother in law's family and took care of them too. She got from the society, and she paid back the same by opening free Mary Kom boxing championship so she could give back to the society. We must have similar attitude about our career. It is not about our money, it is about how we got it.

6. Make enough provision for future, success is not permanent: After earning money, she wanted to purchase a Merc but she knew it is not a good idea considering the road condition and the cost. Rather, she invested the money for future as she knew value of every single penny. Similar situation arises to our life. We have job, we have business but do we know its sustainability? We must not spent all at once, we must make enough provision for our future.

7. We decide our own obstacle, nothing else: Mary Kom's first child was unplanned. It suddenly came. People thought her career ended now. It was a caesarian child so doctor had advised her to take rest for at least 3 years. She decided to start early and prepare for Olympic. People including her father thought that her boxing career has finished now. She proved all of them wrong. We should always listen to our intention, we must be determined enough about us. Nobody else can decide our career and life except us.

8. Focus on strength not on weaknesses: It is our habit. I often here people saying, I do not have MNC background, I do not have a degree from a good institute, I do not have a degree, I do not have an IIM or tier 1 MBA and so on. I do not know why we crib? Why we focus on what we do not have? Should not we focus on whatever we have? In Boxing game, several time, her opponents were strong, taller but she did enough study about them, watched their video and found they are weak in strategy. She took advantage of this. She focussed on her strength and did not give up on her lacking i.e. height.

9. Define your own success parameters: We normally compare and compete with others.We must change this attitude. It should be "I". We should decide our position now and where we want to go. She did not compete with her other players and thinking to compete with them. She was focussed on world championship and she won. She focussed on Olympic and she won. Compete with yourself. Not with others.

10. Be true to yourself: Always remain true to yourself. Do not give excuses and do not over show your performance. I have seen many people who interfere in others' work to show that other people cannot do something and only they can do it and over show it to their boss. They never accept their failure. In case of Mary Kom's when she could not return with GOLD (although she won Bronze) she was crying for not giving her best. How many of us dare to do so? In her book, she ask for pardon for her inability. Still she is the winner.

She has achieved much more than average of us do. She has achieved multiple awards, name, fame and recognition even in the condition when she had nothing -neither MONEY nor support. Today, when women do not want to have child to make "career" even at her age, Mary Kom is an example that its you who can decide your own limit, nobody else.....

Competencies required to be successful as you move up the ladder

• Comfort around Top Management

You need the support of the Top Management and your peers to be successful. You need to work as a team to build a successful enterprise. If you are not comfortable working with the Top Management team (superiors, peers), you are unlikely to succeed. Hence its very important that you maintain a very good working relationship & understanding with the Top Management to succeed. If you aren’t, you are most likely to fail.

• Managing Boss

It is a reality that “you cant choose your boss, your boss can choose you”. We have no other choice and hence we need to find a way out to manage with the Boss. Cribbing about the boss is not going to take us anywhere. We need to understand his style, his expectations, his behaviours and also his idiosyncrasies and adapt ourselves, failing which there will always be strains in our relationship and gaps between expectations & delivery.

• Business Acumen

No organization is built for charity and no one works for charity. There are tremendous pressures to deliver profits and maximize return on investment. Hence it is important that we understand our business, the competition, the market, the future, our products, our customers, our strengths, challenges, our people to be able to relate to their dynamic needs and build business strategies. Otherwise we would be operating in a vacuum akin to the “frog in the well” and likely to be consumed by the looming disaster.

• Managing ambiguity & change

In todays world, the only thing constant is Change. The world is dynamic and is changing at a rapid pace day by day. Hence we need to learn to manage in a dynamic environment, live with ambiguities and cope up with change. We need to be flexible and adaptive and be able to drive business through these changing environment.

• Decision Making

It is often said that Executives are hired to make decisions. Hence it is very important that Top Executives take decisions as quickly as possible rather than procrastinate for that perfect decision. The competition is fast changing and we need to be in a position to take quick decisions and move faster than our competitors.

12 Leadership Lessons From The Mahatma

'Actions speak louder than words' is a saying we are all familiar with. Mahatma Gandhi is idolized and worshipped in India as the epitome of striving for perfection. This Gandhi Jayanti, how about we learn a few leadership lessons from the Mahatma's very own words and practices? Here are some insights from Virender Kapoor's book 'Leadership The Gandhi Way' that we can all put to good use in our lives.

1. Gandhi the Satyagrahi
Polite insistence is stronger than a headlong clash, and thanks to Bapu, this has now become an eternal concept!


Source: AFP

2. Gandhi's absolute Integrity
Practicing what you preach is a path that all leaders must follow in today's globalized world. Integrity and good intentions are best allies one can have.


Source: AFP

3. Gandhi the communicator
The art of connecting with your audience is one that requires cleverly crafted words. If a leader's message is relatable, he is bound to be successful.


Source: AFP

4. Gandhi the Philosopher
When a moral pillar is established, everything around it gains stability. This was seen in Gandhi's life as Non Violence, which was the mother tree and non cooperation, Satyagraha and civil disobedience became its branches.


Source: AFP

5. Gandhi the follower of greats
One's thoughts and company influence life to a great extent. Having a source of inspiration, a strong mentor and positive peers hold great importance in your daily life.


Source: AFP

6. Gandhi - the brand builder
Philosophy-based branding and an omnipresent message is a tool that most global companies use in the present, and was a key point to success that Gandhi used to his advantage decades ago!


Source: AFP

7. Gandhi - a brilliant organizer
Making sense out of chaos in new and unfamiliar situations can only be done with a very solid vision in mind. Taking new initiative and being a leader in unexplored waters pays off.


Source: AFP
8. Gandhi - a saint and a soldier
Gandhi was a great model of self discipline to the world. He believed that God made man to work, and followed this philosophy in being able to manage all aspects of his life independently.


Source: AFP

9. Gandhi's charisma
Charisma is the sparkle that monkey can't buy. Gandhi showed us that resolute good intentions, discipline, a sense of purpose, passion and impeccable integrity can influence millions.


Source: wikipedia

10. Gandhi the collaborator
Honesty and understanding between husband and wife is imperative to lead a successful and eventful life. A supportive spouse becomes a collaborator in success.


Source: wikipedia

11. Gandhi a benevolent leader
Twenty first century leadership has to be based on collective good and collaboration which is a form of benevolent leadership. Spiritualization of politics beats politicization of spirituality.


Source: AFP

12. Gandhi the simplifier
Minimalistic living is the mantra for happiness. Gandhi found peace and tranquility in frugal living, giving us the concept of " Simple living and high thinking".


Source: AFP


By Virender Kapoor :  He is the founder Director of MILE Management Institute for Leadership and Excellence Pune. He has emerged as a leading think tank in human behavior, motivation and success. His name appears with the likes of Thomas Friedman and Dale Carnegie. His recent two books have been released back to back- " A wonderful Boss" Published By Bloomsbury and "Leadership the Gandhi way" by Rupa publishers. He brought "Jugaad" -an Indian concept of "getting things done". His books are now available in several regional languages likie Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati , Telegu , Malayalam and Tamil. Some of his books have been translated in Vietnamese.

A telecommunication Engineer, Kapoor went to do his master in technology in computer science from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and later did his MA in International Relations and strategic studies from University of Pune.