It was fantastic to hear from an old friend and colleague some days ago, when she called me wanting to know if I wished to participate in efforts to help address the needs of skill development and training in India. She had recently returned to India along with her husband after spending a couple of years studying in an ivy league institution and pursuing her efforts in global healthcare and other related areas. She was concerned about the issues of youth employability in India and felt that urgent and concerted initiatives were required to help create employbility at scale for the youth of the country. Studies have indicated that India has a "demographic dividend" for the next 25 years or so - the 325 million people in the age group of 15 - 29 years - making India the country with the youngest workforce, with a median age well below that of China and other developed economies. Failure to reap this dividend, she felt, would have difficult consequences for the society over a period of time as unemployed and misguided youth would turn to other means for sustainance.
The conversation with her led to some further research on my part. I learnt how out of the 13 million new entrants to the workforce in India, currently no more than 20% receive skill training. And in our existing workforce, only 2% have skill training. In other developed countries, this figure ranges from 70% to over 90%. It appears that this is now becoming a key priority for the government and they are looking to make policy changes and encourage investment by the private sector as well. This is indeed encouraging. However, the overall picture still appears unclear in terms of concrete steps and action.
I have been privileged to work in an organisation and an indistry which has contributed towards employment of youth in a significant way, not only in India but in other countries around the world. My perspective (as a layman) is that for a country to progress, it requires the articulation of a clear and all encompassing vision which can then be executed by different nodes of the economy, working in conjunction and complemeting each other. An opportunity of this scale cannot be achieved unless various parties are galvanised into action - the government, civil services, educational institutions, not-for-profit organisations, as well as the private sector. The government ought to set the direction and policy, and take away bureacratic hurdles to the creation of new and collaborative models for skill development and employment; the private sector needs to be incented to participate with the promise of longer term benefits rather than immediate gains. Partnerships and helpful networks will lay the foundation of this progress...between each of these nodes. This is no different from how any corporation to operate...first by articulating its vision, and then aligning its various functions to execute to the vision.
But even doing all of that does not necessarily achieve sustainability. For that I continue to believe that in our next generation we need to focus on building Competence, Character and a Desire to Excel...which I consdier to be three pillars of sustainable all round development in society. Sustainability will necessarily require our people to discharge their obligations towards one another and to the society at large. And it is time we inculcated that in our people.
I was grateful to her for having thought of me and we ended the call with a resolve to think further about this and engage with some other like minded people. I hope to contribute in any small and humble way to this cause that I am capable of.
The will surely exists...now to find the way!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Misfit?
It has been a long time since I went to a party. Really long. And I don't mean cocktails or a social dinner or a small cosy gathering of friends. I haven't been that antisocial. I find myself spending most weekends in reading and reflection. I ponder over what is and what can be. I meet few people and then mostly those with whom I feel I can have a meaningful interaction...which I quite look forward to. It is time, I feel, spent in crystalising ideas that may benefit fellow homo sapiens some day...though the jury is still out on that. So when confronted with the prospects of a party - and I mean a real party ... with music, dancing, drinking, socialising ... The 3am cab ride back home. And rocks in the head next morning. A wasted Saturday. The works! Now that stops me dead in my tracks.
I realised this when recently a friend of mine invited me to one and I got all squirmy and fidgety. I asked her why she would bother calling me. But she still persisted and ... a couple of reminder smses later ... just when my protest would be expected to wane in the face of strong headwind ... I found myself even more adamant and determined to stay away from any form of revelry. Politeness would have meant declining with the usual partyline (pun unintended) "Oh, we would have sooo loved to be there but had this prior commitment to spend an evening with a friend's 88 year old grandmother who has been abandoned by her debauched progeny. She is soooo lonely and it will break her fragile heart if we dont show up. Damn!!"
No sir. I would not lie my way out of this (or for that matter anything else) and plainly stated that I had really no interest in being in a party.
I would rather spend the evening in the company of man's best friend. And here I am referring to Single Malt Whisky. A true companion that ages elegantly and remains ever loyal.
Which is exactly what I am doing right now.
Just when the party must be cranking up .
'Cos the invitation was for tonight.
Guilty?? Hmmm...
After all, it is her son's birthday. She has called her friends in Singapore to provide joy and cheer to the boy who spends majority of the year in a boarding school. I wish him well for a long and fruitful life. I find solace knowing that a recluse like me would anyway not be a great influence on such young, impressionable minds. Let them just meet normal, happy human beings.
What causes me to shy away from such forms of - what would be considered by most - simple joys and pleasures of modern existence??
Misfit, aren't I??
I realised this when recently a friend of mine invited me to one and I got all squirmy and fidgety. I asked her why she would bother calling me. But she still persisted and ... a couple of reminder smses later ... just when my protest would be expected to wane in the face of strong headwind ... I found myself even more adamant and determined to stay away from any form of revelry. Politeness would have meant declining with the usual partyline (pun unintended) "Oh, we would have sooo loved to be there but had this prior commitment to spend an evening with a friend's 88 year old grandmother who has been abandoned by her debauched progeny. She is soooo lonely and it will break her fragile heart if we dont show up. Damn!!"
No sir. I would not lie my way out of this (or for that matter anything else) and plainly stated that I had really no interest in being in a party.
I would rather spend the evening in the company of man's best friend. And here I am referring to Single Malt Whisky. A true companion that ages elegantly and remains ever loyal.
Which is exactly what I am doing right now.
Just when the party must be cranking up .
'Cos the invitation was for tonight.
Guilty?? Hmmm...
After all, it is her son's birthday. She has called her friends in Singapore to provide joy and cheer to the boy who spends majority of the year in a boarding school. I wish him well for a long and fruitful life. I find solace knowing that a recluse like me would anyway not be a great influence on such young, impressionable minds. Let them just meet normal, happy human beings.
What causes me to shy away from such forms of - what would be considered by most - simple joys and pleasures of modern existence??
Misfit, aren't I??
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Competence, Character and a Desire to Excel
For a while now, my mind has been occupied by thoughts on the nature of leadership we need in society. Perhaps it has to do with my workplace which has given me an opportunity to interact with people from diverse backgrounds. Or my profession, which in essence is about helping unlock the inherent potential of people. Or, as is likely, it may be a deeper, latent desire to contribute to development of people in a setting in a broader sense than I have been able to do thus far. Whatever be the reason, I often find myself contemplating on this subject. And in an attempt to progress from thought to action, I have decided to put pen to paper and see where that leads me.
So here goes…
Leadership conjures up many different images, and there are literally millions of views out there about what it means and how it can be developed. There are theories which on the one end of the spectrum derive lessons from history and ancient scriptures, and on the other end offer instant ‘leader-in-a-minute’ solutions. I don’t intend to enter into any debate on the meaning or definition of leadership, nor propound new theories. In my simplistic mind, I think about leadership in a pretty wide ranging sense…from the political arena to the creative and the professional. My thoughts are about leadership that benefits the society and humanity…hence it encompasses a vast array of fields including government, politics, academics, science and technology, arts, sports, business, philanthropy and entrepreneurship.
The question that has been twirling around in my brain is – what traits should our next generation of leaders embody?
There are three that resonate most with me – Competence, Character and a Desire to Excel. Here is what I mean by each of these…
Competence is the culmination of skills, knowledge and aptitude. We commonly focus on helping people acquire skills and knowledge which are considered essential for them to be employable and productive. However, I feel this focus addresses only one dimension of the equation. By providing skills and knowledge to millions of people, we can create a society where individuals can be self-sufficient. And also self-serving. Skills and knowledge can be effectively imparted through education and experience. The other part of the equation is aptitude, i.e. the innate abilities that each human being on this planet possesses. If we are able to provide skills and knowledge to people in line with their aptitude, we get competence. As a society, we can create a generation of competent leaders if we are able to identify the aptitude of people early, and then power it with the right set of skills and knowledge.
Character is all about doing the right thing. And to do the right thing, one needs to know what is right, and also who it is right for. Contemporary institutions of learning (certainly several that I am familiar with) teach people to do the right thing for themselves. This is further reinforced when people enter the professional arena and learn the harsh realities of the real world, which incentivises and recognizes material individual success over all else. As to those less fortunate who do not have access even to basic education, such lofty questions don’t arise as they fight with fellow human beings every step of the way and for every morsel of food. However, building character in leaders is important for societies that want to progress. Character is about knowing and doing what is right for oneself, one’s immediate surroundings (family, friends, organization, etc.), as well as the community in which we grow up, live and work. Character is about knowing one’s obligations and discharging those obligations. Character has to do with achieving alignment between one’s beliefs, intentions and actions.
A Desire to Excel is a desire to continuously push the boundary of creativity and innovation. It is an innate need to surpass one’s own limitations and those set by others. It is borne out of an unrelenting focus and the application of one’s craft, and dedicating oneself to the creation of wonderful products and solutions. Inculcating in people the desire to excel is to get them to reject mediocrity and lethargy. For those that choose the pursuit of excellence, it means learning to accept challenges, roadblocks and rejection as a necessary and welcome part of the path to progress. Finally, a desire to excel can be stoked only once people learn to value the virtues of industriousness and perseverance, and the knowledge that that there is no quick and clear destination…but that the journey itself is significant and joyous.
Why do we need to have leaders with Competence, Character, and a Desire to Excel?
I have grown up in India, a country of over a billion people. A country which now prides itself as an emerging global power and is regularly making headlines around the world…as the world’s largest thriving democracy, for having a uniquely talented workforce with skills that are globally relevant, and now also as the home to some of the world’s richest and most powerful people. Yet, it is also a country of rampant corruption, a society lacking in basic civic sense, a land of extreme poverty and vast polarization between the rich and the poor.
There are many reasons for why India is the way it is, but one piece of the puzzle lies in how we educate people, the values we instill in them and how we define, recognize and reward achievement.
Over the past fifty years, we have made tremendous strides in emerging from subjugation into a global power. Today, India can produce two and a half million graduates every year and over ten million people enter the labour pool annually. We have clearly demonstrated the ability to produce a vast number of capable individuals…engineers, lawyers, technicians, academics, doctors, scientists, actors and sportspersons. We are blessed with having the youngest workers in the world at a time when most countries are dealing with issues of an ageing workforce. But as a society we have failed to be progressive. Our education system can produce masses of talented individuals, the values we inculcate in our children are about pursuing material individual gain, and what we recognize and reward are individual success stories. But we neither teach, nor value the role of individuals to act as a collective…thereby requiring the forthcoming generation to understand and discharge obligations as members of a society. We have been able to provide skills to our people and give them a livelihood, but we have not created vibrant and ethical citizens who can collectively propel a nation forward.
I believe it is possible to change this. It is possible for us to create the next generation of leaders who are talented and committed to a broader purpose and in a manner that is beneficial to the society and the country. And that this can be done in every arena – politics, government, judiciary, business, sciences, liberal arts, creative fields, as well as in sports.
I don’t have all the answers on how we can achieve this. I also don’t know whether this can be achieved at scale, or is a utopian concept which can only take root within a cocooned environment. But I do have some ideas which are slowly taking shape in my brain. These ideas have to do with helping build a new generation of leaders who will be Competent, have Character and a Desire to Excel.
I know there are people out there with similar intentions, and who may have taken many more strides in acting upon such ideas. I hope to find them so I can lend a helping hand. As I hope to progress my thinking into action…
So here goes…
Leadership conjures up many different images, and there are literally millions of views out there about what it means and how it can be developed. There are theories which on the one end of the spectrum derive lessons from history and ancient scriptures, and on the other end offer instant ‘leader-in-a-minute’ solutions. I don’t intend to enter into any debate on the meaning or definition of leadership, nor propound new theories. In my simplistic mind, I think about leadership in a pretty wide ranging sense…from the political arena to the creative and the professional. My thoughts are about leadership that benefits the society and humanity…hence it encompasses a vast array of fields including government, politics, academics, science and technology, arts, sports, business, philanthropy and entrepreneurship.
The question that has been twirling around in my brain is – what traits should our next generation of leaders embody?
There are three that resonate most with me – Competence, Character and a Desire to Excel. Here is what I mean by each of these…
Competence is the culmination of skills, knowledge and aptitude. We commonly focus on helping people acquire skills and knowledge which are considered essential for them to be employable and productive. However, I feel this focus addresses only one dimension of the equation. By providing skills and knowledge to millions of people, we can create a society where individuals can be self-sufficient. And also self-serving. Skills and knowledge can be effectively imparted through education and experience. The other part of the equation is aptitude, i.e. the innate abilities that each human being on this planet possesses. If we are able to provide skills and knowledge to people in line with their aptitude, we get competence. As a society, we can create a generation of competent leaders if we are able to identify the aptitude of people early, and then power it with the right set of skills and knowledge.
Character is all about doing the right thing. And to do the right thing, one needs to know what is right, and also who it is right for. Contemporary institutions of learning (certainly several that I am familiar with) teach people to do the right thing for themselves. This is further reinforced when people enter the professional arena and learn the harsh realities of the real world, which incentivises and recognizes material individual success over all else. As to those less fortunate who do not have access even to basic education, such lofty questions don’t arise as they fight with fellow human beings every step of the way and for every morsel of food. However, building character in leaders is important for societies that want to progress. Character is about knowing and doing what is right for oneself, one’s immediate surroundings (family, friends, organization, etc.), as well as the community in which we grow up, live and work. Character is about knowing one’s obligations and discharging those obligations. Character has to do with achieving alignment between one’s beliefs, intentions and actions.
A Desire to Excel is a desire to continuously push the boundary of creativity and innovation. It is an innate need to surpass one’s own limitations and those set by others. It is borne out of an unrelenting focus and the application of one’s craft, and dedicating oneself to the creation of wonderful products and solutions. Inculcating in people the desire to excel is to get them to reject mediocrity and lethargy. For those that choose the pursuit of excellence, it means learning to accept challenges, roadblocks and rejection as a necessary and welcome part of the path to progress. Finally, a desire to excel can be stoked only once people learn to value the virtues of industriousness and perseverance, and the knowledge that that there is no quick and clear destination…but that the journey itself is significant and joyous.
Why do we need to have leaders with Competence, Character, and a Desire to Excel?
I have grown up in India, a country of over a billion people. A country which now prides itself as an emerging global power and is regularly making headlines around the world…as the world’s largest thriving democracy, for having a uniquely talented workforce with skills that are globally relevant, and now also as the home to some of the world’s richest and most powerful people. Yet, it is also a country of rampant corruption, a society lacking in basic civic sense, a land of extreme poverty and vast polarization between the rich and the poor.
There are many reasons for why India is the way it is, but one piece of the puzzle lies in how we educate people, the values we instill in them and how we define, recognize and reward achievement.
Over the past fifty years, we have made tremendous strides in emerging from subjugation into a global power. Today, India can produce two and a half million graduates every year and over ten million people enter the labour pool annually. We have clearly demonstrated the ability to produce a vast number of capable individuals…engineers, lawyers, technicians, academics, doctors, scientists, actors and sportspersons. We are blessed with having the youngest workers in the world at a time when most countries are dealing with issues of an ageing workforce. But as a society we have failed to be progressive. Our education system can produce masses of talented individuals, the values we inculcate in our children are about pursuing material individual gain, and what we recognize and reward are individual success stories. But we neither teach, nor value the role of individuals to act as a collective…thereby requiring the forthcoming generation to understand and discharge obligations as members of a society. We have been able to provide skills to our people and give them a livelihood, but we have not created vibrant and ethical citizens who can collectively propel a nation forward.
I believe it is possible to change this. It is possible for us to create the next generation of leaders who are talented and committed to a broader purpose and in a manner that is beneficial to the society and the country. And that this can be done in every arena – politics, government, judiciary, business, sciences, liberal arts, creative fields, as well as in sports.
I don’t have all the answers on how we can achieve this. I also don’t know whether this can be achieved at scale, or is a utopian concept which can only take root within a cocooned environment. But I do have some ideas which are slowly taking shape in my brain. These ideas have to do with helping build a new generation of leaders who will be Competent, have Character and a Desire to Excel.
I know there are people out there with similar intentions, and who may have taken many more strides in acting upon such ideas. I hope to find them so I can lend a helping hand. As I hope to progress my thinking into action…
Monday, May 11, 2009
A visit to India
In one of my previous posts, I had mentioned about the visit of my 20 year old niece from Sydney who stopped by in Singapore for a few days on her way to India. Well, she did a write-up on her experiences and has given me the permission to reproduce it on this blog. So here are the thoughts of Rimmika Shankar from her recent visit to India...
Destination-Barelli Express, Somewhere in North-West India 9:53 am-Thurs.
As I sit here in an AC tier compartment sipping on a Frooti, looking outside at the harsh, barren, arid sprawl of the Desert that lies all around, watching it go by, I've found some time to reflect .
So off I go.
My plane arrived in India 9:30 pm Local time, Sunday.
It is now Thursday morning and the only word I can use to describe the past few days is 'Amazing'.
Everything has literally left me gob-smacked because India is like it has been described countless times before-truly Incredible.
Starting from the lady that cleans our Toilet in ‘Chowki Dhani’( a completely make-belief village) to the man who attended to us in the Institute of Town Planners Guesthouse (who also happened to look like Superman)-Pan Singh.
In all its expanse and what can at times be a fairly depressing amass of population, people seem to from what I could see be happy, or at least complacent to a degree.
There is somewhat of a social Divide where the rich can afford almost anything but there is a large population that can’t.
Living simply is not one concept that the upper middle class accept and living gallantly and flamboyantly is somewhat of a business churning out a profit within the millions. All you need to do is visit the country clubs in Gurgoan and spend a night celebrating a one year olds birthday as I did, where the bar tab easily exceeded a mark of about 50,000 Rs, maybe more.
The traffic so chaotic and loud, the common man has time for little but their own worries-worries so vast I can imagine that it leaves little room for consideration of others, let alone the environment.
Failure to give way to an Ambulance in crowded peak hour and leaving rubbish on the train and even going to vast lengths to conceal the removal of rubbish in a manner that evades prying eyes and looks of disapproval, yields to me a sentiment that reflects a subtle resignation from the need to advance.
Covering your bodies with just the leather band of a seatbelt, laying across your chest -merely expressing the appearance of a fastened seatbelt-although signals a defiance and lack of obedience of the Law, it displays a complete disregard of concepts and ideas put in place for the safety and protection of its own citizens.
This disregard can only stem from what I believe is a 'what’s the point' belief which harbors a deep saddening tone which I can’t seem to grasp-only feel greatly at a loss for, on behalf of all the citizens and well intentions it had first been established to protect.
In a country where people are so vastly abundant, you cannot go for a second without seeing a fellow being, if consideration for others still exists I wonder where this unique and spectacular display of human behavior showcases its colours.
It may be a country of colour and beauty, contrasts and comparisons, constantly confronting and of everlasting entertainment but this great, vast land leaves has a somber undertone and I feel nothing but saturation at each point.
With the Image of the unending rows of motorcycles parked outside the office of Dainik Bhaskar (a Local newspapers' office in Jaipur)-I start to not only grasp the vast number of people that inhibit this greatly overpopulated and dense landmass, I start to sympathize and try to imagine what it must be like dealing with the state of affairs of this nation on a ritualistic basis.
Why should I give way, when my way involved shortcomings, deception, corruption and connivery?
Why should I not spit on the road when I feel like my dreams have been spat on and left on the railway tracks in a drain blocked and cluttered to the rim.
Why should I keep my area clean when regardless of how clean my area gets there is a slum just outside which thrives on the piles of plastic and paper, selling the pieces -making a relatively meager, modest living.
But even in all this, I have the belief (dreamy-eyed as it may be) that hope may prevail.
Victories and triumphs do occur like the fisherman outside Amer Palace, catching fish from what would have at one point been a water catchment area, outside the palace. Now however ashamedly dried up. As he threw his fishing net into the pitch dark , murky waters full of muck and filth harbored by local boars and wild pigs, many stood as I did watching in silence with a slight feeling of victory within us all when he caught amongst the muck a single fish and on occasion-two.
Perhaps at times slivering in disgust not delight, failing to rejoice with a song and dance for his achievement- I do however think on a small scale we were left better assured that the fisherman’s efforts did not go unrewarded and as unhygienic as the fish that he caught might have been, we walked away with the assurance that he had some, if any fish at all.
I should also mention this palace was one where we were denied access, regardless of whom or how far many had travelled, all turned away as the Film shooting of a Salman Khan movie carried on within in enclosures.
In a country where 'The real India' is what I set out to see, my very real experiences although harsh, full-frontal and however immense in nature they might have been, they delighted, surprised, amazed and recreated an image in my head of the India I left behind, the India I have returned to and the India I hope it may or may not transform into.
Till then I wait in anticipation and hope that I might someday be able to contribute and lead this country in the direction of that positive vector.
A venture I hope yields respect for self, thy country and thy neighbor and of course, the Environment.In hope that the innocence captured in the eyes of a child leads this great nation to unleash its vast untapped potential, open its eyes to its beauty and that progress may come to one and all, inextricably.
Destination-Barelli Express, Somewhere in North-West India 9:53 am-Thurs.
As I sit here in an AC tier compartment sipping on a Frooti, looking outside at the harsh, barren, arid sprawl of the Desert that lies all around, watching it go by, I've found some time to reflect .
So off I go.
My plane arrived in India 9:30 pm Local time, Sunday.
It is now Thursday morning and the only word I can use to describe the past few days is 'Amazing'.
Everything has literally left me gob-smacked because India is like it has been described countless times before-truly Incredible.
Starting from the lady that cleans our Toilet in ‘Chowki Dhani’( a completely make-belief village) to the man who attended to us in the Institute of Town Planners Guesthouse (who also happened to look like Superman)-Pan Singh.
In all its expanse and what can at times be a fairly depressing amass of population, people seem to from what I could see be happy, or at least complacent to a degree.
There is somewhat of a social Divide where the rich can afford almost anything but there is a large population that can’t.
Living simply is not one concept that the upper middle class accept and living gallantly and flamboyantly is somewhat of a business churning out a profit within the millions. All you need to do is visit the country clubs in Gurgoan and spend a night celebrating a one year olds birthday as I did, where the bar tab easily exceeded a mark of about 50,000 Rs, maybe more.
The traffic so chaotic and loud, the common man has time for little but their own worries-worries so vast I can imagine that it leaves little room for consideration of others, let alone the environment.
Failure to give way to an Ambulance in crowded peak hour and leaving rubbish on the train and even going to vast lengths to conceal the removal of rubbish in a manner that evades prying eyes and looks of disapproval, yields to me a sentiment that reflects a subtle resignation from the need to advance.
Covering your bodies with just the leather band of a seatbelt, laying across your chest -merely expressing the appearance of a fastened seatbelt-although signals a defiance and lack of obedience of the Law, it displays a complete disregard of concepts and ideas put in place for the safety and protection of its own citizens.
This disregard can only stem from what I believe is a 'what’s the point' belief which harbors a deep saddening tone which I can’t seem to grasp-only feel greatly at a loss for, on behalf of all the citizens and well intentions it had first been established to protect.
In a country where people are so vastly abundant, you cannot go for a second without seeing a fellow being, if consideration for others still exists I wonder where this unique and spectacular display of human behavior showcases its colours.
It may be a country of colour and beauty, contrasts and comparisons, constantly confronting and of everlasting entertainment but this great, vast land leaves has a somber undertone and I feel nothing but saturation at each point.
With the Image of the unending rows of motorcycles parked outside the office of Dainik Bhaskar (a Local newspapers' office in Jaipur)-I start to not only grasp the vast number of people that inhibit this greatly overpopulated and dense landmass, I start to sympathize and try to imagine what it must be like dealing with the state of affairs of this nation on a ritualistic basis.
Why should I give way, when my way involved shortcomings, deception, corruption and connivery?
Why should I not spit on the road when I feel like my dreams have been spat on and left on the railway tracks in a drain blocked and cluttered to the rim.
Why should I keep my area clean when regardless of how clean my area gets there is a slum just outside which thrives on the piles of plastic and paper, selling the pieces -making a relatively meager, modest living.
But even in all this, I have the belief (dreamy-eyed as it may be) that hope may prevail.
Victories and triumphs do occur like the fisherman outside Amer Palace, catching fish from what would have at one point been a water catchment area, outside the palace. Now however ashamedly dried up. As he threw his fishing net into the pitch dark , murky waters full of muck and filth harbored by local boars and wild pigs, many stood as I did watching in silence with a slight feeling of victory within us all when he caught amongst the muck a single fish and on occasion-two.
Perhaps at times slivering in disgust not delight, failing to rejoice with a song and dance for his achievement- I do however think on a small scale we were left better assured that the fisherman’s efforts did not go unrewarded and as unhygienic as the fish that he caught might have been, we walked away with the assurance that he had some, if any fish at all.
I should also mention this palace was one where we were denied access, regardless of whom or how far many had travelled, all turned away as the Film shooting of a Salman Khan movie carried on within in enclosures.
In a country where 'The real India' is what I set out to see, my very real experiences although harsh, full-frontal and however immense in nature they might have been, they delighted, surprised, amazed and recreated an image in my head of the India I left behind, the India I have returned to and the India I hope it may or may not transform into.
Till then I wait in anticipation and hope that I might someday be able to contribute and lead this country in the direction of that positive vector.
A venture I hope yields respect for self, thy country and thy neighbor and of course, the Environment.In hope that the innocence captured in the eyes of a child leads this great nation to unleash its vast untapped potential, open its eyes to its beauty and that progress may come to one and all, inextricably.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
A new generation of leaders?
I chanced upon something I found truly thought provoking and enlightening - building leaders of character and calibre.
This talk by Patrick Awuha is the story of one man's endeavour to build the next generation of leaders in Africa. As one listens to him, the issues he highlights are not isolated to his home country, Ghana. Much of this resonates with me given the part of the world that I come from. And his approach is simple, elegant and built on strong conviction. Couldn't help posting it here...http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/patrick_awuah_on_educating_leaders.html
This talk by Patrick Awuha is the story of one man's endeavour to build the next generation of leaders in Africa. As one listens to him, the issues he highlights are not isolated to his home country, Ghana. Much of this resonates with me given the part of the world that I come from. And his approach is simple, elegant and built on strong conviction. Couldn't help posting it here...http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/patrick_awuah_on_educating_leaders.html
Sunday, April 19, 2009
One Month
That is how long it has been since I last wrote on this blog.
The last 30 days have gone by in a haze and a blur. I spent three weeks in USA traveling to various cities. I started off in Chicago and then went to Detroit. Returned to Chicago. Then off again to Pittsburgh, followed by a weekend in Long Island...and back again to Pittsburgh before making the long flight back home. I had jet lag on the way in, jet lag through much of my stay…and jet lag for a whole week after I was back. I really don’t know why I have such great difficulty dealing with long distance travel. Partly it has to do with insomnia. Just when I thought I had seen the end of it, back it comes with a bang and haunts me for weeks. I could hardly sleep on the 19 hour transatlantic flights, even though the airline does much to make things very comfortable for the long distance business traveler. I tried every trick in the book – switched to the new time zone by staying up during the day time of the destination, ate little, drank little…and that too only a bit of wine hoping it would put me to sleep. But no. Neither would I be able to sleep, nor could I be productive as the brain would be whirring around in circles and refuse to centre on anything of consequence. The haze would envelope me for days…and it is only recently that I feel it lifting. Anyhow, enough whining! Like many other things, insomnia too tests one’s endurance and persistence. It challenges my ability to be productive. As it does my resolve to open the laptop and give a coherent outpouring to my thoughts through the means of this blog. So after a hiatus of a month, I am determined to resume my tryst with myself and a few other people who sometimes drop into this little corner. I feel rusty…somewhat like out of form sportsmen desperately trying to get back their rhythm. But try I shall!
The trip to USA was interesting. I have been a regular visitor there, especially in these last couple of years, and have closely observed changes in the mood and public sentiment. Not very difficult to do in a country of fairly expressive people! A common theme evident to me over the past year has been a sense of resignation, apprehension, stress...even tiredness in the people of the nation. You would expect that in an economy which was steadily sinking into recession. And now, that sense is pervasive across the globe as the vast majority of countries are reeling under the impact of a wave that emanated from Wall Street, spread to Main Street and has engulfed vast portions of the world.
But during this visit, I did discern signs of change. Not that anything was fundamentally different– the economic indices continued to point downwards signaling further troubles, the financial institutions were still battered, the iconic automotive industry gasped for breath and unemployment levels continued their upward surge. More and more people – vastly experienced corporate, economic and political leaders - have stated that these are the toughest conditions they have experienced in their lifetimes. However, the pervasive sense of doom and gloom has now given way to something one had not felt in a long time. Hope! Very subtle and not evident at the surface, but I am sure I sensed it. And given that I had visited after a long, harsh winter which had also heralded one of the greatest and historic change in the political landscape of this country, I am bound to attribute this hope to the one man who is looking to chart a new course, not just for the people of his wonderful country, but for much of the modern world. Barack Obama - the man who can do no wrong! He has indeed inspired the people of US to see beyond their troubles of today and strive for a better tomorrow. I wish this new age icon is able to realize his dreams and those of the nation he now leads.
However, as I said before, there is no evidence of this change at the surface. What is visible instead is the effect of recession in daily life. At the airport, passengers are made to pay for their carry on baggage, up in the air they are not served snacks and drinks, restaurants in downtown areas bear a deserted look. And the malls! An endless array of sales with each retail outlet jostling to outdo the other to capture the attention of passers by…but still not much luck! Clearly more people are browsing than purchasing. Not something I had seen at this time of the year and at such scale. So…what few visible effects I could capture digitally found their way onto this blog in the post below.
How long will this recession last? Will things get even worse? When will the stock markets rebound? When will companies offer a positive outlook? When will people be able to stop worrying about losing their jobs? For those that have lost theirs, when will they regain employment? Are we talking months, quarters, years???
All of us have these questions in our minds. And many have predictions…which range from a relatively quick rebound, to what is being referred to as the “long freeze”. Explanations abound on the causes of this recession. As can be expected, there are also a fair number of remonstrations of the “I told you so” variety. For a person that cannot fathom the various complexities and intricacies of this world, all I have been able to gather is that the prevailing climate has been popularly attributed to the unbridled greed of a few. Greed that pervaded the entire globally interconnected economic system which eventually collapsed under its own weight. I do not know which theory is right, what analysis precise or which prediction accurate…but I do feel that all of these are not of much consequence.
What really matters is the lesson we learn from this new challenge. As is the case with any challenge or calamity, this one too presents opportunity for learning. Some challenges that we face in our lives we attribute to our own actions, others to the result of collective actions of people. And then there are those whose causation is beyond our comprehension and we attribute it to the will of the almighty. Irrespective of its cause, adversity can be a great teacher…if only we choose to be keen students. So this recession can be a unique opportunity for individuals, organizations, and even nations to learn, adapt and progress. I do not have the wisdom to make predictions or offer lessons. But I do know that there are those who will emerge from this wiser, some will be wealthier and stronger, and yet others healthier and happier. A few will fade away with shattered dreams and broken wills.
Certainly virtue is like precious odors, most fragrant when they are incensed, or crushed: for prosperity doth best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue. Sir Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626)
The last 30 days have gone by in a haze and a blur. I spent three weeks in USA traveling to various cities. I started off in Chicago and then went to Detroit. Returned to Chicago. Then off again to Pittsburgh, followed by a weekend in Long Island...and back again to Pittsburgh before making the long flight back home. I had jet lag on the way in, jet lag through much of my stay…and jet lag for a whole week after I was back. I really don’t know why I have such great difficulty dealing with long distance travel. Partly it has to do with insomnia. Just when I thought I had seen the end of it, back it comes with a bang and haunts me for weeks. I could hardly sleep on the 19 hour transatlantic flights, even though the airline does much to make things very comfortable for the long distance business traveler. I tried every trick in the book – switched to the new time zone by staying up during the day time of the destination, ate little, drank little…and that too only a bit of wine hoping it would put me to sleep. But no. Neither would I be able to sleep, nor could I be productive as the brain would be whirring around in circles and refuse to centre on anything of consequence. The haze would envelope me for days…and it is only recently that I feel it lifting. Anyhow, enough whining! Like many other things, insomnia too tests one’s endurance and persistence. It challenges my ability to be productive. As it does my resolve to open the laptop and give a coherent outpouring to my thoughts through the means of this blog. So after a hiatus of a month, I am determined to resume my tryst with myself and a few other people who sometimes drop into this little corner. I feel rusty…somewhat like out of form sportsmen desperately trying to get back their rhythm. But try I shall!
The trip to USA was interesting. I have been a regular visitor there, especially in these last couple of years, and have closely observed changes in the mood and public sentiment. Not very difficult to do in a country of fairly expressive people! A common theme evident to me over the past year has been a sense of resignation, apprehension, stress...even tiredness in the people of the nation. You would expect that in an economy which was steadily sinking into recession. And now, that sense is pervasive across the globe as the vast majority of countries are reeling under the impact of a wave that emanated from Wall Street, spread to Main Street and has engulfed vast portions of the world.
But during this visit, I did discern signs of change. Not that anything was fundamentally different– the economic indices continued to point downwards signaling further troubles, the financial institutions were still battered, the iconic automotive industry gasped for breath and unemployment levels continued their upward surge. More and more people – vastly experienced corporate, economic and political leaders - have stated that these are the toughest conditions they have experienced in their lifetimes. However, the pervasive sense of doom and gloom has now given way to something one had not felt in a long time. Hope! Very subtle and not evident at the surface, but I am sure I sensed it. And given that I had visited after a long, harsh winter which had also heralded one of the greatest and historic change in the political landscape of this country, I am bound to attribute this hope to the one man who is looking to chart a new course, not just for the people of his wonderful country, but for much of the modern world. Barack Obama - the man who can do no wrong! He has indeed inspired the people of US to see beyond their troubles of today and strive for a better tomorrow. I wish this new age icon is able to realize his dreams and those of the nation he now leads.
However, as I said before, there is no evidence of this change at the surface. What is visible instead is the effect of recession in daily life. At the airport, passengers are made to pay for their carry on baggage, up in the air they are not served snacks and drinks, restaurants in downtown areas bear a deserted look. And the malls! An endless array of sales with each retail outlet jostling to outdo the other to capture the attention of passers by…but still not much luck! Clearly more people are browsing than purchasing. Not something I had seen at this time of the year and at such scale. So…what few visible effects I could capture digitally found their way onto this blog in the post below.
How long will this recession last? Will things get even worse? When will the stock markets rebound? When will companies offer a positive outlook? When will people be able to stop worrying about losing their jobs? For those that have lost theirs, when will they regain employment? Are we talking months, quarters, years???
All of us have these questions in our minds. And many have predictions…which range from a relatively quick rebound, to what is being referred to as the “long freeze”. Explanations abound on the causes of this recession. As can be expected, there are also a fair number of remonstrations of the “I told you so” variety. For a person that cannot fathom the various complexities and intricacies of this world, all I have been able to gather is that the prevailing climate has been popularly attributed to the unbridled greed of a few. Greed that pervaded the entire globally interconnected economic system which eventually collapsed under its own weight. I do not know which theory is right, what analysis precise or which prediction accurate…but I do feel that all of these are not of much consequence.
What really matters is the lesson we learn from this new challenge. As is the case with any challenge or calamity, this one too presents opportunity for learning. Some challenges that we face in our lives we attribute to our own actions, others to the result of collective actions of people. And then there are those whose causation is beyond our comprehension and we attribute it to the will of the almighty. Irrespective of its cause, adversity can be a great teacher…if only we choose to be keen students. So this recession can be a unique opportunity for individuals, organizations, and even nations to learn, adapt and progress. I do not have the wisdom to make predictions or offer lessons. But I do know that there are those who will emerge from this wiser, some will be wealthier and stronger, and yet others healthier and happier. A few will fade away with shattered dreams and broken wills.
Certainly virtue is like precious odors, most fragrant when they are incensed, or crushed: for prosperity doth best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue. Sir Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626)
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