Back to Normal with a Bang!

I declare with indecent happiness that life has returned back to normal in Chennai. The rain got stopped in the night itself. I can't believe my eyes when I saw a little sun today. I wanted to mention about my day Yesterday. I reached office like a drowned rat at 9 AM only to find myself alone in my project. The rain was such that I couldn't even go back. Added to that, I got work which kept me engaged till 2 PM. There were a lot of SMS circulated stating the condition of city. A few roomers about the current wires dangling on the roads. A lot of water logging on roads and it was difficult to find the path. Auto drivers had their hay day charging 50 bucks for 2 kms. I somehow managed to reach home by 6 PM wading my way through knee deep waters to catch an auto!

Yesterday night was another affair alltogether. There are 9 girls along with me in my hostel and we booked tickets today night. We were anxious to know about the weather reports as we were wondering whether our trains will get cancelled or not. Yet, the funnier side never rests. We chatted our way till the wee hours of morning and had quite a lot of fun too. I guess it been ages since I last indulged myself in girly gossiping! :-)

Now today morning, its absolute bliss! The same sun in Chennai and the same old day.. As if yesterday is just a nightmare. I am hoping to catch train today to reach my hometown Rajahmundry. Hope it arrives and reaches in time! Happy Diwali to all. I just can't wait to see my Mamma!

Banned Drugs!

Again a forward which I received. This time it is send by Bhupi, the IMDR Director. I still call him as director as I can't picture him any where else. Guess he is the ideal fit to that IMDR and man, he inspires such a kind of feeling. What else can I say? Here's his new blog: http://www.nidharmee.blogspot.com/

This is the mail..
India has become a dumping ground for banned drugs; also the business for production of banned drugs is blooming. Plz make sure that u buy drugs only if prescribed by a doctor(Also, ask which company manufactures it, this would help to ensure that u get what is prescribed at the Drug Store) and that also from a reputed drug store. Not many people know about these banned drugs and consume them causing a lot of damage to themselves. We do forward Jokes and and other junk all the time. This is far more
important. Plz Make sure u forward it to everyone u know.


DANGEROUS DRUGS THESE DRUGS HAVE BEEN GLOBALLY DISCARDED BUT ARE AVAILABLE IN INDIA. The most common ones are D cold, action 500 & Nimulid.

ANALGIN:

This is a pain-killer.Reason for ban:Bone marrow depression.
Brand name: Novalgin

CISAPRIDE:

Acidity, constipation.Reason for ban : irregular heartbeat
Brand name : Ciza, Syspride

DROPERIDOL:

Anti-depressant.Reason for ban : Irregular heartbeat.
Brand name :Droperol

FURAZOLIDONE:

Antidiarrhoeal.Reason for ban : Cancer.
Brand name : Furoxone, Lomofen

NIMESULIDE:

Painkiller, fever. Reason for ban : Liver failure.
Brand name : Nise, Nimulid

NITROFURAZONE:

Antibacterial cream.Reason for ban : Cancer.
Brand name :Furacin

PHENOLPHTHALEIN:

Laxative.Reason for ban : Cancer.
Brand name :Agarol

PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE:

cold and cough.Reason for ban :stroke.
Brand name :D'cold, Vicks Action-500

OXYPHENBUTAZONE:

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.Reason for ban : Bone marrow
depression.
Brand name : Sioril

PIPERAZINE:

Anti-worms.Reason for ban : Nerve damage.
Brand name : Piperazine

QUINIODOCHLOR:

Anti-diarrhoeal.Reason for ban :Damage to sight.
Brand name :Enteroquinol

Chennai Rains!!!

Today is really horrible in Chennai. There is a lot of water clogging and all you could see are the mud puddles and water on the roads. Nothing is particularly visible and with wind blowing harshly, its really difficult to keep your umbrella on your head! Umm, that's is a near description of what I am facing in Chennai today.

Hope this rains end soon. I somehow managed to wade through the water to reach the office sharp at nine. Only to ruefully grin at myself that the office is completely lonely save a single man who is working at his desk. Some of my project mates reached office at noon after a tiring 3 hours of journey. Remarkable commitment, isn't it? I went down for lunch to the Canteen downstairs. I wished I could take a snap of the people sitting at the Food Court of Tidel Park in Chennai. I never knew that there are so many obedient souls who care to come to office literally drowning themselves! Most of the offices declared leave today. As I find leisure in my office now, being one of those stranded souls who are waiting for Cabs which would start only after 5, I am catching up on my long due posts. Guess it been ages since I last saw this kind of rains with knee deep water clogging on the roads! Umm... I am longing for those sunny days again!!! Wishful thinking?! Hope it comes true!!

Laryngitis!!

Recently I got affected by Laryngitis.. What a typical name! I cant even pronounce that properly. Well, let me tell you that it feels awful. You can't even hear your voice. !Well, I admit that it got its own beauty! I kept my mouth shut for three days and it aint that bad. :-)

I don't wish for that to happen again either! Its a tricky infection. It gave me a feeling of weakness, cough, feverish sensation and cold. Yet I could do my daily chores. Sore throat, yet but it didn't stop me from going on a long drive and taking a long walk.. Only that it got worse. My voice changed in myraid ways. I got bored of coughing though, and I longed to drink something hot always. I think this is the only time when I had coffee and tea combo. I went to doctor twice, only to reconfirm my feeling that I really don't like hospitals! Finally I got cured miraculously soon. Its nice to be able to talk and eat icecreams!

Radical Leap..

This was a book suggested by my boss and he asked me to read it twice! The first thing I enquired was the number of pages of the book! I just wondered how thick would that be..

Coming to the actual reading experience, the book is fabulous. This is a book written by Steve Farber which talks about Extreme Leadership. What exactly is an extreme leader? He defines him in one simple sentence, as a person who L.E.A.P.s forward; One who cultivates love, generates energy, inspires audacity, and provides proof.

The story begins at a beach where Steve, a leadership consultant meets a mysterious and wise character called EdG who defines leadership as an extreme sport. The book is about how Steve discovers the extreme leadership and how he helps to sort out his friend Janice's problem at her workplace XinoniX. I loved the way the story unfolds and the style of writing of the Steve Farber. You can find the summary of the concept here.

One particular point which caught my eye is Why do I come to work today? Do I love what I do? Yes.. Truly, this must be the most important question of everyone's life. Life is too small to be fretted away on things which we don't enjoy doing. We need to find our passion and work our way to get it. That's what I call self-expression. A feeling of pure joy..

We may not remember the top leaders of the Century or the Miss Universes' of the World.. But we will surely remember the people who have touched our life. That's the most interesting part of Leadership. Its about the ability to influence and make a difference to other people's life; its about the desire to love and help others find their dreams too. This book is a great read which should not be missed. (Not because my boss told so!)

Love Stories..

Its nice to read some love stories at times.. They give such nice hope and they talk of so much optimism. I like the idea that there is someone who cares for you, even if it can be a myth. Its just that feeling,"Pal bhar keliye koi hame Pyaar karle, Jhoota hi sahi!"

This is a good story which I have received today as a forward. Hope you like it too.

A SWEET LOVE STORY

He met her on a party. She was so outstanding, many guys chasing after her, while he was so normal, nobody paid attention to him. At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised, but due to being polite, she promised.

They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, she thought, please, let me go home.. Suddenly he asked the waiter: "would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee."

Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red, but, still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously: why you have this hobby?

He replied: "when I was a little boy, I was living near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea , just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, I miss my hometown so much, I miss my parents who are still living there". While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched.

That's his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can tell out his homesickness, he must be a man who loves home, cares about home, has responsibility of home.. Then she also started to speak, spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family. That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story.

They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who meets all her demands; he had tolerance, was kind hearted, warm, careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed him! Thanks to his salty coffee!

Then the story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married to the prince, then they were living the happy life... And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that's the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he passed away, left her a letter which said: "My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life lie. This was the only lie I said to you---the salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the start of our communication!

I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you for anything.. Now I'm dying, I afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth: I don't like the salty coffee, what a strange bad taste.. But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life!

Since I knew you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is my biggest happiness for my whole life. If I can live for the second time, still want t o know you and have you for my whole life, even though I have to drink the salty coffee again". Her tears made the letter totally wet.

Someday, someone asked her: what's the taste of salty coffee?
It's sweet. She replied.

love is not 2 forget
but 2 forgive
not 2 c but understand
not 2 hear but 2 listen
not 2 let go but HOLD ON !!!!

Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss and ends with a tear. Being loved by someone gives u strength, being in love with someone deeply gives u courage!!!

A trip to Mamallapuram..

Yesterday we went to Mamallapuram, also known as Mahabalipuram from Chennai was a trip based on just a whim and was planned on the spot. The climate added to the temptation too. The soft breeze and the cool winds beckoned us for a long drive. It took us an hour to reach Mamallapuram from Adyar Chennai and I would say that the drive was fabulous. The road connecting Mamallapuram and Chennai is parallel to the sea coast.. U can imagine the luxury of watching the sea breeze soothe your mood while driving! It was wonderful. After reaching Mamallapuram, the rain started pouring down, challenging our expectations of the sightseeing. Yet, we could cover the beach, the Shore temple and the Pancha Radhas. I have seen some of the marvelous carvings on the black rock and the stone carvings are beyond any praise. We stopped at E.C.R. Dhabha to have a quick lunch. The landscaping of the restaurant was simply superb with seating overlooking a miniature pond complete with swans! The food was a downer though. Finally, after getting deluged both by the experience and by the rain, we came back looking like drowned rats! Quite an experience indeed! Hope it stays tucked away in the memory lane forever..

A mail I received.. Seems Genuine..

Hi!

I would like to bring to notice a certain injustice that I have subjected to at the Bangalore Railway Station (Majestic). On September 30 (Friday), 2005, I had been to the station to see off my fiance and her mother. They took the Karnataka Express (Train #2627) to Jhansi at 6:30 pm. On my way out I was asked to present my platform ticket by a railway official. On producing the same, the TT turned around and told me "What if I say that you haven't given me the ticket?" Before I could react, he along with his colleague pushed me into the adjacent enquiry cabin and physically manhandled me. I was slapped several times, my spectacles were grabbed and deliberately crushed by foot, and my phone was flung away from me. The RPF comprising of one RPF and four constables, appeared on the scene. The surrounding public was whisked away. None of the railway police officials cared to listen to me and they started hitting me indiscriminately with lathis. They dragged me out, and all the 4 constables continued hitting me with lathis from Platform 1 to Platform 3/5, till we reached the station master's cabin. Racist abuses and threats were made on the way. At the station master's cabin, I was told that I have been charged with a non-bailable offence and would be behind bars for 15 days. Not for a single moment was I allowed to speak.

All of a sudden a stranger came to the scene and he claimed that he was there to help me. Having lost all my physical strength and mental senses, I was happy to see some sort of help. He, claiming to be V Srinivas from Infosys, talked to the officials and the railway police in Kannada. He told me that the only way I was to get out was if I was willing to pay my way through. Being in no state to make a rational choice, I gave him my ATM card and pin. He took one of the RPF chaps along with him and said he would clear the matter. He returned sometime later saying that everything was okay now. I was asked to sign a statement which said that I hit the police and TT in a drunken state. I refused. Finally, they pressurized me to write that I did not produce a platform ticket when asked. I wrote the same and then V Srinivas took me out of the station. He joined me in an auto and took me to the ICICI ATM at Anand Rao circle. He withdrew Rs. 15000 from my ATM and got back. He took the cash under the pretext that while helping me he had left his wallet in the train he had left behind and that he would return the same through his ICICI Internet account. Having broken down mentally I did not realize that I was being cheated. He then took me to a Samsung showroom and tried purchasing a cellphone worth Rs. 18500 with my card. It was only then that I realized what was happening. I grabbed my card back, caught him by the collar, snatched my cash that lay in his pocket, and got into a running auto.

I have now realized that all of this was a plan. There is a strong nexus between the railway officials, the railway police and the fraudster. The railway officials identify a victim who they think is well-to-do, the RPF beat that individual till he has no physical or mental well-being. Then this fraud chap comes on to the scene, takes advantage of the situation, and takes all your cash away. Also, this series of events generally occurs on the last day of the month as they know that the salary gets credited on this day. (This strikes me now because the self-proclaimed Infy employee, V Srinivas, clearly asked me whether I had received my salary. He said that he just wanted to find out if there was cash enough to tackle the case.)

Now three days hence, I have tried to run from pillar to post. I have been forced to miss office hours in my effort to get justice. But I don't want to give up the fight midway. If any of you are in the media, or have friends/relatives who are in the industry, I'd like to speak with them about this in greater detail. I can be reached on 09886179319 or 08030933067. I believe it would catalyze my efforts.

Also, please pass this email to all the people who reside in Bangalore, so that they don't fall into the same trap.

Regards,
Nimish V Adani
IIML Batch of 2003
ITBHU Batch of 2001

Lasting Leadership!

I am just going through a book by name "Lasting Leadership" which contains of the profiles of the 25 Business Leaders. Its nice to see a snapshot profile of the some of the most successful leaders and read about what they have to say. I am planning to include a few points which caught attention. Guess its going to be a long post.

The book is organized in chapters like

Andy Grove's Leadership at Intel
-His management style, for embarking the famous Intel Inside campaign, for surviving the Pentium crisis and for the ability to stand for his convictions. He defines that a leader is one whom people would follow. Simple, isn't it?

Leadership and Corporate Culture

Herb Kelleher(Southwest Airlines)
-For building a great culture, for persistence, for building team spirit and flexibility into the organization.
Mary Kay Ash(Mary Kay)
-For praising people to success, for building a family kind of structure in the organization, for the famous pink cadillacs!
James Burke(Johnson & Johnson)
-For leading J&J through the Tylenol crisis, for championing innovation across the company, for encouraging a risk taking culture and for emphasizing on the importance of Trust across the organization.

Truth Tellers

Jack Welch(GE)
-Known as the Neutron Jack for his restructuring plans.
William George (Medtronic)
-He says that "Leadership is about getting people to follow even if they have their own doubts. Authentic leaders are those who are committed to purpose or mission;people who live by values and lead by heart."
Peter F. Drucker
-Defines management as an art which has the potential to transform "a mob into an organization, and human effort into performance. Known for coining terms like privatization, knowledge workers and placing emphasis on managing relationships.

Identifying an underserved market

Charles Schwab (Charles Schwab Corp.)
-For making his discount brokerage firm a huge success and establishing technology paradigm in the investment industry. Forbes calls him, "King of Online Brokers".
John Bogle (The Vanguard Group)
-For inventing Index funds and by pioneering the Vanguard as the low cost leader.
Mohammed Yunus (Grameen Bank)
-For pioneering micro credit through Grameen Bank and making a difference to a lot of people across the world. With a vision to build a poverty free world, he is perhaps the only one who wishes that his target market eventually disappears.

Seeing the invisible

Steve Jobs (Apple and Pixar)
- For using creativity and innovation to gain on the face of a giant competitor
George Soros(Soros Fund Management)
-Believes in the principles of open society. Known for his ability to spot the trends, for self-discipline and risk appetite.
Ted Turner (Turner Broadcasting)
-This founder of CNN and TNT is known for acting on gut feelings and venturing into the unexplored terrains.

Using Price to gain competitive advantage

Michael Dell(Dell Inc.)
-For his strong sense of market and for cutting the middlemen.
Jeff Bezos(Amazon)
-For revolutionizing retailing with the power of the emerging networking technology and for building a brand through customer experience.
Sam Walton(Wal-Mart)
-For getting the cost-price equation right. Can anyone believe that he wore a grass skirt and danced the hula in 1984 on the steps of the Merill Lynch's Wall Street offices after losing over the bet that Walmart couldn't possibly hit a pre-tax profit of 8%

Managing the Brand

Richard Branson (Virgin)
-For his risk-apetite, persistence and fun loving attitude. He has successfully built the world most stretched brand Virgin based on his credibility and capability.
Oprah Winfrey(Harpo, Inc.)
-She claims that "Owning myself is a way to be myself". With a constant focus on being better, she has built an amazing personal brand marked with genuine and disarming attitude.
Lee Iacocca (Chrysler)
-for his strong sense of personal credibility, for turning around the troubled Chrysler and for his charismatic leadership.

Fast Learners

Frederick Smith (FedEx)
-Known for revolutionizing the world of logistics pioneering the overnight delivery and tracking process.
Bill Gates (Microsoft)
-Known for his agility and ability to gauge the market. Famous for Microsoft's " Buy it or Bury it" sort of competitor's policies.
Lou Gerstner(IBM & RJR Nabisco)
-For leading IBM successfully through troubled times. He says that a leader's 90% of success depends on his ability to select, motivate, and encourage the team working under him.

Managing Risk

Warren Buffet (Berkshire Hathaway)
-Known as the most successful investor of our times. Is a strong believer in Value Investing.
Alan Greenspan
-For efficiently dealing with uncertainty as Federal Reserve chairman.
Peter Lynch (Fidelity Investments)
-Known for picking the winner stocks. He says, "The stock market is counter-intuitive When the headlines are terrible, that's really when you ought to start buying. The person who turns over the most rocks will win the game."

Some excerpts from the book:

"In June 2000, John Bogle, founder and former CEO of The Vanguard Group, spoke about leadership at Wharton. As an avid group of executives listened to the man who popularized the principle of indexing - and in the process built the Vanguard Group into a firm managing more than $550 billion in assets - Bogle ended his speech quoting James Norris, a Vanguard manager, who wrote: "While it is revealing to consider what constitutes a leader, your search for understanding, for some kind of leadership formula, is apt to end in frustration. It is like studying Michelangelo or Shakespeare: You can imitate, emulate, and simulate, but there is simply no connect-the-dots formula to Michelangelo's David or Shakespeare's Hamlet. I suppose, when all is said and done, it really comes down to this: People are leaders because they choose to lead."

The heart of leadership is as simple as that: It is a matter of choice and determination. If this is true, then people who choose and are determined to become influential business leaders can benefit from observing other leaders and using their observations to nurture their own leadership style."

A Fresh B-Schooler Attitude...

In my three months of working life, I have had a lot of fights with my own fresh B-Schooler attitude. When I was in IMDR, I used to make strategic analysis, resolve case studies, making reports and giving presentations. It sure gives a kind of hype as to the future roles. Yet, when I look back, joining a B-School straight out of college has its own disadvantages. People tend to generate their own assumptions without a realistic exposure. The live projects do give a glimpse into the real scenario and they can be shaped in a more better manner.

When I joined TCS, I had a straight 40 days training where I was introduced to the software industry background and the TCS business areas. All I could take away are the life skills classes. The training was not focused or tailor made to suit the kind of roles an MBA is expected to perform. Its like asking too much because there were 200 batch mates and each would be put into different roles which have their own responsibilities and requirements.

I landed up in an in-house R&D project of TCS where I have to plan the marketing of the products designed by my team. Life is quite relaxed in TCS as I don't have to strain myself and the work pace is quite relaxed. Sometimes, I got all the time in world for myself. I have all the freedom to explore library, or the Internet.. The way I respond to the situations depends on myself and my attitude. Things are done quite differently once I have started working.

One doesn't need to be a Jack of all Trades. I need to focus on the current job and need to say myself that " I am going to do the current job better than anyone who has done it earlier". Competing with oneself always pays. It keeps me in better health and in better pace. The moment I start worrying about the future and the fast track growth (a gift from my fresh B-Schooler attitude), my mental peace is gone down the drain. Life is pretty much simple, I try to do what I like the best. I need to keep that constant urge to better myself alive.

Yet, those Philip Kotler days in IMDR come to my mind. IMDR was an oasis which sheltered me for two years. It was a different world, yet it makes makes me comfortable with myself. May be this self-awareness is one takeaway which I name from IMDR. Now, the journey is on and life rolls on..

Mechanical Pets with Character..

Recently, I read an article about the launch of Mechanical Puppies launched by Sony. These toys develop a character based on the way their owner is treating them. I really didn't understand this desire in humanbeings to control their loved ones. Why people have pets? Its because they like to love and be loved in return. Admit it or not, pets are more loyal! Pets and especially dogs give a feeling that they need you. The kind of loyalty and affection they shower on their owners is tremendous. If a person really loves pets, can't he get a real pet? Why does anyone want to manufacture a mechanical pet with manufactured character? What's the purpose in that? It seems that there is no end to the human imagination and greed. Is that really a need? Or is it that the current generation became so mechanical that they can only be loved by machines?

I marvel at the creative effort and the dedication of the members who design new and innovative products. What upsets me are the assumptions inherent in the new products. They really make me wonder as to where are we heading as a civilization? It catches me in the ageless discussion of Man Vs Nature. Yet, I know the beauty of discussion lies in the lack of solution. Certain issues are just too complex, aren't they?