tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88204427255762513492024-03-08T02:13:34.609-08:00Biplab's thoughtsMy Thoughts on Marketing, Management, Religion, economics, Social Issues, Systems ThinkingBiplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-64297408354078490902011-02-17T04:25:00.000-08:002011-02-17T04:47:21.057-08:00Apnagaadi Share your driving experienceOne of my friends launched this site <a href="http://www.apnagaadi.in">www.apnagaadi.in</a> to enable us to make better decisions while buying a car. This is all the more important when you have so many choices today for the Indian consumers and also many new cars are waiting to be launched in 2011.<br /><br />Please check this out and share your car driving travel experince in discussion forum.Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-31360163755524631692008-08-12T02:41:00.000-07:002008-08-12T02:48:29.459-07:00Internet reduces Transaction costs-right?Recently I went to deposit some money in State Bank Of India to an outside account. Deposits to other accounts are done through an Internet banking terminal within the branch but to my surprise they are charging Rs. 25 per transaction. <br /><br />why you need to pay a transaction fee for internet banking when it is supposed to reduce costs. I am sure other banks don't charge this fee.Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-24940058659160917172008-07-24T07:14:00.000-07:002008-07-24T07:19:11.390-07:00Mr. Lalu Yadav is asking for feedback!! Bravo!!Railways is asking for feedback on cleanliness of the train compartments from passengers. Better late than never!! <br /><br />My question is why it takes so long for us to understand the quality of public service we provide to our citizens?<br /><br />Charge extra bucks to keep the stations/trains clean, generate employment.Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-76023276221609275532008-05-10T13:26:00.000-07:002008-05-10T13:30:48.284-07:00Its good for US if Indian Middle Class does wellGive as many H1Bs possible to Indians US will do well.Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-85170421909947839772008-05-08T18:25:00.000-07:002008-05-08T18:26:52.190-07:00India@75 by CK PrahladCoimbatore Krishnarao Prahalad, the guru of post-modern management, on Thursday threw the dream of leadership in the new world order by 2022 at a large and influential section of India Inc.<br /><br />India, Prahalad said, can have by 2022 the world's largest pool of trained manpower (500 million skilled workers), 30 companies in the Fortune 100 list, 10 per cent of world trade and 10 Nobel Prize winners. On the softer side, it can become the source for global innovation and a new moral voice for people around the world.<br /><br />He spelt out his vision for India @ 75 at a five-star hotel in New Delhi, where over 700 members of the Confederation of Indian Industry, a third of them on video link, listened to him in rapt attention. Several bureaucrats too were seen in the audience.<br /><br />Briefing a select group of journalists earlier in the morning, Prahalad said he had deliberately kept the means of getting there out so that the focus could be kept on the goals. But he said that even in the current circumstances, the probability of meeting the targets was high.<br /><br />The vision has been adopted by the CII, which will now look at how to make it happen. Sources at the industry association said the need for such a target was felt after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the new leadership, under ICICI Bank [Get Quote] Managing Director & CEO KV Kamath a few days ago, to work out a long-term vision.<br /><br />CII did not have to go far in search of such a piece of work. Prahalad, who is a professor at the University of Michigan, had actually spelt out the details of his vision, India @ 75 at the India @ 60 celebrations of CII at New York in September 2007. He touched down in New Delhi late last night.<br /><br />Prahalad said his earlier targets for India were no less audacious but were still met. "I had talked of Indian multinationals in the mid-1990s. Who would have believed it," he said, adding: "Seven years ago, I had suggested a target of 10 per cent growth (in gross domestic product). Many in India had said we don't have resources for 10 per cent growth."<br /><br />Still, it would be tough to achieve the targets of India @ 75. To begin with, India faces an acute shortage of workforce across sectors. Several businessmen now identify it as the biggest impediment to their growth. The target of trained 500 million workers, experts said, is a far cry.<br /><br />The country's share in world trade is 1.5 per cent � way below his target of 10 per cent. And not a single Indian company finds a slot in the list of top 100 companies, though India has turned into a nursery for billionaire businessmen.<br /><br />Having exhorted companies the world over to seek their fortune at the bottom of the value pyramid, Prahalad said that Indians need to 'straddle the pyramid' to make the India @ 75 vision happen.<br /><br />On the civic side, he said the prerequisites for growth were an emphasis on individual rights as against group rights and the urgent need to treat corruption as treason. "A nation becomes less corrupt before it gets rich," he had said at the India @ 60.Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-82311584559293331842008-02-24T23:06:00.000-08:002008-02-24T23:12:47.430-08:00Interesting facts about China!<div align="justify">**The metamorphosis of China from farmland to factories was fast. In 2000, 30 percent of the world's toys came from China. Five years later it rose to a stunning 75 percent. The nation increasingly dominates manufacturing in industry after industry. Over the last decade, China exported one out of every three pairs of shoes in the world. In auto parts, in just four years, 2001-4, exports rose from $1.3 billion to $9 billion. In 1996, China exported $20 billion worth of computers, cell phones, CD players and other electronic devices. Eight years later China exported $180 billion.<br /><br />**China's most visible infrastructure project to date has been the building of new roads and highways -- from just 168 miles of express highways in 1989 to an expected 40,000 miles in 2010 and 55,000 in 2020 -- equal to the total length of the entire American highway system.<br /><br />**Shanghai's skyline is dominated by skyscrapers and cranes. In 1978, Shanghai had just 78 skyscrapers. By 2006, there were 3780 and counting, more than Chicago and Los Angeles combined.<br /><br />**Over the past quarter century, China's GDP has grown an average of 9.6 percent a year. By contrast, over the same 25 years, India's GDP has grown 5.7 percent and the far larger and more mature US economy by 3 percent.<br /><br />**Despite the nation's economic gains, the human cost of China's rise has been steep, particularly for the peasants. Building factories often meant lifelong farmers were thrown off land and deprived of their livelihood. Breakneck development has caused terrible pollution. Water is filthy. Horrific, preventable accidents abound. Despite low wages, many factory workers are forced to work overtime long into the night without pay, left unpaid for months at a time, or even locked in factory compounds like prisoners.<br /><br />**In a 2005 survey by McKinsey & Company of US companies active in China, the companies reported that they bought just 30 percent of the goods they could buy in China, but planned to increase that to half by 2008. Chinese workers have seen incomes go up, but the lion's share of the winnings has gone straight to the foreign companies and foreign consumers who are paying lower prices than they otherwise would. If China exports a shoe that sells for $100 in the US, just $15 of the price stays in China in the form of workers' wages, transportation costs, or other value. American companies keep the remaining . Again, the average laptop exported from China is worth $700, but the Chinese company that makes the computers earns only $15.<br /><br />** Yet, China's economic growth is sizzling, exports are skyrocketing, skyscrapers are rising. Overnight, China has become an economic powerhouse. The US runs huge trade deficits with China which are still rising.. The European Union too. China is poised to overtake Germany as the world's third largest economy in 2008, having passed the UK to become the fourth largest economy in 2005.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br /><br />** However, despite trade deficits that alarm the West, a high percentage of China's much ballyhooed economic muscle belongs to foreigners. A large portion of the frighteningly lopsided trade deficit can be traced to goods Western companies make in China, then shipped home for sale. Only 4 of China's top 25 exporters are Chinese companies. Foreign companies and their Chinese joint venture partners produced 88 percent of China's high-tech exports in 2005. In practice, 'Made in China' often really means 'Made by America in China' or 'Made by Europe in China'.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br /><br />**More than half of China's incredible 10 percent GDP growth comes from government (mainly in infrastructure) and foreign direct investment. If you strip that away, China's growth rate is closer to the American growth rate. Foreign investment which hit $69 billion in 2006, pays mostly for new factories being built in China by multinational corporations or by Hong Kong, Taiwanese or other Asian companies that sell to them. The numbers give China an illusion of strength, but the nation's economy is not as strong as it appears. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br /><br />**Many of the glorious high rises, shopping malls, apartment buildings, highways, and other infrastructure projects are financial white elephants , paid for by bank loans that aren't being paid back. China's banks are broke. Ernst & Young 'conservatively' estimated that the Chinese banking system had $911 billion in bad loans in 2006, six times the magnitude of the American S&L crisis. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br /><br />**China's most pressing social problem is the fast widening gap between rich and poor. China's rural population, plus nearly every one over 30, are fast being left behind by more prosperous city dwellers, particularly those living in the booming cities along China's coasts. China's citizens have few rights and little protection from government abuses.. Fair trials remain rare. Prisoners are still tortured. There have been many cases of arbitrary arrests and prisoners being held incommunicado. For 8 years in a row, China has been the world's leading jailer of journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. There is no such thing as free speech. China employs between 30,000 and 40,000 cyber police to monitor the internet and help with censorship. Sometimes Western internet companies like Yahoo have cooperated with theChinese government resulting in arrests. Google admits it censors itself in China. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br /><br />**China's political sytem is far more likely than India's to face great tubulence. China's authoritarian political system has many fault lines and could collapse. Diplomats and scholars find India's future easier to predict. They say its central question is whethwer it can stay on its current reform path. Whatever China's future, the world's view of China is likely to be dramatically shaped by Beijing's role as host of the 2008 Olympics. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br /><br />Courtsey: 'The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China and What It Means for All of US' (W W Norton & Company) -Robyn Meredith </div>Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-75275579472821086872008-02-06T23:36:00.000-08:002008-02-06T23:52:36.328-08:00CRM Processes must extend organizational boundaries<div align="justify">This was again my experience with the leading Life Insurance company. As we all get busy during this time of the year in submitting tax proofs. Most companies today resorted to online Tax proof submission. You collect different documents from different financial companies and scan it into a pdf format and submit it. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">How good it would have been if you could pay everything online and collect receipts online and submit it. There is an option in the website as 'Alternate Channel Receipts' where you can see the premium receipts which you paid offline. But you can't submit those as proofs since no logo printed, sometimes those tax certificates are not up to date. When I put a complaint, the they replied me to collect from respective Branch. I didn't understand what's the point then putting this option in the website.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">I was reflecting on this and was thinking that it is imperative to extend your business processes to customer's own domain for any CRM initiative to be successful.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Some of the questions probably we have to answer </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">what customers are going to do with the products/services I am offering?</div><div align="justify">what value I am adding to customers' other extended activities?</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div>Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-35324800449350045702008-01-12T03:49:00.000-08:002008-01-12T03:55:28.008-08:00China ExperienceI was reading the other day 'Made In China'. It was fascinating. I have just finished couple of chapters, it gives me a feeling that future world will be shaped by China. Anil Ambani once commented that what he is planning for Reliance Power for next five years, China has done that in six months.<br /><br />Jim Rogers, Wall Street legend already started teaching chinese to his daughters! :)<br /><br />Please share your China experience if you have visited the country, specially I would like to know about rural China.Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-57177463404680178712008-01-04T20:55:00.000-08:002008-01-04T21:02:02.645-08:00Happy New Year!Wish you all a very happy new year! personally 2007 been a very good year for me. Hope 2008 will be more exciting and rewarding for me and all of you!<br /><br />Lets carry on the good work we all are doing for the last few years! Momentum is with us!Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-23409016429056923192008-01-04T20:22:00.000-08:002008-01-04T20:54:13.147-08:00Who says Elephants can't dance!<div align="justify">This was my experience with large national Insurance company. Though in my earlier posting I mentioned about ignorance of e-commerce strategy in some sub-urban branches. Then I lodged a complaint mail thru its portal.<br /><br />To my surprise I received a quick reply from them about looking into the matter. They also called my home and assured that they will take the matter with the branch manager that I get regular updates on my policies thru internet. I am yet to try their online premium payment option. Hope that will be trouble free.<br /><br />A great experience from such a large organization!!</div>Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-5747663397199635942007-12-03T19:39:00.000-08:002007-12-03T20:00:37.330-08:00Technology must adapt to the Business not the other wayMy involvement with the software industry for the last few years led me to believe that there is a huge gap between technology and business, not just in technology terms but in terms of business orientation of our technical manpower. Most of the project failures/time overruns/cost overruns can be attributed to this factor. I am not sounding like Nicholas G. Carr (Does IT matter?), I am clearly touched by IT in my personal as well as work life. I think business as a discipline evolves less of technological factors than other factors. So technology has to play the catch up game with business.<br /><br />The recent trends in BPM/SOA may be a pointer towards that direction.Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-57879521566658247832007-12-02T04:40:00.000-08:002007-12-02T04:59:12.774-08:00Agribusiness would be the key for 10% GDPI was watching Montek Singh Aluwalia's interview that day. He said three things needed to take the GDP to 10%.<br /><br />1. Infrustructure<br /><br />2. Agriculture<br /><br />3. Education<br /><br /><p>He is spot on.</p><p>Last time I visited interior Bengal, a place called Basanti. You need to cross a river Matla twice to reach there from Kolkata.</p><p>You can reach Canning by road/train from Kolkata, cross the river to reach Sonakhali & cross the river again.<br />A bridge is getting constructed, work is in full swing. The other side a bridge been constructed two years back. I could see the economic development of the region.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">I </span>have started in my small way something in agriculture. We need investments to develop may be cold storage chain. You can possibly build road based supply chain once the bridge is ready. May be a fleet of Tata Aces and directly bringing produce to Retail chains in Kolkata. Even River based supply chain also can be thought of, a fleet of motorised boats to carry produce.<br /></span><br />I was reading the other day Spensers in Kerala started Live fish retailing. Knowing Bengal's appetite for Fish, anybody interested?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-80012553054087497052007-10-26T21:56:00.000-07:002007-10-26T22:08:03.480-07:00We are all Schumpeterians now!!The great Austrian economist once coined a beautiful term called 'Creative Destruction'. Entrepreneurs will define the new economy with their innovative approaches breaking established business models. Aren't there enough signs today to believe this?Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-40392020061977569462007-10-19T06:34:00.000-07:002007-10-19T06:42:59.008-07:00Its the question of 600000 villages<div align="justify">2001 census gives data of 6,38,596 villages in India. Hopefully number will be lot less now in 2007. If we can create some rural hub with some good roads to main cities and proactive approch in extending credits in agriculture related areas then I am sure GDP can surpass 10% within next 2-3 years.</div><br />Banks must come forward to have proper communation mehanism to rural people to make them aware about financial products related to agri loans, crop insurance etc.<br /><br />Slightly more investment in primary education can do wonders.Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-28108336109819505182007-09-25T04:13:00.000-07:002007-09-25T04:20:11.656-07:00Making of a Leader - MS DhoniI thought of writing this on Sunday but waited for Monday's final. I always believed that leaders are born. MSD has proved that. He could be sure case study on leadership the way he has handled and led the new team to T20 world cup. Media was analysing what he speaks in post match presentation as well as in press conferences.<br /><br />Still he has a long way to go and has to prove himself in other versions of the game but morning shows the day!Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-832628173129334942007-09-09T06:01:00.000-07:002007-09-09T06:11:34.218-07:00PM's Independence day promiseI was delighted to hear the announcement by PM about setting up more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">IITs</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">IIMs</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">IISCs</span> & <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">IIITs</span>. welcome thought. But what about another 100 agricultural universities or 10 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">IRMAs</span>? Agriculture is the largest employment generator in the country. We need advanced skills in this area. I have some links in agriculture. I know there is dearth of new ideas and inputs.Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-63974588774925750572007-09-09T05:44:00.000-07:002007-09-09T05:59:04.479-07:00Kolkata visit 20-27 AugAs I write something every time I visit Kolkata, here is something this time. I visited old college street area to buy some books on Agriculture. This is probably one of the oldest book sellers street in the world. To my surprise out of say 100 stalls only one shop actually accepts credit cards, forget about any online presence. I was wondering is it sometimes good to do business in a old way or the same way for 100 years? Sat in coffee house for some time, felt nostalgic, it is the same place once used to be place for city's intellectuals. Still has the same charm.<br /><br />But Amazon didn't come from college street, is it that we have never looked at entrepreneurship, the way the americans looked at?Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-72492803335905400792007-08-08T21:09:00.000-07:002007-08-27T07:17:01.427-07:00Arun Maira and his Another wayTwo articles caught my eyes when I opened Economic Times on Aug 7th. One was by Arun Maira (BCG head in India) & other one under CITINGS by Stephen Hawking from Universe in a nutshell. What a coincidence. Arun's article talks about systemic thinking to solve lot of our real problems and Stephen's article talks about even multiple string theories are pointing towards something absolute.<br /><br />I liked Arun's earlier articles in ET. He is a great thinker. I personally heard him once in Hyderabad during AIMA convention.<br /><br />Was he sounding like EF Schumacher in 'Small Is Beautiful'?. If my understanding is right then yes. well more on this sometime later.Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-33215873261796291232007-06-24T06:44:00.000-07:002007-08-27T07:19:43.899-07:00Atlantis Landing & SunitaI was awake till 2 AM on 23rd June to see Atlantis land. It was an wonderful spectacle worth been awake till that time. This time NASA allowed media coverage of this incident I guess, we got all details thru media, propbably to generate interest around the world in space realted areas.<br /><br />was bit curious to know the technology behind all these, started reading from wikipedia. How space shuttle is different from normal commercial aircraft, what do you mean by space walk, de-orbit burn etc etc.<br /><br />The way it was gliding thru the space after releasing from ISS it was reminding me of space curvature courtsey Eistein's General Theory of Relativity..<br /><br />I am sure Sunita--you will be inspiration to many Indians.. nice to see family celebarte in Ahmedabad...<br /><br />Best wishes Sunita for your next adventure may be to moon...Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-45572421413838285202007-04-19T02:23:00.000-07:002007-08-27T07:22:03.716-07:00My Qtrly Visit to KolkataThis time to my surprise air deccan ran on time. I made it a point to visit my ancestral village home, where I spent my inititial days. I saw lot of changes in the primary school building. You have In and Exit stairs for handicap students with wheel chair. I was surprised again. I asked one of the teachers. It seems Govt. gave funds of around Rs. 12k to rural schools to build those. I also saw a tube well of their own. They also had cricket kit, Football & other sports items for the students.<br /><br />Is it the result of education cess? I was happy.<br /><br />I was invited to a lunch to one of my relative's house. I could enjoy CD music, Solar fan, full signal of Hutch rest of bengal connection all powered by Solar energy. I think solar power is DC energy. So electrical equipments are different made by separate manufacturers than what we normally use in cities.<br /><br />There is a bridge in the river to connect it to Kolkata. Traders are buying commodities directly from villagers and getting it transported by truck directly to the city.<br /><br />I did enjoy Charak (Chaitra Sankranti) Lord Shiv puja. I took some pictures. let me figure it out how I can put some of those in this blog.<br /><br />Rural India is changing. I could see the increased aspiration levels to consume good quality products & services. A huge market to be tapped.Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-14732617998997668582007-04-18T00:16:00.000-07:002007-04-18T03:16:22.798-07:00CRM is more of an attitude less of technologyRecently I had strange experiences while interacting with two large companies, one a reputed name in real estate and other in life insurance.<br /><br />The real estate company adveritsed in a leading daily for a big project which is coming up. they have provided one tata indicom number to find out more details. But when I called up it says the number is switched off, after trying many times it said number no longer exists. I was wondering why at the first place the company given that number in the AD. Later I saw some hoardings in the city, where they have mentioned the same number. I think its a cardinal mistake to provide a number in the ad which is not functional.<br /><br />The next example is my experience with e-business strategy of a leading life insurer. well, they have a portal, where you can enroll your policies and pay online premium. But it needed submission of a form to the local branch office. When I visited the local brach office and met Sr. manager. He looked like he never heard of this online strategy of this company. Though it was fairly a suburban branch but atleast you expect Sr. manager to be aware of this.Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-51666892071033651932007-04-02T23:27:00.000-07:002007-04-18T00:15:01.314-07:00Article on Leadership by a 9th standard studentI came across this beautiful article on Leadership sent by one of my colleagues. This is an award winning article. I was surprised to see the understanding this student of St. Ann's School, hyd had.<br /><br /><em>“I do not know what leadership is. But I know when I feel it, do it and see it”<br />--Hema Corrieten<br />Part of the universal challenge of leadership is defining it in a way that will apply to virtually everyone. We apply different definitions of leadership to elected officials, to family and societal leaders, and to religious figures. At some point, a single definition of leadership must be applied to all leaders, no matter who or what they lead. At its core, leadership is achieving specific & beneficial results through men, machinery, money and methods. It is not a title, position, particular style, particular set of personality traits, or a particular set of skills. These are merely the external trappings of leadership, not the true essence of leadership. Essence of Leadership is a highly personal enterprise. If there is no transformation inside each of us, all the structural change in the world will have no impact on our home, society and institution. Leadership is about behavior first, skills second. Always remember the philosophical platform – this ethical platform is not a technique or a process – it’s the person of honorable character on which all the techniques and methodologies are based.<br />Today we enjoy fruits of independence due to efforts taken by our great leaders and their leadership, sacrifices, tireless efforts, inspiring life style. Let us understand how our leaders influenced the country (multiple groups) to a larger extent.<br /><br />Gandhiji, who is timid in nature but built confidence across the country to overcome the bondage of British. Raja Rama Mohan Roy who strived to abolish “Sati”. Alluri Sita Rama Raju is the personification of audacity, who came from a poor background, but was a terror to the Britishers with a bow & arrow. Dr BR Ambedkar, a dalit, who chaired the drafting constitution for a second largest democratic country was began his life very small. Is it not inspiring us to give back to the country, the best of us?<br /><br />Ratan Tata who tuned himself from a shy and reclusive man into confident chieftain also made his car to run on Indian roads with pride. He was honored with Padmabhushan in 2000 and with man of the year 2004. President Kalam, who was a paper boy and not meritorious in his higher education dreamt for India, transformed his dreams into action and wrote nuclear odyssey for India which lead India to be in the exclusive space club. He humbled himself at Rohini-1 Failure but with greater humility worked hard to prove it a success and later he was honored with ‘Bharat Ratna. Think of a paper boy and you will be challenged by President of India.<br /><br />Sarvepalli Radha Krishnan, “Oxford don from a small village”, was best known as the man who introduced the thinking of western idealist philosophers into Indian thought. Every student and teacher of India is influenced by him and celebrates his Birthday as teacher’s day on 5 September.<br /><br />Narayan Murthy, Ajim Premji, Ramalinga Raju who are giants in Indian Software Industry brought tremendous impact on Indian Economy. Their honesty, transparency, hard work, and moral integrity are not at variance with business acumen. They have developed most respected SW industry across the globe and they have become admired leaders in the world.<br />Oh! What a glorious leaders India has produced! A true leadership will be more valuable than successful as he sets vision, keeps direction and moves forward with determination for the group’s success. Our leaders motivated various groups to be grand successful using simple 6 steps…<br />· Creating Vision –set predetermined personal and team goals.<br />· Crystallizing Thinking – where you stand now and where you want your team to be<br />· Developing a Written Plan of Action – set deadlines for their attainment<br />· Creating Desire and Passion – development of sincere desire & passion among team members<br />· Developing Confidence and Trust – creating clear cut knowledge of planned actions and the order in which they should be taken up.<br />· Fostering Commitment and Responsibility – developing sincere commitment to follow in spite of what others say, think, or do.<br />A Leader means a person of noble character who influences team to reach the desired height. The empowerment of individual team members can only happen when leaders display<br />· Integrity-balanced goals, consistent commitment and transparent,<br />· a servant’s Heart – genuinely care about other people / customers<br />· Stewardship – think all the time to make every person as valuable.<br />This is called “SHI leadership” or “ABC leadership of influence”.<br />Research at Harvard University indicates that 84% of a leader’s performance depends on personal character. Another important characteristic of a leader is to focus on six areas of life of his team members (- Family, Career, Mental & Educational, Health, Social & Cultural and Spiritual & Ethical) along with other characteristics such as use fullest potential, Influence others by personal testimony, empower team, instruct and persuade in love, facilitates relationships models practical living, dreams-inspires-supports, takes courageous stand in the face of opposition, manages conflict, shares leadership.<br />The way he perceives, the way he presents, the way he performs a task is totally different.<br />And finally a big question arises – whether leaders are born or self made? According to Satyam Computer Services Limited – “Every Satyamite is a Leader”. Effective leadership is a noble pursuit. Any one can become a leader – any one who has courage and will to step upward, accept the change and begin helping others transform themselves. Effective leadership is not about playing God. Instead, it focuses on the God given potential inherent in every man, woman and a child. Proven leadership finds the potential within a person and brings it forth. The challenge of modern leadership is to find that potential and make constructive use of it. To that cause, anyone can aspire, and every one should try. If it is true that everyone leads, then it is also true that all of us could do a better job.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>By</em><br /><em>Hema Corrieten; IX Standard of St. Ann’s High School.</em><br /><em></em>Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-50360565239245775992007-03-29T22:49:00.000-07:002007-03-29T23:01:35.198-07:00Sidhuism in ManagementSidhu is a funny man.. you might feel he talks too much! but recently I started reading his .. isms. I was wondering about his choice of words. Here are few which I thought could be used in corporate lingo.<br /><br />"The biggest room in this world is the room for improvement'<br /><br />"An optimist is a person who calls bullshit, a fertilizer'<br /><br />"The secret of success doesn't lie in doing the good work, its selecting right people to do the good work'<br /><br />well wikipedia gives his other idioms...<br /><br />here is the link. <a href="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Navjot_Singh_Sidhu">http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Navjot_Singh_Sidhu</a>Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-39635196840147191622007-01-25T20:32:00.000-08:002007-01-25T20:53:52.933-08:00Will Political parties recruit MBAs in future?Mr. Lalu Prasad & Yechuri visited IIMA, I was just thinking will political parties recruit MBAs in future? Can politics be thought of as a career option?<br /><br />why not? people with political ambition but not hailing from political family can also join politics. I think Sachin Pilot is Wharton MBA, but he hails from political family.<br /><br />what about others? after all business & politics go together!!!Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8820442725576251349.post-20938275558755807782006-12-11T09:31:00.000-08:002006-12-11T09:36:02.792-08:00We Can Put Poverty in the MuseumsI couldn't help but to put this portion of Mohd. Yunus's Nobel acceptance speech.<br /><br /><div align="justify">We Can Put Poverty in the Museums<br />I believe that we can create a poverty-free world because poverty is not created by poor people. It has been created and sustained by the economic and social system that we have designed for ourselves; the institutions and concepts that make up that system; the policies that we pursue.<br />Poverty is created because we built our theoretical framework on assumptions which under-estimates human capacity, by designing concepts, which are too narrow (such as concept of business, credit- worthiness, entrepreneurship, employment) or developing institutions, which remain half-done (such as financial institutions, where poor are left out). Poverty is caused by the failure at the conceptual level, rather than any lack of capability on the part of people.<br />I firmly believe that we can create a poverty-free world if we collectively believe in it. In a poverty-free world, the only place you would be able to see poverty is in the poverty museums. When school children take a tour of the poverty museums, they would be horrified to see the misery and indignity that some human beings had to go through. They would blame their forefathers for tolerating this inhuman condition, which existed for so long, for so many people.<br />A human being is born into this world fully equipped not only to take care of him or herself, but also to contribute to enlarging the well being of the world as a whole. Some get the chance to explore their potential to some degree, but many others never get any opportunity, during their lifetime, to unwrap the wonderful gift they were born with. They die unexplored and the world remains deprived of their creativity, and their contribution.<br />Grameen has given me an unshakeable faith in the creativity of human beings. This has led me to believe that human beings are not born to suffer the misery of hunger and poverty.<br />To me poor people are like bonsai trees. When you plant the best seed of the tallest tree in a flower-pot, you get a replica of the tallest tree, only inches tall. There is nothing wrong with the seed you planted, only the soil-base that is too inadequate. Poor people are bonsai people. There is nothing wrong in their seeds. Simply, society never gave them the base to grow on. All it needs to get the poor people out of poverty for us to create an enabling environment for them. Once the poor can unleash their energy and creativity, poverty will disappear very quickly.<br />Let us join hands to give every human being a fair chance to unleash their energy and creativity. </div>Biplab Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03145786526401584924noreply@blogger.com2