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Words. Wisdom. Winners.
Best lesson of 2015
Unless you are relentlessly open and honest in your communication, every single day, things fall apart.
100% of failures and problems can be traced back to poor communication at some level
Dec 31st
Humans, by design, crave for security and comfort. And we call it different things
Structure
Predictability
Familiarity
Logic
Dec 31st is the biggest structure created by mankind.
Nothing changes that day or the day after.
The sun doesn’t reset. Nor does the clock.
Climate doesn’t change. Nor do the people around us.
What changes though are emotions
Every single individual out there resets their emotions on dec 31st.
Reflect on the year gone by. Predict the year to come. Make promises. Correct the mistakes from the past. Plan ahead.
The 365 day structure makes us operate psychologically in a powerful way. Nothing else drives humans across the world in such a concentrated fashion.
And I think
If the 365 day structure was man made. So can be the 1 day structure that I make.
Resetting my emotions at the end of everyday.
Reflect on the day gone by. Predict the day to come. Make promises. Correct the mistakes from the past. Plan ahead.
Everyday is a Dec 31st
It’s your choice to have 1 of them in a year
Or 365!
Problem with smart people
I work with super smart people everyday. Individuals more driven and way smarter than I can ever be.
But there is a common thread when I see how they work
They love solving.
Anything! And everything!
That comes their way
Being in constant solution mode will make anyone look and seem powerful.
There is a situation – let me solve it
The product is broken here – let me solve it
Sales are not happening this month – let me solve it
This guy is not performing – let me solve it
I haven’t slept for 48 hours – let me solve it
But solving situations isn’t ever helpful. That doesn’t ensure the problem will not come back. It is tactical. It is short term.
And some problems aren’t even problems, the way they are described. They are mostly reactions.
Hence, ask yourself what is it that you are truly solving for?
Is it worth your time
And your smartness
Don’t become a victim of your own smartness
Don’t solve all the time
From 1200sqft to 60000sqft
Thank you
If someone sends a thank you note, out of the blue, to you or your team or someone else
There are 2 options you have
1. This guy seems genuine. He believes in thanking people and in comforting them. And maybe that’s what I need to do to him, because this is his worldview
2. Nonsense. Sending this note to earn brownie points. Fraud!
It is not hard to realize which of the two paths above has a higher chance of success
Suddenly, it doesn’t matter which of the two options are true!
Respect
Views on my Quora responses crossed 2Mn this Saturday – that’s a lot of people!
My followers on Quora are touching 20,000 – adding me to the list of the Top 100 followed people in the world
My TEDx talks on YouTube have now garnered over 200,000 views
I get fanmail. People even call me an online celebrity!
You know what’s the truth about celebrities? It’s easy to become one.
It is easy to garner respect from a distance.
To say the right things in a considered manner
To be immaculate and trained in front of a crowd
It is easy to be liked, when people don’t know who you really are.
What is hard – is to be respected when people get to know you. When they know your faults. And how you react to situations. And how you treat others. And how you treat yourself.
Known respect is always greater than unknown respect
And way more valuable
Long Term
Feeling secure
Reminder about all our present lives
- We are not in the best relationship we could have been in. There are better
- We are not in the best paying job we could have been in. There are better
- We are not driving the best car in the world. There are better
- We do not work with the best manager. There are better
- We do not live in the best country. There are better
- We do not have the best life. It could be better
Whatever is it that you do and whosoever is it that you are, there is something better
In that case, why are you afraid to change things around you? Why don’t you speak up? Why don’t you challenge the status quo. Why don’t you question the wrong?
What is it that you fear?
That feeling of security. That is a farce. You have created it. The world hasn’t granted it to you.
Shitty about me
When do you feel the shittiest about yourself?
Someone criticizes you?
You fail?
You eat too much?
Someone says they hate you?
Your loved one doesn’t love you back?
You aren’t inspired. Or can’t inspire?
Feeling shitty is self imposed. You have created it. You can destroy it too. It doesn’t exist.
What does exist is the reason behind it. And if the reason for your feeling is someone else, then don’t blame yourself. Don’t be harsh. It will pass.
And if the reason is you yourself. And your actions. Then don’t blame anyone else. Fix it.
The key to not feeling shitty is to find the source. And who not to blame.
The first hop
The biggest challenge when building a large company, is communication.
How do you get everyone on the same page?
How do you ensure everyone is working towards the right goals?
How you dissapate information rapidly? And effectively?
The trick lies in realizing that every hop will lead to 50% reduction. In clarity. In conciseness. In direction. In all the good things that matter
So suddenly the first hop becomes the most critical layer.
Chose the first hop wisely.
It doesn’t matter what you say to them. What matters is what they tell the others.
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