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This was something my professor told me several years ago and I didn’t make sense of it back then. Now I realize the power of what he said. And I think it applies to you too

My colleague Ajay Singh at a get together last week.

He continued

People like us worry a lot. All the time. Our minds work overtime.

Because we get tired easily. Very very tired

My professor had told – Ajay, whatever happens, don’t ever get tired.

You have to be ready at all times and address everything in the right manner.

If a conversation needs to happen face to face, you cannot do it over phone.
If a matter is to be addressed urgently, it doesn’t matter if ts 3 AM or you are drunk or on a date with your crush
You ll have to run when you can’t stand and you ll have to smile when you are sad.
You just cant be tired.

And that’s what I have to tell you as well.

It makes so much sense. Now that I think of it, the reason the last few years have been fantastic is because I chose not to get lazy.

Not just at work

But at life

Even if it means getting up early, or eating right, or not taking excel sheet decisions.

And that goes to everyone out there who worries.

Don’t get lazy! Don’t get tired!

Should we go after 18-24yrs or 25-35yrs? 

Should we go after market 1 or market 2? 

Should we focus on mobile or desktop? 

Should we focus on merchant or customer? 

Should I focus on work or life?

Both is wrong 

Both is the average 

Both is not equal to doing more 

Both is not what will make you win

Both might just make you lose 

If unsure between two choices, both is almost always the wrong response. 

Pick one. Do more. 

Your colleague invites you to her wedding, by sending a personal email with the invitation card attached 

Response 1:

Open the email 

Read it

Reply back 

“Thanks <insert colleague name> 

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. I am traveling and will unfortunately not be able to make it. Thanks for inviting me :)

Wishing you both a lovely wedding. All the best and God bless”

Response 2:

Open email

Open card

Read the details

Reply back 

“Thanks <insert colleague name>

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. I am unfortunately traveling on the 19th and will be unable to make it. Sorry about that and thanks for inviting me 

Wish you and <insert bride’s name> a wonderful life ahead. All the best”

Time check

Response 2 > Response 1 by 10 seconds 

Respect check

Response 2 > Response 1 by infinity 

Respect doesn’t come from title. It comes from conduct. 

Gut is an awesome thing 

It supercedes data

It drives immediate action 

It’s based on experience 

It’s already rationalized 

It’s you 

Your judgement 

Precisely the reasons why gut is also a bad thing 

Because most people end up using gut to express fear. 

“I know I know, all the facts are right, but it just doesn’t feel right”

Gut is your enemy when you use it to represent your fears

If, as a leader, you take all your decisions based on excel sheets, devoid of emotional labor, you are a victim of excel sheet leadership. 

Here is the deal about excel sheet leadership. 

It’s an oxymoron. It doesn’t exist. 

The hard part is going through each cell on that sheet. 

The hard part is listening and responding to all exceptions. 

The hard part is looking at the world from someone else’s perspective. 

Excel sheet leaders die young. And they die as managers. 

The rest become leaders 

Received an email yesterday. A fellow entrepreneur wants to get into the gifting space. Wants to offer 2 hour delivery and only brands. Because no one else is serving this need. 

Here is the deal

No one starts a business saying I will deliver bad products and I will deliver slow. 

There is an economic reason behind everything. 

Everything. 

I always do myself a favor whenever a new idea hits me. 

I tell myself – “you are stupid. People before have already thought of this idea. But how come no one has done it yet?”

Ideas don’t need parents. 

They need work

Everything that happens, happens for a reason 

Perhaps true. 

Everything that happens, happens for the good

Perhaps true. 

If you wait long enough, everything will explain itself. Everything will settle. 

But is that the best use of your time? 

#getshitdone

The reality of firing is not that of capability. It’s rarely that. 
It’s that of a value mismatch. The value that is being added is lesser than expected or the strengths possessed are not valued enough. 

The same value can be significant someplace else. And it usually is. 

The hard part about firing then becomes realizing this fact. And thus still maintaining respect for the individual. 

I have personally fired 27 individuals in my life. 

Not one of them would refuse to help me if I called them one day for help. 

Most would say that the firing, though painful at that stage, was a wise decision eventually. 

They were told, with respect, of how the mismatch will not work out. For both parties involved. 

That it is best for both to move on. 

Maintaining respect for the opposite side, when the side has not delivered, is a hard thing to do. 

It is also the right thing to do. 

Respect is never situational. 

I have a golden rule for policy making

Solve for the 95%, not for the 5%

Look around you.

Most rules and policies are drafted to curb the 5% that deviate. Not to acknowledge the 95% that adhere.

No car blinds for the 5% rapists 

Punch cards for the 5% free loaders 

25 yrs drinking limits for the 5% that can’t control 

Daily reviews for the 5% that can’t self manage

Bell curve for the 5% that don’t fit in

And it’s obvious why that’s the case

It’s the 5% that create the most chaos

They make the most noise

They destroy the most

They seek the most attention

They get the most attention
The 5% will make themselves visible come what may. The hard work then is to make the 95% visible.

Don’t let the 5% takeover

Sorry, I won’t do this again 

Sorry, I didn’t think through this

Sorry, don’t punish me

Sorry, I did this on purpose 

Sorry, I do not care

Sorry, I now know what I have to do

If your sorry has multiple intents, don’t expect forgiveness as the only reaction