Month: October 2025

The Long Journey Ahead, 14 10 2025  I wonder often why I don’t do what is right. How can I consciously ignore the right path and step on the wrong one despite knowing it. I found the answer when I came across the contrast between jnana or knowledge that is hearsay, and vijnana which is experiential knowledge. In other words, jnana can turn into vijnana when it is experienced and is internalized to becomes intuitive. Intuitive knowledge is seen not …

Six Stages to Acceptance Progress can also be viewed as accepting the new, be it ideas, offerings or environment. Often this acceptance is not immediate or voluntary for habits or comfort of the familiar is tough to discard. While with minor changes the distinct stages of progress may not be visible, with major changes it is easy to see these six stages in both individuals and organizations as they respond to new ideas, people, or challenges. Each stage can be …

Nature vs Nurture Debate? 12 10 2025 For long I have been intrigued by the nature vs. nurture debate. Are qualities like leadership, character, dedication and talent inborn abilities or can they be cultivated? The Greek Philosopher Plato believed in the concept of innate knowledge and the soul as the vehicle for this transmission. On the other hand, thinkers like John Locke and Jean Rousseau believed human mind is tabula rasa, i.e. a blank slate. The qualities individuals acquire are …

Emotions Ignite, 11 10 2025 Risk is a captivating topic. I am fascinated by why some embrace risk, while others shun it. My personal experience with smoking and investing gave me some insights into both. After I stopped smoking, I began to wonder how intelligent and sane individuals can smoke despite knowing that it is a proven health hazard. Likewise, I wonder why I choose a conservative investing style for the last two decades despite seeing the crazy bull market …

Anatomy of A Conflict Conflicts are the spice of life, taking many shapes and sizes, ranging from wars fought by nations to boardroom battle for control, and disputes between friends and family members. In measured servings it flavors our lives and sharpens our edges to develop and grow. However, an excess dose or a chronic conflict can be stressful, hampering our lives. Finding the source of a conflict is the key to its resolution. Conflicts could emerge from any one …

Executive Presence, 09 10 2025 In the initial days of my career, I was surprised to see a few of my colleagues make a big impact on the leadership team despite similar work contribution. Later in my career too, I found that some executives had what I had by then learnt called the ‘Executive Presence’, that set them apart. On reflection, I found that many of these young impact makers were children of IAS officers or top- ranking executives who …

Listening -My Known Weakness, 08 10 2025 Despite conscious efforts I am a bad listener. The three symptoms of my malaise are prematurely judge what the speaker is about to say based on their first few words, preparing my response even as they are speaking, and focusing on substance to lose sight of the emotions of the speaker. You would think this awareness should help me get better, but sadly this has not been the case till now. Attempt to …

The Human Theatre In the drama of human life, response to uncertainty can take any one of the four avenues. You can be the optimist who sees light ahead, or the pessimist who fears every shadow, the fatalist who is resigned to whatever happens or the fanatic who believe they can rewrite any play. While optimistic and pessimist are more frequently used labels, fanatic and fatalist are the stronger but lesser used labels. But understanding all the four types is …

Euphemism in Economics, 06 10 2025 Euphemism is a polite way for saying something harsh, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Calling older people, senior citizens, or a fat person well fed, or sacking employees letting them go, are some examples. But economists have mastered the art of euphemism: to sell bitter medicine in sweet tablets for more than a century. Just think will people vote for economics panics, turning regulatory bodies into businesses, lending to people with poor credit history, …

IPOs With A Difference, 05 10 2025 Fund raising for a NGO is a monumental task and, in my view, the most challenging job anywhere in the world. My engagement with social sector and not-for-profit organisations taught me a lot and one of the key learnings was the IPOs with a difference. IPO-OI, is a five-stage analysis of initiatives that considers Input, Process, Output, Outcome and the Impact. One of the key reasons for the use of this frequent analysis is …