Blunders: Learning from success

"We learn more from failure" is one of those troublesome bits of common knowledge that we hear from time to time. Because it is a self-fulfilling prophesy, it is troublesome. When we fail at anything, we don't learn more because failure has a magical ability to teach us something. Taking time to think about what…

How we do things matters

Consider an instance of excellent service you received during the last week. I can assure you that it was the manner in which it was given, not the content of the delivery, that made it exceptional. Often, it is not what we say, but how we say it, that makes the difference. It is crucial…

The true believers

You really don't know who you got with you until you need them. A lot of people talk a good game, but when you really need them to stand up to the plate and do what they said they were going to do, there is often a great difference between what they say they will…

Favourites

Mentoring and helping people develop are my favourite parts of the job while producing reports and invoicing are my least favourite. In our job, there are certain things that we like and others that we don't. While it is possible to provide individuals with their favourite moment or portion of what you do, it is…

The Cockroach Theory

A beautiful speech by Sundar Pichai - an IIT-MIT Alumnus and Global Head Google Chrome: The cockroach theory for self development At a restaurant, a cockroach suddenly flew from somewhere and sat on a lady. She started screaming out of fear. With a panic stricken face and trembling voice, she started jumping, with both her…

How to be smart quickly?

Interviewer: How do you learn so much so fast? Lots of people read books and talk to other smart people, but you’ve taken it to a whole new level. Musk: I do kinda feel like my head is full! My context switching penalty is high and my process isolation is not what it used to…

Startup acts of kindness

Small acts of kindness performed for your team have a multiplier effect. In addition to offering competitive salaries, find methods to express gratitude to your employees: Gift cards; Handwritten appreciation messages, Surprise praise notes, Lunch on the company  Give complimentsGive them a random few hours off work One or two of these go a long…

Sawubona: A heart job

It used to be that in the industrial revolution, what was important as my economics high school teacher would say was the four factors of production: land, labour, capital and entrepreneurship. What was critical in this equation is getting things done. The greater the amount of production, the better it is for everyone. When you…

Happy birthday to Ms Nina Simone

On February 21, 1933, the iconic singer and activist Eunice Kathleen Waymon, known as Nina Simon was born. She would've turned 89 today. Not only was she a fantastic artist, but she was also a revolutionary in her own right. When she released her song, Mississippi Goddam, in reaction to the murder of Medgar Evers…

From concept to execution

Ideas are ultimately meaningless unless and until they are put into action via concentrated and continuous effort. The most effective entrepreneurs never leave the scene of a brilliant idea without taking some action, no matter how little. There are a lot of excellent ideas out there. It is only by daring and conviction that the…

Getting consumers to their desired destinations

When I was younger, taking pictures using rolls of photographic film was the norm, as was using keypads that took up 40% of the front of your mobile phone and returning a rented DVD by 12 p.m. the next day on a Saturday and Sunday. What is significant now may become meaningless tomorrow, not because…