Scene 1:The Sharma & Sons Pvt. Ltd. boardroom on Monday morning Arjun, the son, said, “Dad, I think we should go digital and put money into e-commerce, modern branding, and automation.”Mr. Sharma, the father, said, “Beta, our customers love the personal touch.” We don’t need all this nice stuff. Arjun said, “But Dad, our competitors […]
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” What most leaders forget is that culture eats leaders first. Peter Drucker articulated this decades ago. People look up before any strategy, process, or vision statement comes to life. They pay attention to how the leaders act. And at that time, culture isn’t what you see on the wall; it’s […]
“Hey, do you ever feel like you don’t have any energy?” That’s how a recent talk with a 42-year-old IT project manager started. He grinned a little and said, “Spark? I’m just trying not to become too tired. This is something that people in IT, banking, media, BPO, finance, and entertainment are saying in boardrooms, […]
“Papa, I think I need to see a therapist. I’ve been worried.The father glances up, confused and a little hurt. “Therapy? “ We never needed any of this in our time. We also got older, right? Almost every young person has heard this sentence.And practically every older person has said it with pride, conviction, and […]
Hello,Happy Holidays! I hope you’re doing well. Let me keep doing what I’ve been doing every year.The year that is about to end! Looking back on the year 2025! I want to do the same thing now that I’ve been doing for the past few years: writing to you and reviewing how the year went. […]
There are two types of silence in every organisation.One comes from being focused.The other comes from emotional withdrawal. The second type is risky. Stonewalling at work, which is when employees stop talking about their worries, feelings, or feedback, has become a silent epidemic. And even though a lot of leaders think this, it’s not usually […]
Feedback is seen as a way to help people progress in any organisation.But in real life, it often feels like an attack on you. Even when people mean well, honest and direct critique sometimes makes them defensive, upset, or resistant. People begin to explain, argue, and defend instead of learning. In my books Culture Drives […]
The Monday Morning Conference Call is Scene 1. Client (USA): “We need clearer action points and responsibility for every deliverable!”Team (India/Philippines): “Yes, yes… got it.”Client: “So, who owns what, exactly?”Team: [Long, courteous silence] “We’ll talk about it internally and get back to you.”Client: “Hold on, what does that mean?”Team: “Yes.”Client: “What do you mean by […]
(Why the most important talk at work is also the one people try to avoid the most) Scene 1: Meeting Room 3B on a Monday morning Manager: “We need to talk about feedback.”Team Member: [Heart rate goes up three times] “Uh-oh.” “Am I getting fired?”Manager: “No, I’m just giving you some advice to help you […]
“Hey, do you ever feel like you don’t have any energy?” That’s how a recent talk with a 42-year-old IT project manager started. He grinned a little and said, “Spark? I’m just trying not to become too tired. This is something that people in IT, banking, media, BPO, finance, and entertainment are saying in boardrooms, […]
