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MP & PI Topics 2011

1. We are what we repeatedly do:


Excellence then is not an act, but a habit - Aristotle
Some time in the 300’s BC a man by the name of Aristotle said the words that now title this article. He followed
this statement by saying “excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”. As with most of the great philosopher’s
assertions he was of course right. Excellence in anything is gained not by a single act of brilliance; it is not to
be seized at the end of a hard days work; excellence is a state of being attained only after months, if not years,
of it’s consistent practice.
But this article today is not about excellence. Today I submit to you that the word excellence in this quote could
just as easily have been replaced with the word success. Unfortunately, it could also be replaced by the word
failure.
Over the years success and failure have taken on meanings that denote some sort of destination. That’s where
sayings such as “he’s hit rock bottom” and “That’s when I knew I’d made it” took form. They’re meant to say
that someone has “arrived” at either failure or success. But success, and for that matter failure, cannot be
destinations. They are by nature “ways of life” much the same as the excellence Aristotle talked about. This is a
simple fact but once you’ve grasped this the rest of the quote can really start to mean something to you and
the bright future you’ve always dreamed about.
If it is true that success, like excellence, is a way of life; That it is a habit that is cultivated and lived out; That
you really are what you repeatedly do. Then all that is necessary to make the shift from a life of lack, limitation,
and unhappiness to a life of abundance, prosperity and joy is a decision and a bit of will power. This is really
quite powerful if you can wrap your mind around it. Many people these days look at their lives each and every
day as a chore. They wake up, go to work, slave away just waiting for 5 o’clock, and then go home and zone
out the rest of the evening. Well if we are what we repeatedly do then what does that make those people? They
repeatedly dislike their life, they repeatedly complain, they repeatedly do the same unsatisfying routine
everyday and, therefore, they repeatedly reap unhappiness, more to complain about and an unfulfilled life. Few
are satisfied but none seem to be willing to act and change it for themselves.
Start forming the habit of success today. Look at what successful people do and emulate them. Get your hands
on a few biographies of people that inspire you, people that can awe you with their greatness, and you’ll see
that they started out in much the same position as you. The difference is that they made a decision one day
and saw it through. They gave up monotony and traded it in for greatness, and all it cost them was a little
sweat, a risk or two, and maybe even some tears.
You too can make that decision and begin that journey. Embrace Aristotles words, absorb all they entail and
make the decision to start now. Begin by appreciating the things you already have in your life. Give the good
things attention, think about your dreams, put down an action plan, set some goals, get some self-
improvement/motivational material and get excited about your life again! It will take consistency and it will take
some will power at first, but just like forming a new path through the jungle it gets easier each time you do it.
A decision is all it takes to begin moving down the road that is success, living the life style that is success, and,
inevitably, forming the habit known as success.

2. The future depends on what we do at the present – Mahatma


Gandhi
3. The most important quality of a leader is to be acknowledged as one.
All leaders whose fitness is questioned are clearly lacking in force.” – Andre Maurois

4. Life is change. Growth is optional:


.Choose wisely – Karen Kaiser Clark

5. Excellence is not an accomplishment, its a never ending process


“Excellence is not an accomplishment. It is a spirit, a never-ending process.”
Lawrence M. Miller
To be an excellent leader we must be willing to acknowledge that developing it isn’t an
accomplishment – it’s a never-ending process. It's a process full of awesome moments
and many stressful days. It's fun and exciting one day and then the next day we wonder
why we ever wanted to lead in the first place. Many of us secretly fantasize about being
a greeter at your local Walmart store.
Being a leader requires a long term commitment. It's not something we accomplish and
then move on. Being a leader requires hard work, sacrifice, commitment and a
willingness to grow ourselves.
The leaders I admire most are the ones who make personal development a priority and
then give selflessly of themselves. They know they can not give of themselves to others
if they do no first take care of themselves. Great leaders balance personal development
and organizational growth. Both are important and one without the other doesn’t work.
As I have observed great leaders, I find they have many qualities in common.
7 Qualities of Excellent Leaders:
1. Discipline. Excellent leaders know how to discipline themselves in order to
accomplish the tasks at hand.
2. Lifelong learners. Excellent leaders read, attend seminars and stay on top of
industry trends. They also attend professional groups, work with mentors and
make it a priority to learn each day.
3. Balance. Excellent leaders take time off and have well-balanced lives. 4. Confidence.
Excellent leaders believe in themselves and their abilities.
5. Vision. Excellent leaders have an unnatural ability for seeing the big picture and
helping others to embrace a vision.
6. Integrity. Great leaders are honest, hard-working and conduct business with
integrity.
7. Compassion. Excellent leaders genuinely care about people and desire to help
them develop their true potential.

6. Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes, but no plans.- Peter F
Drucker

7. Good plans make good decisions.


8. The difference between knowledge and wisdom.
“Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you
make a living; the other helps you make a life.” –
Sandra Carey
Generation Y thinks we know it all. We go off to college to get a good education, a
fancy degree, and then think we know how to do everything right away. I often tell
people that while I’m glad I pursued a Master’s degree, my coursework only taught
me how to do things, it didn’t really teach me how to get things done. Going to
school did not teach me how to communicate effectively with different types of
people or how to build consensus around an issue. It didn’t teach me how to deal
with ethical dilemmas in the workplace. it didn’t even teach me what to do when I
screw up. I learned all that through trial and error, and from the wisdom of my peers
and older colleagues. There is a huge disconnect between the theory and the
application of things, especially in doing nonprofit work. Young people need the
education (which does not necessarily have to come from a university or college),
but we also need the wisdom that comes from failing, and learning from our
mistakes. I think there’s a big difference between knowledge and wisdom.
Wisdom can be described as a combination of both education (which leads to
knowledge and expertise) and a leader’s individual experience. N. Korac-Kakabadse,
A. Korac-Kakabadse & Kouzmin discussed this distinction well in their 2001 article,
“Leadership Renewal: Towards the Philosophy of Wisdom”:
Practical wisdom is not the same as expertise in a
technical specialization, but a kind of expertise that
requires practice and experience. To study the
character of practical wisdom fruitfully, people should
have done some living, gained some maturity and
assumed some responsibility as householders and
members of civic communities.
Which is why I think many young nonprofit leaders should focus on building their
leadership skillsinstead of going back to school. Formal education is not always the
answer. Equally important is self-awareness, and the other “soft-skills” that come
along with developing wisdom. As the authors point out (my bold emphasis):
Leaders need to have a healthy vision of self which
can only be forged in a combination of
knowledge and experience. There are no leaders
without personality frailty or imperfection. A will
to action marks the leader – a willingness to enter the
field of human inter-action where one learns that pain
gives rise to compassion; that correction is the author
of wisdom; that daring sharpens decision; that courage
ennobles the spirit; and that in seeds of doubt reside
the flowers of faith.
We look up to so many mentors and leaders in the nonprofit field because we
believe them to be wise. But it’s clear that wisdom is a deeper form of expertise
that can only be developed by learning from life experiences. Perhaps at some
point, young people need to stop trying to know it all and just let ourselves live and
learn.

9. We must become the change we want to see. – Mahatma Gandhi


10. Young people are in a state of permanent intoxication.
because youth is sweet and they are growing.- Aristotle

11. Kind words are short and sweet but their echoes are endless.
12. To test a man’s character give him power.
13. The difference between a leader and a boss.
14. Actions of men are the best interpretations of their thought.
15. Life is an adventure.
16. We are responsible for what we do and what we dont.
17. Faliure is an oppotunity to begin again.
18. Success- its pros and cons
19. Team spirit- an important ingredient of character.
20. India in 2025.
21. Special economic zones.
22. The realty boom in India.
23. Skilled manpower shortage in India.
24. Global warming and climate change.x
25. Use of force by banks to recover loans.
26. reverse brain drain.
27. India at 60 : a senior citizen?
28. Film industry : Hollywood vs Bollywood.
29. Can India sustain high growth rate?
30. Unrest in countries around India.
31. Opportunities abroad for management graduates.
32. The decline of Indian agriculture.
33. Innovation in Banking.
34. Corporate social responsibility.
35. Retail boom in India.
36. Space tourism. Infrastructure in India : What needs to be done.
37. E- learning: a substitute for classroom learning?
38. Terrorism: how do we manage it?
39. The influence of online social networks on our youth.
40. Intellectual property rights.
41. Coalition governments and political stability.
42. Appreciation of the Indian rupee and its impact on the Indian economy.
43. Army rule in Pakistan.
44. Suppression of human in under developed countries.
45. National knowledge commission.
46. Rising oil prices.
47. “Green vs Red”
48. “The World is Flat”
49. Your ideas to eradicate Poverty
50. Stop, look and go
51. “Make hay while the Sun shines”
52. “Nuclear Energy: Boon or bane?”
53. “To be or not to be”
54. “Well begun is half done”
55. Is the glass half full or half empty?
56. “You”
57. “Old is gold”
58. “Never Give Up”
59. Freedom brings responsibility
60. Inflation
61. “The Road not Taken”
62. Newspaper reading as a habit
63. Before criticising anyone, put yourself into their shoes
64. Fear of the unexpected
65. Childhood
66. Most memorable moment
67. Sachin Tendulkar
68. MBA education is a waste of money
69. Inflation, Good or Bad?
70. Tough conditions don’t last, tough men do
71. Favourite business personality
72. Pepsi and Coca-Cola should be banned
73. Advantages of vegetarianism
74. Haste makes waste
75. Laugh & the world laughs with you, cry & you cry alone
76. What are the winning ways of success
77. Mobile tech: boon on bane
78. Positive attitude
79. Does fashion influence Indian culture?
80. Women are better managers
81. My reading habits
82. Kareena or Ash - who’s better?
83. Globalization
84. Dress codes in college
85. Moods are a necessary evil
86. TV commercials should be banned
87. Unemployment – What are the remedies?
88. Brain drain
89. Earth – my planet
90. Global village
91. Role of Persuasion in Advertising
92. Are BPOs altering young India?
93. Greed is good
94. Impact of media use on children and youth
95. Naxalism in India is side effect of Shining India
96. E-Learning: a Substitute for classroom learning?
97. Foreign channels are a threat to our culture
98. Love is essential for peace of mind
99. Two's company, three's crowd
100.Beyond engineering, medicine and MBA?

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