Surviving disruptive change

Make no mistake at all about the present times: we are experiencing change on a scale that we haven’t imagined. At best we’ve encountered incremental change earlier. Nothing has prepared us for the kind of fundamental change of game (not just the rules) that has suddenly overtaken us More

Lessons from Karna's dilemma

Mali V. Madhavan Nair’s classic Karnasapatham kathakali explores critical elements of leadership and relationships. The master storyteller constructs a theme that is unmatched for pathos and poignancy More

Facets of accountability

The assault on Mumbai is like India’s ‘Pearl Harbour’. It has strengthened the resolve of ordinary Indians like no politician can even begin to understand. Millions upon millions are consumed by an internal fire that is no less than that which powered India to Independence in 1947. More

Commitments embedded in comments

CEOs and business owners better watch out! Every word they utter is recorded, interpreted, amplified and transmitted across the organisation and beyond. Furthermore, perceptions, attitudes, behaviour and performance are shaped by these ... More

Economic Paradigm shift

The current global economic scenario is not something we have experienced in our lifetime. Comparisons are being made with the Great Depression (1929-33) and later crises. However, it is dangerous to hark back to the past and try to recycle and refurbish previous policy responses. That is because the Indian economy and the global economy are vastly different from what they were even 5 years ago More

Leadership lessons from Kumble

For nearly two decades a billion despairing Indians found a role model who inspired them to aspire for greatness. That inspiration came not from sovereign sources but from Anil Kumble and his magnificent performances on the cricket field More

Coping with distress

No matter how bad the current bad news, opportunities abound for those who learn how to cope with the distress. If we keep a few general principles in mind we can ride out the crisis with élan like an expert surfer skims along the crest of the Big One with consummate finesse. More