Book Review: Bold Kindness

In Bold Kindness, Cathy Thorpe introduces to us, a better way of doing business. Where people neither feel the need to surpass, nor fear getting fired. And shall be their authentic selves.
In part 1, the book discusses the need for such an approach. How it helped the author to excel by continuously finding a better way, creativity and ingenuity of the team members coming out in full bloom. Part 2 explain the practical adaptation of these ideas. Rather than focusing too much on changing the team, think about the true driver of change: the team head. Also, how to instill a caring environment that fosters dedication. And part 3 describes, specific practices tried in those instances. How the central themes like 'Admire people, WOW customer experience, Find a better way, and Be passionate about making a difference' drove every decision. And cultivated a mindset of professionalism and personal accountability.
This book contains gems about mentoring, where managing happens effortlessly.

Book Review: Passion Struck

Passion Struck: Twelve Powerful Principles to Unlock Your Purpose and Ignite Your Most Intentional Life, by John R. Miles

The book begins by examining the salient features of what all could be termed as 'passion'. Anything that can lead one to one's full potential and intentionally create a life of one's dreams. Namely, power and versatility, originality, repurposing fears and anxieties, turning ideas into action, getting perfection out of flaws and weaknesses, and finally, charting a path to fulfilment. Chapters are then devoted for discussing different perspectives of each such topic in greater detail.

This book’s words reflect the wisdom of a life lived well and a wide canvas of experience. It will fit well for training future generations of leaders. How to deploy their passion and achieve peak performance regardless of their pursuit. Passion Struck is a framework for changing your life, and within the pages of this book, you hold the power to embark on a remarkable transformation. And, once you become passion struck, a life of growth and refinement shall continue to follow.

Issues and Corrections - A Look

A Life full of Issues

I am writing this in connection with a couple of questions that should have been arresting the attention of the thinkers among us, the most. One is, why is human society stuck to a path of self-destruction? Unless we take timely preventive or corrective action, all things go from bad to worse. And the other is, why is human life, so full of issues? Where lies the problem?

Issues lead to Corrections, and Corrections lead to Issues

I think, one peculiarity, a curious twist in our outlook, attitude, or mentality, though is widely known and well acknowledged, is yet to garner our undivided attention. Each of us need constant monitoring, especially, if something has to come from us in a flawless manner. For, unless closely monitored and reacted appropriately, not only that our current issues will worsen, but also, fresh ones will crop up. Also, more importantly, unless kept updated, the mechanism of monitoring itself becomes ineffective, very soon. Understandably, as a consequence, everywhere, the prevailing ambience of tranquility and discipline shall fade away soon, making the very identity of human society, one of turbulence. Of course, we are not unaware of this. There is nobody who does not feel that human way of life needs urgent correction. I too, agree, just as all our forefathers would have been doing all the time. So, every self-destructive path we happen to come to follow is, one intended to combat an issue. Obviously a such a path will create more issues than what it solves.

Have a glance at our history. There is no one who has not attained greatness, after suggesting a measure for improving the human. Also, having attained greatness, there is no one who did not propose a new path for making the human a better one. So, since the earliest of times, someone has been guiding and advising the human in correcting themselves. In spite of all these efforts, the issues persist. Why? Are we addressing the issues correctly? Or, is it an issue of not correctly identifying the issues to address? Either way, aren’t we correcting incorrectly, making, every issue we face as nothing but a correction that was done in the past!

Now, What is Incorrect?

At this juncture, the first question that comes to me is this. What do we do when we recognize or consider something as an issue that requires attention? Presently, and since long, our approach to this question involves a few steps. One, classify and name the issues that are found, imaginatively and with relevance to the current times. Two, accord priorities and formulate corrective action, and direct our efforts in accordance with those. Three, widely disseminate the results, and let all people derive all the benefits from all of the above.

I agree, we are more or less successful in liquidating the issues that arise, especially those belonging to the world of the nonliving. Quite logically, we continue in the same manner in other areas too, and, if necessary, with added vigor. Thus, the same is the approach we entertain, when we encounter an issue with any living entity. Now, if we are not able to derive success with comparable ease, when the issue pertains to ourselves, what is the first suspect? Naturally, we ourselves, or the approach we take while addressing issues.

Look closer. Almost every right-thinking individual has been finding something wrong with us and suggesting remedial measures. Not only that we diligently incorporate all those suggestions, wherever we can, but also shape our future generations to accommodate these, and much more, in their lives. However, neither has anyone, ever questioned our approach, nor was there any investigation or assessment in that direction. (And, since we constantly shout with all our might, human style of doing things is unique and the best, we may not get at all, an opportunity to notice it.)

I therefore think, there is no fault with us. And, there is a lot of it, as far as our approach go. To make this idea a bit more clear, let me re-examine all that takes place with an issue.

The Mistake, We Missed

Again, look closely. Every issue shall continue to appear to one as a new one, including the ones that would have been persisting for long. Agree, all of those shall be dealt with, perhaps for the full satisfaction of the current generation. The propensity to persist shall continue unaddressed, and the issue shall be reappearing soon. Then we take the issue into account, but as another fresh one. The current generation of humans devote their time and effort to address the issue, and it goes on. But, we do not register the fact that there are far too many new issues at all times, since we already reached a conclusion that human race is a violent one. And, taking pride in our unique position among all forms of life, we let all those fresh issues intimidate us. (Interestingly, we take a lot of interest and struggle incessantly till we solve an issue for good, if it affects other forms of life as well.) As a result, the persistence of issues do not get the attention it deserves.

And, Blind Correction Worsens It

Yes, we are taking great efforts to identify and pin down an issue that we recognize as one. And we are leaving no stone unturned in finding effective remedies to all of those. We are also according the highest status to those of us who spend their time and effort in finding answers, naming them as holy men, saints, or other leaders of great worth.

Still, these persist, and our society remains as unruly as ever. Why? Why should human society be indifferent to a remedy? Quite in contrast, in all other areas, be it of lifeless objects, or living ones other than ourselves, each remedy we adopt, delivers a result. Otherwise, we institute new remedies. Effectively, every such encounter re-validates our position as intelligent beings.

But, in our own case, either the remedy is wrong or unsuitable, or we are applying it improperly. Also, no other form of life is facing an issue like this, and, each of those is able to find necessary solutions to problems that arise. Disregarding this, we nonchalantly continue repeating the same remedy. Effectively, every encounter from the social angle undermines our position as intelligent beings.

So, Our Cure Needs a Cure!

Let us think of our remedy. Each of us is constantly bombarded by a stream of remedial measures, be it from the political bosses, theological stalwarts, literary greats, or those embracing other areas like science. It looks highly unlikely that all those remedial measures will simultaneously turn incorrect.

Now, let us think of our style of application of remedy. One thing immediately strikes me. Though each remedy may be far different from the other one, we administer all of those in the same manner, which is quite unlike it is in all other areas of both animate and inanimate objects.

So, in a casual glance, one thing emerges from the above. We need to analyze the whole gamut of remedy, especially its application, with a fresh mind. Should the whole gamut of remedy be the same, when we deal with inanimate objects, and those with life? Should it be the same for humans and non-humans? Also, should it be the same, whatever be the issue?

I think, our current idea about these things is that it is the same. Also, same was our idea, so far. Which can be summarized broadly as sequential execution of three independent steps. Namely, identification of issue, analysis and making a plan of action, and conclusion or implementation of the plan. And, it is where, the fault lie. We should be following different ways and means to address and correct the issues in each of these areas, namely, inanimate objects, animate objects other than the human, and the human. Interestingly, for everything other than correcting issues, like teaching, communicating, or relaxing, we adopt differing styles and techniques for each of those areas.

I agree, the ‘time tested’ approach of solving issues, the one consisting of identification, analysis, and conclusion, is doing exceedingly well, as far as our foray into the non-living world go. We also have not been able to notice any shortcoming in it, as far as all forms of life other than the human go. (If we start looking for shortcomings, situation need not be the same!) But, when it comes to the human, we have been finding plenty of shortcomings. However, we continue with the same approach, a couple of peculiarities being there that makes us overlook all shortcomings. One is, without any qualm, every time we meet a roadblock, we use the same approach with added viguor. Where that does not work, we quietly amend our aims and ambitions. If we are still left with shortcomings, we change the remedy, though it would have been working wonders, everywhere else. And we rationalize all this, saying, man is a unique form of life.

So, the conclusion one can reach is this. Humans are successful in their attempts to find and rectify issues. When that is about the issues about themselves, since the method rectification is incorrect, there is no success. If this does not lead us to a destructive outcome, what else will it do?

My Cure – Correct Correctly

So, it is more or less imperative that we now pay attention to what we have been ignoring all along. Namely, as mentioned before, the persistence of issues. We know, each of the cures we have amassed over the past, address specifically an issue. And, none of those consider the peculiarities, preferences, or compulsions, of those at the receiving end of the cure. Consequently, cures will not function well, at least, not as good as it does in the nonliving world.

Therefore, similar to the ‘time tested’ approach of identification, analysis, and a conclusion that includes both the incorporation and appreciation of correction, we need to formulate a distinct approach for solving issues that arise in the living world, especially that of humans.

Why do issues persist? Just as there could be some peculiarity with an issue that makes it persist, there could be something untoward in the way an issue is dealt with, which might be making it persist.

I agree, we are successful in tackling the issues we face, as far as the nonliving world go, and also for all the living ones other than ourselves. In both the cases, while deciding on the appropriateness of our effort, not only that we think of the receiving end of the correction, but also, we think of the receiving end’s appreciation of the correction. Or, we think on behalf of both the correcting and the receiving ends. We cannot, and we do not seek the opinion of the receiving end, before applying a correction or remedy. Effectively, we are following the same style, while tackling issues that pertains to the human.

A Suggestion -

My doubt is, firstly, are we addressing the issues correctly? And, is there an issue of not identifying correctly, the issues to address? Secondly, shouldn’t a correction have a life? For, isn’t it well known? If we continue with a correction even after neutralizing the original cause that led to it, it could lead to a new issue. We need to devise a fresh approach to face and correct the issues that arise in the domain of the human.

I mentioned at the start of this paper, every self-destructive path we happen to come to follow is, one that was intended to combat an issue. Presumably, every issue was solved, as we are intelligent ones from the very beginning. Notice, had we been giving due credence it and reverted to a suitable path, perhaps the one that was the one prior to the very genesis of the issue, our life would have been flowing again in a normal way. But we disregarded all this. We rarely made an attempt to identify and find the link between paths and issues and adopt a suitable one. As a result, effectively, we have always been continuing merrily with a random path. Naturally, fresh issues will develop. All this points to the need of a unique lifestyle, which will direct our life to an appropriate path at all times.

Book Review: Valuepreneurs

Valuepreneurs by Steve Waddell is a book full of answers. It begins by listing the challenges faced by a new business or a new product, and suggests ways to garner fresh ideas to counter those. How to integrate such gems to make a competitive business model, prototype, or patent, and launch those to market. The book discusses various issues like crowdfunding, while describing ways to meet capital needs. It also has a professional discussion about turning a startup into a company and overcoming the roadblocks that arise. This covers all that is essential for any entrepreneur looking to bring a new product to the market.

I find in this book, an experienced product development professional who is ready to help inventor-entrepreneurs. The step-by-step process flow details, comprehensive instructions, insider tips, and real-life examples are quite valuable. Friendly narration and a logical flow of ideas set this book well apart.

Book Review: Science Communication in a Crisis

Science Communication in a Crisis: An Insider’s Guide by Christopher Reddy. This is a work that try to address the challenges that scientists face when communicating. It examines the problem of navigating a maze of competing interests, while delivering actionable science. The author lists here, the challenges that are of grave importance to science communication, grouping all of those into ten different heads. Each group is covered in a chapter that focuses on the specific issues that could arise, and recommend a list of solutions.

I find in the author, a leader in the study of marine pollution. This book explores several high-profile case studies that caused serious damages to the marine environment, like oil spills, for presenting firm ideas about effective and collaborative exchanging and manipulation of data. I am sure, this book will be a great resource for junior and established scientists for sharpening their vision. And also for students in courses such as environmental and science communication. 

Book Review: Be Human, Lead Human

Be Human, Lead Human by Jennifer Nash. In the forward, an eminent person talks of a book so compelling that one can't put it down. And I am in full agreement.

The first chapter lays down a background for effective leadership. Describing real life examples, next few chapters specify and outline the human element of it all. How one can nurture the strengths and values to culminate in honouring the human in each.

I think, what comes next is the author's patented product. A leadership framework that takes into account a lot of variables like human behavior, neuroscience, or motivation, and an analytical tool called HLI - Human Leadership Index. Chapters that follow debate ways and means to create engagement and well-being. Finally, the most important function of a leader is examined, and that is to inspire all.  

This book presents a wide collection of real-life stories, and many novel ideas of effective, cherish-able, leadership. Conquerors and leaders from all backgrounds and professions feature in this, with the events of significance recounted delightfully. Many mathematical tools and score cards too are there, which makes it easy to assess one's Human Leadership Potential and make this book a worthy companion.

Let Us Fashion our Life on A Clean Slate

A Thought for the Future

Let Us Fashion our Life on A Clean Slate

I have mentioned in my book, Life of Style, about the glaring deficiency of a unique living style for the human. This is quite unlike all the other occupants of earth, whose lifestyle gels with the rest of the planet. We happily continue to copy some other form of life, whose style would be the one suiting whatever be our current need or desire. And, I feel, this peculiarity has been escaping our notice so far, since we go on improvising the style, we copy from all the others and feel thrilled about its unique nature. Moreover, we happily labor a lot for improving our lifestyle, patting ourselves for the results we constantly make, though it is mostly for compensating for the ills, the copied lifestyle continues to cause. Not only this, but also, we overlook the fact that as a result, our life, rather the way we live our life, do not mix seamlessly with the rest of the world, and again, unlike all the other ones.

Interestingly, where it is impossible to be otherwise, we are quick to note that our life does not go well at all, with the environment and all that constitute it. And also, in such circumstances, we incessantly labor to bring in some harmony by correcting everything else but our style of living.

Assuming that we go on living like this, what is waiting for us? Yes, there are plenty of predictions, raising alarms as well as offering corrective suggestions, each focusing on different facets of our current life, lifestyle, or all that comes out of it. I find, none of those account for the origins of our lifestyle, the one that made it into a unique one. I think, this only will be having a major say, as far as the future go. For, it is clear. Unless we address the origins, those improvisations shall turn out to be of no avail. The very same force that landed us with a non-optimum lifestyle, shall now cause the corrected one also to de-link from the optimum. And, fortunes of human race shall depend primarily on what shape, our lifestyle will take. In this light, let me try to envision the issues that could lie ahead and the possible remedies.

I am sure, a real discussion about the future will have to take the past, the present, and the long path that can be traced between the two, into consideration. Our past will be rather sketchy, and more so for the period beyond the advent of printing. The present need not have been so, but it is so, being entirely subjective, and the subjects themselves being highly individualistic. It can be easily seen that one tends to see whatever one wants to see, and it depends on one's current temperament or leaning. And lastly, coming to the long path that lies between the two, one thing stands out. More than the people and their priorities, what stands out at any juncture is the direction, the state, whether belonging to aristocracy, democracy, or something else, have been taking. I therefore feel, effectively, one's future is nothing but the future of the state, one is a part of.

In this light, let us look at our future. Presently, we think of states as nothing but an extension, or a collection, of families, the basic unit of organized human living. I think, no, it is not so. I have mentioned elsewhere, we learned of the possibility of forming a social group, and as an extension, a society, by looking at other forms of life. However, as we needed to give allowance to a heap of widely varying and human-specific transactions, the idea of a political existence too, cropped up. Thereafter, the political as well as the biological impetus coincided, and human family was born. That is, we humans would have been developing an urge to group ourselves following the pattern of organizing a state, since it was serving well.

Accordingly, we can assert, human societies are nothing but states. And social control can be compared to governance of those states. Now, when we examine governance of states, certain aspects that are common to all come to light. Let us say, the major parts of governance are more or less the same, everywhere. Namely, formulation of a policy and its execution, supervision, identification as well as correction of irregularities, and the election, or other means of instituting a team including the head of state, in an ascending order of importance. Whether a nation is following a democratic government or not, choosing a leader assumes the most significant of the spots that defines the nation.

And this idea percolates down. Accordingly, every unit or organization in a state gets assessed, more from the charisma that emanates from the top than anything else. In short, leadership has come to assume the position of the greatest value, overshadowing the necessary and significant contributions from individuals and group, or the results arising from the efforts put in by a wide spectrum of people.

As a consequence, activities of visible governance take the first spot, everywhere. In a nation, the head of state, and in every arrangement or other expedient, the chief executive, stand to merit full and undivided attention. Naturally, all the aspects and indicators of an effective governance, like the ease of living, to mention one, get relegated to spots that fall vacant at random. True, the edifice of government addresses issues, but it is never at an optimum juncture. As a result, a good collection of unaddressed issues become a permanent feature of any human society. Since we have been overlooking this aspect for ages, the dictum of a perpetually violent human society takes over. And we end up designing our state with due allowance for inherent violence. In short, the best is always there to assume leadership, or the most visible spot, like all other forms of life. A calm society is not one of the expectations, unlike all the others. In other words, human society is one designed for violence.

I think we need to note, in every well running machine, it is the invisible internals that do the trick, as far as execution of its designed functions go, both by reacting to signals, and by absorbing unwanted or unexpected parameters like shock, if any. In human society, the invisible internal is an area yet to be researched and studied. And it is not difficult to fathom, we will have the best of the plans, but with limited capabilities of execution. Naturally, issues like how appropriate our design is, how it can be made to gel with whatever aims we may have, do not merit a top spot. Also, there are many more questions of similar vein that do not find a place at all. Consequently, the ones looking after the delivery of plans and programs face considerable difficulty. For example, those involved directly with the execution and materialization aspects of these plans need not get to use the most appropriate of the implements or guidelines. Which perhaps may result in the wide use of improvisations and other stop-gap arrangements. Evidently, not only that the correct, established procedures are not adopted at all levels, but also one will not be exploiting one's capabilities to the optimum. Though the state of the art is faithfully reflected by those conceiving a project, the associated mechanisms of delivery shall be leaving much to be desired. Result: the best of the creation embroiled perpetually in bottlenecks and missing deadlines that many a time led to violence.

Of course, we visualized this, as well as the need for a cure, long back. And for that we kept on adopting many different strategies. Though we couldn't find a fitting one, in the process of coming up with a cure, the aggregate of it metamorphosed into the current lifestyle, we all follow. This lifestyle, especially the fact that there exist a multitude of facets that look obscure or meaningless to all except the ones interested in it, make us to overlook its inherent contradictions.

For example, take the case of implementing a social change. Quite often we see, all but the ones who are to institute a change shall be finding and recognizing a change as an immediate necessity. And for those ones, no change is necessary, since the particular facet of our lifestyle is delivering results. Also, the invisible internals of our society that should have been keeping it well-oiled and responsive, in such a scenario, garner hardly any attention. (The ones who should have been effecting a change do not observe it, since they are already happy with the current state of affairs!)

In fact, this is the reason for the continuation of many obscure and hazardous practices since time immemorial. Such practices are nothing but the leftovers from the state of affairs of the past. And, as suggested, the people who instituted a change would not have been able to recognize those as leftovers to be discarded completely. The others added those to an already overflowing kitty of stuff that is human specific, and thus needs to be attended to at all times. And we are happily accounting for this self-destructive twist in our character by the maxim that ours is a violent society. Else, an answer would have been there by now, this being something too obvious to be missed!

Of course, we also have been overlooking one more significant fact. As I mentioned at the beginning, we humans fashioned family living after our chosen state. But, somewhere on the way we forgot about this, our attention being fully devoted to other visible aspects like the pomp and glory, the leaders carried along. Not only that we did not make enough efforts to modify our living style to align with the messages emanating from the state, but also started to tinker with the state to make it suitable to the current living style. Over the years both our living style and the states' domain of existence have started to de-link from each other, giving rise to random eruptions. Instead of probing, here also, we just paint our race as a violent one. I think there is room for both a living style and a state that are made for each other.

What can we do now? My answer is to try altogether a different approach to the whole issue. Make a complete deviation from the top-down path, we have been following in originating and running human life, as societies. And arrive at a new path, rather a new set of priorities, for human life. Thereafter, reflection of the new path will be seen all over whether it is a small one like a family, a shop, or an office, or a big one like a political party, a business, or a secretariat.

Towards this, we can think of a brand-new path, putting the giant leaps we made in science and technology, to full use. While making its mark felt in all dimensions of our social existence, the new path will ease the complexity of getting ourselves governed. Where, for example, all citizens can be connected to a central server, which shall be issuing directions from various elements of government. It can also be programmed to act on the input from citizens thus connected, appropriately reacting to each and every input. At predetermined intervals, this can also decide on the continuation of the present government as well as, choosing new government, and other features of interest.

One can see, the above system enables a larger share of the state’s population to devote themselves to productive activities. Consequently, wealth, standard of living as well as public happiness, stands to benefit. The invisible internals of our societies shall garner our full and undivided attention. Additionally, computer programs shall be taking over the role of many of the elements of government that are a potential source of wasteful efforts, disagreements, and conflicts. And this can leave a large wealth of population free, for monitoring, research, or other futuristic needs.

Now we can think at ease and come up with an appropriate lifestyle to follow. Quite likely, being an intelligent form of life, we will home on a style that is self-correcting, which will remain an optimum one at all times.