Skip to main content

Perfection

Journey to Perfection

Perfection is like a mirage. The closer you get, you realize it’s still further away. It’s the journey and the efforts towards perfection that is what we call life. That is what comprises of our daily activities. The steps taken on a daily basis contribute in their own small way to shape up what we want to be in our future. As a professional, the questions that we always keep seeking is “How do we do it better?”, “What is it that can take us to the next level?”.
You don’t need to be a man of wisdom to understand what these factors are because it is common knowledge. But putting down my thoughts, I must. It may help someone in need of an endorsement or a corroboration of similar beliefs. It is with this thought that we get going with what can help a person become a better professional, a better manager. These can be extrapolated to personal lives as well, if anyone wants to.
The factors put forth are not necessarily in any particular order. Each of these three factors are required in as much quantity as can be garnered. However, paucity of any single factor does take away the sheen in the quest to be the best.

Humane: This is a basic requirement. A good person only can be a good professional. Empathy becomes takes centre stage for this factor. Only an empathetic person can get the best out of people. Although, empathy is a required quality, it is not necessary to be displayed glaringly. There is a thin line between being empathetic and taking necessary actions to make a struggling person comfortable and in not condemning a personal trait that doesn’t allow a fellow colleague to perform to the best of abilities or in worst cases persons with lethargic traits. It becomes a criminal disservice not only to the oneself but also to other diligent colleagues and to all others with similar set of goals at large. Empathy, just like fire which is a good slave but a bad master, needs to be used to get the best out of people and understand where people are going wrong rather than becoming a liability. Hence, beware!
A lot has been said, written and known to all of us as to what damage inhuman traits in people occupying positions of power and discretion can do to a team working for them. Wouldn’t be dwelling on these well-known topics.
As a closing remark for this factor, this is a trait that is arguably the most common grievance in people who feel disengaged and disenchanted in a team.

Analytical Skills: Almost all persons, barring a few lucky ones, who have grown up to leadership positions possess analytical skills. Persons who can assess, foresee and manage crises and challenges. This is the “smartness” factor in positions of power. A person aspiring to grow up in life needs to build up on this factor. Analytical skills can be sharpened through observation power (a factor similar to what we saw in “empathy” which deals with persons and this is with respect to situations), stable mind. Training the mind to practice introspection and to look for silver lining in bleak situations can help aspirants of greater heights sharpen their analytical skills. A person with a calm demeanour make good leaders who think swiftly and take necessary actions before the situation gets too big to handle. Analytical skills help understand the needs of people in advance so that the same can be brought to people before a competitor brings it up. Great business leaders have always thought well before any other could think of and have built huge empires out of it. Ideas sounding preposterous today can be the normal template for tomorrow. Such is the power of this factor.
Other traits that work hand-in-hand with this factor are positivity, punctuality, discipline etc.
To wind up this factor, this is certainly the most deciding factor based on which you could be or couldn’t be a leader. Hence, work on this.  

Technical / Subject Knowledge: This is the most neglected factor in people who have not succeeded. Knowledge is a person’s best friend. Knowledge acquired in the initial academic years needs to be brushed frequently to keep it fresh and updated. Newer updates / technology have to be constantly refreshed to stay afloat. Flux is the only constant, as an adage goes. One needs to be in the thick of things when it comes to upgrading with the latest know-hows lest one risks a free-fall from exalted heights.

Sustainable growth comes from abundance of all the three factors. Keep growing…all the best!!!
Location: Arekere, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Power of Belief

“Keys for room number 209, please”, I asked the lady at the reception at Hotel Fidalgo in Panjim. I looked at the clocks at the reception which were displaying the time of all the major cities of the globe. Suddenly my searching eyes could locate the local time which said 7:55 for Mumbai. At the same time my colleague Mr. Kulkarni was also asking for his keys. The lady could find neither of the keys. Mr. Kulkarni excused himself for some time giving the lady some time to get it, he moved on. I was waiting for the keys, my limbs aching. To add to it the day’s work had left my upper back in excruciating pain that I go through almost every evening for the past decade in my life. But today it was hurting really bad. The onset of a viral infection could not have come at a worse time and I was feeling being eaten up by it. I could sense the ascending temperature in my body. Feeling weak, I mumbled to the lady “Is it going to take long for the keys?” to which she replied “I’m getting it” a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lessons from a Catapult

One of the most fascinating “machines” that we used to play with as a child was a catapult or the slingshot. This simple machine done with the help of a “Y” shaped branch and a strip of the tube from bicycles used to be a prized possession of children of yore. These were efficient tools to launch missiles (usually small stones or glass / stone marbles) and were used by me and my friends in the lazy summer afternoons to get mangoes from the trees that had branches hanging out from their fences onto the roads in our neighborhood orchards. Young minds derived thrill from the speed and accuracy with which the missiles could hit the target which was a more efficient and easy way in comparison to hurling the stones by hand. This nostalgic trip was a by-product of my rumination on a topic that has become a buzzword from the anxious parents to boardrooms to political leaders, from studies to businesses to countries – SUCCESS. This word exhilarates, the feeling intoxicates. Deemed elusive...
3 comments
Read more

The Process

There are times when we know what is right but end up not doing what we know is right. It is a test of one’s character to come out better of the inertia within us. This piece deals with my story which not only fits into the topic of physical fitness but is a lesson into all other spheres of life. It was about 7-8 years ago that I started taking interest in walking. I would be very sincere for a couple of weeks and then would give in to the pleasure of having an extended hour’s sleep. This went on for quite some time and there would spurts of activity followed by a lull, which would invariably be much longer than the periods of activity. Some motivation would be derived from a positive message from someone / somewhere (those were pre-WhatsApp days and hence, the paucity of motivational messages! Nowadays we live in abundance of positive thoughts that come along as freely as the gentle warm rays of the Sun that accompany the sunrise!). Many times, a health scare of a colleague, a re...
Post a Comment
Read more