Simple Leadership

Billionaire CEO Jack Ma says that if you want your life to be simple, don't be a leader

Alibaba CEO Jack Ma.

I recently heard Alibaba CEO Jack Ma give a brilliant speech, and his perspective burned me to my core. Here are three of my takeaways:

1. You have to have love
Ma spoke about the three types of IQ you need as a leader — IQ and EQ, which are well known, but also LQ, which is the love quotient. You have to genuinely love your team and what you're working towards together, because as you grow and the world gets more intense, there needs to be a larger purpose than just what's happening in your office day to day.

And on a really practical level, you have to love your team because their lives are in your hands. I'm writing this from a snowstorm on a day when I'm responsible for making sure my entire staff is safe. On many occasions over the last eight years, I've had people say, "Aren't you in charge? Why can't you make your own schedule?"

And I've always joked that being a leader is the exact opposite of that. It's actually being the humble servant to the talent, to make sure they get what they need and you understand where they need to go.

2. Being the chairman is not the fun job
Jack Ma is the chairman of tens of thousands of employees. Though he makes it look easy, his life is not. He said it simply: "If you want your life to be simple, you shouldn't be a leader." My scale is much smaller, but the pressure is still there. The second anything goes wrong, I have to fix it, whether it's 6 a.m. on a Wednesday, a Sunday, or during my best friend's birthday party.

In the early days of LearnVest, I was the one who cleaned up our office when it was messy. I didn't want to be embarrassed when people came over. One investor arrived and saw me scrubbing the bathroom with Clorox wipes. She laughed and said, "That is someone who literally rolls up her sleeves to get things done." No one ever wrote that up in my leadership plan.

3. You must push people
When it comes to solving really hard problems, Ma has a famous quote that I love: "Today is hard. Tomorrow will be worse. But the day after that will be beautiful. Most of your talent won't make it past tomorrow."

But as a leader, you must inspire people through those hardest times: to stick with it, to move through it, and to see past it, so they can make it to the day where things are beautiful. That's when you're really innovating. You have get your team there.

I'm a dropout of Harvard Business School, but I took a very helpful leadership class while I was there that really stuck with me. We discussed looking at problems from every angle, and looking at the person inside the puzzle. See their picture, their concern, their point of view, and understand that people feel passionately the way they do. Your job is to see the 360-degree view and come up with the answers.

On the flip side, you have to balance this by pushing people to their boundaries. How do you get there, if most people don't make it past Jack Ma's tomorrow? You ache to get talent to do things they've never done before. And that's hard.

During my Henry Crown Fellowship at the Aspen Institute, we read the writings of leaders ranging from Martin Luther King Jr. to Machiavelli to Margaret Thatcher to Jack Welch to Gandhi. We met Madeleine Albright. What struck me is that there are all these different types of leaders who are all responsible for solving different equations. As you're seeing everyone's position, you realize nothing is ever black or white.

I'm still on the journey to becoming the kind of leader I want to be. I want to know: What are your lessons on leadership? I am certain I can learn more!

Rocky Balboa

Rocky Balboa

Story of A Super Duper Star

Sylvestar Stallone is one the most famous American Movie stars.. With characters like Rocky and Rambo he is a household name in the hearts of millions.

During birth, a wrong gynecological procedure caused Stallone to have one sided paralysis. At school, his middle class being and his facial paralysis became a think for others to make fun off.

He joined body-building because he wanted to frighten those who bullied him. Slowly he started thinking of a career in movies.

Around 1974, he had a pregnant wife, a dog that he loved a lot, a lot of bills to pay and no success in his movie career.

What he still had was a belief in his dream that he will make it big.

Soon a time came when he went broke. He was heavily under debt.

Restless, anxious, stressed and still loaded with hope that he will make it big.

Things got so bad that he had sell his wife’s jewelry and ended homeless. Sleeping at the New York Bus station for 3 days.

The cold American winter forced him to choose between electricity and his dog. He stood outside a local store and sold his dog for $25.

Two weeks later, on TV he watched a boxing match between Mohammed Ali and Chuck Wepner. That match was like a flash of divine inspiration… For the next 20 hours he sat and wrote the script of what today is a cult movie, ROCKY.

In the words of stallone himself, “After nearly 1500 rejections”,  he got a production house to offer $125,000 for the script.

Despite the poverty, pains, pregnant wife and lost dog… His dream was to STAR in the movie  as the MAIN LEAD.

In an era when hero’s were common man and spoke fluently, a body builder with a facial paralysis that made him stammer while speaking.. Made Stallone the wrong choice for any role.

The studio Bluntly rejected his offer… And Stallone went back home with another failure.

A few weeks later,the studio offered him  $250,000 for the just the script, and not him.

He refused.

Soon they offered  $350,000 for the script but not him.

At that time everyone was pushing him to accept.. It would be MAD not to do so.. He was making a fortune.

He still refused.

Someone in the studio really loved his script, and as fortune favors the brave.. They finally accepted to $35,000 for the script and him as the lead star.

The rest as they say is history!

The movie was made for $1 million and went to make around $200 million.

It won the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Directing and Best Film Editing.

Stallone was a “bankable” hero for the next 20yrs, till the late 90′s… with his movies having made billions of dollars.

And what did he do with the first $35,000?

He stood outside the liquor store were he sold his dog for 3 days. Identified the man who had bought it, and finally got him back for $15,000.

AND IN THE WORDS OF ROCKY BALBOA –
“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”
― Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa

Piano Player

This story will inspire you... to realize how anyone can overcome adversity!

It is the story of a mother and a daughter who have overcome odds from the very beginning.

Lee’s mother became unexpectedly pregnant while married to a disabled man.  Doctors told her that because of a medication she had been taking her child would not be normal.  She elected to continue with the pregnancy and in 1985 in Seoul, South Korea, little Hee Ah Lee was born with only two fingers on each hand, disfigurement of her legs, and slight brain injury.  The hospital told Sun that she could not care for the child at home and relatives wanted her to place the child for adoption in a foreign country.  Sun thought her baby was beautiful, however, and was determined that she would live a successful life.

When Lee was a pre-schooler her mother decided that she wanted her daughter to take piano lessons and for two reasons.  One was that she felt it would help her strengthen her hands so she could hold a pencil.  The other was that she felt that if she could master the piano, she could master anything.   For six months piano schools turned them down then the one teacher who did accept the task got discouraged and wanted to quit.  It became a three-month contest of wills between mother and daughter that led to a confrontation in which Sun actually threw her daughter on the floor in frustration.  She said Lee got back up on the piano bench and for the first time played the children’s song she had been trying to learn.  That was the turning point and one year later Lee won the grand prize in a piano concert for Kindergartners. It was at age 7 that Lee won Korea’s 19th National Handicap Conquest Contest and was presented with her award by the President of Korea.

Today Lee is 22, has won numerous awards, and is a widely traveled concert pianist with more than 200 appearances.  Her first album titled “Hee-ah, a Pianist with Four Fingers” was to be released in June, 2008.

Lee gives tribute to her mother for challenging her to master the piano and said that although her training was difficult, “as time went by, the piano became my source of inspiration and my best friend.”

Posted as received. ..

Salted coffee

He met her at a party.
She was a gorgeous woman, so beautiful and intelligent with many men trying to woo her, and he was just an ordinary guy, nobody paid attention to him.

At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised but being polite, she agreed.

They sat in a coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything and she was uncomfortable, raring to leave.

Suddenly he asked the waiter, would you please give me some salt? I would like to put it in my coffee. Everybody stared at him, so strange.

His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it.

She curiously inquired about the salted coffee?

He replied, when i was a little boy, i lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salted coffee.

Now every time i have the salted coffee, i always think of my childhood, think of my hometown and my parents.

She was deeply touched and she also spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family.

It was a sweet conversation and also the beautiful beginning of their story.

They continued to date.

She found that actually he was a man who meets all her demands; he had tolerance and was kind hearted.

He was a good person and she had almost missed him.

Thanks to his salted coffee.

The story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married the prince, and they were living the happy life.

And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that’s the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he passed away, left her a note which said, my dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life’s lie. This was the only lie i said to you - the salted coffee.

Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually i wanted some sugar, but i said salt. It was difficult for me to change so i just went ahead. I never thought that could be the beginning of our communication.

I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but i was too afraid to do so, as i had promised not to lie to you for anything.

Now i am dying, i am afraid of nothing so i have to tell you the truth, i never like the salted coffee, what a strange bad taste. But i have had salted coffee all my life.

But since i knew you, i never felt sorry for it. Having you with me was my biggest happiness for my whole life. If i can live for the second time, i would still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even if i have to drink the salted coffee again.

There were tears in her eyes.

One day someone asked her, what's the taste of salted coffee?
She replied, sweet.

Actually, love is not to forget but to forgive, not to see but understand, not to hear but to listen, never let go of good friends and relationships even though sometimes we have to taste salted coffee.'''

Lunch pack

I put my cabin-baggage in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight to Delhi.

"I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps, I will get a short nap!", I thought.

Just before take-off, a few soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation! "Where are you guys headed?", I asked the young soldier seated next to me.

"Agra! We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we will be deployed for operations."

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that lunch packs will be made available on payment. It would be some time before we reached Delhi. So, I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time.

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch?

"No, that costs a lot of money! Probably wouldn't be worth it! I'll wait till we get to Delhi", his buddy replied.

I looked around at the other soldiers. No one was buying lunch.

That's when I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant enough money to cover for sufficient number of lunch pack to cover all the soldiers, and told her "Take a lunch pack each to all those soldiers!"

She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me, and said, "My younger brother was a soldier in Kargil, it's almost like you are doing it for him!"

Picking up the lunch packs, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were sitting.

She stopped at my seat and asked, "What do you like best - Vegetarian or chicken?"

"Chicken," I replied, wondering why she asked?

She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from the First Class, and said "This is your!"

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. An old man stopped me. "I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this!" He handed me a Rs 500/- currency note.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Captain of the flight coming down the aisle, looking at the seat numbers as he walked. I hoped he wasn't looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the seat numbers on the side of the plane where I was sitting. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, "I want to shake your hand."

Quickly unfastening my seat-belt, I stood up and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, "I was an Air Force pilot a long time back. Once someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot." I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later, I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A kid who looked about 18-years of age was sitting about six rows in front of me, reached out his hand wanting to shake mine. I felt him stick a currency note in my palm.

When we landed, I gathered my belongings and proceeded to deplane. Waiting just inside the aeroplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word.

Another currency note it was!

Upon entering the Terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip ahead. I walked over to them and handed them all the currency notes that were given to me on the flight by several people and said, "It will take you some time to reach Agra. It will be about time for a sandwich. May God Bless You! And thank you all for doing whatever you do."

The young men of honour left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow countrymen. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I and a few fellow passengers could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little.....

A Serviceman is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank cheque made payable to 'India' for an amount of 'Up to and including my life.'

That is Honour!
Fwd as received....Jai Hind

Relax. ..Take a deep breath

In today's fast-paced world, we are all in a hurry. In a hurry to get to where we are going, in a hurry to get successful, in a hurry to get things done. We get dejected when things don't happen our way, when results are not achieved instantly. It's a race and we are scared of being left behind. The age of  achievement has decreased. Fifteen-year-olds are developing codes and selling websites. By the time you are 25, you have a company of your own. Or you are an accomplished musician who has travelled the world. People are doing too much in too little time. Only some people.

And that is scaring the hell out of us. If at 25, you are still slogging it out in a 9-to-6 job, you feel worthless. All your friends are getting married and posting pictures of their honeymoon to New Zealand or some exotic destination you can't even afford to think of in the next 2 years. Time is running out; the world is running past you and you…you find yourself struggling to even get up from bed.

Relax. Take a deep breath. Don't compare yourself with others. The world is full of all kinds of people – those who get successful early in life and those who do later. There are those who get married at 25 but divorced at 30, and there are also those who find love at 40, never to part with them again. Henry Ford was 45 when he designed his revolutionary Model T car. A simple WhatsApp forward message makes so much sense here:

“You are unique, don't compare yourself to others.

Someone graduated at the age of 22, yet waited 5 years before securing a good job; and there is another who graduated at 27 and secured employment immediately!

Someone became CEO at 25 and died at 50 while another became a CEO at 50 and lived to 90 years.

Everyone works based on their 'Time Zone'. People can have things worked out only according to their pace.

Work in your “time zone”. Your Colleagues, friends, younger ones might "seem" to go ahead of you. May be some might "seem" behind you. Everyone is in this world running their own race on their own lane in their own time. God has a different plan for everybody. Time is the difference.

Obama retires at 55, Trump resumes at 70. Don't envy them or mock them, it's their 'Time Zone.' You are in yours!”

Early success doesn't mean a happy life. You could open a company at 25, you could also go bankrupt at 30 if the company dissolves. You could find success at 40, and perhaps you'd be more well-equipped to handle it then. Whatever happens, happens for a reason.

Maybe that lost job was not right for you. Maybe you are meant to hone your skills for something great later. There is no right time. We get things when we are ready for them. When it doesn't happen for you, it means it's not supposed to happen right now. No point worrying yourself sick and envying another. 

Spend your time polishing your personality, acquiring new skills, learning a new language – create the person you want to be in future. Create the personality that will match your success. Work towards your goal at your own pace. Everybody has their own timeline. What if you are meant to do something worthwhile in some years when you are older and wiser, but you were too busy feeling bad about yourself and drowning your woes in alcohol. Imagine the regret.

Opportunities never cease to come. If today is not your day, it could be tomorrow. Don't stop living your life just because it isn't happening.

The abundance principle

Once a man got lost in a desert. The water in his flask had run out two days ago, and he was on his last legs. He knew that if he didn't get some water soon, he would surely die. The man saw a small hut ahead of him. He thought it would be a mirage or maybe a hallucination, but having no other option, he moved toward it. As he got closer, he realized it was quite real. So he dragged his tired body to the door with the last of his strength.

The hut was not occupied and seemed like it had been abandoned for quite some time. The man entered into it, hoping against hope that he might find water inside.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw what was in the hut - a water hand pump...... It had a pipe going down through the floor, perhaps tapping a source of water deep under-ground.

He began working the hand pump, but no water came out. He kept at it and still nothing happened. Finally he gave up from exhaustion and frustration. He threw up his hands in despair. It looked as if he was going to die after all.

Then the man noticed a bottle in one corner of the hut. It was filled with water and corked up to prevent evaporation.

He uncorked the bottle and was about to gulp down the sweet life-giving water, when he noticed a piece of paper attached to it. Handwriting on the paper read : "Use this water to start the pump. Don't forget to fill the bottle when you're done."

He had a dilemma. He could follow the instruction and pour the water into the pump, or he could ignore it and just drink the water.

What to do? If he let the water go into the pump, what assurance did he have that it would work? What if the pump malfunctioned? What if the pipe had a leak? What if the underground reservoir had long dried up?

But then... maybe the instruction was correct. Should he risk it? If it turned out to be false, he would be throwing away the last water he would ever see.

Hands trembling, he poured the water into the pump. Then he closed his eyes, said a prayer, and started working the pump.

He heard a gurgling sound, and then water came gushing out, more than he could possibly use. He luxuriated in the cool and refreshing stream. He was going to live!

After drinking his fill and feeling much better, he looked around the hut. He found a pencil and a map of the region. The map showed that he was still far away from civilization, but at least now he knew where he was and which direction to go.

He filled his flask for the journey ahead. He also filled the bottle and put the cork back in. Before leaving the hut, he added his own writing below the instruction: "Believe me, it works!"

This story is all about life. It teaches us that We must GIVE  before We can RECEIVE Abundantly.

More importantly, it also teaches that FAITH plays an important role in GIVING.

The man did not know if his action would be rewarded, but he proceeded regardless.

Without knowing what to expect, he made a Leap of Faith.

Water in this story represents the Good things in Life

Give life some Water to Work with, and it will RETURN far more than you put in........!!!

Happiness

One is born in a first class hospital, the other is delivered at home, both survived.

One went to a private primary school and the other to a public school, both  ended in the same high school.

One woke up from the bed and the other woke up on the floor, both had a peaceful sleep.

One has expensive attire, the other simple and cheap, both still cover their body.

One ate fried rice and Curry, the other ate home made rice n dal but both filled their hunger.

One drives a Lexus, the other uses public transport but both reached their destination.

One may be reading this post from a IPhone6+ and the other on an ordinary Smart phone, but all can see the same message.

Lifestyle is not a competition, various lanes lead to the same destination.

Just because our neighbour has amassed material posessions, it does not mean that we are a failure.

Happiness doesn't come from having everything, but making the best out of what we have, it's all about how we see ourselves.

Happiness is not having what we like. Happiness is liking what we have and learning to make the most of it by giving it!!!

Happiness is a state of mind !!😊😊

Lesson learnt

It was April of 1974. I was the only girl in my post- graduate department and was staying at the ladies' hostel.

I was looking forward to going abroad to complete a doctorate in computer science.

I had been offered scholarships from Universities in the US.

I had not thought of taking up a job in India.

While on the way to my hostel from our lecture-hall complex, I saw an advertisement on the notice board.

It was a standard job requirement notice from the automobile company Telco (Tata Motors).

It stated that the company required young, bright engineers, hard -working and with an excellent academic background, etc.

At the bottom was a small line: *Lady Candidates need not apply.*

I read it and was very upset.

For the first time in my life I was up against gender discrimination.

Though I was not keen on taking up the job, I saw it as a challenge.

After reading the notice I went fuming to my room.

I got a postcard and started to write, but there was a problem: I did not know who headed Telco.

I knew JRD Tata was the head of the Tata Group; I had seen his pictures in newspapers (actually, Sumant Moolgaokar was the company's chairman then).

I took the card, addressed it to JRD and started writing..

To this day I remember clearly what I wrote.

"The great Tatas have always been pioneers. They
are the people who started the basic infrastructure industries in India, such as iron and steel, chemicals, textiles and locomotives they have cared for higher education in India since 1900 and they were responsible for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Science. Fortunately, I study there. But I am surprised how a company such as Telco is discriminating on the basis of gender."

I posted the letter and forgot about it.

Less than 10 days later, I received a telegram stating that I had to appear for an interview at Telco's Pune facility at the company's expense.

I was taken back by the telegram.

My hostel mate told me I should use the opportunity to go to Pune free of cost and buy them the famous Pune saris for cheap!

I collected Rs 30 each from everyone who wanted a sari.. when I look back, I feel like laughing at the reasons for my going.

It was my first visit to Pune and I immediately fell in love with the city. The place changed my life in so many ways.

As directed, I went to Telco's Pimpri office for the interview.

There were six people on the panel and I realized then that this was serious business.

*This is the girl who wrote to JRD*..I heard somebody whisper as soon as I entered the room.

By then I knew for sure that I would not get the job. The realization abolished all fear from my mind, so I was rather cool while the interview was being conducted.

The panel asked me technical questions and I answered all of them.

Then an elderly gentleman with an affectionate voice told me.. 'Do you know why we said lady candidates need not apply?

The reason is that we have never employed any ladies on the shop floor. This is not a factory. When it comes to academics, you are a first ranker throughout.

We appreciate that, but people like you should work in research laboratories.'

I did not know the ways of large corporate houses, so I answered...'But you must start somewhere, otherwise no woman will ever be able to work in your factories.'

Finally, after a long interview, I was told I had been successful.

So this was what the future had in store for me. Never had I thought I would take up a job in Pune.

Later I met a shy young man from Karnataka
there, we became good friends and we got married.

It was only after joining Telco that I realized who JRD was: the uncrowned king of Indian industry.

Now I was scared, but I did not get to meet him till I was transferred to Bombay.

One day I had to show some reports to Mr Moolgaokar, our chairman.

I was in his office on the first floor of Bombay House, the Tata head quarters, when JRD walked in.

That was the first time I saw 'JRD'.

I was feeling very nervous, remembering my postcard episode.

Someone introduced me..

*This young woman is an engineer and She is the first woman to work on the Telco shop floor*

JRD looked at me.

I was praying he would not ask me any questions about my interview or the postcard that preceded it.

Thankfully, he didn't.

Instead, he remarked. 'It is nice that girls are getting into engineering in our country. By the way, what is your name?'

'When I joined Telco I was Sudha Kulkarni, Sir,'

Now I am *Sudha Murthy*'

He smiled and kindly smile and started a discussion with SM.

As for me, I almost ran out of the room.

After that I used to see JRD on and off.

He was the Tata Group chairman and I was merely an engineer. We had nothing in common..

One day I was waiting for Murthy, my husband, to pick me up after office hours.

To my surprise I saw JRD standing next to me. I did not know how to react..!

'Young lady, why are you here?' he asked. 'Office time is over.'

I said, 'Sir, I'm waiting for my husband to come and pick me up.'

JRD said, 'It is getting dark and there's no one in the corridor. I'll wait with you till your husband comes.'

I was quite used to waiting for Murthy, but having JRD waiting alongside made me extremely uncomfortable.

I was nervous.!

Out of the corner of my eye I looked at him. He wore a simple white pant and shirt. He was old, yet his face was glowing.

There wasn't any air of superiority about him.

I was thinking.. *Look at this person. He is a chairman, a well-respected man in our country and he is waiting for the sake of an ordinary employee.*

Then I saw Murthy and I rushed out...

JRD called and said, 'Young lady, tell your husband never to make his wife wait again.'

In 1982 I had to resign from my job at Telco...

When I was coming down the steps of Bombay House after wrapping up my final settlement when I saw JRD coming up.

I wanted to say goodbye to him, so I stopped. He saw me and paused...

Gently, he said, 'So what are you doing, Mrs. Kulkarni?'

'Sir, I am leaving Telco.'

'Where are you going?' he asked.

'Pune, Sir. My husband is starting a company called *Infosys* and I'm shifting to Pune.'

'Oh! And what will you do when you are successful.'

'Sir, I don't know whether we will be successful.'

*Never start with diffidence,* he advised me *'Always start with confidence. When you are successful you must give back to society. Society gives us so much; we must reciprocate. Wish you all the best.*

Then JRD continued walking up the stairs.

I stood there for what seemed like a millennium.

*posted as received*