Shine On.. Underdog.

I never expect to lose. Even when I'm the underdog, I still prepare a victory speech.

H.JacksonBrown,Jr.

Underdog. A bad word for few, an understatement for many but why one shall be proud. Well, I believe one should be. For a simple reason, it makes life easier.

Yes it does. We live in a fast pace surroundings. Competition is stiff and Consumerism is stiffer.  It is a mad age so the least we can do it to become run of the mill. When this thought struck my mind this afternoon – I asked myself, why am I thinking this? And I realized – God answered to my worries, I was relieved. Having launched my venture some 2 years back, 2 years and 3 months back to be precise, suddenly I found myself stressed.  Life at times is harsh. Perhaps that was the case with me – lot of financial pressure, demanding domestic circumstances and what not? I felt suppressed and dead.  But then I realized, there is something in me which can really relate to being the underdog. May be it’s the perseverance, my resilience but something.

To turn the things worst, I had developed this feeling of loss. Loss of ‘me’, all the above reasons left me with no reason, no possibility for my interests & even wish list. There was absolutely no holiday, I could read books, music – gosh! I have been hearing from others about the latest rocking tracks. This is been tough. And then began the fight within – I felt as an underdog, the pressures from clients (read tantrums) to a start-up, the questions from the family and I would confess,the repeated comparisons of increasing gaps. The gap of where they are – where I am, the gap of their 9 to 5 job and my jobless days and 24 x7 days, the gap in their bank balance and my profits. Everything I felt was shouting and asking me – Have you gone nuts!!

Probably yes. This all had made me a tough nut. And I was wandering once again – have I made a mistake. Shall I look back and be upset. Is it a time to change the plan?

May be temporarily, maybe it’s the need of the hour. Well, then is stepping down a difficult task. No its not, because it’s our life and we have to do what suits it best.  And I believe it’s OK, till the time I know that I am yet to make it large. And then, I am aware – at least for me it’s not the first time. Life enjoys playing with me, testing me and smiling again.

And I am relieved…ready to re-live.  I am ok as I am flexible now..I am ready for the flow to find out what suits me best.  But on the journey called life, I would remember the quote -

I'm very competitive by nature. And I like to be the underdog - It's the best way to win. To come from behind and win is a great feeling!

Zac Efron

A Dogmatic COO

Recently got to witness, what an SME’s COO, the Chief Operations Officer had to say to his employees. A small venture started by just 2 people, came to a team of 25 now…..in some 8-9 years. Commendable! I would say.

But what I doubt is their illogical mindset and pre-conceived opinions. Having ideals is good, I agree but one must get to understand the success path followed the making of that hero, the struggle & strategy. Yes, we have the examples like Mr.Dhirubhai Ambani, Mr.Bill Gates, Mr.Sachin Tendulkar etc, but these are again exceptions. One percent of the lot and not to forget that they made it big, but they couldn’t run it all alone. They believe in management principles, they believe in delegation, they believe in strategy and they believe in the word ‘We’ and not just ‘I’. Our venerate COO, unfortunately couldn’t use the word ‘we’, though he demanded again & again, that his employees should carry a part of him, should leave a footprint like him, wherever they go. The problem here is not expecting too much but what amazed me, asking too much so straight without a pinch of modesty was little too much to digest. Coming to his people skills now, he once mentioned to the team, ‘there shall be no second thoughts on what he thinks, he feels about the work, the business, the leaves etc.

At times, I feel I should plainly ignore the facts stated above, but somehow I am so disturbed after listening to all this. It feels like the helplessness at the cost of he being the owner, the runner & the boss. People must be sitting with the attitude to listen & forget, some even mentioned that we just went out, we ignored, and we weren’t with him. He sounded like a hypocrite & dominating union leader but of course not a manager, not a leader. Yes, I appreciate him thinking big, but one more thing which is more disturbing is the ever seen Myopic business mind. Dreaming big is different from planning big. Or I should say that dreaming big is not enough if you have no people skills or if you deny respecting the people working for your firm just because you are the Boss. It’s terrible!

Not talking much about this anymore, few more (disturbing) things I would like my readers to comment on are:

1. Do you agree that the Business Volumes is the only difference between a Big & Small Organization?
2. Team spirit is carrying the boss’/ head reflection in each employee?
3. As a working professional, for growth all a person needs is to compare himself/herself with oneself. (Something I remember was termed Peer Group)
4. A rocksolid professional is one who never complains & gives reasons like a family problem, an accident etc.
5. Who believes in leading by treading on the ego of his employees?

Why have I mentioned all this here on my space? Because I want to know your opinion and confirm that if education really makes a difference or it’s just that I am too sensitive!!!

The Culture, Contempt & Helplessness

Yesterday a quick interaction with a friend made me think hard on our discussion. I was at work, I met the deadlines and finished my days work but at the back of my mind these thoughts were on like the background music score. I had decided that I am going to blog it, once I reach home. And then from last 2-3 hours, I was thinking for the apt title, it has got to convey the message or at least trigger the visitor to read and react to it. Because its everywhere, we have all faced it but just ignored it, may be!

We were just talking about a usual boss-colleague interaction and suddenly my friend

R said: “He was flirting, girl”

Response: Let him flirt then, how it affects me

R: But tell me, does it happens with all girls out there?

Response: Depends if the boss is like that, you get to realize that he/she is flirting

R: But I sometimes wonder, in sometime even I will marry a girl who will be a working professional by all ways, will she be facing the similar things? I wonder….huh

Response: Well might be, but that’s completely fine till the girl can handle such things, stays dignified and confident. I think nothing can go wrong that ways. And in extreme cases, one always chooses to quit.

R: But you know, we men especially Indians, know about the world out there, and feel helpless at times. Basically we want to protect our partner from all such things but then why to take the liberty to work from someone who is not at all wrong.

Response: Till the time one is confident about his/her partner, I don’t see a reason to feel contempt about this, because else one will have to change the world which is not as easy as said.

Well, on this note…….we could reach on a conclusion that what we are discussing exists, needs to be corrected or not – I am not so sure about that, but there is absolutely no need to feel helpless about it. I realized that it’s our culture and the values, we have grown up with, the contempt because we would love to be righteous which we know is practically not feasible and helplessness, because we let our self feel helpless for the entire thing, despite knowing the fact that we shall not let this affect us.

I don’t know if I have conveyed the concern rightly but it kept on hovering over my head, that if it is actually a feeling that raise contempt in the minds of Indian men. I don’t see any such thing, because its everywhere. And I believe a girl who takes a stand to move out in that world is well aware, careful and all set.

As for those who feel contempt and helpless, I have a saying I took from R only,

“We cannot direct the wind... but we can adjust the sails.” And I am wondering, we can try to fight them at least!!!