Start2Lead

Slow and Steady

Naveen Lakkur — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:43:56 +0000

Do you vote for the belief that everything is moving very fast?

Most of us grew up listening or reading the story of the race between the Hare & the Tortoise. How will we forget the moral of the story Slow & Steady Wins the Race? We further grew up and challenged the very logic by asking the question ‘how many times will a Hare go to sleep in the middle of a race such that the Tortoise could win the race’. It’s important to validate the assumptions underneath and hence it’s a very valid question. When we further grow up and learn, how to set or change context, we figure out that context is decisive.

Here’s a list that Slow & Steady still wins the race:
· Be very slow in growing up to retain child like curiosity and steady in creativity
· Be very slow in growing up to retain child like heart and steady in caring others
· Be very slow in losing your focus and steady in reaching your milestones
· Be very slow in forgetting and steady in helping
· Be very very slow in hurting and steady in loving

Now, let’s change the context to ‘Life’. With this context, I want you to enjoy the ‘SLOW DANCE’, a poem which my business partner Avinash Vaidya shared with me. I really enjoyed this poem, learnt from it and even got motivated to write this article.

SLOW DANCE

————————-
Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short
The music won’t last.
Do you run through each day
On The Fly?
When you ask how are you?
Do you hear
The Reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie
In your Bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through Your head?
You’d better Slow down
Don’t dance so Fast.
Time is Short.
The music won’t Last.
Ever told your Child,
We’ll do it Tomorrow?
And in your Haste,
Not see His Sorrow?
Ever lost Touch,
Let a good
Friendship die
Cause you
Never had time
To call
And say, “Hi”
You’d Better slow down.
Don’t dance
So fast.
Time Is short
The music won’t last
When you run
So fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift….
Thrown away
Life is not a race
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

I feel, Winners are probably those who understand the meaning of life well (slowly) and live it steadily.

Changing the context to management, you will observe that successful people spend enough time (Slow) in Thinking / Strategizing / Planning and are Steady in Performing / Executing / Validating.

This list could be endless…because we all know that context is decisive.

“Slow and Steady wins the race with a winning context” – Naveen Lakkur

Mind Tickler #11

Naveen Lakkur — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 04:39:59 +0000

“If you are depressed, if you are confused, if you are hurt, don’t worry. Go in front of the mirror, you will find the best person who will solve your problems”.

Source: Abraham Lincoln

Mind Tickler #10

Naveen Lakkur — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:24:55 +0000

“Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

Source: Anonymous

4 Pillars of Winning the Game of Entrepreneurship

Naveen Lakkur — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:56:48 +0000

Architectural beauty of great buildings is what’s visible and appreciated. What’s not visible is that the 4 pillars that holds the weight of these structure. The strength of these pillars determines the size of the buildings. ‘Stronger the pillars, Larger the Structure’. Some architectural excellence has also extended this inner strength to outer beauty.

The same way, here are 4 pillars that help you build a strong, solid and a beautiful company.

1. Integrity – without integrity nothing works. In the World of Performance (the space where an entrepreneur lives), Integrity means ‘Plan the Work, Work the Plan’. You need to have your commitment to the highest level for the word you give and in honouring it. Be it for the word given to self or to co-workers or to the customers or to the organization. Honouring the Word as Integrity constitutes as the first pillar in the game of entrepreneurship.

Mr.Azim Premji, founder of Wipro Corporation actually founded the company with Integrity as the foundation of the company. He ensured that the culture of the organization evolved around integrity and he strongly believes that integrity has and will play a key role in the growth of the organization.

2. Relationship – No game is complete playing alone. When it comes to winning the game of entrepreneurship, Who you know and How you know them matters. Relationship is bi-directional. It equally matters, Who knows you, Why they know you and How well they know you. It’s important to manage good relationship with employees, vendors, partners, share-holders, environment, statutory bodies, customers, etc., Stronger this pillar better it is for the organization.

Mr.Ratan Tata attributes Relationship as the key aspect for the success of TATA Group of Companies. Relationships with all stakeholders has helped the group grow and expand for generations and will continue to do so.

Companies like SalesForce.com, Seibel, SAP, etc., have evolved as major global corporations by focusing and building solutions to manage relationships. Imagine the power and importance of Relationships.

3. Enrollment – Enrollment is causing a new possibility to be present for another, such that they are touched, moved, and inspired by that possibility. Enrollment of right people provides access to making an idea a reality. The journey of entrepreneurship begins with enrollment. On-going effectiveness constitutes to the growth of the organization.
Mr.Narayana Murthy’s effective enrollment with Mr.Nandan, Mr.N.S.Raghavan, Mr.Gopalakrishnan and others to start Infosys along with Mrs.Sudha Murthy to loan Rs.10,000/- got him started off on an entrepreneurial journey and over a period led him to receive ‘Global Entrepreneur’ award.

4. Existence – ‘Exist or Extinct’ is the life of a true entrepreneur. The very purpose of existence of the organization should be inspiring and for a purpose worth being. In entrepreneur’s life, keeping the purpose of existence live is the life line of the organization’s existence.

Innovation and Excellence in User Experience is always in existence for Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Corporation. Take iPod or iPhone or the MacBooks; you will see the existence of innovation and excellent user experience. That’s what makes Apple an apple, tasting very sweet…

I would say, Integrity, Relationship, Enrollment and Existence are essentials of entrepreneurship, strengthening it enables and empowers you to win the game of entrepreneurship.

———————
P.S: You have an opportunity now to empower & enable your entrepreneurial skills through Landmark Education. Senior Graduates of Landmark Forum invite you to attend Special Introduction to Landmark Forum to explore 4 pillars of winning the game of entrepreneurship, on Saturday, 19th September 2009.

Venue: Landmark Education, 3rd floor, Farah Winsford, 133, Infantry Road, Bangalore -560001
+91-80-2286-2020. (www.landmarkeducation.com)
Timing: 10:30AM to 1:30PM (India Standard Time)

You can write to or call on any of the listed members to confirm your participation. There’s no fee to attend this special introduction program. Confirmation is on first-come, first-serve basis only.

Naveen Lakkur
Serial Entrepreneur
President & CEO at
Compassites Software Solutions
Ph: +91-9880013830 or
email: naveen.lakkur@compassites.net

Siddalinga Prasad
Social Entrepreneur,
Co-founder of Kshiti Foundation
Senior Manager at Nokia
Ph: +91-9845226157 or
email: siddalinga.prasad@nokia.com

Balaji
Senior Executive
Associate VP at
Symphony University
Ph: + 91-9980102087 or
email: prof.balaji@gmail.com

S K Rao
Senior Executive
Registration Manager at
Landmark Education
Ph: 80-2286-2020 or
email: saikrao.le@gmail.com

Invitation to Special Introduction to Landmark Forum

Start Early, Drive Slowly And Reach Safely

Naveen Lakkur — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 19:13:47 +0000

If you are thinking that I am referring to a journey, then you are right! I am referring to the journey of an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurial journey has 3 parts to it:
·    The Start;
·    The Drive and
·    The Finish.
All the stated 3 parts are important to be a winner.
Follow this link Start Early, Drive Slowly And Reach Safely to learn more…I am confident that you will enjoy this journey…

Mind Tickler #9

Naveen Lakkur — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:12:43 +0000

The most determinative sentence which should always be followed in life – “The Race Is Not over Because I Haven’t Won Yet…!”

Source: Anonymous

Capitalizing on Emotion

Naveen Lakkur — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:57:56 +0000

* Do you want great results?
* Do you want fame?
* Do you want a good return on investments?
* Do you want job satisfaction?
* Do you want to build a shining organization?

You could have a satisfying answer to all the listed questions if you are capitalizing on your most powerful emotion. Follow the link http://www.activegarage.com/are-you-capitalizing-on-your-most-powerful-emotion to know how…

Mind Tickler #8

Naveen Lakkur — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 12:21:15 +0000

“All Hard Workers may not be Winners…! But, Every Winner must be a Hard Worker…!’

Source: Dr.Abdul Kalam

Mind Tickler #7

Naveen Lakkur — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 12:18:22 +0000

“As I watch the ants crawl up the wall, I noticed that no matter how busy they are, they still stop and communicate with one another. Hope we all can be like them?” Stay in touch…

Source: Anonymous

Mind Tickler #6

Naveen Lakkur — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 12:15:10 +0000

“Luck is not in your hands…But work is in your hands.”

“Your work can make luck…But Luck can’t make your work”. Do The Best…

Source: Anonymous