Making of an expert

Yesterday Sachin Tendulkar made history and has amassed both the highest number of runs and maximum 100's in cricket tests and one-dayers. Joined National cricket team at 16 and 20 years of cricketing and still going strong. He is a legend in cricket.

What is the secret of making an expert, a legend, a child prodigy or a genius?

Easy answer: Practice, Practice, Practice

It takes 10,000 hours of practice for the making of an expert in any chosen field what so ever. Same is true for Sachin Tendulkar in cricket, A R Rehman in music, Saina Nehwal in Badminton, Sania Mirza in Tennis or for that matter Bill gates, Bill Joy or Steve Jobs in Computers.

By the team these folks were 19 years -- they put in 10,000 hours or practice or more.

Their talent and expertise is to a major extent an outcome of the extraordinary opportunities that kept coming their way that enhanced their interest, zeal and passion towards the field.

Magic number is 10,000 hours of practice by the age of 16 is equivalent to 3 hours of practice per day for 10 years.
Apply it to Sports like Cricket, Badminton, Chess, Tennis or Business like finance, software or hardware to see the results.

So if we could build a Lab or a stadium that can help our children practice, practice, practice and importantly have fun for 10,000 hours -- we could create experts in their chosen field.

Question of the Day

KNOWN FOR

What do you want to be known for?

What do you want to be known for say 5 years from now , 10 years from now or say by humanity?

Please include your answers in the comments.

Returning to India ideas

When you move to India , certainly consider these options.

If you are returning after two years, you are eligible for moving a house back to India - so less customs or issues.Some sites: http://www.r2iclub.com/ ,http://www.r2iclubforums.com/forums/ [ Thanks to my friend Nagesh ]
A Container transfer of 200 cuft costs us $2000 - $3000. 50 Cuft stuff would cost $1000.
Now I am making a list of personal items I am taking , but this gives you some ideas either for self help or help for community.

- Self Help equipment like
- Garden Material
- Paint Material
- Cutting Material, Carpentry stuff
- Mechanical equipment
- Electrical/Electronic Meters and Gauges
- Laptop/ Mobile/Computer repair equipmentKitchen equipment
- Dining Sets
Sports Goods for Kids
Music equipment for Kids
Ladies Cosmetic equipment
Shaving Sets and other men stuff
Clothes - Socks, Blazers, Ties, Coats, Hats
Home Depot equipment
Auto equipment
- Tires repair
- Meters

So if you see the self help equipment, it can certainly be of good use in India and What is more important is that if we give one equipment to someone from our village or so -- they can make a life of their own which can be one family's livelihood. I am telling my idea - since I know a good place to multiply that idea to unknown industry harvest would be your brain.

In one of my earlier mails I mentioned about industry mapping. This is one of them.
Technology innovation cycle is as follows
Scientist > Engineer > Technician
At one time something that is considered Doctorate/PhD work > with time becomes common engineering work > Technician work
Note one more thing -- the US realized that this industry revolution is actually creating ton of pollution..so after technician they transferred those blue prints to China so all that pollution is taken care of and also give jobs to thousands there in China, but the finished product comes back to US. Nevertheless that opened new opportunities of disposing of that waste - importantly electronic.
Point to be noted is that, now in US this evolution happened in every known industry. And since all our Indian folks are deep down inside in each of these industries , they now have ample amount of know how that very few Americans themselves might not know or more importantly realize. They can build a new education system followed by new industry evolving mechanism. This year - people and new generations in US can actually see how this new government will start creating new industries and industry segments creating jobs for millions of people.

Now if there is a way for 1000's of people returning to India [ thanks to recession ] who know these various industries so very well -- we can actually build at least that technician livelihoods for 1000's of individuals importantly raise there awareness. Raising awareness is the fastest way of spreading this epidemic of industrialization or productivity. We can raise someone's awareness only when we do it ourselves [ Thanks to my friend Sai, who helped me become aware of this]. Note, if I do something for example - replace using the typical Indian sickle in fields and replace that with say Chinese knife to cut the grass -- there will be thousands doing the same..because its fast, quick and less harmful [Thanks to my brother Shyam, who knows so much about rural upliftment]. Awareness multiplies when I do it.
That's where a portal for retuning Indian's plays an important role. That can be a conduit and ground to channelize their ideas, energies and importantly networks will be superb. It has to be a portal and not an email communication because -- its not an idea, its an harvest of ideas and then, offspring's of them and then growing on them - it has to bring awareness in millions - now we have Web 2.0 to help us do that too.

I salute to this land where I learnt the meaning or Evolution and Revolution. I have learnt the value of Vishuddhi Chakra. I learnt not just the reason , but a way to live beyond myself.
This is the land where a stranger says hello and gives me a big smile, that makes my whole day beautiful. This hello, this smile he/she is giving is a result of some great things the historical leaders of this nation have done for this land. They ensured that they created an ambiance where there is respect for policing. They ensured that there is no beggary. They ensured no one dies of slavery. They ensured that hunger and poverty is removed to a large extent. Think of it deeply how this happened - that is where we can get some clear understanding of evolution.
This is the land where my 5 year old son says he wants to be a president. No prizes for guessing how such ideas are born. However my three year daughter still says Doctor - yes same roots as me. This is what we need to take back about living beyond ourselves.
This land helped me connect to my roots. It let me know the leadership values brought forth by Gandhiji (father of nation), Dr Ambedkar and Dr Rajendra Prasad [ who wrote the constitution ] - these people lived beyond their life, their families, their communities - lived selfless lives, left lasting impact on the nation and mankind.

This land and my own land told me that it is now up to us to multiply and breed this leadership -in professional life, family life and community life.

Creating a Profession

How did the Movies come in to existence and how did that evolve into a industry itself giving livelihood for if not millions, thousands of people.
What are those strengths of yours , that when mixed together can bring together a new profession, especially that fills/insulates the void for another big set of people?
Take for example - movies always try to fill a void for people. Indian cinema focusses on hero and heroine. It capitalizes on the fact that all people like to be heroes and heroines and tries to showcase the best self. That was the business case for that industry.
Then the next step for creating the industry was to come up with roles and responsibilities for the different players. Then input, output, analysis story.
So if this is a topic. How do professions evolve?. How do industry models transpire?

Today's Quote

“Do not stand on a high pedestal and take 5 cents in your hand and say, "here, my poor man", but be grateful that the poor man is there, so by making a gift to him you are able to help yourself.It is not the reciever that is blessed, but it is the giver.Be thankful that you are allowed to exercise your power of benevolence and mercy in the world, and thus become pure and perfect.”

- Swami Vivekananda

Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere

- Martin Luther King, Jr

Strategy

Strategy is a gameplan, a game theory (Mathematics). It is a set of guiding principles and values over which the system is expected to be built and run. It is the discipline that cultivates the habit of making the right decisions among a set of choices that are presented to the members of the system. Strategy helps nurture the values of the system.

Game Based Learning

A King knew that the wants his people to learn strategy for his kingdom to grow - so he invented a game called chess. So in 5 years he had solid strategies being developed by his people who n average thought 3 steps ahead.

China as a nation, had a vision to host Beijing Olympics in 2008 and in 2002 it developed a program to ensure that all chinese learnt and spoke english by 2008. It made it happen..now what was that program that made the nation learnt english in 6 years.

On the same principles there were some great enterpreneurs who were born, who took China to the next level in less than 10 years.

Not same but similar story applies for Japan after second world war: Nation grew multifold under solid harmony and vision..and it also made some superb enterpreneurs in Sony, Toyota, Honda etc..
If we want success and happiness to be in culture, what is the hierchical program - school we need to device for them to experience this on a year on year basis so love, affection, care and success becomes second nature - it becomes religion.

I say a school because, if I want my son or daughter to be brilliant like IITians..I would put him or her among IITians..so for him or her to be befriended and to retain their company they will have to cultivate their habits for being brilliant

Relationshiop Models:
Progressive relationship: If I want to be a president in say 5 years - I put a plan in place to befriend, build relationships with ex-presidents month after month and manage to cultivate their habits, practices and culture - and still have a unique quality of mine.

Barter System: Can we build a match.com for Rich and Poor? .

Describing Web 2.0

Do yourself a favour and take some time to watch Professor Michael Wesch’s brilliant presentation to the Library of Congress, June 23, 2008. The video is 55 minutes long, but is an excellent backgrounder to social media, user-generated content, and online communities through the lens of anthropology.

Topics to be explained

Please don't read this - Absorb and reflect.
Step1: Theory of Evolution: Nothing exists alone
Everything that tried to exist alone died. Life has always been about growing. So imagine a tree in a desert, it will die with out any offspring - some day soon. So for a species to survive long, they have to be in groups. all together. Or else that species becomes extinct. Now everyone knew this, at some part of time in their life. And they wanted this truth to be known to everyone. The truth is that we all need to be together for our species to survive. Everyone had their own way to telling this. That is how idiosyncrasies, practices and religions evolved. All for a very good cause of being united, being together, being one to SURVIVE.

Step 2: Religion and Ideosyncrasies
How story telling evolved into religions?
Bible, Quran, Bhagwadgita, Panchatantra -- Good examples of Stories, so more people can understand the meaning of life faster, easier and can form that Unity, that oneness.
Is there God -- Immaterialistic question.
Question is about survival. Survival of fittest - if mankind has to survive against billions of forces of nature, we have to be one, united. That is what religions, people have been trying to tell.

Life and Death:
You don't die, until you have reached the apex. If you die without reaching the Apex, you are born again to serve your journey to go to the apex. To reach the Apex, you have to be part of a bigger group - imagine growing the pyramid under you. To know your Apex, always know your Nadir. Imagine going to the skies, heavens. The journey or distance to the skies, heavens is told by the depth you have in yourself to reach that inner you.

Don't Think , Act:
When you think, you have stopped your other senses to stop doing their job of observing and acting effectively. Your 6th sense is your common sense that will just do that for you..dont have to think...when you think you die - your one cell die's. Just do it as it comes to mind, common sense. ZEN. A swordsman never thinks, observes and acts. Don't think, do it. When you think you die. Common sense has the capacity to bring all your past (knowledge, people, process, technology) in an act for you.

Relate:
we don't agree or deny - We Relate
Relate to something that you have and make it grow. That's why star's relate. They can absorb everything. Sun can absorb everything. Creation is truth, just relate and grow. Everytime that you try to deny, you have curtailed and killed atleast a cell. Relate to Grow.

Talk Less , Do More:
Talk less, but do talk. When you don't talk , you don't help relate. Do more, to do justice to your existence.

Everything exists in two's. even one ness and the thought of oneness exists in two's.
For every question there is an answer. My job is to try to search for that question. Answer is already out there.
My Job is to search for work, the work that can live by itself, serve by itself. Discover a way to make myself 24x7. Discover a way to be eternal. understand why should I be eternal. To be united with everyone else. Because I am everyone else.
Everyone who formed a religion - died early - because they became everyone
Everyone who were absorbed by many - served their purpose, in helping know that you are an aggregation of who know you.

Now lets see this - who is everyone today?
Everyone is some billion people that world statistics data says.
That everyone might be different, in different time period. Only thing constant in life is Time.
Everything else is Change. So that Change calls for leadership to ensure that everyone stays together and doesn't break apart.

Image of the Day: What does this image mean to you

This is the image of the day.

What are the thoughts that come to your mind as you observe this image?. Include them in the comments

My Thoughts:
This image certainly brings the words from Art of War to life. The Five Components described in the art of war

1. Philosophy: I, You, Oneness, Shared values and goals, VISION

2. The Earth: Scope of Control, Certainities, our reality, what we are, what we have control on

3. The Heaven/Skies/Weather : Uncertainities, luck, fate, trends, Our limitations

4. Leadership/ Thought/Creativity/Innovation

5. Methodology, Process, Repeatability/Duplication Of Success/Harvesting : leaves, flowers blooming

Good To Great

Always try to be great. I think the true realization of being great is knowing that we are back to being good the next day.
Always doing the best, getting the greatest invention award and then working towards getting a patent of proving the defect in that best thing. Then the obvious step of defining the new best.

Now I have understood this since I managed to put in my own words. As you must have guessed, the very next step of understanding this deeper is to, put it to practice. So I will update comment on this, when I have some practical examples of my practice. Until then, for me this is only Gita, Bhagwadgita, as Srini says. You can update the comments, if you got a chance to practice good to great.

Image of the Day: What does this image mean to you

This is the image of the day.
What are the thoughts that come to your mind as you observe this image?. Include them in the comments

My Thoughts:

• Best way to change something is, start from me. That is the fastest proven way to change - Bring a Change in my house, Bring a change in my company, change my system, change my nation, change the world.

Charity, cleanliness starts at home

People Process Technology

Its always about people, we only need to invest in them, they will in turn invest in process and technology. People are extra ordinary. We just have to help them realize the same.
Never tell them, when you tell them, you are only trying to make them feel small and the worst you are feeling you know the solution. Just tell them what the vision is, what the goal is.

If the vision or goal is to reach 1000, just help them realize the same, its the same vision that they have in their own words.
when you tell them – you are telling 499 + 501 = 1000, yes that is right, that worked for you, that might not work for them.
But when we help him/her realize himself/herself, you have spread that vision. He/she might figure out other “N” number of ways [ 1 + 999, 39 + 941, 10 * 10 * 10, 10 + (12*12)+(13*13)+(14*14)+ (15*15)+(16*16)] to achieve the vision, which we never thought about.

Just tell them how good they are. They are not small. They are just too good. We will have to continuously hear. Just Counsel and Mentor. Answer is already out there. We just need to get the question right. Continuous learning and giving, contagious learning and giving. learning and giving always go hand in hand, if we need to multiply knowledge. There is no him/her. Its you in him that you are coaching and mentoring. Only learning, understanding self as you are coaching.

Birth of a Leader

We are all firm believers that no one is a Born leader. This whole blog is to prove the same subject. Please see our blog from day 1, as it started and as it evolved. If you have come to this blog, the birth of a leader has already happened. It is you.

Necessity is the mother of invention. You have come here, because something in you craved for leadership and it is the only thing that is needed at this point of time. Everything else will happen, it will have its usual course of action to reach you. Take an example of all great leaders, they had some great event in their life. Do you need an event in your life?. Their are already events in lives of somany of our family, colleagues, friends, nation, world that brings that need for you to be the leader. Just take that to burn that desire in you to be the leader and drive that vision of yours, live and breathe that vision day in , day out. It is bound to happen, you are bound to see results every day. Your success is only bound to grow, every day. Notice those energies that are coming towards you, from fellow leaders, they are all trying to give you all the tools to be successful. Your success is what they care for. Everything that you think you need - is only a tool. Everything that you think you don't have is only a tool. If you have the passion, interest, zeal, enthusiam, determination and tenacity to do something - you have the recipe. All those tools are only water to go with the food.

My Customer

Who is my customer? What does he want?
Identify my customer - it can be internal, it can be external.
Realize what is he seeking - he is seeking his best self. Understand what is his best self.

Lets revisit some of the Characteristics of a leader with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi as our example of the day.

Physical : He related himself with his customer, the common man in India, by being bare chested.
Emotional: He related himself with his customer, by doing what he wants to do. Feel proud of himself with what he has. He demonstrated simplicity. The beauty of simplicity. Charka, Salt - basics. Connected to basics
He made a solid connection with the customer.
Connection with the Customer:

Just for a game: Lets go back to 1910 and imagine we are Gandhi. what comes to your mind. Independence for India. Thats it. Nothing more nothing less. Don't know how and what about it. That is the Vision. Everything else will transpire, it will happen, it will evolve, it will uncover. My principle's are set. As I move into days to come, I form some strong goals and most importantly make my Vision stronger by spreading and validating the same with my fellow members. Isn't it great all of them have the same vision. Now let me formulate goals for myself to continue to measure myself as I enter the funnel of growth. every day is my growth measurement. My only measure is me from yesterday. My only thread of success is Love. Eternal peace, that is bliss.

Ok lets come out of that now. what did we do just now. We just managed to get into Gandhi. Connected to him and got his Vision, goals, definition of success. Lets see what is your definition of success, what is your Vision.

Thought Leadership

Indians and Thought Leadership.
You are right, we Indian's have a ton of Thought leadership because we have every source of inspiration , goading power required. We are divided the most based on - Politics, Religion, Caste, Creed, Color, State, Richness, hierarchy -- and there are people who are continuously working towards bringing more divides. So as long as these divides keep increasing our thought leadership is bound to multiply in 1000's and millions.

Whereever across the world , there is a divide, there is bound to be Thought leadership.

This is all our good intent with wrong implementation I guess. But every wrong has a good in it. Every past has a present. Every Vali has a Sugreev. Shantiniketan/ Rabindranath Tagore says it is all about knowing that the biggest Competition for you is YOU from yesterday. And everytime you beat yourself from yesterday, you are growing.
Our good intent was to bring some like minded ideosyncrasies together - like say one religion was born to bring some common belief's together. Little did we know that there was one more group being formed and these both groups will start fighting among each other.
So that was past, now the present.- get smaller, get connected. Whatever you use, Google, Facebook, linkedin, - use technology to your advantage to eradicate these divides.

Question of the Day

Ok lets keep spiritual stuff aside for a while. Lets talk Scientific. This I know, we can relate to easily.

Today a big doctor was talking about Brian imaging, just 5 hours back on NPR radio. He said about this wonderful student's research, who has now gone back to Harvard. This is how the scenario is.

Scenario 1: There is a train with 5 people which is on a death trap and everyone is going to die. So the survey question was: there is a parallel track and there is one person on that track. If we take a shift now to the other track, we will kill the other person, but save the 5 people. 90% answered that yes, we can do that.
Scenario 2: The same train is now going on a bridge and we will have to throw one 200 pound person off the train, so that others can be saved. 90% said No. that is not an option.

Think what does that mean to you about - Relationship, Connection, a sense of belonging

What it means to me: As long as we have a way to connect ourselves, link ourselves - we build a ton of love for others. Solution is to continue to break existing barriers like - religion, caste, creed, race etc to become smaller and smaller, closer and closer. All these Web 2.0 technologies or technology in general today, are doing just that, bringing the world closer, making it smaller and smaller. That way, we will have all hatred, crime and evil removed.

Its just a bunch of words, until you have given it life. Breathe your words into it. As Atchut says it - breathe your actions into it. Update comments.

Characteristics of a Leader

What are some of the important characteristics of a leader?

1. Physical Appearance: They say when in Rome, be a Roman. What do I interpret of it. If I have to be approachable, communicable and reachable - I need to be someone that the other person can relate to and feel comfortable with. Whatever that shape is. So if I appear to the other person as an elephant or an ant, it does no good for a perfect relationship. I have to be fit like him/her to facilitate an adult to adult communication.

2. Emotional Health: If they want to talk to me, I must be able to empathize with them. Understand them , clearly feel the system they are coming from to complete the 4 levels of communication.

3. Intellectual growth: Its always about growing, continuously growing. What was being taught by Rabindranath Tagore in Shantiniketan. He said, your only competition and measuring scale is you from yesterday. Compare yourself to what your knowledge was yesterday and keep growing. Its always about growing, continuously growing to serve. Miles to go before I sleep.

4. Spiritual depth: Spirituality is about past, present and future. What are the words that come to my mind about them
Past: lessons learnt, experience, accomplishments..
Present: life, happiness, sense of being, doing, giving..
Future: Anxious, guessing, speculate, eager,
What I am writing is absolute truth now, that is present. The same thing when you read (this is already past - for you), and what you interpret, give that a shape in your mind, give that thought a life- that is truth in future. Congratulations - you just gave that idea a life. Whatever that you thought, interpreted that is life for that idea.

5. Relationship Management: Look at the comments in the flame image. It tells you why relationship is so very important. All people around you are transmitting good thoughts to you. Its in your interest to get in touch with them and maintain a relationship to grow yourself. They are all contributing to your growth. Everyone has something to give. At least speaking to them, ignited those dormant thoughts in you with some fuel that they gave - with just their presence. So when you talked, built a relationship with them, you are doing the highest level of communication as spiritual transmitters and spiritual receivers are being formed.

6. Financial success: Financially I need to be very stable, so that I have a strong sense of giving. This need not mean I need millions, I need something that I feel good about, helps me put the thought of money outside my frame of mind for atleast 24 hours in a day. Necessities, comfort, luxury --- Comfort level.

7. Charitable Giving: Learning and giving go hand in hand, as mentioned in the purpose of this blog. Charitable giving is like giving away all the time. Imagine a overflowing jar of water. Continue to give that overflowing water a direction - give it off in charity. That way, it helps the jar and the system around it from getting wet. This also helps GOD , the almighty to continuously fill you up with water , the wealth of knowledge. That way, you are happy, they are happy , God in the shape of everyone around you are happy.


We get minimum of million ideas in a day. If we write that idea somewhere - a diary, a blog, an email - you are giving it a house. Then you nourish it - pour water, give air, and food that idea grows, it bears fruits, and they grow again.

My idea now on this subject is -- if you give this idea using today's technology to 100 people, their interpretation of the same will generate minimum of 10,000 ideas. and that will be the best knowledge management system. Those 100 people will keep educating you, reminding you that this was the original idea.

As I write this, there is one thing I am learning all the time. I am not telling you, I am helping you realize, that thought in your mind that is sparked to life.

These are other characteristics that are born out of these. A Leader should also have great capability to motivate and inspire - importantly to bring that idea of his/her colleagues to life. Continuously investing time and effort in the fellow team members. It need not be team members, just others, other leaders around you.

Breathe Life

Its all about you.

These images and these questions that we are posting here are all to bring life into those questions and those images. The idea, the thought that I, he or she brings doesn't matter.

What really matters at this very moment is - Your Idea.
What comes to your mind, what you bring to life is what matters. It has to be your idea, its your responsibility to breathe life into those images and questions. These images and these questions are only tools to bring that life. Its your life, its your idea, its your thought.

Think about it - everything that is happening NOW is all about YOU. Everyone around want you to grow. Just continue to look for those vibes. Think again for a moment - do a search on google for - Carnegie Mellon Professor, Lace reader, self efficacy - Just about anything, its all about you


TWO SUBJECTS:

In this blog as of today, we are dealing with two subjects [ we will continue to increase those tools as we hear from you]:

1. Images :Visual thinking/ Modern Art/ - Its to bring your idea, thought to life.

2. Questions: To know and discover about oneself. Understand what you want, what you care, what motivates you, whhy it motivates you, what is your purpose and reasoning of existence in this world. We all have come to this world for a purpose. Lets continue to go on the journey of discovering the same.

Questions and Images are only tools for that growth in you. Please think today once - everything that is happening around you is only teaching you, continuously teaching you, helping you grow. My final point - why am I saying this -- Its about you. We all want you to grow. World revolves around you and only one person is always on context. Its you. All energies of these world are focussed just on you and want you to grow.

One of my good friends told me - Best things in Life are free.

While the subject is about you, why am I feeling happy. I am feeling happy because the flame in the image below is already spreading. You have already started thinking about those good things happening around you, that are continuously teaching you, helping you grow, you have started understanding yourself.

The answer is already out there. Its trying to reach you , in various directions, from various sources. Its just looking for you.

Please do us a favor. Start your blog and share it in the comments section. We want those great ideas of yours to keep flowing. The world cannot let go that great ideas from you.