Courage & Character

Come what come may;
Time and the hour runs through the darkest day. –William Shakespeare

I thank God for my handicaps, for, through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God. – Hellen Keller

The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of the circumstances. - Aristotle

Millions of our fellows passed away recently in China as a result of Mother Nature’s anger. Every day millions of people across the World undergo countless sufferings – live the day with faith and patience, that, this too shall pass away.

At home, workplace, fields, and so many places, we too face the need to survive against all odds to achieve what we desire for, in our life-which may happen or may not. A working mother fights for her time to take care of her family. A hard working cobbler on the foot path on a rainy day prays he makes atleast 20 bugs to feed his three member family that day…not knowing what the next day is going to look like. A sales executive looks forward to achieve the days target, by all efforts, hoping that this will reach him to his monthly target. A CEO trust all his men in blues across all level, who is not even in his reach of sight, hoping that as a team, they will meet the expectations of all their stakeholders, against all difficult economic conditions and market constraints. In all, they show…tremendous Courage and Character to face their every day life.

King Ashoka showed his magnanimous Character with Courage to embrace peace, forgoing war, inspite of all his Victories. When Billions of people were enslaved, Gandhiji showed that Courage need not be shown by taking arms, but, can be achieved by Ahimsa-a sign of the greatest Statesman’s Character. When millions of people died, a nation lost everything to nuclear arsenals, people turned ashes in seconds, the generations that survived showed the greatest character with all courage – a sign of Phoenix, that, we will rise from ashes- went on to build the World’s most powerful economy in the World in the same century, Japan was symbolized as a fighting nation. For they believed, that it is not what they have lost, but, what they are left with that counted to them. For they were not crippled, merely handicapped by their enemies.

When he felt, this now is the time, to go to the nation, the man rose to his greatest Character to handover the Company he founded with passion, TATA Airlines, which today is Indian Airlines, Courage was reflected in JRDjis gesture.

When one race declared that we are your rulers, the other “Raced” people said, treat us as Human Beings. Nelson Mandela showed to the World that fight can be through peace against all odds to achieve what we want, irrespective of time. Character and Courage was their forte. Today the West is witnessing the greatest happening of this Century. The so-called first Afro-American in their Presidential election in their nation. They have shown tremendous Courage and Character across their two centuries of Civilization.

We cannot keep walking on mountain tops…for time will make us walk through deep valleys and dangerous rivers. The greatest Victory in life is not about how safe we lived- rather, how much we have survived and succeeded against all odds. For after death, life is not measured by how safe we lived, but how much courageously we have lived with great Character at all times. How much we have risen superiorly to the trials of life, without giving to hopelessness or despair, still clinging to our principles and ideals.

Lets take with us, in all our struggle, the watch word of the good old Roman – Aequanimitas!
For, this, too, shall pass away.

(This was first posted during June 2008)

Faith & Patience

Life is Beautiful. The World is a beautiful place to live one’s life. No one is born with every thing. What we have today with us is either someone’s in the past or going to belong to someone tomorrow. For it shall be illusionary thought to claim what we have today is what we brought when we were born.

My tears dropped, which is quite natural, on seeing it, when my friend was busy parking his car in the parking lot. This happened in front of the temple in Apollo Specialty Clinic adjacent to my Office campus in Anna Salai. We were there to have our snacks in the food court in the campus in the evening after our market visit. And, it’s quite a comfortable place for me since, am an usual visitor to the place and happen to observe a lot of people with patience and faith in front of the small temple, praying for quick recovery, beauty is, irrespective of their religion. But, this was a moving sight – the patient (looks like being in a critical stage) was brought in a wheel chair along with her family members.

They looked like people from a small place, here for the unaffordable treatment. I could notice the small teardrops trickling from the patient’s eye, with a sense of gratification towards the deity. Her family members showed content in their face meaning it looked like this should be a matter of life and death to their beloved family member.

When they crossed me, the sense of satisfaction on the faces of her two family members showed the immense faith they had on God, the unknown. The sense of gratification amidst tear drops in her face showed me the patience with which she is undergoing her treatments and the thanks she is conveying to her people around for their wonderful support.

I smiled as we entered the food court with these thoughts. Who is God? Where is she/he? Where comes so much of faith & patience amidst so much of difficulties? Why some people have to suffer in this beautiful World, when someone is enjoying? What is the cause of this phenomenon? Why this happens? Is it never-ending? Or is there a solution?

The sight of seeing a seven year young kid going to the school in the morning in his father’s sedan and the sight of another kid who is around the same young age, picking up rags in a gunny bag and crossing the signal occurs at the same time in this beautiful World. And, Life is beautiful and so the World we live in. My thought is, is this World beautiful to both the people at the same time-for someone living with peace in Bangalore and for someone fighting for life in Kashmir. For someone spending $10 in New York for a cup of coffee and for someone yearning for a piece of bread loaf in Somalia. What can we say when we find someone in a remote village in India walking 10 kms to fetch two pots of muddied water for drinking for her family, whereas someone in a Metro city in this same India is concerned that her/his favorite Cola is not available in a Pizza Hut store. What’s this World teaching us all? I am quite sure; the answer is not so easy. The fact remains the same. Everyone in this World is living everyday with tremendous Faith & Patience on the known and the unknown, for one day, for them too - this World and their Life will be beautiful.

(This was first posted during June 2008)

"Dreams - Are they worth a compromise?"

"Dreams - Are they worth a compromise?"


“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature.” – Helen Keller

(American Author and Educator who was blind and deaf.1880-1968)

Some men see things as they are and say, "Why?" I dream of things that never were and say, "Why not?" - George Bernard Shaw

There is a psychological technique which makes it possible to interpret dreams, and ... if that procedure is employed, every dream reveals itself as a psychical structure which has a meaning and which can be inserted at an assignable point in the mental activities of waking life.

- SIGMUND FREUD, The Interpretation of Dreams


Ever watched a baby closely in its sleep. All of a sudden, a smile dances across its pink lips. Wonder, why it smiled – reasons unknown to us. Ask me and will tell you – the baby had a beautiful angel dancing in its dreams. You may disagree but then, I too agree to disagree. We all dream. Dream during office hours, when we are driving, when we are having food, when we are speaking with someone, when we are sleeping, when we are traveling, when we are watching a movie, when we are in a meeting. The indisputable fact is that everyone dreams in his or her lifetime.

When does one start dreaming – Ever since one is born on this earth! And, when does one stop dreaming – when one die! The entire lifetime progress with some kind of dreams. Do every dream comes into reality? Does everyone achieve what he or she has dreamt? Why does a dream face a pre-mature death? Are dreams worth a compromise in this World?

Rather than trying to understand the metaphysics of Dreams, let us look at are dreams worth a compromise in life. If dreams are worth a compromise, why one has to dream? Or why do dreams have to occur? Lets reject the fantasy dreams and look at lofty thoughts being shaped and occurring as dream in one’s life. The most famous of the dream is that of Martin Luther Kings “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." Martin King never lived to see his dream unfold.But, never was he deterred from the thought of dreaming.

The Independence of many colonial nations from the British Empire was attained by the collective dreams of many individuals –who dreamt that their nation will become free from position of slavery. Will rise to become independent sovereign states. Dream came true. Many never lived to see it.


Dreams make human life powerful. Dreams shape up the World we live in. Fruits of the dreams of many are what we enjoy today. Right from the Internet, to the pencil we write to the penicillin that cure is what has been someone’s dream some time ago. Dreams changed the destiny of our lives in many forms. Until some ages ago, only birds flew in the skies. Today, Human goes for space walk. What many thinks impossible and just a dream becomes a reality through someone’s determined hard work.

Jamsetji Tata, the Pioneer of Indian Industries dreamt and worked towards bringing to reality three of his key ideas: A steel plant, a World class learning Institution and a hydro electric plant. He lived unable to see any of his three dreams coming to life during his life time. And, today, they are our Tata Steel, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and Tata Power. Dreams of one man may become reality through some one-but, seeds have to be sown.

As said by Former President of India, Shri A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, “ “Dream, Dream, Dream! Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts into actions”. And, as Walt Disney said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” So, the need of the hour is the will power-the faith and patience to see our dream coming true. Show Courage and Character to see your mighty dreams coming true.

Human Beings are born to dream. Born with dreams. It’s nature’s play that we all dream. And, what we dream is never unnatural. Without dreams, life of a person is all but not so worth a life to be called. The fear of working on the dream is the insecurity and the fear of failure. Ships are safe in the harbour, but that is not what ships are built for. They have to sail against the storms.

Great Organizations today that exist find their roots in some garages in the Silicon Valley. Fired by their dreams and passion, their founders overcame the feeling of insecurity and fear of failure to rewrite history and record their names –‘tis shall not have happened, if they had not dreamt. Or had they compromised.

Noble dreams had to come true. Dreams are what show progression of mankind-a symbol of Progression of Civilization. Dreams aren’t worth to be compromised, rather, they are worth to be lived and died for. Small or big –a dream is a dream. Dream – Never compromise. Convert the dream into thoughts and pursue them through actions. For they are the purpose of our basic existence!

3i – Innovate, Impress, India

Growth is the mantra. A lot many Indian Companies have been growing above the market growth rate. And, we are optimistic about the growth in the coming year 2009. Then, the big question arises - what is that which is happening around us in the name of slowdown in the economy –we call them market corrections in sectors where the foundations are not so deep rooted and strong to withstand the sudden growth that they have witnessed.

The Consumer Durable industry(to which I currently belong to) in India is on its growth curve. The great Indian middle class is living its dream of a comfortable life that was once the privilege of only a few nations. From being a nation in the clutches of the state, to a nation whose move is dictated by the consumers and the market forces, India has come a long way and still has a very long way to travel. Which only reassure us that the Indian growth story is fully intact, fundamentals in place and very strong. Is India's growth engine suddenly running out of fuel? NO is the answer if we go by the growth of companies around us. Evidences are aplenty.

Recently I was on a market visit to Mangalore in South Karnataka, where both my Multi-brand retailer (eight stores in eight cities) and my exclusive dealer, was upbeat on their new year plans, and the strategies they were lining up to grab the big share of the market. I was quite a bit probing to understand how much the global slowdown has had an impact on their marketplace. To be honest, there were no such indicators pointing out to make a claim, that 'we are too badly affected because of the global economy slowdown'. They were very optimistic about the next year growth rate in their market. Business shows much confidence, enough strong reasons for the marketer to smile and spend. What we see is a 'low on sentiment' phenomena– 'something is happening around and so let me stop buying'. But, it is not across markets. Neither spreading deep. It's just the intangible consumer sentiment. This cannot remain for too long with the Indian consumers who have seen, and felt the impact of the comforts the consumer durable products have brought into their life.


We, Marketers have a whole lot of reasons to question the rationality behind this sentiment. For when we were not a free liberal economy, when the comforts were the privileged of a few, the developed economies did not show any signs of such impacts. They did spend their money. It was their growth time. Though today, it's a flat world, with every economy inter-linked, everyone into their golden straightjacket's, globalization cannot weaken the spirits of an agrarian economy. Our domestic demands will stimulate growth. And, so, it's our time now. So, there is no reason as to believe that the Indian Consumer will sit and save his money from spending, just because his counterpart in the developed nations is into recession. It's the business cycle.



Lets go the other way to understand what is that going to be my customer's expectations during such times. The customer is going to look more for less – more value for her investments. She is going to look at me how good am communicating her the benefits and advantages during these times. And, finally, is it indianised –for she has been hearing weird stories of failures and falls in the global markets. She wants to ensure she is at home.

3i is the answer that can address support us to meet these requirements. "3i - Innovate, Impress and Speak India", will be the mantra to achieve the growth mantra. Innovate – Companies should innovate – be it products, services, Organizational response to this business cycle, to provide more simplified solutions to the customers, in all possible ways, thereby, providing value for money. Impress – Create interesting marketing communications, highlighting the value proposition to the customers, impressing her with clear value for money benefits. Speak India – Sitting in her home, can look and hear what's happening across the world, she is going to feel so safe in her own country. Hence, Speaking India should be the priority –which will trigger her emotional sentiments, making her come close to the brand. Companies that are going to adopt this 3i strategy are going to tide away the slowdown and win loyal customers.

As a marketer, let me reiterate, that the Indian economy is on a fundamentally strong growth path. The Indian consumer is the king. He has packed his bags and is on a happy journey towards a 'comfortable and healthy lifestyle' as his mantra, along with his family. He is in no mood to stop his journey. Neither can anyone stop him. As a Marketer, we are facing the most challenging times that are going to be more interesting – how to grab our share from his wallet. For business growth is our mantra too.

(The views expressed in the blog are personal and do not reflect the views of the Company or the group, which I represent.)