joie de vivre

posted : May 28, 2010

I just begun reading "The leader who had no title" and I must say the book is compelling me to finish it till the end one shot just to see what the it has to offer me. The book is about how leadership is for everyone and not just for CEOS, higher management people, military personnel etc. Simply, if you can breathe, you can lead. But discovering how to do that is what Robin Sharma tries to share with his readers. And so Tommy begins by asking Blake to meet him at a cemetery at 5 in the morning. Despite being all morbid and wondering why the hell would you go when some stranger requests you to meet them at such an odd place, you slowly begin to realise that the choice of place could not have been any better. The slate tablets, one with the 10 human regrets and the other with 10 human victories both go to show, how simply we try to blame all the external reasons for our failure and blame circumstances for not being able to pick ourselves up again to start over. We often forget that only we have the power to search within and reach for the skies. Playing victim doesn't help how short lived life is, as it is. Assume total responsibility for the consequences of your actions and step up the game. "The interesting thing about reflecting on your death is that it reawakens you to what's truest about life." But despite the cemetery being dramatic, it was just the right place to provoke one and make him unleash the potential of being a great leader from within. Visiting your mortality reminds you that your months are numbered.

This just got me reminded the suggestion to bring the Kathiroli kids for a prison tour as an eye-opener to life. Showing the dark and scary side of life, I think just allows us to have a better grip on ourselves and make sure we have gotta plan on how to work things out. To have in mind the destination of where we want to see ourselves at the end of this journey and to persevere and work continuously every single day to get there. Success is after all a succession of the small everyday things we do. Plus, sustained change only happens when we play at an emotional level rather than logical one. We have to get under the skin and touch your heart rather than just speak to your head and leave.

This book is indeed very inspiring.

6:49 PM