Here’s your chance to defy the ordinary with Against the Grain by Pankaj Mishra, a book that celebrates those who dare to be different. Through engaging conversations with notable outliers like A.R. Rahman, Uday Kotak, and Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, the book shares real stories of success, failure, and the pursuit of dreams.
Read this exclusive excerpt to discover how the Chandrayaan-2 mission turned setbacks into breakthroughs, capturing the true essence of resilience and innovation.
Against the Grain || Pankaj Mishra
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The concept of ‘successful failure’ resonates deeply in the story of India’s Chandrayaan-2 mission. It was a bold leap, aiming to explore the uncharted south pole of the moon. Despite the setback in the landing phase, the mission wasn’t a loss. The orbiter continues to gather valuable data, contributing significantly to our understanding of the moon. More importantly, with lessons learned from Chandrayaan-2’s challenges, Chandrayaan-3 could land successfully on the moon.
This journey transcends the bounds of space; it’s a metaphor for outliers—to find poetry in problems and to reach for the moon, quite literally, even when the first leap falters. And that’s what I love about these conversations. These outliers talk about their failures with the same pride they have for their wins. Because, let’s face it, owning your failures is a kind of success.
When you sit with someone like Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, you can’t help but feel the gravity—no pun intended—of his experiences. Here’s a man who’s been to space, but what’s more fascinating is his down-to-earth wisdom on failure.
‘If you can be yourself and not feel that you have to measure up to some image somebody else has of you, that’s liberating; it frees up a lot of energy for you to do
other things.’ —Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian in space.
Rakesh’s words resonate deeply with me. The freedom to be yourself, to not be confined by others’ expectations, is liberating. It’s a lesson I’ve carried with me throughout my journey.
How has life’s unpredictability played a role in your journey, Rakesh?
Rakesh Sharma: ‘I must tell you that I am blessed and extremely lucky, because I got a chance to do everything in life. I was barely twenty-two, and the air force decided to run an experiment. We had just got the MiG-21 supersonic aircraft—they wanted to catch young guys, and I got a chance. I joined the air force young, and before my twenty-third birthday, I had flown twenty-one operational missions in the 1971 war. Then, I got selected for the test pilot course, and despite not being all good in academics, I managed to become a test pilot. A fighter pilot and a test pilot—fit and young—and I then got a chance to go to space. Things have happened to me.’
Rakesh, how do you view failures in your life?
‘As far as failures are concerned, it depends on how you are looking at them. For example, most people think that when they set the bar for themselves and do not achieve it, that is a failure. But when you have constantly striven to get what you set [out to achieve] for yourself, and even then if you fall short, you will, in the process, improve yourself, right?’
Indeed, striving itself is a form of success. This is a perspective I’ve often found comforting.
‘So, I made mistakes during combat, and that’s part of the learning—I wouldn’t really put that down as a failure. That is just a learning experience. As a test pilot, I have had the chance to eject from an airplane because the engine backed up, and I would call it learning, not a failure. The important thing you need to ask yourself is: How do you remain invested? Do you have the passion for the job you are doing?’
Passion is a recurring theme in our conversations. Rakesh, how did you deal with the daunting tasks in your career?
‘In my case, whenever I looked at a daunting, challenging task, my first reaction was, “Hey, I will not be able to do this.” At each stage during my flying career,
when I went from slow to medium to faster to supersonic aircraft, at each stage, I felt, “Oh my god, this is too fast. There is no way I can hack it.” But when you actually get into it, you find that things are not half as difficult as you imagined them to be!’
You know, this idea of passion being the driving force, it’s something that has come up time and again in the conversations I’ve had. But hearing it from a guy who has been to space and back just hits differently. It’s like all those talks I’ve had over the years suddenly get this extra layer of, well, gravity. Rakesh, you echo something we all know deep down but sometimes need a nudge to feel. It’s fascinating how we often overestimate challenges.
‘So, when opportunities come your way, don’t get intimidated. Of course, be prepared that you might not hack it, but no need to get intimidated. Either it will
happen or it will not happen. After all, when I went for the selection as a kid, there was no pilot aptitude test. Now, there’s a pilot aptitude test, and if you fail it once, you will never become a pilot in the Indian Air Force, so there is tremendous pressure on you. If you have it, you have it; if you don’t have it, you approach it like that—you can’t prepare for something like that!
Indeed, some aspects of life and career are beyond meticulous preparation.
‘Similarly, when you are doing test flying, the best you can do is your best. You can read up all there is to read. You can de-risk, but you signed up for it. You are honourbound to go and do it. Even if you are scared, you go and do it as best you can. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out—that’s part of the landscape you have chosen to be in.’
Choosing our landscape, our path, comes with its own set of challenges and rewards.
‘So, this is one life lesson we really need: never back off! Failure is not the end of the world. Pressure is something that we bring upon ourselves. We should give it a bash. Just be yourself!’
So there you have it—wisdom from a man who has seen the earth from a point most of us can only dream of reaching. But what strikes me most is how grounded his insights are. ‘Just be yourself,’ he says.
Simple, yet profoundly liberating.
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Get your copy of Against the Grain by Pankaj Mishra on Amazon wherever books are sold.
Are you looking to level up your life and tackle challenges like a pro? Say hello to the Penguin Life Hack series! With 30 incredible books jam-packed with expert tips, we’re about to unveil the ultimate guide to unlocking your full potential. So whether you want to crush your goals, boost your career, or just live better every day, get ready for some seriously game-changing advice!
#1 Be authentic and believe in yourself
The Courage To Be Disliked || Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
The Courage to be Disliked shows you how to unlock the power within yourself to become your best and truest self, change your future and find lasting happiness. Using the theories of Alfred Adler, one of the three giants of 19th century psychology alongside Freud and Jung, the authors explain how we are all free to determine our own future free of the shackles of past experiences, doubts and the expectations of others. It’s a philosophy that’s profoundly liberating, allowing us to develop the courage to change, and to ignore the limitations that we and those around us can place on ourselves.
#2 Have clarity of thought and visualize success
Manifest !! Roxie Nafousi
MANIFEST is the essential guide for anyone and everyone wanting to feel more empowered in their lives. Self-development coach and ‘Queen of Manifesting’ Roxie Nafousi will show you how in just seven simple steps you can understand the true art of manifestation and learn how to create the life you have always dreamed of.
#3 Get the best out of people
Surrounded by Idiots || Thomas Erikson
You are not alone. After a disastrous meeting with a highly successful entrepreneur, who was genuinely convinced he was ‘surrounded by idiots’, communication expert and bestselling author, Thomas Erikson dedicated himself to understanding how people function and why we often struggle to connect with certain types of people.
Originally published in Swedish in 2014 as Omgiven Av Idioter, Erikson’s Surrounded by Idiots is already an international phenomenon, selling over 1.5 million copies worldwide, of which over 750,000 copies have been sold in Sweden alone. It offers a simple, yet ground-breaking method for assessing the personalities of people we communicate with – in and out of the office – based on four personality types (Red, Blue, Green and Yellow), and provides insights into how we can adjust the way(s) we speak and share information.
#4 Master the art of simple living
Zen || Shunmyo Masuno
Zen is the perfect antidote to the stress and uncertainty of modern life . . .
In clear, practical and easy to follow lessons – one a day for 100 days – renowned Buddhist monk Shunmyo Masuno draws on centuries of wisdom to show you how to apply the essence of Zen to modern life.
You will learn how to exhale deeply to eliminate negative emotions, to arrange your house simply to clear your thinking, to line up your shoes at night to bring order to your mind, to plant a single flower and watch it grow, to worry less about what you cannot control, and so much more . . .
You will even make time to think about nothing at all.
#5 Learn from adversity
The Spy and the Traitor || Ben MacIntyre
On a warm July evening in 1985, a middle-aged man stood on the pavement of a busy avenue in the heart of Moscow, holding a plastic carrier bag. In his grey suit and tie, he looked like any other Soviet citizen. The bag alone was mildly conspicuous, printed with the red logo of Safeway, the British supermarket.
The man was a spy. A senior KGB officer, for more than a decade he had supplied his British spymasters with a stream of priceless secrets from deep within the Soviet intelligence machine. No spy had done more to damage the KGB. The Safeway bag was a signal: to activate his escape plan to be smuggled out of Soviet Russia. So began one of the boldest and most extraordinary episodes in the history of spying. Ben Macintyre reveals a tale of espionage, betrayal and raw courage that changed the course of the Cold War forever…
#6 Keep upskilling
HBR at 100 || Clayton M. Christensen
The most definitive management ideas of the century, all in one place.
Harvard Business Review is the foremost destination for smart management thinking. Now, at its 100th anniversary, this commemorative volume brings together the most influential ideas since its inception.
#7 Always have the upper hand
Never Split the Difference || Tahl Voss, Chris,Raz
After a stint policing the rough streets of Kansas City, Missouri, Chris Voss joined the FBI, where his career as a kidnapping negotiator brought him face-to-face with bank robbers, gang leaders and terrorists. Never Split the Difference takes you inside his world of high-stakes negotiations, revealing the nine key principles that helped Voss and his colleagues succeed when it mattered the most – when people’s lives were at stake.
Rooted in the real-life experiences of an intelligence professional at the top of his game, Never Split the Difference will give you the competitive edge in any discussion.
#8 Communicate with intent and precision
The Communication Book || Mikael Krogerus, Roman Tschäppeler
Communication is a bit like love – it’s what makes the world go round, but nobody really knows how it works.’
Struggle to find the words in meetings? Know what you mean but not how to say it? From Aristotle’s thoughts on presenting to the Harvard Negotiation Project, internationally bestselling duo Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschäppeler have 44 tried and tested ideas to change that.
#9 Overcome mental biases
Think Again || Adam Grant
Why do we refresh our wardrobes every year, renovate our kitchens every decade, but never update our beliefs and our views? Why do we laugh at people using computers that are ten years old, but yet still cling to opinions we formed ten years ago?
There’s a new skill for the modern world that matters more than raw intelligence – the ability to change your mind. To have the edge we all need to develop the flexibility to unlearn old beliefs and adapt when the evidence and the world changes before us.
#10 Make the most of the little time we have
Four Thousand Weeks || Oliver Burkeman
What if you tried to stop doing everything, so you could finally get round to what counts?
Rejecting the futile modern obsession with ‘getting everything done,’ Four Thousand Weeks introduces readers to tools for constructing a meaningful life by embracing rather than denying their limitations.
Drawing on the insights of both ancient and contemporary philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual teachers, Oliver Burkeman sets out to realign our relationship with time – and in doing so, to liberate us from its tyranny.
#11 Don’t forget to breathe
Breath || James Nestor
There is nothing more essential to our health and wellbeing than breathing: take air in, let it out, repeat 25,000 times a day. Yet, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences. In Breath, journalist James Nestor travels the world to discover the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it.
#12 Embrace positive thinking
The Comfort Book || Matt Haig
The Comfort Book is a collection of consolations learned in hard times and suggestions for making the bad days better. Drawing on maxims, memoir and the inspirational lives of others, these meditations offer new ways of seeing ourselves and the world.
This is the book to pick up when you need the wisdom of a friend, the comfort of a hug or a reminder that hope comes from unexpected places.
#13 Cultivate a never-give-up attitude
Grit || Angela Duckworth
UNLOCK THE KEY TO SUCCESS WITH JP MORGAN’S BEST SUMMER READ OF 2018. Grit is a must-read for anyone seeking to succeed, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth takes us on an eye-opening journey to discover the true qualities that lead to outstanding achievement.
#14 Keep yourself away from toxicity
The Myth of Normal || Daniel Mate Gabor Mate
Mental illness and chronic disease are on an unstoppable rise. How did we get here?
And what lies ahead for us?
‘It all starts with waking up… to what our bodies are expressing and our minds are suppressing.’
In The Myth of Normal Gabor Maté connects the dots between our personal suffering and the relentless pressures of modern life – showing that ill health is a natural reflection of our disconnection from our true selves. Drawing on four decades of clinical experience, and stories of people transforming their bodies and minds, Dr Maté offers a hopeful pathway to reconnection and healing.
#15 Focus on your health
Outlive || Dr. Peter Attia
For all its successes, mainstream medicine has failed to make much progress against the diseases of ageing that kill most people: heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and type 2 diabetes. Too often, it intervenes with treatments too late, prolonging lifespan at the expense of quality of life. Dr Peter Attia, the world’s top longevity expert, believes we must replace this outdated framework with a personalised, proactive strategy for longevity.
This isn’t ‘biohacking,’ it’s science: a well-founded strategic approach to extending lifespan while improving our physical, cognitive and emotional health, making each decade better than the one before. With Outlive‘s practical advice and roadmap, you can plot a different path for your life, one that lets you outlive your genes to make each decade better than the one before.
#16 Look beyond the obvious
Hidden Potential || Adam Grant
Hidden Potential offers a new framework for raising aspirations and exceeding expectations. Adam Grant weaves together groundbreaking evidence, surprising insights, and vivid storytelling that takes us from the classroom to the boardroom, the playground to the Olympics, and underground to outer space. He shows that progress depends less on how hard you work than how well you learn. Growth is not about the genius you possess – it’s about the character you develop. Grant explores how to build the character skills and motivational structures to realize our own potential, and how to design systems that create opportunities for those who have been underrated and overlooked.
#17 Revaluate your thoughts and conduct
The Four Agreements || Don Miguel Ruiz, Janet Mills
In The Four Agreements, bestselling author don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.
#18 Recognise the power of gratitude
The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down || Haemin Sunim
The world moves fast, but that doesn’t mean we have to. In this timely guide to mindfulness, Haemin Sunim, a Buddhist monk born in Korea and educated in the United States, offers advice on everything from handling setbacks to dealing with rest and relationships, in a beautiful book combining his teachings with calming full-colour illustrations. Haemin Sunim’s simple messages speak directly to the anxieties that have become part of modern life and remind us of the strength and joy that come from slowing down.
Hugely popular in Korea, Haemin Sunim is a Zen meditation teacher whose teachings transcend religion, borders and ages. With insight and compassion drawn from a life full of change, the bestselling monk succeeds at encouraging all of us to notice that when you slow down, the world slows down with you.
#19 Listen to your body
The Body Keeps the Score || Bessel van der Kolk
The effects of trauma can be devastating for sufferers, their families and future generations. Here one of the world’s experts on traumatic stress offers a bold new paradigm for treatment, moving away from standard talking and drug therapies and towards an alternative approach that heals mind, brain and body.
#20 Brush up the fundamentals
The Personal MBA || Josh Kaufman
From the basics of products, sales & marketing and finance to the nuances of human psychology, teamwork and creating systems, this book distils what you need to know to take on the MBA graduates and win. It teaches simple mental models for every subject that’s key to commercial success.
#21 Discover the laws of success
The Diary of a CEO || Steven Bartlett
At the very heart of all the success and failure I’ve been exposed to – both my own entrepreneurial journey and through the thousands of interviews I’ve conducted on my podcast – are a set of principles that can stand the test of time, apply to any industry, and be used by anyone who is search of building something great or becoming someone great.
#22 Always plan ahead
The Coming Wave || Mustafa Suleyman, Michael Bhaskar
Soon you will live surrounded by AIs. They will organise your life, operate your business, and run core government services. You will live in a world of DNA printers and quantum computers, engineered pathogens and autonomous weapons, robot assistants and abundant energy.
None of us are prepared.
As co-founder of the pioneering AI company DeepMind, part of Google, Mustafa Suleyman has been at the centre of this revolution. The coming decade, he argues, will be defined by this wave of powerful, fast-proliferating new technologies.
In The Coming Wave, Suleyman shows how these forces will create immense prosperity but also threaten the nation-state, the foundation of global order. As our fragile governments sleepwalk into disaster, we face an existential dilemma: unprecedented harms on one side and the threat of overbearing surveillance on the other.
Can we forge a narrow path between catastrophe and dystopia?
#23 Stop yourself from burning out
When the Body Says No || Dr Gabor Maté
Drawing on deep scientific research and Dr Gabor Maté’s acclaimed clinical work, When the Body Says No provides the answers to critical questions about the mind-body link – and the role that stress and our emotional makeup play in an array of common diseases.
When the Body Says No:
– Explores the role of the mind-body link in conditions and diseases such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome and multiple sclerosis.
– Shares dozens of enlightening case studies and stories, including those of people such as Lou Gehrig (ALS), Betty Ford (breast cancer), Ronald Reagan (Alzheimer’s), Gilda Radner (ovarian cancer) and Lance Armstrong (testicular cancer)
– Reveals ‘The Seven A’s of Healing’: principles in healing and the prevention of illness from hidden stress.
#24 Learn to enjoy what you do
Feel-Good Productivity || Ali Abdaal
We think that productivity is all about hard work. That the road to success is lined with endless frustration and toil. But what if there’s another way?
Dr Ali Abdaal – the world’s most-followed productivity expert – has uncovered an easier, happier path to success. Drawing on decades of psychological research, he has found that the secret to productivity and success isn’t grind – it’s feeling good. If you can make your work feel good, then productivity takes care of itself.
In Feel Good Productivity, Ali reveals how the science of feel-good productivity can transform your life. He introduces the three hidden ‘energisers’ that underpin enjoyable productivity, the three ‘blockers’ we must overcome to beat procrastination, and the three ‘sustainers’ that prevent burnout and help us achieve lasting fulfilment. He recounts the inspiring stories of founders, Olympians, and Nobel-winning scientists who embody the principles of Feel-Good Productivity. And he introduces the simple, actionable changes that you can use to achieve more and live better, starting today.
Armed with Ali’s insights, you won’t just accomplish more. You’ll feel happier and more fulfilled along the way.
#25 Focus on the things that matter
The Courage To Be Happy || Ichiro Kishimi
The sequel to the global bestseller The courage to be Disliked, the Japanese phenomenon in applying twentieth-century psychology to contemporary dilemmas continues with life-changing advice on finding happiness.
#26 Find creative inspiration in any situation
The Creative Act || Rick Rubin
Many famed music producers are known for a particular sound that has its day and then ages out. Rick Rubin is known for something else: creating a space where artists of all different genres and traditions can home in on who they really are and what they really offer. He has made a practice of helping people transcend their self-imposed expectations in order to reconnect with a state of innocence from which the surprising becomes inevitable.
Over the years, as he has thought deeply about where creativity comes from and where it doesn’t, he has learned that being an artist isn’t about your specific output; it’s about your relationship to the world. Creativity has a place in everyone’s life, and everyone can make that place larger. In fact, there are few more important responsibilities.
#27 Learn from the experience of others
Everything I Know About Love || Dolly Alderton
Award-winning journalist Dolly Alderton survived her twenties (just about) and in Everything I Know About Love, she gives an unflinching account of the bad dates and squalid flat-shares, the heartaches and humiliations, and most importantly, the unbreakable female friendships that helped her to hold it all together. Glittering with wit, heart and humour, this is a book to press into the hands of every woman who has ever been there or is about to find themselves taking that first step towards the rest of their lives.
#28 Nurture a deep curiosity for learning
The School Of Life || Alain de Botton
This is a book about everything you were never taught at school. It’s about how to understand your emotions, find and sustain love, succeed in your career, fail well and overcome shame and guilt. It’s also about letting go of the myth of a perfect life in order to achieve genuine emotional maturity. Written in a hugely accessible, warm and humane style, The School of Life is the ultimate guide to the emotionally fulfilled lives we all long for – and deserve.
#29 Foster Lasting Relationships
The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read || Philippa Perry
In this Sunday Times bestseller, leading psychotherapist Philippa Perry reveals the vital do’s and don’ts of relationships. This is a book for us all. Whether you are interested in understanding how your upbringing has shaped you, looking to handle your child’s feelings or wishing to support your partner, you will find indispensable information and realistic tips in these pages. Philippa Perry’s sane, sage and judgement-free advice is an essential resource on how to have the best possible relationships with the people who matter to you most.
#30 Understand different states of mind
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? || Dr. Julie Smith
Filled with secrets from a therapist’s toolkit, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? offers simple advice, effective strategies and powerful coping techniques to help readers stay positive and resilient no matter what life throws their way.
Written in short, bite-sized entries, in Dr Julie’s warm and informal style, a reader can turn straight to the appropriate section depending on the challenge being faced and immediately find tools to help. From managing anxiety, dealing with criticism or battling low mood, to building self-confidence, finding motivation or learning to forgive yourself, and much more, this book tackles everyday issues that affect us all and offers easy, practical solutions that might just change your life.
Explore a goldmine of wisdom with a diverse collection of books spanning career, management, and entrepreneurship. From leadership insights to personal growth and empathy’s role in a post-pandemic world, these reads offer a powerful perspective. Your path to success starts here!
Play to Transform || Avinash Jhangiani
Play to Transform is a book that challenges the traditional mindset of business leaders and encourages them to tap into their inner child to accelerate transformation with purpose. The book argues that we are all born creative geniuses with an innate ability to empathize deeply with others, but somewhere along the way, we have lost touch with these qualities. In the post-pandemic world, leaders need to be more empathetic and agile than ever before, and a conscious shift in mindset is required to achieve this.
Unlocked || Gezim Gashi
Gezim Gashi recounts his extraordinary journey-from escaping the Kosovo genocide to becoming the first Albanian-Swede to launch a high school institute in the United States – Gezim lays out a path to personal success and fulfillment that is accessible to all, regardless of their background. With his mentorship, readers will be inspired to overcome obstacles and achieve their biggest goals.
Unfiltered || Ana Lueneburger, Saurabh Mukherjea
A pioneering book, Unfiltered: The CEO and the Coach, for the first time, opens the doors that normally shield the confidential world of coaching conversations. The book, through its candour, helps readers fully grasp the life-changing impact that coaching can have. Conceived as a leadership development book, the authors share the narratives (both individual and mutual) of their partnership over the course of five years. The resultant narrative provides not just unique insights that executives and entrepreneurs will find useful for their own development but also deep insights into how, by understanding ourselves, we move towards mastery over the world at large.
Leading from the Back || Ravi Kant, Harry Paul, Ross Reck
Are you looking for a leadership model that is uncomplicated, easy to use and produces amazing results? If so, then Leading from the Back is for you! In it you will find everything you need to become a superstar leader. You will learn how to earn respect from your team members and help them in achieving the impossible. No more learning about numerous principles and laws of leadership. Just a three-part model that has an amazing track record of proven success.
Leading from the Back is a distillation of the collective experience and wisdom of Ravi Kant (former CEO, vice chairman, Tata Motors), Harry Paul (co-author of the bestseller FISH! A Proven Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results) and Ross Reck (co-author of The Win-Win Negotiator).
The Secret of Leadership || Iyer Prakash
Bestselling author Prakash Iyer uses simple but powerful anecdotes and parables from all over the world to demonstrate what makes for effective personal and professional leadership. Iyer draws lessons from sources as diverse as his driver, a mother giraffe, Abraham Lincoln and footballers in the United Kingdom. He shows how an instinct to lead can be acquired even while flipping burgers at a fast-food chain. All of these stories come together in an explosive cocktail to unleash your inner leader.
Catalyst || Chandramouli Venkatesan
A good job, hard work, IQ, EQ, good communication skills-these are all ingredients for a successful life. The presence of these elements alone, however, does not guarantee success. To convert them into long-term success, you need certain stimuli which precipitate or accelerate your growth. This robustly effective book identifies the various catalysts that you can cultivate and how you can leverage them to propel yourself in your work and life.
Accessible, engaging and easy to follow, and written by someone who has experienced all this in real life and not in theory, Catalyst will arm you with the right tools to succeed at your work place and get the most out of every moment, every day.
The Habit of Winning || Iyer Prakash
Do you feel like throwing in the towel, but want to be a great leader? Would you like to build an organization? Do you want your child to be the best she can be? If you answered yes to any of these questions, The Habit of Winning is the book for you. It is a book that will change the way you think, work and live, with stories about self-belief and perseverance, leadership and teamwork-stories that will ignite a new passion and a renewed sense of purpose in your mind.
The High Performance Entrepreneur || Subroto Bagchi
In The High Performance Entrepreneur, Subroto Bagchi draws from his own experiences to offer guidance from the idea stage to the initial public offering level. This includes deciding when one is ready to launch an enterprise, selecting a team, defining the values and objectives of the company, writing the business plan, choosing the right investors, managing adversity and building the brand. Additionally, in an especially illuminating chapter, Bagchi recounts the systems and values which have brought Indian IT companies on a par with the best in the world. High-performance entrepreneurs create great wealth, for themselves as well as for others. They provide jobs, which are crucial for an expanding workforce, and drive innovation. More than a guide, this book will tap the entrepreneurial energy within you.
Design Your Thinking || Pavan Soni
Pioneered by IDEO and Stanford d.school, design thinking is one such approach that draws inspiration from the realm of product design. However, it shouldn’t be narrowly associated with the world of start-ups and technology or thought of as something limited to product development. The method is increasingly being used in a wider context and can help us address a vast array of problems.
Design Your Thinking attempts to offer a practitioner’s perspective on how the tenets, methods and discipline of design thinking can be applied across a range of domains, including to everyday problems, and help us become expert problem-solvers through the use of the appropriate toolsets, skill sets and mindsets.
Let’s Build A Company || Harpreet Grover, Vibhore Goyal
It started with a phone call from Harpreet’s mother introducing him to an uncle who wanted some help. Or maybe it started when Vibhore and Harpreet met as roommates in Room 143 at IIT Bombay. What remains true is that soon both had quit their jobs and launched CoCubes. From no money in their bank accounts for eight years after graduating to becoming dollar millionaires two years later in 2016, this is a tale of grit-of a company built in India by two Indian-middle-class-twenty-somethings-turned-entrepreneurs-written in the hope that you can avoid the mistakes they made and learn from what they did right.
This is that story-the story that you don’t always hear. But if you want to be an entrepreneur, and you prefer straight talk to sugar-coating, it’s one you should read.
How Come No One Told Me That || Prakash Iyer
How Come No One Told Me That? divided into ten sections, exploring life lessons, ways of improving oneself, leadership and the importance of doing small things right, among other subjects. Through powerful anecdotes and charming essays, followed by practical, actionable advice, this book will help you make those minor adjustments to your professional and personal lives that can truly make you unstoppable.
Learn, Don’t Study || Pramath Raj Sinha
‘What should I study to best prepare me for success in today’s working world?’
This is the most common question one gets from young people (and their parents) who are transitioning from school to college education. They want to know which fields they should choose, which universities or programmes to attend, and which career track will give them the best chance to succeed.
In Learn, Don’t Study, drawing on his experiences of over twenty-five years in the field of education, Pramath Raj Sinha has put together the best and most practical advice available for youngsters who are facing some of the most important and challenging choices of their professional lives.
Build Don’t Talk || Raj Shamani
School taught us specific subjects, like maths and history.
But we weren’t taught:
How to sell
Or how to build relationships
Or how to negotiate
Or how to take care of our mental health
Or how to network
Or how to deal with personal finance
These most important situations we face as adults were never discussed with us when we were students. We weren’t taught these skills in school, and this makes all the success stories we hear about seem out of reach; it makes us feel dumb. We aren’t dumb, we just don’t know how to work the system.
Your school taught you how to run in the race; it didn’t teach you how to win. And that’s what this book is for. To help you win the race. Packed with useful advice gleaned from his own journey as an entrepreneur and content creator, this book by Raj Shamani is a must-read.
COMING SOON
Career 3.0 || Abhijit Bhaduri
Abhijit Bhaduri, a renowned expert on talent and leadership, shows you how to develop the six key skills that will make you future-ready and successful in Career 3.0. Whether you work for an organization, run your own business or do both, you will discover how to adapt to change, learn new skills, and lead with impact.
Career 3.0 is a guide that will help you stay relevant. The book is filled with inspiring stories that will challenge you to rethink your career vision, strategy and action. It will give you the tools and techniques to thrive in the new world of work and propel your career.
You may be surprised to find out that you already have a Career 3.0 mindset. Now you know what it is called.
Step into the world of wisdom with Dhruva by Gauranga Darshan Das. The book presents Dhruva’s insights on relationships and success in simple yet profound ways. Learn to communicate better, nurture connections, and achieve success while embracing positivity and self-improvement with Dhruva’s Pearls of Wisdom.
Dhruva || Gauranga Darshan Das
***
Dhruva’s Pearls of Wisdom
Relationship Sutras
1. Restrict the urge to speak stiffly and raise the intensity to speak sweetly.
2. Using pleasing words can make a wonderful world within you. Why not be happy free of cost?
3. When you envy others for what they have, you forget what you have. So, beware of envy.
4. Replacing superiority complex with sensitivity and envy with appreciation wins us more friends.
5. Get rid of pride by recognizing how blessed others are. Dismiss envy by seeing how blessed you are
6. Negativity is like seeing dark clouds. Positivity is like embracing the rain. Make your choice.
7. Let’s be wise to seek opportunities to grow amidst reversals and inspire others to do so.
8. Finding hope in hopeless situations is indeed a herculean task. Why not seek help from the One who arranged it all?
9. Let other’s misbehaviour not stimulate our ill behaviour.
10. When you see good in others, you replicate the way God sees you.
11. Don’t be too eager to point out other’s flaws, give them space to realize on their own.
12. Our heart is too tiny to accommodate all sorts of dirt and the Divine at the same time. Let’s cleanse the heart from the dirt of greed, envy and pride.
13. Modern age austerity is to stop gossiping and start speaking for others’ benefit.
14. Selflessness enlivens relationships while selfishness estranges them.
15. Disapproval of others’ misdeeds is necessary but disowning them is not.
16. Be grateful to those who guided, inspired and supported you. Start with your mother.
17. Get rid of the heavy weight of ‘grudges’ to lighten your heart.
18. Devotion doesn’t stop the rains of distress but it equips you with an umbrella.
19. Never give up your love for your dear ones and tag it as philosophy
20. 6. Rejecting the entire basket of fruits just because one is rotten will make you miss the real sweetness.
21. While selfish agendas expressed through violence are barbaric, selfless service accompanied by necessary violence brings about true peace.
Success Sutras
1. It’s not worth being impulsive or getting unduly affected by difficulties. Let’s seek the solution that lies beyond lamentation.
2. An unshakable resolve despite reversals and tests is a time-tested formula for success.
3. It’s wise to learn from those relatively more successful than you instead of being envious.
4. It’s worth befriending someone who is equally successful instead of competing.
5. It’s sensible to guide someone who is not as successful as you instead of being oppressive.
7. Focus on a character that inspires people’s hearts rather than accomplishments that impress their minds.
8. The mind makes us deliberately commit downtrodden acts and then fools us by claiming it to be a mistake.
9. While hoping for the best, we shouldn’t put our hands to rest.
10. Stop worrying about useless thoughts and start pulling your mind away from them. It’s difficult but not impossible if we are determined!
11. With character and determination in place, age and gender don’t even qualify as criteria for success.
12. Don’t be overconfident in your power, seek empowerment from the source of all power— God.
13. Determination means to terminate our temptations. Guidance means finding out how to do so.
14. Let your success make others happy but don’t equate making others happy with success
15. A mother can play the role of a mentor, father, brother and whatnot. Can anyone repay her?
16. Make sure your ‘detachment’ doesn’t become ‘irresponsibility.’
17. Don’t be too possessive about temporary possessions or positions.
18. When the world seems to be full of pains, recognize them to be your mind’s endless complaints. Win the war within to defeat the wars without.
19. Want to dismiss peace? Then give anger a seat.
20. For the soul this world is foreign. Be a holiday maker, not a stress receptor.
21. Don’t decorate the golden cage (body) forever. Remember to nourish the hungry bird (soul) that’s starving within
***
Get your copy of Dhruva by Gauranga Darshan Das wherever books are sold.
Dive into a handpicked collection of books that unlock the secrets to success, challenge traditional thinking, and inspire personal growth. From workplace wisdom to extraordinary journeys, entrepreneurial endeavors, and captivating corporate tales, these books offer insights that are both enlightening and entertaining. Whether you’re a business enthusiast or an aspiring leader, these books are your gateway to a world of knowledge and inspiration.
Play to Transform || Avinash Jhangiani
Play to Transform is a book that challenges the traditional mindset of business leaders and encourages them to tap into their inner child to accelerate transformation with purpose. The book argues that we are all born creative geniuses with an innate ability to empathize deeply with others, but somewhere along the way, we have lost touch with these qualities. In the post-pandemic world, leaders need to be more empathetic and agile than ever before, and a conscious shift in mindset is required to achieve this.
Office Secrets || Harish Bhat
Office Secrets offers a selection of fascinating and useful secrets that can help you be far more successful at your workplace. As a bonus, they can make you happier as well. You will find within a range of subjects-whether the best methods of fighting exhaustion, organizing your work desk, the power of listening, why kindness is so important, workplace lessons from Hercule Poirot and what you can learn from the cookies that your colleagues eat.
Harish Bhat wields his pen with his signature insight to delight, inspire, provoke and change the way you see offices forever.
Unlocked || Gezim Gashi
Gezim Gashi recounts his extraordinary journey-from escaping the Kosovo genocide to becoming the first Albanian-Swede to launch a high school institute in the United States – Gezim lays out a path to personal success and fulfillment that is accessible to all, regardless of their background. With his mentorship, readers will be inspired to overcome obstacles and achieve their biggest goals.
Unlocking Unicorn Secrets captures the entrepreneurial journeys of some of India’s new-age founders and looks at the challenges they faced and how they overcame them. It covers themes such as developing an idea, building out the minimum viable product (MVP), finding a co-founder, setting up the founding team, raising funds and scaling the business, among others. Through primary research and a series of interviews conducted with the founders of these billion-dollar companies, the authors weave a narrative that is both accessible and informative.
The Big Bull of Dalal Street || Neil Borate, Aprajita Sharma, Aditya Kondawar
The Big Bull of Dalal Street looks at the life of India’s big bull, as Rakesh was famously known, both as a person and as a professional. Providing a fascinating account of his journey, it analyses the records of Jhunjhunwala’s investments and interviews he has given over the years. More than just a biography, a large section of the book is devoted to understanding the stocks that made him rich and the mistakes he made. Looking at the journey of the legendary investor, the book offers retail investors some useful insights—-benefits of long-term investing, mistakes one should avoid in the stock market, risk associated with leveraged trades, among others.
Exprovement || Hersh Haladker, RA Mashelkar
Through the various examples highlighted in this book, Hersh Haladker and Raghunath Mashelkar emphasize that searching for growth opportunities within an offering’s existing industry usually results in incremental improvement, whereas exponential improvement can be achieved by drawing parallels from outside of the current context.
Unfinished Business || Nandini Vijayaraghavan
Unfinished Business is a chronicle of contemporary Indian corporate history, narrated through the professional trajectories of four high-profile businessmen: Anil Ambani, Naresh Goyal, V.G. Siddhartha and Vijay Mallya. Following these four entrepreneurs’ careers and professional decisions, Unfinished Business throws light on the evolution of Indian capitalism during the first two decades of the twenty-first century, set against the backdrop of a dynamic political, regulatory and business climate in India. And, with great insight, clarity and analysis, Nandini Vijayaraghavan explores the takeaways for entrepreneurs, regulators, lenders and investors in this compelling, illuminating read.
Doglapan || Ashneer Grover
A young boy with a ‘refugee’ tag growing up in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar outpaces his circumstances by becoming a rank-holder at the pinnacle of academic excellence in India-IIT Delhi. He goes on to do an MBA from the hallowed halls of IIM Ahmedabad, builds a career as an investment banker at Kotak Investment Banking and AmEx, and is pivotal in the making of two unicorns-Grofers, as CFO, and BharatPe, as co-founder.
The Dolphin and The Shark || Namita Thapar
The Dolphin and the Shark is born out of Namita Thapar’s experiences of being a judge on Shark Tank India and running the India business of the pharma company Emcure as well as her own entrepreneurship academy. The book emphasizes how leaders of today need to strike a balance between being a shark (aggressive leader) and a dolphin (empathetic leader).
Work 3.0 || Avik Chanda, Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay
Work 3.0 tackles this and some of the other most pressing and complex questions of the present age, head-on. Avik Chanda and Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay employ rigorous research supplemented with industry reports, business case studies, expert interviews, anecdotes, their personal expertise and insights, to present a rich multi-disciplinary brew that spans economics, statistics, public policy, history, sociology, psychology, law, political science, literature and philosophy. Highly ambitious in scope, astonishingly rich in analytical detail and far-reaching in its conclusions, the book will change the way you think about the future and how the past and present still shape it.
How Business Storytelling Works || Sandeep Das
Whether you are a corporate professional, an entrepreneur, a tech guru, a marketer, a strategy consultant, a social media influencer or a student, the book tells you how to succeed in the REAL world. Sandeep brings in nuggets from his numerous storytelling workshops at leading corporates and business schools, and intersperses it with illustrations and hordes of popular culture references, making the book
as engaging as a good story. So, what are you waiting for? Head to the checkout counter.
The Company We Keep || Divya Khanna
The Company We Keep is a market research-based exploration of Indian corporate culture. It looks beyond the glamour and jargon of the business world to individual stories that share real personal insights into the aspirations, vulnerabilities, pressures and possibilities of corporate careers and lives. These are urgent conversations we need to keep having as we reflect, review and decide where we can go from here.
Gautam Adani || R.N. Bhaskar
Gautam Adani needs no introduction. One of the richest men in the world, he also helms a business empire that is now India’s largest player in ports and renewable energy. He is also the country’s largest private sector player in sectors like airports, city gas distribution, power transmission, thermal power, edible oil, and railway lines. Yet, look beyond these facts, and startlingly little is known about Gautam Adani, the maverick businessman; about his motivations and vision; about his life, and the episodes, minor and major, that propelled him to make the choices he did.
Build Don’t Talk || Raj Shamani
Your school taught you how to run in the race; it didn’t teach you how to win. And that’s what this book is for. To help you win the race. Packed with useful advice gleaned from his own journey as an entrepreneur and content creator, this book by Raj Shamani is a must-read.
Rahul Bajaj || Gita Piramal
Rahul Bajaj is a billionaire businessman, the chairman emeritus of the Bajaj Group and a former member of Parliament. This book is not just the story of Rahul Bajaj but the story of India. The author takes us through the country’s transformation from the time Rahul Bajaj’s mother was imprisoned during the freedom struggle to the prism of his eventful life.
Based on unrestricted interviews, the book is full of anecdotes, business learnings and political asides. It is, at its core, a moving human story.
Investonomy || Pranjal Kamra
Investonomy not only explains modern value investing principles but also unveils certain secrets of the stock market. It busts popular myths and misconceptions as well. A thorough reading of this book will enable you to chart your own investment plans, and soon, you’ll be all set for your personal wealth-creation journey through equity investment. Investonomy is an initiative to empower existing, as well as potential, investors like you.
Unfiltered || Ana Lueneburger, Saurabh Mukherjea
A pioneering book, Unfiltered: The CEO and the Coach, for the first time, opens the doors that normally shield the confidential world of coaching conversations. The book, through its candour, helps readers fully grasp the life-changing impact that coaching can have. Conceived as a leadership development book, the authors share the narratives (both individual and mutual) of their partnership over the course of five years. The resultant narrative provides not just unique insights that executives and entrepreneurs will find useful for their own development but also deep insights into how, by understanding ourselves, we move towards mastery over the world at large.
The Dream Founder || Dhruv Nath
The DREAM Founder is an essential entrepreneurship guide for early-stage Indian start-ups. It also has interviews with some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world of start-ups, such as Sanjeev Bikhchandani of Naukri.com, Deepinder Goyal of Zomato, Meena Ganesh of Portea Medical and Dr Annurag Batra of Businessworld.
Dive into Unlocked: The Power of You by Gezim Gashi and explore the game-changing influence of our choices: saying “yes” and confidently saying “no.” Through personal experiences and reflections, Gashi unravels the dynamics of these choices, revealing how they shape our journey toward productivity, purpose, and fulfillment.
Read this exclusive excerpt for profound insights that can reshape how we navigate life’s endless decisions.
Unlocked || Gezim Gashi
“If you aren’t working on Saturdays and
Sundays, someone else will, and they
are going to take your seat.”
—DAVID FOSTER
***
I met David a few years ago at Universal Music Group in Los Angeles, where he did a master class for my students. He has long been an inspiration to me, and it was amazing to meet with him and watch him teach our students.
One of the things he said, something that I’ll never forget, is quoted above.
Unless we identify whatever it is that we want to do more than watching Netflix or checking our phone or sleeping in, we won’t have the energy and determination needed.
Once you find the thing that you will say yes to, always, it becomes easier to say no to everything else.
We make so many decisions every day. Whether to hit snooze, whether to send that email, whether to reach out and try again to schedule that meeting with the person who seems to be avoiding us. The power of yes, “Yes, I do want to do this thing more than anything else,” is the power that keeps us moving forward.
Yes unleashes our energy and our talents.
But it is the power of no that frees us to succeed. Without it, the work we do on Saturdays and Sundays may be taking us in the absolute wrong direction.
How many times have you watched people succeed at something only to realize it wasn’t really what they wanted? Become the greatest in their field and then fall into despair or self-sabotage?
How many times have you invested time and energy in attracting the attention of a person you later realized wasn’t someone you wanted in your life?
As many wise people have said before me, success isn’t just about working hard, but about working smart. Stephen R. Covey, the author of the monumental bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, said, “Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.”
It is true of our influence on other people, but even more importantly, it is true of our stewardship of our own lives.
There are so many ways we can allow our time and energy to be drained by unimportant tasks, bad habits and procrastination. Many people are outpaced while working long hours—they aren’t working on the right things, or they aren’t regularly recharging their energy and so they burn out.
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey introduced another life-changing idea: our success is determined largely by how well we care for the people who make us successful. For example, I know that I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for my family—they are the people who make everything I do worthwhile. If I had the choice of being at the Grammys or being with my family, my question would be, “Which would make my family happier?” And that isn’t self-sacrifice on my part—my happiness is my family’s happiness, and their happiness is mine. I can be 100 percent sure that they will want me to do what is best for me. That’s what will make them happy. So, success for me includes making time for my family, no matter what. When they need me, I’m there for them Similarly, I know that my body and mind are the instruments that enable me to live my best life. Sleeping at least seven hours a night doesn’t interfere with my work—it is the foundation of my work, just as Serena Williams eats nutritious food and employs the best practice techniques to
win championships.
Barack Obama had a closet full of identical blue suits so that he didn’t have to think about what to wear. Steve Jobs wore a black turtleneck and jeans to work every day. Many accomplished people eat the same breakfast and lunch each day to remove yet another decision and series of tasks from their schedule.
The healthiest people make activity part of their daily routine.
In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear makes a powerful case for the impact of tiny changes, which he compares to the slightest adjustment in a flight path. Initially, the change is almost unnoticeable, which is why it’s easier to make. Within a brief time, however, when a change becomes a habit, the impact on your direction and destination is significant. And all habits are seeded in a yes and a no. Yes to one thing, no to everything else.
Clear and other researchers have found that it is very difficult to stop a bad habit but much easier to replace a bad habit with a positive one.
We say no to having a cigarette or eating that second pastry and yes to going out for a walk while we talk to a friend on the phone. If we deprive ourselves of pleasure, our mind and body will find a way to recalibrate—we want and need pleasure! But if we can replace one kind of pleasure with another, the new pleasure will become a positive habit quickly.
No to one thing, yes to another.
Yes to one thing, no to another.
We get more effective at life and all decisions when we think in terms of this couplet rather than about all the decisions we must make.
Sometimes this balancing act of yes and no is easy and clear. I know that partying until the early morning will cost me my energy and focus the next day; it might even leave me with a fuzzy head a day or two after that if I indulge too much. Being clear on my “yes” makes it easy—yes, I want to help other people identify and leverage their brilliance, which means I don’t have any days to waste.
Yes, I have to be sharp.
No, I’m not going to stay at that party past eleven.
***
Get your copy of Unlocked: The Power of You by Gezim Gashi wherever books are sold.
Experience the essence of success through the inspiring story of Prince Dhruva by Gauranga Darshan Das. Rooted in the timeless trio of desire, endeavor, and prayer Dhruva’s journey showcases steadfast determination and the influence of mentorship. Read this excerpt, to extract insights that surpass age and background, presenting valuable lessons for those on the path to success.
Get ready for the Ultimate Six-Month Success Formula!
Dhruva || Gauranga Darshan Das
***
The trio for success –
1. Desire, 2. Endeavour and 3. Prayer One’s ‘desire’ must be pure and strong, one’s ‘endeavour’ has to be sincere and determined, yet without the Lord’s sanction, one can’t be successful, therefore, ‘prayer’ is necessary.
After being instructed by his mentor in the process of worshipping Lord Vishnu, Dhruva went to Madhuvana. Arriving at the bank of the Yamuna, he entered the river to take a bath. Later that night, he diligently observed a fast.
Then, as advised by Narada Muni, he began his worship of the Lord in the beautiful forest of Madhuvana. Dhruva’s austerities in the forest set a great example for all seekers for eons to come. The level of his determination and the intensity of his resolve was unparalleled even as a five-year-old child.
Increasing Intensity of Austerities
Dhruva began worshipping Lord Vishnu sincerely and restricted his eating only to fruits and berries named Kapittha and Badara, only once in three days, to keep his body alive. In this way, he spent one full month.
In the second month, Dhruva survived on some dry grass and leaves that he took only once in six days. Without wasting even a moment searching for food or other things, Dhruva became absorbed in his worship of the Lord.
During the third month, Dhruva’s austerities and his absorption in Lord Vishnu increased. He simply drank water only once every nine days. Thus, he remained rapt in meditation and eventually entered a trance while worshipping the Lord.
As the fourth month set in, Dhruva’s sadhana spiritual practice intensified further. He mastered pranayama or breathing exercises, and would inhale air only once in twelve days. Being completely fixed up in his position as a devotee of Lord Vishnu, he took only air as his food.
By the fifth month, Dhruva’s meditation reached its crescendo. He had completely controlled his breathing, attained perfection in the process and was able to stand simply on one leg. Like a motionless column, Dhruva fully concentrated on the form of Lord Vishnu in line with the teachings of his guru, Narada Muni. He continually chanted and meditated on the mantra ‘om namo bhagavate vasudevaya.’
The power of sincere meditation on the divine form of the Lord makes one completely absorbed in a trance.
Complete Self-control
Dhruva attained complete sense control. His senses were not at all agitated by any sense object. Generally, the greatest obstacle in spiritual life or even in one’s normal life is the distraction caused by the senses—our eyes constantly chase beautiful objects, our ears long to hear pleasant sounds and music, our hands hanker to touch soft objects that give pleasure to the body, our nose continually pursues sweet fragrances, and the tongue wishes to taste palatable dishes even if they may hamper one’s health. In this way, an average human being is constantly tormented by sensual attractions that are nothing but distractions. But Dhruva’s senses were riveted on his goal—worshipping Lord Vishnu.
Another great obstacle for a person engaged in spiritual practices is mental distractions. In fact, the senses become distracted because of a distracted mind. Whenever the senses come in contact with sense objects, they create various pleasant and unpleasant impressions within the mind. For instance, when a person sees a beautiful object, a pleasant impression is immediately created in the mind and when the same person sees an ugly object, an unpleasant impression is generated in the mind.
Thus, the mind becomes a storehouse of millions and trillions of material impressions that keep popping up regularly and distract the person from his or her goals. Therefore, mind and sense control are vital to attaining success in any endeavour, especially in spiritual life.
One who can control one’s mind and senses is a deserving candidate and becomes entitled to success.
Although immature in age, Dhruva exhibited complete sense and mind control in his devotional meditation on Lord Vishnu. He was also fully determined to follow the path instructed by his guru.
A student who is sincere in following the instructions of a potent guru is sure to attain success in spiritual life.
***
Get your copy of Dhruva by Gauranga Darshan Das wherever books are sold.
Starting a new job with a mix of excitement and nerves? You’re stepping into the unknown, eager to prove yourself but also uncertain about what lies ahead? Leave your worries at the desk because we’ve got your back. There is a treasure trove of wisdom waiting for you within the pages of these 5 books that will help you get into that CEO Mindset and navigate the world of work like a boss. Whether you’re looking to master essential skills, build professional relationships, or simply want to stay on top of the latest industry trends, these books are your secret weapons of success.
So jump right into it and foolproof your career with these insightful reads!
Office Secrets || Harish Bhat
Office Secrets book offers a selection of fascinating and useful secrets that can help you be far more successful at your workplace. As a bonus, they can make you happier as well. You will find within a range of subjects-whether the best methods of fighting exhaustion, organizing your work desk, the power of listening, why kindness is so important, workplace lessons from Hercule Poirot and what you can learn from the cookies that your colleagues eat.
Harish Bhat wields his pen with his signature insight to delight, inspire, provoke and change the way you see offices forever.
Attitude | Adam Ashton and Adam Jones
Have you ever stumbled upon a piece of life-changing knowledge that made you think: Why the hell didn’t someone tell me this sooner?!
Millions of people have listened to Adam Ashton and Adam Jones on the What You Will Learn podcast, where they have spent tens of thousands of hours studying the best ideas from the greatest minds on the planet. Their most frequently asked question: What is the best lesson you’ve come across? While you’d think a simple question would have a simple answer, it hasn’t-until now! Attitude:The Sh*t They Never Taught You will take you on a journey through takeaways from over a hundred of the world’s greatest thinkers, capturing lessons in personal development, career, business, personal finance, human nature, history and philosophy. Every lesson will be useful, and one might change your life. Remember, it is your attitude, not aptitude, that determines your altitude in life.
Exprovement || Hersh Haladker, RA Mashelkar
Can an outdated or failed solution in one industry bring disruption to another?
Can a racing team improve industrial manufacturing productivity?
Can science fiction offer entrepreneurs valuable lessons in innovative thinking?
Such examples lie at the core of exprovement, which is exponential improvement borne out of drawing parallels between the seemingly unrelated, much in the same way Henry Ford revolutionized the automotive industry by comparing and correlating his business with the meat-packing industry.
Through the various examples highlighted in this book, Hersh Haladker and Raghunath Mashelkar emphasize that searching for growth opportunities within an offering’s existing industry usually results in incremental improvement, whereas exponential improvement can be achieved by drawing parallels from outside of the current context.
This book will inspire leaders to look outward and find parallels, keeping in mind that ‘obvious’ comparisons can, at best, lead to improvement, whereas ‘unexpected’ ones can lead to exponential improvement and perpetuate a legacy of innovation.
Leap Frog || Mukesh Sud, Priyank Narayan
Leapfrog-in the context of thriving at work-is a scenario when a new entrant outperforms others. How do they achieve this? Are high performers born or made? Is there a way to nudge yourself into being more successful at work and also in life? With its six evidence-based insights, this book is poised to help you to advance your career at an incredible pace.
Play to Transform || Avinash Jhangiani
COMING SOON
Play to Transform is a book that challenges the traditional mindset of business leaders and encourages them to tap into their inner child to accelerate transformation with purpose. The book argues that we are all born creative geniuses with an innate ability to empathize deeply with others, but somewhere along the way, we have lost touch with these qualities. In the post-pandemic world, leaders need to be more empathetic and agile than ever before, and a conscious shift in mindset is required to achieve this.
Get ready to be inspired by the exciting journeys of Hersh Haladkar and Raghunath Mashelkar as we uncover the birth of the groundbreaking philosophy of ‘Exprovement’ and its extraordinary potential for personal growth and success. From a childhood fascination with dismantling toys and making surprising connections to profound classroom experiences, unveil the immense potential of drawing parallels that transform into extraordinary results.
Read these captivating stories that offer a glimpse into the author’s mind and gain valuable insights.
Exprovement || Hersh Haladker, RA Mashelkar
***
When I was a child, I was in the habit of taking apart everything I could lay my hands on to examine what was inside.
More often than not, the object of my investigations was a new toy I had been given. So in general, I never really had a lot of toys to play with; just plenty of parts of toys. I distinctly remember a particular incident when I was about ten years old, and my parents—after much pestering and convincing—had finally bought me the expensive remote control toy car I had been eyeing for a while.
Much to their exasperation, this toy became the next victim of my investigations, and try as hard as I could, I simply could not put the toy back together again, once I realized how annoyed they were. Needless to say, the atmosphere at home was tense, and I couldn’t wait to escape to school the next day where (probably as a subconscious attempt to appease my parents) I paid extra attention in each and every class.
When I returned from school, I was excited to see a carpenter at home working on a remodelling project in the kitchen—a carpenter at home meant more tools for me to play with! It was my first introduction to a drill (the manual, not the motorized version) and of course, I had to experiment. While I was drilling a hole through every centimetre mark of my wooden ruler, wondering what to do with it once I had finished, I suddenly remembered the new gadget we had been taught about earlier that day in geometry class at school.
Like the teeth of gears suddenly falling into place perfectly, I was able, in a lightbulb moment, to see a connection between my broken toy car and the compass I had learnt about at school. I rushed to find the motor from my broken car, inserted the shaft of the motor into the ‘0 cm’ hole I had drilled and put it through a piece of paper. I switched on the motor, and my invention was able to automatically draw a circle. Next, I moved it to the ‘1 cm’ hole and drew another automated circle.
I was over the moon! I had just invented the next big thing—I had just automated the compass. That was my first-ever invention, and it drove me to continue the breaking, and in some cases, the making of things. It was only much later in life, on introspection, that I was able to identify my thought process as one of drawing parallels. I had been able to draw a parallel between something from my geometry class and something from my remote-controlled car to create, what was for a grade five student, a new and exponentially improved way of drawing a circle. I had created the electric compass, one of my first personal exprovements.
As I began my professional life, one of the questions born out of this thought process was:
What if parallels could be drawn between the seemingly unrelated to create unparalleled breakthroughs?’
—Hersh Haladkar
There are some ‘wow’ moments that change the course of one’s life. I had one such moment as a young boy in a school. Here is the story.
I was born in a poor family. I did my primary schooling in a municipal school until the seventh standard.
I then had to take admission in a secondary school. My mother could not gather the admission fee for a secondary school in time. I missed the admissions for the top schools in the area. I went to the school where most of the resource-poor children from our area went. But that poor school had rich teachers. One of them was my physics teacher, Mr Narahari Bhave. He did not believe in ‘chalk and talk’ but in seeing, experiencing and learning.
One day he wanted to show us how to find the focal length of a convex lens. He took us out into the sun. He held the lens in one hand and a piece of paper in the other. He moved the lens up and down, and when the brightest spot appeared on the piece of paper, he said the distance between the lens and the paper was the focal length. Then he waited for a few seconds and the paper burnt. When that happened, for some reason, he turned to me and said, ‘If you can focus your energies like this, you can burn anything, you can achieve anything’. This magical moment did two things for me. First, I said to myself, ‘Science is so powerful—I have to become a scientist.’
Second, it gave me the philosophy of my life—focus, and you can achieve great things.
But as I grew older, I saw a much greater meaning in that experiment. The sun’s rays are parallel and the property of parallel lines is that they never meet. The convex lens makes them converge and meet. That gave me the idea for what I termed as ‘convex lens leadership’, which makes people with divergent views and beliefs meet. Take national leadership, for instance. The nation gets divided on the basis of race, religion, language. A good national leader brings these diverse groups together. I used this analogy while leading research institutions.
The National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) had different divisions, unconnected to each other, like parallel lines. As director of NCL, I provided convex lens leadership to create ‘One NCL’, ‘Team NCL’. I was director general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), a chain of forty laboratories, again unconnected to each other, like parallel lines. I provided convex lens leadership to create ‘One CSIR’, ‘Team CSIR’. In fact, the result of this convex lens leadership was so powerful that the CSIR transformation in the 1990s was ranked as being among the top ten achievements of Indian science and technology in the twentieth century.
While engaged in convex lens leadership, my own scientific research led me to explore trans-disciplinary frontiers and has continued to do so for almost four decades. In fact, I brought together several diverse disciplines in my research on stimuli-responsive polymers. When I was invited to give the Danckwerts Memorial oration in London in 1995, I spoke on the emerging paradigm of seamless or borderless engineering science, emphasizing the need to create engineers with borderless minds.
Later, I extended this parallel lines analogy to ideas from diverse domains, which appear completely unrelated, and therefore are like parallel lines. But a ‘convex lens mindset’ makes them converge. And sometimes the result is an astonishing 1+1=11, not just 1+1=2!
In this book, we have focused on the challenge of building a convex lens mindset, which is capable of bringing together the parallel, connecting the seemingly unconnectable. We show how such a convex lens mindset creates the magic of exprovement, going well beyond incremental improvement.
—Raghunath Mashelkar
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Want to know more? Get your copy of Exprovement today!
What if we tell you that it’s one of the keys to help you achieve any goal you set your mind to?
Manthan Shah’s Unstoppable, a book full of interviews and analysis of young achievers of India, explores the growth mindset and also tells us how we can help build one too! Here is an excerpt from the book showcasing some of the incredible information on the same:
A growth mindset is basically about believing that your abilities can be developed.
It is not simply about being open-minded and flexible in accepting your mistakes. It is about being dedicated to growing your talents. It is not just about efforts but also about trying new strategies (and discarding the ones that are not working).
You can build a growth mindset by following these self-directed exercises as adapted from the interview with Stefanie Faye, an award-winning neuroscience specialist and educator. This exercise entails four steps – goal setting, learning about neuroplasticity, celebrating mistakes, and exposing yourself to micro experiences, while highlighting micro progress. This will lower your fear of failure and increase your willingness to go out of your comfort zone and grow as a person.
1. Have an other-ish goal. In his landmark book Give and Take, Adam Grant uses the term otherish as a person who is a giver, you will also see this in our Giving Back chapter.
In terms of goals, these are the opposite of selfish goals, and a bit different than the selfless goals, other-ish goals are the ones where you have your own interests in mind, while having a high concern for others too. As defined in the chapter on grit, you must have a higher-order goal. This goal should be motivated by your personal benefits and by a desire to help the world around you.
For example, at the time of writing this book, my personal long-term goal is to become an expert in the field of sustainable finance and help India achieve its net-zero carbon emission targets by 2070. This goal is at the intersection of my interests and qualifications in finance, and my desire to do something for my country.
2. Talk about neuroplasticity. Learn it, understand it and
reflect on how it plays a role in your life.
3. Celebrate mistakes.
4. Expose yourself to micro experiences and highlight micro progress.
Unstoppable || Manthan Shah
To learn more about these last three steps of efficiently building a ‘growth mindset’, get your copy of Manthan Shah’s Unstoppable. Out now!
