Author: Yawar Baig

  • O! Teacher, stop teaching

    O! Teacher, stop teaching

    If I were asked to define the biggest challenge for the teacher, I would say, ‘It is to teach children how to deal with a world that we know nothing about.’ In such a world, imagination is the key resource that they will need. Without imagination they would be floundering trying to find answers in…

  • Fact is stranger than fiction

    Fact is stranger than fiction

    Some experiences happen that leave you dumbfounded. I have had many such. This is one of them. They are markers for me that Allahﷻ is there and watching and protects us with His Mercy.

  • Going back to school at an advanced age

    Going back to school at an advanced age

    At age 70 I decided to go back to college. In this episode, I talk about my return to formal education – an 8-week immersion Arabic course at Middlebury Language Schools.

  • How can I become an organizational consultant?

    How can I become an organizational consultant?

    Constantly update your knowledge and experience. Admit a mistake if you make it and show how you learned from it. Don’t make excuses or try to shift the blame to someone else. Honesty always pays. Honesty is critical to building credibility which is the lifeblood of consulting. Without credibility you are nothing and will never…

  • America first time

    America first time

    Building bridges is about focusing on commonalities, not differences. It is about inviting. Not forcing. It is also not about compromising our principles to become ‘acceptable’ to others.  In this life you can be one of two things. You can be a wall builder or a bridge builder. I am a bridge builder. That is…

  • No risk, no gain

    No risk, no gain

    I believe that for consultants the two things which are most important are demonstrable self-development and articles and books. If you can demonstrate that you pay and work for your own development and if you publish regularly, it is a competitive advantage, and you stand out from your competition. The joy of entrepreneurship is that…

  • First Breakthrough

    First Breakthrough

    Integrity for me has always been an all-or-nothing value. Like the famous quote, ‘You can’t be slightly pregnant,’ I believe that you can’t be slightly dishonest. But of course, you must be willing to pay the price for your convictions. I got a reputation in the market for being completely inflexible on ethical matters. The…

  • Winning is a Personal Choice

    Winning is a Personal Choice

    Winning is about dedication. It is about concentration. It is about focus. It is about making tough choices willingly. It is about stepping forward and saying, ‘Choose me not because I am cheap but because I can give you the best value.’ Winning is not an accident. Winning is not a mystery. You will win…

  • Beware of gradual change

    Beware of gradual change

    Your Pink Slip was written the first time you passed up an opportunity to learn. It was just sent to you on the day you received it. What is sad is not the Pink Slip but that it was you who wrote it for yourself.

  • The Journey

    The Journey

    I have always had an abundance mentality and happily share my thoughts, ideas, even intellectual resources with anyone who asks, including my potential competitors. Some of them, now good friends, have asked me why I give away my ‘capital’. I do it for two reasons. Nobody owns thought and knowledge. You get it from someone…