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Tyranny of the Few
Headlines scream out at you: ’80 killed in terrorist attack on two Pakistani mosques.’ ‘Lal Masjid threatens to give the call for jihad.’ ‘Clash with security forces leaves 16 students dead.’ And all this accompanied by pictures of women in burqas wielding lathis longer than themselves. Talk of women power!! Another one: ‘Flaming jeep drives…
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Independence must be earned
Happy Independence Day to you. Independence doesn’t just happen. It must be earned. Let us reflect that real bondage is of the mind and spirit. Nelson Mandela for 27 years in the South African apartheid prison was actually free. But today in India we have accepted the slavery of discrimination against each other, of corruption…
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Exit: Terminating Family Members
This is a big one. Some people are of the opinion that family members can’t be terminated under any but the most extreme circumstances like theft or doing something detrimental to the family. My view is that like performance bonuses, termination must also be linked to productivity. To allow the business to suffer losses because…
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Career progress for family members
What must they do to progress in their careers? Is anything in this different from what professional managers must do? Short answer: Yes. It must be more difficult, the standards higher, the challenges more exacting because your child is an owner and so must be an example-setter. Also that is how he will gain respect…
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Careers in Family Businesses
There is much confusion in most business families about what to do with non-contributing family members. The only way of ‘taking care’ of family seems to be by keeping them in the business. However negative or incompetent people have a disastrous effect on the morale of others, especially when they are themselves seen as powerful…
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Family business is more about family than about business
“The business and family love are two different, mutually exclusive issues. When the two mix, both self-destruct.” Current Existence & Growth: Who has the power and why? Performance versus identity: Who are you versus what did you do? Succession: Family or business: Which comes first? Competence versus connection: Which is more important? Families that understand…
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The Question of Edge
In GE, during the time of Jack Welch, there used to be what were called, ‘The 4 – Es’ of GE Leadership: Energy, Energizer, Edge, Execute. We taught this in Crotonville and focused on them in every GE Leadership Course that we taught anywhere in the world. The values statement of GE read: All of…
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An Entrepreneur’s Diary – Interview
My logic was that I planned to succeed, so I was not going to think about what to do if I failed. That has always been my logic and it works. Not having contingency plans seems like gambling, but in my experience, contingency plans take the edge off entrepreneurship. Your fears then drive you and…
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Advertising
Advertising is not about selling. It is about influencing; about kindling desire; about fueling passion. Advertising is about converting ‘want’ to ‘need.’ It is about mind steering. Advertising is powerful so it must be used responsibly. Think of your favorite Ad. What does it seek to do?Then ask yourself, ‘Is it true?’ Is it true…
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What makes a winner?
Before I begin on the three fundamental principles that make winners, let me state one thing: In life, only winners are rewarded. So the first requirement of winning is to be passionate about winning. To realize that a real win is one that is gained fairly, with integrity and without harming anyone. Only that is…