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Nagesh Belludi

Inspirational Quotations #277

June 24, 2009 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Poetry lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world, and makes familiar objects be as if they were not familiar.
—Percy Bysshe Shelley (English Poet)

Speak little, do much.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

In a mad world only the mad are sane.
—Akira Kurosawa (Japanese Film Director)

There are forces in life working for you and against you. One must distinguish the beneficial forces from the malevolent ones and choose correctly between them.
—A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (Indian Head of State, Scientist)

One who has control over the mind is tranquil in heat and cold, in pleasure and pain, and in honor and dishonor; and is ever steadfast with the Supreme Self.
—The Bhagavad Gita (Hindu Scripture)

The honorary duty of a human being is to love.
—Maya Angelou (American Poet)

No virtue is more universally accepted as a test of good character than trustworthiness.
—Harry Emerson Fosdick (American Baptist Clergyman)

A powerful agent is the right word. Whenever we come upon one of those intensely right words in a book or a newspaper the resulting effect is physical as well as spiritual, and electrically prompt.
—Mark Twain (American Humorist)

The responsibility of the executive is (1) to create and maintain a sense of purpose and moral code for the organization; (2) to establish systems of formal and informal communication; and (3) to ensure the willingness of people to cooperate.
—Chester Barnard (American Businessperson)

Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.
—Confucius (Chinese Philosopher)

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

How to Think and Perform like a CEO: Link the External World with the Internal Organization

June 22, 2009 By Nagesh Belludi 1 Comment

A.G. Lafley on the Unique Work of CEOs

In this article (PDF of full article) in the May 2009 issue of the Harvard Business Review, Proctor & Gamble’s Chairman and outgoing CEO, A.G. Lafley reflects on the unique responsibilities of CEOs. What makes this article engaging is that A.G. Lafley uses the context of his commendable achievements at the helm of Proctor & Gamble to elaborate on the teachings of management guru Peter Drucker.

“The CEO is the link between the inside and outside. He alone experiences the meaningful outside at an enterprise level and is responsible for understanding it, interpreting it, advocating for it, and presenting it so that the company can respond in a way that enables sustainable sales, profit and total shareholder return (TSR) growth.”

Drawing from Peter Drucker’s teachings, A.G. Lafley identifies the four fundamental tasks of a CEO. Here is a summary:

  1. Defining and interpreting the meaningful ‘outside.’ Identifying which external stakeholders matter the most. Recognizing where results are most meaningful. Clarifying and communicating the priority of external stakeholders.
  2. Identifying and focusing on the competitive spaces where the organization can win. Inquiring, “What is our business? What should it be? What is not our business? And what should it not be?”
  3. Balancing the present and the future. Determining the optimum balance between yield from present activities and investment in a highly uncertain future. This involves, (1) defining realistic growth goals, (2) creating a flexible budgeting process, and (3) allocating human resources in a way that identifies and develops good people for today and tomorrow.
  4. Shaping the values and standards of the organization. Winning with those who matter most and against the very best.

Think like a CEO, Focus on Organizational Performance

I believe that everybody is a CEO. Whatever your span of responsibilities—supervisory, managerial or leadership—you are accountable to the external stakeholders. These stakeholders measure you purely by your ability to identify opportunities and get things done through the resources you have. Here are five essential initiatives to help you think and act like a CEO.

  1. Understand the context of your organization or project. Change your perception away from the minutiae of your organization and seek to understand what your organization means in the broader context and how it fits into the external world. Draw from this external perspective to establish the right directions and align the work of your entire organization with these organizational goals. Differentiate between short-term and long-term opportunities.
  2. Identify the primary external customers—these could be higher-level managers, other groups within your company or a consumer who uses your products. Use this customer standpoint to make every strategic decision and choose the right actions. Connect each initiative to its beneficial results to your customers.
  3. Communicate your direction and priorities to your organization. Help your employees determine where to focus their own efforts and how they eventually fit in the broader context of the external world.
  4. Focus on execution and achieving results. Introduce a culture of accountability. Ensure that each employee actually does live up to the values and goals of the organization.
  5. Coach your employees and develop them. Understand and align their personal values and aspirations to those of the organization, to the extent possible. Per Peter Drucker, “make sure that the performing people are allocated to opportunities rather than only to ‘problems.’ … Make sure that people are placed where their strengths can become effective.” Plan for succession.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. You Too Can (and Must) Become Effective // Summary of Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive
  2. Death to Bureaucracy
  3. How Can You Contribute?
  4. [Time Management #2] Time Logging: Log Where Your Time Actually Goes
  5. Finding Potential Problems & Risk Analysis: A Case Study on ‘The Three Faces of Eve’

Filed Under: Managing Business Functions, Sharpening Your Skills Tagged With: Peter Drucker, Winning on the Job

Inspirational Quotations #276

June 15, 2009 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.
—Confucius (Chinese Philosopher)

You cannot break through a wall with your forehead.
—Russian Proverb

The best answer to anger is silence.
—German Proverb

Heat cannot be separated from fire, or beauty from The Eternal.
—Dante Alighieri (Italian Political leader)

Love is a force that connects us to every strand of the universe, an unconditional state that characterizes human nature, a form of knowledge that is always there for us if only we can open ourselves to it.
—Emily H. Sell

A man’s greatness is measured by his kindness.
—Anonymous

Good management isn’t about doing everything faster, it’s about not doing things you don’t need to do.
—Unknown

I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving: To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it,—but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (American Physician)

Hard work and light food – this is the readily available medicine for any disease. If you do these daily, you shall not be afraid of any ailment.
—Subhashita Manjari

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

Work-Life Balance: “Accomplish What You Want, Not What You Think You Have to”

June 13, 2009 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Brad Feld on Work-Life Balance

Here is an excellent podcast (summary here) where Venture Capitalist Brad Feld discusses his thoughts on the concept of work-life balance. He also shares the changes he implemented to achieve more balance in his life. Also, see a previous article by Brad on this very topic. Here are key takeaways:

  • The sense of busyness is not the same as the sense of achievement.
  • Balance is an important issue to consider at all ages, as many make the mistake in believing they will “get the balance on the back half of life” and find it shorter than they hoped (“you don’t know when the lights are going to go out (when you are going to die.)”)
  • Work-life balance is an important issue to everyone, yet each person’s approach will be different. There is no one-size fits all approach.

Work-Life Balance is an Individual Choice

Balancing the various demands on our time is by no means easy. It is unrealistic to establish a ratio between ‘work’ and ‘play’ time to pursue the sense of balance.

Balance is an individual choice you have to make based on your personal and professional values and associate relative priorities between these values. Here are five essential guidelines to make such choices.

  • Don’t become a slave to your work. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Work is a means of living, it is not life itself.”
  • Slow down your life and develop mindfulness. Simplify your life and inculcate discipline. Focus on the simple things. Control your wants and meet your core needs.
  • Talk to your family and friends and explore ways to introduce more fun into your daily routine.
  • Sleep more. Help around the home. Go on more vacations. Cultivate a hobby or two. Volunteer for a good cause. Do something meaningful with your spare time.
  • Learn to control how you react to other people and their demands on your time, money, or both. Consider the cost on your own resources and become skilled at how to refuse unimportant demands.

Realizing the balance in your life is your prerogative.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. When Work Becomes Alibi: Turtle Workaholism and Excuse-making
  2. Why You Can’t Relax on Your Next Vacation
  3. Disrupt Yourself, Expand Your Reach.
  4. Do Your Team a Favor: Take a Vacation
  5. The Costs of Perfectionism: A Case Study of A Two Michelin-Starred French Chef

Filed Under: Health and Well-being, Sharpening Your Skills Tagged With: Balance, Work-Life

Inspirational Quotations #275

June 10, 2009 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

A scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.
—Laozi (Chinese Philosopher)

The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.
—Richard Bach (American Novelist)

To be loved is to be fortunate, but to be hated is to achieve distinction.
—Minna Antrim

Next to knowing when to seize an opportunity, the most important thing in life is to know when to forego an advantage.
—Benjamin Disraeli (British Head of State)

The difference between love and attachment … Attachment is the very opposite of love. Love says, “I want you to be happy.” Attachment says, “I want you to make me happy.”
—Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo (British Buddhist Teacher, Nun)

It ain’t what you don’t know that hurts you. It’s what you know that ain’t so.
—Anonymous

This life is a hard fact; work your way through it boldly, though it may be adamantine; no matter, the soul is stronger.
—Swami Vivekananda (Indian Hindu Mystic)

The most successful people are those who are good at plan B.
—James Yorke

Peace can be reached through meditation on the knowledge which dreams give. Peace can also be reached through concentration upon that which is dearest to the heart.
—Patanjali (Indian Hindu Philosopher)

One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.
—Maya Angelou (American Poet)

We have a ‘strategic’ plan. It’s called doing things.
—Herb Kelleher (American Entrepreneur)

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotations #274

May 31, 2009 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Music is the harmonious voice of creation; an echo of the invisible world.
—Giuseppe Mazzini (Italian Philosopher)

Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
—Yoda

All strangers and beggars are from God, and a gift, though small, is precious.
—Homer (Ancient Greek Poet)

Delusion arises from anger.|The mind is bewildered by delusion.|Reasoning is destroyed when the mind is bewildered.|One falls down when reasoning is destroyed.
—The Bhagavad Gita (Hindu Scripture)

Act as if the whole election depended on your single vote.
—John Wesley (British Methodist Religious Leader)

If you really want the last word in an argument, try saying, “I guess you’re right.”
—Anonymous

If you were happy every day of your life, you wouldn’t be a human being. You’d be a game show host.
—Anonymous

Capital isn’t so important in business. Experience isn’t so important. You can get both these things. What is important is ideas. If you have ideas, you have the main asset you need, and there isn’t any limit to what you can do with your business and your life.
—Harvey Samuel Firestone (American Businessperson)

Do, or do not.
There is no ‘try’.
—Yoda

Fill the brain with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great work.
—Swami Vivekananda (Indian Hindu Mystic)

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotations #273

May 24, 2009 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Sometimes it is not enough to do our best; we must do what is required.
—Winston Churchill (British Head of State)

Don’t worry about knowing people—just make yourself worth knowing.
—Unknown

It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.
—Albert Einstein (German-born Theoretical Physicist)

Rain-water never stands on high ground, but runs down to the lowest level. So also the mercy of God remains in the hearts of the lowly, but drains off from those of the vain and the proud.
—Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (Indian Hindu Philosopher)

Thus we play the fool with the time and the spirits of the wise sit in the clouds and mock us.
—William Shakespeare (British Playwright)

It’s not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what is required.
—Winston Churchill (British Head of State)

Never forget that life can only be nobly inspired and rightly lived if you take it bravely and gallantly, as a splendid adventure in which you are setting out into an unknown country, to face many a danger, to meet many a joy, to find many a comrade, to win and lose many a battle.
—Annie Besant (British-born Indian Theosophist)

Play is the exultation of the possible.
—Martin Buber

The Spirit filled all with his radiance.|He is incorporeal and invulnerable, pure and untouched by evil.|He is the supreme seer and thinker, immanent and transcendent.|He placed all things in the path of the Eternal.
—The Upanishads

No man who has once heartily and wholly laughed can be altogether and irreclaimably depraved.
—Thomas Carlyle (Scottish Writer)

Every choice one makes either expands or contracts the area in which he can make and implement future decisions. When one makes a choice, he irrevocably binds himself to the consequences of that choice.
—Marion G. Romney (American Mormon Religious Leader)

You can change your beliefs so they empower your dreams and desires. Create a strong belief in yourself and what you want.
—Marcia Wieder

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

How to Create More Time

May 23, 2009 By Nagesh Belludi 1 Comment

Blogger Carla Kay White reflects on how she “found time” by transforming her mindset about being overwhelmed.

… it occurred to me that I’m feeling overwhelmed because that’s precisely the message I’m putting out in the world. I repeat it all day long in different forms “I have no time…” or “I wish I could, but I’m busy…” or “gotta rush…”

But what would happen if I simply told myself, “I have all the time in the world”?

I repeated this to myself anytime I felt rushed. Someone stopped me to chat, I had time. Working late, no problem. Caught behind a slow driver, I chilled and enjoyed the view. In the end it actually worked. I created time.

By sending out a new message “I have time” I’m relaxing, finding a new rhythm and living in the moment. I’m focusing on one thing at a time instead of ten different things. As a result, I get more accomplished, do a better job, and truly do have more time.

So if you constantly feel overwhelmed, ask yourself—are you really? Or is it just a conditional thought that you repeated so often to yourself, you believe it and live it? Just maybe you too can magically create time through your thoughts.

How to Create More Time

The feeling of being overwhelmed is primarily a lack of sense of priority over what we need to do. Follow my three-step process for better time management.

  • Time Logging: Follow this simple exercise to develop an idea of how you spend time currently.
  • Time Analysis: Tally up your time logs, analyze how you actually use your time, and recognize non-productive tasks and activities.
  • Time Budgeting: Follow this simple process to list your life’s values and priorities. Then, create a time budget to help you center your actions on the truly important aspects of your life and career.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Make Time to Do it
  2. [Time Management #2] Time Logging: Log Where Your Time Actually Goes
  3. Plan Tomorrow, Plus Two
  4. The Three Dreadful Stumbling Blocks to Time Management
  5. The Simple Life, The Good Life // Book Summary of Greg McKeown’s ‘Essentialism’

Filed Under: Sharpening Your Skills Tagged With: Mindfulness, Time Management

Inspirational Quotations #272

May 18, 2009 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Difficulties show men what they are.
In case of any difficulty remember that God has
pitted you against a rough antagonist that you
may be a conqueror, and this cannot be without toil.
— Epictetus

He who holds back rising anger like a rolling chariot, him I call a real driver; other people are but holding the reins.
— The Dhammapada

When ideas fail, words come in very handy.
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

We shape our environments, then our environments shape us.
— Winston Churchill

Art need no longer be an account of past sensations.
It can become the direct organization of more highly evolved sensations.
It is a question of producing ourselves, not things that enslave us.
— Guy Debord

When you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.
— Friedrich Nietzsche

It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something. May I suggest that it be creating joy for others, Sharing what we have for the betterment of person kind, Bringing hope to the lost and love to the lonely.
— Leo Buscalia

Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end.
It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing;
it’s when you’ve had everything to do, and you’ve done it.
— Margaret Thatcher

Absence diminishes commonplace passions and enhances great ones.
— French Proverb

Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul.
— Michel de Montaigne

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotations #271

May 10, 2009 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Never mistake motion for action.
—Ernest Hemingway (American Author)

Attention to health is life’s greatest hindrance.
—Plato (Ancient Greek Philosopher)

The true purpose of education is to cherish and unfold the seed of immortality already sown within us; to develop, to their fullest extent, the capacities of every kind with which the God who made us has endowed us.
—Anna Brownell Jameson

Be careful what you pretend to be, because you are what you pretend to be.
—Kurt Vonnegut (American Novelist)

As the purpose is emptied the heart is filled.
—Victor Hugo (French Novelist)

A true man never frets about his place in the world, but just slides into it by the gravitation of his nature, and swings there as easily as a star.
—Edwin Hubbell Chapin (American Universalist Preacher)

Every worthwhile accomplishment has a price tag attached to it. The question is always whether you are willing to pay the price to attain it – in hard work, sacrifice, patience, faith, and endurance.
—John C. Maxwell (American Christian Professional Speaker)

The best thing a leader can do for a great group is to allow its members to discover their greatness.
—Warren Bennis (American Scholar)

The best way to love is to love like you have never been hurt.
—Anonymous

As the purse is emptied, the heart is filled.
—Victor Hugo (French Novelist)

Filed Under: Inspirational Quotations

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About: Nagesh Belludi [hire] is a St. Petersburg, Florida-based freethinker, investor, and leadership coach. He specializes in helping executives and companies ensure that the overall quality of their decision-making benefits isn’t compromised by a lack of a big-picture understanding.

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Unless otherwise stated in the individual document, the works above are © Nagesh Belludi under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license. You may quote, copy and share them freely, as long as you link back to RightAttitudes.com, don't make money with them, and don't modify the content. Enjoy!