What actually happens in a job and in life?
There is more to success in life than just brilliance and
intelligence of a high order. Clearly, there is an added luster attached to
those who maintain their value system and yet make a success of what they do.
Such people are held in esteem by those around them and emerge as their role
models.
One needs to know how to gently and skillfully handle
criticism, anger, jealously, limelight, success, power, failure, fear and other
emotions.
The character and the attitudes required to reach the top of
one’s profession and stay there and achieve the pinnacle of happiness, however,
are the same, no matter which profession you choose to pursue.
Now lets take a look at each diamonds and come to a conclusion on molding each one.
Diamond 1: Courage
Courage is required in all walks of life. It is the integral
virtue of truly successful people. Unilateral decision making is necessary in
the case of heading or working in a team which requires courage to dictate the
decision at the time of crisis without thinking much about the outcome and
keeping in mind only the mission to the success for the objective the team is
shedding out.
Lets a take a courage lesson from Ratan Tata’s decision to
make a car for an ordinary person at a cost of about Rs 1, 50,000 was truly a
courageous decision. When Nano, a genuinely Indian innovation, was launched it
revolutionized the small car market. It made them affordable for a much larger
section of society by increasing the efficiency of small cars. Most business decisions
which require innovative products to be developed involve courageous decisions
by entrepreneurs.
Molding of courage: Decision Making
Diamond 2 : Humility
Humility is the least understood quality for achieving
success. The best inspiration for such a quality is Nelson Mandela. It was said
that Mandela never expects any kind of leader like treatment. He freely
circulated among all. One such example is even if he turns late to dinner at
times, nobody waited for him and starts to have theirs, he just joins them with
all humility. This humility of his was said to have helped him win some favours
from the warders and co-prisoners when he spent years behind bars.
Superficially, humility might not appear to be a quality
which can bring worldly success, it doesn’t appear sexy enough. The Companies
which had made into Fortune 500, which made the grade from ‘Good to Great’
through the decades were none other than, who’s CEOs were extremely humble
people. They were driven by high ambition for the growth of their companies and
not for their personal growth. By all yardsticks, they have achieved worldly
success, not in spite of their humility but because of it.
Molding of Humility: Earning Respect
Diamond 3: Integrity
This is to be maintained when no one is actually watching
you. Despite an integrity crisis prevailing in India, I believe that there are
a very large number of bureaucrats, officials and politicians who are very
honest. However, no matter how strong the Lokpal Bill is, it cannot prevent
corruption unless integrity becomes part of our character and DNA and people
are afraid of breaking the law. This has got lot more deep explanations but as
the topic says business, I will stick only to this much.
Molding of integrity : Cultivates Restraint and Discretion
Diamond 4: Goodness
Retaining a sense of proportion
is as important as keeping the heart free from hatred. To react in the right
proportion at the right time and to the right person in the right way is a sign
of magnanimity and wisdom. It is to make the choice to respond with their own
principles and value system at any crucial circumstances rather than their mood
or anger. That does not mean being submissive, which are being misunderstood by
a few. Best portrayal for this character would be one such incident of Sir
Isaac Newton. Once when he returned home, he found to his horror that his pet
dog, Diamond, had hit the candle which had fallen on his research papers, which
caught fire. However, he recovered soon, took Diamond in his lap and fondled
her and whispered, “You do not know what you have done.” Could the kindness get
even bigger?!
Molding of goodness: Magnanimous heart at human skills and leadership
Diamond 5: Friendship
This is very simple. It does not
seek favours. It is content in the joy of giving and yet receives in the very
act of giving. If we can be sincere friends, we are bound to reap the rich
rewards of friendship and loyalty.
Molding of friendship : Loyalty and
Gratitude
Diamond 6: Full potential
Keep in mind that much of the
innovation and new ideas come from the intersection of various science and
arts. As what the late Steve Jobs of apple famously said.”Stay foolish, stay
hungry”. Be ready at all times to learn
and apply such learning to find solutions to the problems of the day. What can
prepare us to face life better than the habit of trying to achieve our full
potential at all times?
Molding of Full potential : Alertness
Diamond 7: Secret of Happiness
Swami Vivekanand has said that it
paid not to be selfish, though most people didn’t have the patience to practice
unselfishness. The less self-centered, self-obsessed and selfish we are, the
happier we become.
Molding of happiness : Find your
own unique path to Happiness
Selecting the best alternative
Never jump at the only
alternative presented to you, ask for more alternatives to decide which one to
choose.
Learn to solve problems'
Diagnose and treat the root
causes of the problem instead of the symptoms. Attend to the few most important
causes first. It will solve the problem and address the core issues in minimum
time. Application of 80:20 principle will help in solving many problems without
wasting much time and resources, as 20% of the events are responsible for about
80% of the results in all social phenomenon.
Lastly, be socially engaged, mentally
occupied, physically active and spiritually alive and live your life in
crescendo at all stages of your life.
Wish you good luck for your
journey through the thick and thin of life.
Get ahead of the pack.
