Loud Thinking

An excerpt of Times of India analysis on the causes of monumental defeat of the Congress Party in the recent election.

An eye opener for the dynastic political parties (PPP & PMLN) of Pakistan, as well.

A must read for Mr. Asif Ali Zardari and Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.

“If Congress comes out battered and bruised today — as is expected — it must start thinking of ways to reboot the party. In this regard, a dispassionate appraisal of the Gandhi family leadership is imperative. The notion that a family dynasty can produce successive generations of capable leaders needs to be challenged. Just as BJP has allowed grassroots leaders to come up through the ranks and occupy top party posts, Congress too must give greater play to its local leaders. Congress has come back from devastating election defeats in the past. Should it face another one, it would do well to look beyond the Gandhi family leadership.”

“To avoid situations in which you might make mistakes may be the biggest mistake of all.”

— Peter McWilliams

Persistence is continued effort, despite challenges.

“We haven’t failed. We now know a thousand things that won’t work, so we’re that much closer to finding what will.”

Thomas Edison (1847-1931);
inventor, businessman

Three Ways Family Businesses Can Thrive

Family businesses are inherently messy. With work and life almost inextricably intertwined, balancing both worlds is challenging – and people can end up feeling exhausted, unappreciated, and stuck in certain problems. But family businesses can thrive by focusing on a few things:
Disentangle different relationships. To keep your house in order, create four separate discussion rooms (not silos) for specific interactions: one for business managers, one for the board, one for owners, and one for family members.
Manage your “crocodile” brain. This is what neuroscientists call gut emotions that affect thought processes and dampen impulse control. Identify and understand the emotional side of business to make rational decisions.
Develop the next generation. Your role, while central, is temporary. Prepare your children to succeed in your business by challenging them with real jobs, letting them fail, and then helping them up. Accept that they will lead differently.

Adapted by HBR from “ How to Thrive While Leading a Family Business” by Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer.

Getting the right job is more important than getting the perfect terms.

HBR

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.”

— Henry David Thoreau

“No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the horizon of the spirit.”

Helen Keller (1880-1968);
author, lecturer, activist

Imagining the Path to Success Can Help Make It a Reality

If you’re procrastinating, stuck, or struggling to meet a goal, try this (seemingly simple) technique: Write your goal down, then devise different possible ways of achieving it, and finally, close your eyes and imagine yourself carrying out each one. Evidence shows that imagining a movement will stimulate the movement areas in the brain; so by envisioning the steps you must take to reach a certain objective, you “jump start” the brain into action. And focusing on creating clear mental images can also help reduce anxiety and improve confidence. This may seem more challenging if you don’t know the distinct steps needed to reach your goal – but imagery hones your attention and actually activates particular brain regions that make you capable of unconsciously mapping a path to success. So not knowing “how” is OK. Just focus on your goal and imagine the different paths toward reaching it.

Adapted by HBR from “ To Reach Your Goals, Make a Mental Movie” by Srini Pillay.

“Thankfully, dreams can change. If we’d all stuck with our first dream, the world would be overrun with cowboys and princesses.”

— Stephen Colbert