Not-So-Common words of advice to Leaders

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Not-So-Common words of advice to Leaders

Dec 06, 2018    16 shares    22    0

While there is a lot of information on the internet about how to get successful and even more about survival tactics for people in important positions, there are these three things about running a business as a successful entrepreneur in India that really stand out. Here is a small learning about something that isn't spoken about as much as it should be. So here's a small note to self for 2018. If you like it, tell me.

A sense of humour - If you really want to reach the top of the corp-chain as a successful entrepreneur in India then ensure you have fun while you are doing it. Laugh a little, smile often and make sure you don't miss out on an opportunity to entertain yourself. It's important to keep yourself and your team entertained when you have massive dreams and even crazier ideas. Keep your vision clear and your actions just, people will love to work with someone who is a pleasant personality.

Take it easy - You will miss a deadline somedays, you will fail sometimes,  will not feel like working some days, you will not always make a good profit, some plans will not work out as per the plan. It's okay, you have to be strong and believe that you are bigger than this issue and you will get through. And trust me you always will get through. So relax a little, don't overwork yourself up and don't start a trend that people follow and it's not a walk down a healthy street. If you have a plan and a motivated team you all work towards common goals, nothing can stop you if you don't stop, anyway.

EQ over IQ - If reading 35 articles a day made one intelligent then we already have reached the peak of our IQ. It's what we do with that information that makes us better human beings. Emotions however are underrated, there is too much slander of how much does one know, whereas the question to be asked should be 'Will the individual be able to manage the situation if it turns upside down. In my case meditation is a way to ensure you can focus more on how to behave when things aren't going as per plan rather than getting disheartened when that happens. It's almost like a relationship, if you expect too much and don't get the same out if you're not going to be happy. So, like one should have handled a relation, say what you want and be happy with the result, always.

These thoughts are mine and have worked for me till date. If you think they can add value to your life then do share or comment below.

https://www.angadsinghmanchanda.com/blog/the-right-business-partner-is-50-of-the-battle-won/2

A startup for a founder is like his/her first baby, his/her first marriage and the founder’s current love affair.

When I first decided to start up, I didn’t know I was starting up, or if it was called that too, all I knew that I needed to do something to ensure I was doing better and creating a better platform for like and not-so-like minded individuals to show what they could achieve as individuals in the most fascinating industry of my life, advertising, if we took out the barriers of age/experience/cultural background/societal privilege from their lives.

Few months into the thought, I realised it wasn’t difficult at all, I realised that there were people everywhere who felt that they weren’t given the right platform to perform and how they could have done a lot better if all they got was freedom. One of them being from my family, my first cousin, someone who had grown up with me, someone who wasn’t just a cousin but a person I’d rely on every single day, someone who had become my best friend and my brother in the journey called, ‘growing up’. He had become someone who I could trust with absolutely anything in my life. I’d be lying if I said that there were a lot of people who approached me to become a co-founder of Chimp&z, to be honest, there wasn’t even one. I guess this was a point where most of the people either thought that I was kidding or just someone who talks a lot and won’t be able to go through this or they just felt like there was a lot of time for me to grow into someone who could handle the kind of dreams I had, or mature into a serious decision-maker. Well, in all honesty, I don’t blame them, I was 23.

People take co-founders as business partners and that is where the entire problem begins. One should select one’s co-founder with if not less, than an equal amount of thought and care as one would select their life partner with. While all businesses start with a single vision and passion to create a change, slowly you will realise that Entrepreneurship is a lot more than Business, actually, a business, in the long run, ends up being 15% of your brain space, it's the remaining 85% for which you don’t just need a business partner you need someone who will be standing with you through thick and thin and who isn’t afraid of doing a couple of hundred extra miles when there is a need and no other way out.

While taking your first plunge into the world of Entrepreneurship, here are a few things you should keep in mind when selecting your co-founder.

Wavelength You don’t have to dress the same way, eat the same food, have the same background or even have the same thought process. But, you need to be on the same wavelength. Have multiple conversations with potential partners and ensure they understand your vision and you understand their thought process. Ensure that as individuals you are both on the same page even if there is a difference in opinion, ensure there is a space for you both or more to sit and argue out things before coming to conclusions which should be the basis of what is good for the overall health of the organisation and have healthy debates.

Setting Expectations When starting a new venture with a new partner, the single most important discussion to be had are the ones where you both know what to expect from the business and in how long. For e.g., If you want to grow your business to a level X and ensure you can then get enough for the venture and have an exit plan in place, then be it. But ensure there is Clear communication between you and the partner before you take the plunge in the ocean of entrepreneurship. Because you definitely don’t want to be sitting with that thought process alone at the time when you are supposed to take decisions. In the past 5 years, we have seen more businesses going down the drain than successes because of the lack of communication between people who are at the top.

Communicate to Flourish Since the history of mankind, if you go to see any major conflict it has only and only lead to one major logical solution, that is communication. Saying it like it is, is my way of working around problems and facing them head-on. I don’t mind having a major argument but I do mind ignoring the problem because discussing it is going to spill some blood. No matter if it is a fuck-up or if it is something that is going to cause momentary uneasiness between individuals, if it is going to prevent a larger problem that might arise due to the lack of communication, face it and talk it out. Now, you need someone who is going to be working with you as an equal for you both to be able to approach each other in case there is a conflict, ensure you have clear communications with your to-be venture partner before the signing to get a feel of the conversations which will happen later.

Equality What is the one line of advice I’d give to people who are starting up to become a successful entrepreneur in India? I’d say this and only this, ’It doesn’t matter if you have money when you are starting up, but it does matter who you have with you (read co-founder/partner) when you decide to start working for yourself’. In my opinion, I like to work with people as their equal, not above or below anybody, I believe that equality is what mankind was built on initially and that is exactly how we are going to go ahead together. Many people do throw in their contradictions, but I’d like to mention that if you really want the business to be a success ensure you have equal blood in the game, ensure there is an equal split of responsibility, thought, hard work, teams and vision and personal goals that are being achieved in the lifetime of the organisation. If you ask me, the beginning of anything beautiful, be it a marriage or a business venture should be on the thought of equality. Because, once the equal part of the discussion where there could be conflict is not existent, there is a lot of brain space to do what you actually started up for in the first place.

YingYang I am someone who always thinks about tomorrow and Lavinn is someone who is more concerned about today, which in turn ends up creating a good mix of a discussion with both the opinions being right for flourishing and it leads to a decision which isn’t bias to just one output but something that has been discussed at length and the outcome is what makes the decision beautiful. Having separate routes of thinking actually helps us stay grounded and ensure we are walking a positive path at the end of most discussions. It’s important to have people from not-so-like minded backgrounds to ensure you don’t run the firm with a single-track mind but with more than one strong opinion on the table.

If you use the above 4 base points before you get into the technicality of getting a business partner on board, there is a good chance of you making sure you don’t just startup, you start up healthy and also ensures you keep going strong forever on the path to becoming a successful businessman in India.

There is no better way to explain this better but from a human relationships perspective. When you think of a co-founder, think of someone who you don’t mind growing old with as an individual, ensure you both grow together and without insecurity and the world will carve a space for you in its history books.

The above blog is my personal opinion after studying the observations I have made in running An Integrated communications agency, Chimp&z Inc successfully across India and the UAE for the last 5 years and successfully consulting with another dozen startups. If there are any opinions, you are welcome to email me on angad(@)chimpandzinc(dot)com and I’d reply back as soon as possible. Or if you want to get in touch for a conversation on your big move, I’d be glad to talk.

The reason I mentioned Lavinn, who is my co-founder earlier in the blog was to establish the kind of /*relationship*/ I shared with him, even before he was the co-founder of the organization.

https://www.angadsinghmanchanda.com/blog/thinking-of-starting-up-8-things-that-you-need-to-know/6

These 8 things listed below are just perfect to give you the motivation to start a new business

Be Present

Be there, be the last one out. Be the first one in. Be present. Eat with your team, drink with them. Let your filters away. Be you, be present for them.  

 

Divide and Rule

The first thing we learnt while starting up was to divide tasks and responsibilities. Always have clear responsibilities with your co-founders.

 

Be on top of everything

Things do not happen as per the thoughts in your head, if you really like things the way you do, worry about losing control. Be watchful and ensure that in the first few years you are hands-on with the functionality and the process.

 

People before Projects

When thinking about a bad client who pays well and a good employee, let the bad client go. Don’t worry about the loss, with the people you can win more clients, with a bad client you will never win better people.

 

Take care of yourself

Entrepreneurship has a downside. When drowning in the passion of doing more one tends to ignore the health and that never ends well. Find time for yourself. Your company is as healthy as you are.

 

Trust your team's decisions

You might always not get what you want in your journey towards being a successful entrepreneur but you might get an outsider’s (outside your head) opinion on things. Which might be what you need at that moment.

 

Be ready to make mistakes

Mistakes make us who we are. Don’t fear fucking up on things. The best learnings come from experiences, experiencing the downfall of knowing what it feels like to rise.

 

Make your own formula for success (Here's mine)

Be confident about your product and what you are willing to offer. Be humble and take feedback at every turn. Meet new people and talk about your product as much as you can. Be present for your friends. Work with friends. Remember it is about growing together. Give back to everyone who has been a part of your journey.

Best of luck mate, let me know how it goes and if you'd like some help on the way.

https://www.angadsinghmanchanda.com/blog/5-things-to-look-forward-to-in-advertising-in-2021/27

What to expect from the post-pandemic advertising world?

Anticipating the future feels especially overwhelming after the year we just had. Nonetheless, there are patterns and topics that we can expect to flourish in 2021. The following are five significant aspects that can help grow your business with digital marketing:

1. Minimal designs will have maximal communication

In our period of limited capacity to focus and steady interruptions, creators need to utilize procedures that permit imparting as compactly as could be expected under the circumstances. This is the place where moderation comes convenient. Well-planned, minimalist products have a cutting-edge reformist look which adds a lot to the aesthetics. Minimalist sites and applications include fewer articles, and hence, load quicker. And there’s no compelling reason to redesign for various screen sizes. Indeed, we’ve landed in an era where minimal art communicates a great amount of message. A lot of creative advertising agencies in India are known for their minimalist work.

2. Music will lead the way forward for brands

Have you ever backed away from the day-to-day hustle, shut your eyes, and just hit play? We all have. Research has shown that music powerfully affects our states of mind and creates relating changes in our conduct. Music can create emotional engagement. Music can influence the intention to purchase. Advertisers' center occupation is to associate clients with brands. Similarly, as advertisers value the part of pictures, words, and channels, they additionally need to appreciate the job of the correct music.

Brands can utilize this profound association to provide an elevated sensory experience with a full sonic palette - ASMR, 3D sound, vivid impacts, engaging portrayal, and extraordinary music - to recount stories that individuals recollect. Hence, investing in audio communication is a great option for advertisers. Choose a creative ad agency or a production house in India that can marry sound and storytelling to grow your business with digital marketing.

3. Opinions will be remembered

Whether you're a brand or a personality. Don't be afraid of taking a stand. Your community appreciates it. Standing firm helps with resounding with a particular crowd. It can likewise show that you care about your general surroundings. Not simply making a benefit, regardless of whether expanding your ROI is important for your plan. Try to speak to causes that align with your brand ethos to try not to look inauthentic or exposure hungry.

4. Interactive content will flourish all the way more

When it comes to content consumption, consumers prefer an immersive experience. The objective of interactive content is to draw in shoppers as opposed to having them latently consume it. This kind of content assembles thought initiative and works for all phases of the purchaser's journey. Since purchasers love intuitive content, you can utilize this sort of content to create new leads via forms.

5. Taking risks will break norms

The safer your strategy, the less is the interaction. Brands that take risks often attract the attention of more buyers. They help create new connections and target new demographics. Lastly, don't live in the shadows of 2020. Create fresh stories inspired by real people who have done extraordinary or just ordinary things that make people smile.

The greatest takeaway here is that the pandemic has influenced business and consumer behavior. Your customers are longing for a human association with their companions and brands that they buy from. In this way, you should be social, stay aware of content creation, and move offline events on the web. 2021 is looking brilliant – ensure you benefit as much as possible from the new tech accessible.

What do you think the biggest advertising trend will be in 2021? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

https://www.angadsinghmanchanda.com/blog/why-i-took-the-socialsanyaas-and-what-it-taught-me/5

We live in the times of content consumption. Never before in the history of human history have human beings been exposed to so much information in such less time. The way humans adapt to new information in today’s time and age of /excessive/ content consumption is a thought to ponder over. I have been having this thought about how we are suddenly becoming so like-minded, to the level at which we are almost predictable and talk about the same things over and over again, social media has made the word ‘Buzz’ a little too easy and anything, absolutely anything can become a trend. The fact is, we are a part of a generation which is going to be written down in history as the first generation which had too much information. So the question that I wanted to ask myself was, ‘How much information is too much information?’ I come from a background of being updated, it was my job to be the first one to know, has always been social media and the content that works in today’s time and age. For me, content consumption was a way of life, it wasn’t just a habit or an addiction. /The only way to find out how addicted I was to social content consumption was to stop this consumption trend for some time./ But I am going to say, I wasn’t expecting the results. So here are my 3 observations about the last one week:

1. Window Shopper: It’s a very human thing to think ‘I am stronger than that and this won’t happen to me’. Well, I was in for a surprise, I always thought I wasn’t addicted to Facebook and when the time comes I will give it up easily. But I never thought the time would come, I mean the whole world is on it, what could possibly go wrong. Isn’t it just another social medium, what is the problem in spending time on it, I always used to justify it to myself as it was a way to *learn more*. But was it? I started to realise on the second day that I used to unlock my phone, scroll through the 5-6 screens (Yes, I have a lot of apps, 75+ to be precise) and not find the ‘f’ button and unlock it again. This happened at least 10 - 15 times, after which I realised what I was doing. I noted this down. this didn’t stop for the rest of 7 days.

2. FOMO: There was a constant fear of not knowing. Honestly, I don’t know what I was missing out on, was it the consumption of the ‘what’s happening’ around me or was it the pictures of people I have never spoken to but I’d like to know how their day is being spent. I realized by the second day I did the right thing by doing this. Because by now I had started to find out how nothing was important other than me and my close circles who were in touch with me, without fail.

3. Productivity: I am not proud in admitting that in the last week my productivity was up by at least 20% if not more, I don’t know if we realise, but it’s not just the time we spend on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram but also it is interlined to how much content we are consuming which we don’t need. And there is a reason it’s called the web! I was spending a lot more time doing what I love, my job. I had a lot more time to spend with my family, my peers. When I was out with my friends I realised I didn’t check my phone for hours and would automatically be a lot more involved in comparison to what I used to be earlier. In short, there was an automatic task of checking for updates before this week and it wasn’t there anymore. This was undoubtedly the best part of #SocialSanyaas To sum it up, it was a week that made me realise how dependent we are on social media and instant communication and how we as adults are almost like inmates of a system that is providing us too much information and not in the right way. It’s important today to realise that information can take away a lot of you and not just add to your knowledge level. In short, it has helped me understand that there is a need to realise how dependent we are on ‘a medium’ for our happiness. You can take the test too and share your experiences with the hashtag #SocialSanyaas, I know of 4 people who are currently trying this and helping me out with their experiences.

https://www.angadsinghmanchanda.com/blog/5-points-to-remember-when-launching-a-new-brand-for-the-millennials-of-today-and-generation-z/24

From sharing a lit promotion snap to Oh, snap! This brand got roasted. Things can derail in an instinct while dealing with the new internet generation. It's essential to understand how Genz and millennials function and then go ahead with promoting a brand. Below are the key points you should always keep in mind while launching a brand for today's hip audience and to grow your business with digital marketing

 

1. Relevance - If you can't imagine a millennial flaunting it, don't make it.

 

2. Dynamism - Short attention spans call for dynamic innovation in product or packaging

 

3. Don't assume - Speak to your consumers and ask them what they like. Opinions are everything.

 

4. Don't undermine the consumer - It's always the most simple things that you always remember and relate to. Your TG is very intelligent and deserves acknowledgement.

 

5. Quality quality quality - Never ever compromise on quality, paying a premium is not a problem for the generation, but a great quality product will ensure brand loyalty like none other. A good review never hurt no one.

https://www.angadsinghmanchanda.com/blog/digital-the-almighty-%e2%80%98sutradhaar%e2%80%99/17

Digital, the almighty ‘Sutradhaar’, or AKA, The puppeteer.

We’ve all heard theories about how all human beings are connected to each other by this omnipresent network that makes things happen. How one story is connected to the other and how we are all part of a master plan. That network has been overhauled, and we now know it as the digital universe.

Yes, we are all connected. Now, with technology. The digital ecosystem is to humans what the animal instinct is to animals, we search before we think, we charge before we breathe, we check before we think and we follow a stranger blindly.

As Deloitte Digital likes to call it, digital is ‘Woven into the fabric of everyday living’. And why wouldn’t it be? It’s Affordable, Available & Aspirational. Almost like saying these are the Three A’s of Digital. Digital over the last 10 years exploded and has become the strings that are going to hold together the human race, towards the next few decades.

The next few pointers are meant for organizations and individuals to consider while creating the strategies to grow your business with digital marketing. Both of these will be released in the next week as full-fledged blogs and will have a lot of dope on how to go about executing the same.

 

How should organizations grow with digital?

·       Embrace change

·      Accept mistakes

·      Collaborate, don’t just hire

·      Don’t just create content, market it

·      Identify advocates, internal & external

·      Experimentation is hygiene

·      Data is not just oil, it’s god

·      Apples & oranges don’t think alike

·      Think Global, Act Local

 

How should individuals look at growing with digital?

·      You are a brand

·      Stand for something

·      Audio is Serious Business

·      Don’t just consume, embrace

·      First, not perfect

·      Focused research is key

·      Lot less me, more we

·      Multi-potential is the new specialization

·      Small steps but Strong steps

·      Consistency, till you get successful

·      Predict and evolve, there’s no right formula

Everything we know and care of has changed over the last 10 years, whether it is sports, entertainment or Politics. Your clients, your partners, your employees, and your competition, they have all adopted Digital. It’s not here to stay; it’s here to change; the way we have been living. I have changed, consumption has changed and so have creators.

‘’Following trends is not a trend anymore, building your individuality and embracing it is the new trend.’’

You look at a video on social media and you share it because it’s unique, it’s something you haven’t seen before. If you want to make digital work for you, be who you are as a brand, or an individual or a professional.

Digital, the almighty Sutradhaar, has always been in your control.

If you like what you read, share it, if you don’t agree do comment, I’d love to receive some feedback. :)

https://www.angadsinghmanchanda.com/blog/perspective-matters/26

Every now and then we come across opinions of everyone who have decided how certain things are. These pre-decided notions give rise to more notions that we are expected to follow. Every time we follow the crowd, we miss out on something original, something more focussed on you, something individualistic.

So here’s me writing a small motivational blog on life about perspectives and how you are a result of your perspective and how it’s important to break modules to create better stories that emerge from originality. The originality that we as individuals bring to the world.

#PerspectiveMatters

In madness there's sanity

In meaningless there's meaning

In darkness there's light

In Isolation there's introspection

In idleness there is space for ideas

In hustle there's peace

In conflicts there is passion

In motives there is need.

In need there's desperation

In desperation there's drive.

In everything crazy there’s motive to lose oneself.

https://www.angadsinghmanchanda.com/blog/three-pieces-of-advice-for-dreamers-in-their-early-20s/25

The most important thing to remember in life is that your dreams don't just happen to you. It takes time and effort to make them come true. Your 20’s are possibly the most important and confusing decade of your life, but with the right direction and positive attitude many opportunities will open up for you. Try incorporating some of these key points in your life, embrace the changes it will bring and get the much-needed motivation to start a new business.

1. There’s a lot of time to do all you want to do

You are the future that holds the strings together for everyone. Don’t be disgruntled with what you have not achieved, look at what you have done. Look at the amount of information you have, the dreams you can catch, the opportunities that have suddenly opened up. Don’t try to run so fast you forget you have a lot to wait for, things will happen. Keep your vision clean and pick up shorter goals for yourself. One step at a time to get to the top of your vision. Life is long and with your confidence in yourself and the access to information you have, you will be more than what you can imagine.

2. Don’t rate success by the dollar

Success is almost like an iPhone, you try hard and spend a lot of your hard worked money and strength to buy it till you realise that it’s just a phone and the next month you won’t be half as excited that you got it. You will want a new one; the one which costs double of what you spent and you will get there too. When you put in a lot to get somewhere, ensure that a lot of people are going there with you, like how you’d remember climbing the highest peak in the country with your 15 member crew. Success is when you reach a place together and remember the journey when you reach there. Don’t burden yourself with the idea of making more money = Success. Money is a necessity to survive and to pay for your Desires, it has nothing to do with success. You could have all the money in the world but the satisfaction of doing something that you are proud of is incomparable to the high of making money.

3. Do more

The more you do, the more you learn, the more you learn the more you can do. It’s simple; when I started my career I was doing everything that came my way, I never said no. I sat through the nights, I sat through the countless hours of grinding, I walked into meetings I had no idea what to expect in, I designed when I didn’t know the D of Design and I worked hard to fuel my curiosity. My curiosity was my driver, my driver ensured I failed, multiple times, but I didn’t give up, got yelled at, did it again and did it better than last time till I became good at it. In the last decade I have done every single thing, someone said I couldn’t do. Do more than you can imagine yourself doing, if you are a Designer learn Excel, if you are an accountant learn how to write poetry. Nothing you ever learn will go waste. Don’t sit through life, learn through it.

If you think this has helped, leave a comment below.

https://www.angadsinghmanchanda.com/blog/7-tips-to-deal-with-isolation-covid-19/23

Self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic introduces new challenges, but along with these difficulties lies the possibility for new perspectives to emerge for yourself. The sooner we deal with the reality of the situation the better are the chances to have a healthier frame of mind to spot a potential opportunity and make the most of it.

How do we deal with it?

1. Do what works for you. What works for the rest of the world, doesn’t necessarily need to work for you. It doesn’t have to be eating healthy or working out like there’s no tomorrow. It could be watching a fun tv show, scrolling through social media or binging on or reminiscing movies or reading motivational blogs on life.

2. If your schedules are going a little up and down, it’s alright. If your wake up times are a little later than usual it’s alright, if you get up later than you usually do and wake up with a heavy feeling, it’s time to tell yourself it’s alright.

3. During times of stress, take a small nap. Get into your most comfortable blanket and take a small nap, take the time to stop thinking and just rest it out for a while. Times are going to be a little different when you get up.

4. News can make you feel anxious and distressed. It’s okay to divide to keep away from the media for a while to ensure you can get back to thinking sanely and functioning with a lot less to think about.

5. Find a hobby, something you’ve always wanted to do, but never had the time to do it. Approximately 20% of your time is spent in traveling in big cities especially, with that much more time at hand, one can start practicing their creative skills again, can start painting again, learn a music instrument or even start cooking their favourite cuisine. It helps keep the mind clear.

6. Adopt a plant, in times when you can’t get out of your homes for a while, plants can actually add a lot of positivity to the space. Gardening is a very therapeutic activity and brings it closer to nature. It doesn’t need too much time but incentives your morale by showcasing growth.

7. Explore a new genre of music. The digital world has gifted way to many things, discoverability being the most important of them all. From Jazz to hip-hop to reggae to Soft rock, everything is now available at your fingertips. Go exploring, you are bound to find a specific genre that connects with you.

https://www.angadsinghmanchanda.com/blog/perspective-matters-an-eye-opening-experience/22

It's my first solo leisure trip, I’ve taken many solo work trips but never taken a leisure trip, so I was as usual rushing to catch my flight and called for an Uber who arrived a little earlier than intimated and it added to the early afternoon hush.

So I picked up my bag, locked the house and got into the elevator to head down, the Uber arrived and I realised I forgot my sunglasses, now I knew I’d be late, but I asked the Uber driver to tell me how much time till the airport, he started the trip and said, 36 minutes, so I told him, I’ve forgotten something coming back soon. He said no problem, I’ll wait. I came back and told him what I had forgotten. He laughed and said, ‘accha hua le aaye, chutti pe zarurat padti.’

We started speaking, he told me about things in general, but everything positively, good things about the city, great experiences.

His name is Mohammad Noor Lataf, he hails from Bihar and has been in Bombay since 1972, he’s been working as a driver ever since and just started driving an Uber a couple of years back.

Problem.

He got a call while he waited under my house and his brother called him, to ask the name of his great great grandfather. The authorities in Bihar asked his brother for a proof of his residence due to NCR. He was shook and I tried to make him feel better. He asked me sir, where will we go, I don't want to go to a detention camp. I told him don’t worry, it won’t happen but then I asked myself, how do I know this? How do I know that a gentleman who’s almost half a decade older than my father, extremely sweet spoken and someone who asked me to go get my glares because I was going for a holiday, how was I going to assure that we would all live in peace?

Here’s the second part of the conversation, he goes on to ask me, saying, sir the current government wants to get everyone who has no data of their forefathers to be put in detention camps, specifically targeting a certain community. How will the international community react to this? How will the 52 Islamic countries react to this step? Will they then ask for Resident Indians in their country to return to India? When will this stop? How is this a new world and how are we going to go ahead and tell our future generations to live in peace?

I was shocked that someone who is so intelligent, living an honest earning, doesn’t even know how to spell his name, knew that this was a bad move. How do the educated, intelligent and the privileged not see this coming?

On hearing what he had to say, I said ‘Kabhi kabhi lagta hai galat country mein Paida ho Gaye’ read; sometimes I feel like we were born in the wrong country, he sternly corrects me, ‘Nahi sir Aise mat bolo, hamara desh hamesha se mahaan tha aur mahaan hi rahega’, yeh sab to insaan ki galti hai, Sudhar jayegi’, read; Sir, don’t say that our country has always been great and always will be great, these are just human errors, will resolve one day soon.’

My destination had arrived; it was time to say bye to Mr. Noor, but I did ask him if I could put this story out, and he smiled and said, ‘Kyu nahi sir, isme sab sach hai, aur sach Se kya darna?’.

That sentence gave me the voice I needed to put this story out and the statement that made me realise it’s time to take firm, strict sides, and make it count, I’ve chosen my side, hope you all do too. This is no time to be sitting on the fence, it’s time to speak out.

https://www.angadsinghmanchanda.com/blog/growth-one-of-the-most-abused-words-in-communication-today/20

I’ve been planning to write on this subject since a while, but never had the opportunity to do so, so today here’s an unedited piece I just wrote on the topic of ‘Growth’.

 

There's good growth and then there's bad growth. If you're just focussed on growth you'll end up taking hasty decisions to keep up your pace, your pace shouldn't be defined by the ecosystem you function in, it should be defined by a strategy and a plan of action that you need to put in place to reach where you've aimed for.

 

Analogically speaking, getting fat is growth too, but not the right kind of growth. So if you think you're growing in position but not in learning, then that's the wrong kind of growth. Growth is about embracing the opportunities that come your way, which make yourself better every day.

 

Over the last few years because of the start-up trend and VC trend I’ve come across a lot of entrepreneurs who just want to grow at the rate they want to because they need to meet targets, and that’s in my terminology, hollow growth, numbers that are being followed because you want to reach point B from A. If you really want to flourish in business and become a successful entrepreneur in India, grow slow, but grow well, grow holistically, grow your infrastructure, grow your skill-sets, grow your employees.

#GrowTogether, almost like a tree!

https://www.angadsinghmanchanda.com/blog/when-do-we-stop/7

We have been taught to go on, to face it all. To move with the herd, to move faster, to be number one. That is what success has been measured on. Success, as we know of it, is not in the millions you make or in the billions you leave behind. Success is in the smiles you create. Success is in the miles you would go to make someone smile.

Stop, I say. Stop and look beyond the regular, stop to play with some children, stop to call some friends. Stop, to have a look behind. Stop to think about why you lost contact with the people you cried for at one time. Stop, take a breather. Think, is this what it was all about? Is this the life you dreamt off? Stop, before it’s too late and you can’t look behind.

https://www.angadsinghmanchanda.com/blog/grow-big-grow-strong-startup-motivation-guide/9

Some rules to live by for the much-needed motivation to start a new business

Let go.

Move away from comfort.

Conquer your fears.

Face the embarrassment.

Take the step.

Fail again.

Go broke.

Lose it all. 

Get hammered.

Keep falling.

Get up, every single time.

Face yourself.

Run towards. 

Don't give in.

Don't give up.

Don't be afraid.

Never run away. 

Go BIG, that's your only option.

Go BIG. Stand tall. Go strong.

No regrets. Whatever you do, do BIG.

Grow BIG, grow STRONG, everyday.

 

(The above mentioned is a copyright of Chimpandz Media LLP but, you can go ahead and copy it anyways)

https://www.angadsinghmanchanda.com/blog/happiness/15

What is it, I ask, that makes you happy?

Is it the smile of a kid who hugs his dad? Is it the weather that makes you want to dance? Is it the glass which is full of beer? Is it the kiss you get from your dear? Is it the song that plays in your mind? Is it the feeling that you run behind? Is it passion for your work or is it simply your friend being a jerk?

Happiness is all you can make it. Happiness is you, happiness is me, Happiness is whatever you want it to be!

https://www.angadsinghmanchanda.com/blog/what-leadership-lessons-can-we-learn-from-the-general-elections-of-india/21

In retrospection, there's a lot to learn from the Lok Sabha elections 2019 in India, for managers and young leaders. Noting down a few observations that might make this an interesting quick read.

#LessonsFromZindagi

Managers and leaders can learn what not to be from this election and gain some entrepreneur motivation.  What kind of leadership is divisive and what kind is healthy. In the shorter range telling your team members that they are different and getting to compete with each other might sound like a good idea but in the longer run, the team will definitely suffer as personal agenda only makes the teams weaker.

  • Over politicization of any achievement will lead to internal conflict and raise an insecure environment, hence putting the culture of the team at stake.
  • Leaders are good role models, unless you only start considering the leader as the end entity who will change the future. The team at any point which involves the junior most employees of the team and the senior most are responsible for the development of a company, even a nation. So credit to one individual and over-advertising the leader will almost create an illusion that isn't real
  • The smallest change one can make is a change in them. I’ve met a lot of people who are critical about the current happenings in the city and the country but haven’t been on the forefront when it comes to voting. Managers & leaders need to learn to practice what they preach and follow their own ideals. Opinion/criticism at the workplace without action for betterment is just preaching
  • Lastly, the most important thing the political scenario has taught me is how to deal with competition. During competitive times we’ve seen the leaders of all parties make mistakes, say things that are ‘Politically incorrect’ lead without empathy and behave only in self interest. This is the kind of leadership that is reactive and fearful, young leaders and managers

There are observations from current trends and nothing is directed to a single political party. These views are personal and are observations that will help professionals acquire leadership skills and entrepreneur motivation  for organizational success from real-life situations.

https://www.angadsinghmanchanda.com/blog/religion-is-it-worth-it/8

No religion ever died in its own battle. Only the men did. The men who gave their lives for religion. The men who fought without questioning. The men who didn't know they were going to be sacrificed. Some rejoiced on the sacrifices of others. Some were paid to kill. Some were paid to die. Some were promised Angels. Some were promised land. Some snatched land. Some were deprived of their own. No one won. Only the guys sitting on the golden thrones drank in happiness & laughed at those sacrificed/were sacrificed. When will we open our eyes and realise, it's not about our religion or theirs. It's about us. Humanity.

https://www.angadsinghmanchanda.com/blog/a-society-of-rapists/12

I always wonder what is it that goes on in the mind of someone who can rape a girl child or a girl, what is it that he gains? Is it the power that one feels when he is lying on top of someone who is physically weaker than him? Is it the screams which sound to him like cheers for his masculinity? Let alone the pleasure one could get from hurting someone to such extents that the poor girl / lady has to die after the ordeal, if facing the wrath of this blood and sex thirsty predator was not enough. Is it justified that people like me sit in the comfort of their homes while a poor soul fights for her life after a monster shoves a bottle into her?

Today, I feel ashamed of being called a man. The masculinity of men in India has completely been mis-represented and there is nothing much one can do about it. It is the time to go violent, it is the time to have zero tolerance to even what seems to be like a start to a sexist conversation, it is a time to realize that this is the society we are creating for our wives and daughters. I pledge that I will slap the next motherfuc*$er who mis-treats a lady/girl/woman anywhere. I will not hold back to what might happen after that because that lady who is being harassed today, could be raped tomorrow if no-one gets up and tells the guy he is doing something wrong. I'm sorry but for me, candle light marches make good newspaper covers and nothing else. It is time to take things into our own hands.

Abide for the law I want to, but not at the cost of poor souls which could have stopped if we took the right step at the beginning of this epidemic.

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