Winning is not about making the other person lose

A speech to outgoing students at IIM Calcutta By

Azim Premji

Overview of trasformation

pGraduation is not the end but the beginning of learning and change. I have found that people who succeed most in their careers are those who can constantly transform themselves with conscious efforts.

pBased on my own experience, I would like to share with you my thoughts on how to make continuous transformation possible. I hope you find them useful.

1 Dreams

üFirst, you have got to have a dream. Dreams are very powerful internal motivators. Great achievements are created twice - first in the mind and then in a concrete form.

üAs one grows, one may realize that not all of them are achievable. But never turn cynical. Aging is not adding on years. It is parting with one's dreams. Use your experience to reshape your dreams and adapt them to changing reality but do NOT stop dreaming

üDreams not only help us in seeing things before they happen, but they also give us the passion and energy to make them happen.

2 Perseverance

üStay on course even if you stumble. When everything seems to go wrong, you can either give up or you can let misfortune transform you into something stronger.

üThe difference between great achievement and mediocrity (Ordinariness) is not extraordinary talent or intelligence, but perseverance.

ü

üIn fact, dreams and perseverance make a winning combination.

3 Ignorance and Wisdom

pDo not be afraid to admit your ignorance. While it is important to project what we are good at, we must be equally candid about areas we do not know enough about.

pToday, knowledge is multiplying at such a rapid rate that it is impossible for anyone to know everything. But if we can develop an index system by which we at least know with whom or where the knowledge is available, we have achieved quite a bit!

pAnd there will still be areas which we will be unable to tap. The important thing is not to hide behind a false front. People will respect us for our honesty, if not our wisdom.

4 Success

pThink about what you will take on next rather than about what you may be letting go.

pToo many people are so enamored (attracted) by the legacy of success in their current roles that they are afraid to look further. This can lead to inertia.

pIf we linger too long on past success, we will miss out on the opportunities that lie ahead of us.

pWe must learn to look at change as an exciting adventure rather than a disruption. New avenues for learning always lie just beyond the shade of our comfort zone.

5 Leadership

pContribute in every situation. The only way to keep learning is by contributing. You do not have to be the leader every time.

pWhen a formation of birds flies over long distances, each bird takes its turn in leading. This ensures that no bird gets too tired and yet the formation keeps moving at a certain pace.

pEvery person is important.

It doesn't matter whether you play the violin, the flute or the drums; you are still part of the orchestra. Leadership is not about exercising power as much as it is about contributing. This will happen when we realize that leadership is not a privilege but a responsibility.

6 Excellence

pPursue excellence in whatever you do. Excellence cannot be forced through a process nor guaranteed by a certificate.

It comes from an all consuming passion to do one's best.
It needs an eye for the smallest of details.

p

pWhen differences become small, it is the small things that make the difference. Excellence is a habit not an act.

7 Humor

pWhile you must take your careers seriously, do NOT take yourself too seriously. You have to laugh and find humor everyday.

This will help you to keep issues in their perspective.

pBeing cheerful is an attitude. Not only will it help you to reduce your own stress, but a positive attitude is contagious.

p

pIt can do a lot to elevate the moods of people around you and recharge you to take one more shot at the problems facing you.

8 Talent and Perfection

pWe must know what you are really good at. Rather than trying to be everything to everyone, we must focus on areas where our talents truly lie.

pA talent can be defined as that skill which we not only enjoy learning but which we can also learn rapidly.

We need to work at honing (sharpen) our talent and smoothening the rough edges.

p

pBut exceptional performance usually comes from doing what comes naturally to us.

9 Welcome Feedback

pAlways welcome feedback even if it comes in the guise of criticism.

pI remember the story of a boy who dreamt of becoming an artist but was frustrated because whenever he showed his painting, the teacher would look at it with a frown and find some fault with it.

pThe student improved on his work continuously and he thought he would one day hear a word of appreciation from his teacher. But it never happened.

pWhat happened next ?

Always play to win

pCriticism may actually be an expression of faith in us rather than a put down. We must learn to take it constructively because it will show us what more we can learn.

pFinally, always play to win. Winning is not about making the other person lose. It is about stretching yourself to your own limits. Once so stretched, you will realize the true extent of your potential.

p

pUltimately, transformation is about reaching and utilizing not only your potential but those of others who work with you.

There are immense possibilities within you to develop your personality with strong character. You must recognize and understand them. The key to success is hidden within you. The wealth you have earned is not important but what is important is the means you have adopted for acquiring that wealth. Your personality, your capabilities, your thoughts and your ideals are all very important in determining your character. We will discuss some essential components of personality Development in this article.

Be polite and speak sweetly:
Sweetly spoken words have their own advantage and it is a major component in developing our personality. Society gives respect to a person who has control over his speech and everybody wants to conserve with a person who is sweet spoken. That is why we should always try and inculcate sweet and soft spoken words in our speech.
All actions are controlled by tongue or speech. They originate from speech. So it is essential that speech is controlled by mind. A person who is not honest by speech is considered dishonest in all respects. The man who has not control over his speech can not be sure if he can exercise any control over his self while working. If a wrong thing is said in good style it also becomes effective. Then if you say a good thing in good way it has no comparison.

Keep away from lies, fraud and deception:
G.D. Broadman, a great western thinker said – sow a work and get a habit, sow a habit and get a character, sow a character and get a fortune.
It is evident that the fate of a person is formed by the work he dies, the branch of a tree bends in the direction it is diverted. If a person once entangles him self in lies and cunningness, then in spite of making countless efforts he can never get out of it and day by day he will keep moving toward downfall. We never improve our personality keeping these elements with in us or a part our habits.
Once a man resorts to lies for self gains and self protection then he gradually becomes an expert in telling lies. Lies, treachery, manipulation and fraud are such aspects of our personality which will lead to our failure, insult and defamation at every step of life. It is necessary that we get rid of these negative shortcomings with firm determination to get success in life. It is an admitted fact that bad ideas develop more rapidly as compared to good ideas. Therefore, we must try and keep ourselves away from all kinds of bad ideas and their impact.

Believe in healthy competition:
The path of all success is filed with thorns. There is no hindrance in the path of downfall, but no sooner we lift the first step towards progress we start facing difficulties. Only those people who have immense courage and enthusiasm can advance on this path. Those who have moved forward have become immortal. These who cross all the barriers, all the pains, sufferings and sorrows are also able to taste the sweet fruits of success.
To achieve success it is necessary that all the energies of body, mind and wealth are utilized in one direction only. When a nab m avoiding all temptations in life works towards one definite foal, he is bound to get total victory. When all energies of mind and soul are concentrated for a particular work then all sources become available for completion of that particular work.

The importance of positive attitude:
Positive attitude is of great importance in our personality. Many people, inspite of having sufficient talent and qualification, do not progress and succeeds in life because of their narrow outlook. Nobody likes people who have narrow outlook. In life only that person is considered will behave who have positive and health bend of mind.
The real beauty of a man lies not in his physical appearance but in his work and good qualities. The ability and achievements of a person are judged by his mentality. That is why it is important that we improve our mental outlook. By adopting positive outlook we can get rid of mental dissatisfaction. This change will help you to contribute a lot in making your relations better and sweet with people as well as your personality will bright all over as like the stars in the sky.

Anger and irritation are your enemies:
To be angry is part of human nature. Probably there is no man in this world who has never been angry for some or the other reason. But some people are such who become temperamentally angry. People who get angry and irritated habitually do not realize that this habit of theirs will be a hindrance in path of their personality development and they will become their own enemies.Anger results in foolishness and insanity. There is a saying that hot temper is the main obstacle in completion of delicate genes of the body. Sometimes delicate tissues and veins even get burnt, outwardly we do not come to know that damage has been caused but we destroy many hidden treasures in our body in fire of anger.

Spare time for social service:
If we want to be recognized in the society and want to reach the pinnacle of success, we should not keep out self aloof from society. Our deep feelings and responsibility towards society makes us good and responsible citizen of the society we live in. The more we work for society and the more we remain connected with it, the more famous we will become the fame will enhance our personality and enthusiasm. Always remember that society is ours. We need it. Live not only for yourself but for the society.

Develop your creative power:

Our creative streak and positive propensity can pay us dividends. One who is engaged in constructive activity of one or the other kind is always happy. All men should channelise their energies in creative work. Be it agriculture, physical labour, daily wager, craftsmanship, office work, domestic chores or social work. Breach in creativity is a breach in peace and happiness.

Know the value of time:
Every moment of our life is a golden moment. The door of progress and development remain open for the person who knows to utilize and make best use of these moments. He not only pushes away all the failures and gets victory over all setbacks and obstacle but also becomes very popular in society dye to his punctual behavior. On the other hand worthless pursuits or pass these moments carelessly, face depression and disappointment on all sphere victims of vicious circle of failures.

hi dear this site is the more funnny sms ,joke. and power ful thought.