Musings, published a few times every week, are my attempt at sharing diverse perspectives to help us better navigate our lives.

The key theme I explore is how can we progress towards achieving our potential, and thereby become more accomplished & secure. Some of these ideas come from my own experience, while others come from a thorough study of management research & leadership books, perspectives from science, arts, history, and discussions with industry practitioners across sectors & functions.

Gaurav Kumar 5/26/21 Gaurav Kumar 5/26/21

Hunt gather parent

In the book 'Hunt Gather Parent', Michaleen Doucleff talks about the concept of independence vs. autonomy in raising responsible children. I found it fascinating how relevant this concept is to our professional lives.

Gaurav Kumar 5/24/21 Gaurav Kumar 5/24/21

Driving a Car on a Rainy Day

Yesterday, was having coffee with a college friend and we were reflecting on our journeys.

While we started our professional journeys together, going to the same B-school & then joining the same firm, our journeys have been remarkably different.

Gaurav Kumar 5/20/21 Gaurav Kumar 5/20/21

Perception Is a Reflection

"Our perception of us is often a reflection of others' perception of us."

Gaurav Kumar 5/18/21 Gaurav Kumar 5/18/21

Yardsticks

"Is this person smart" is often not the right question

Gaurav Kumar 5/14/21 Gaurav Kumar 5/14/21

Respecting BOundaries

For those leading teams, it's important to balance accountability & passion for work with respecting boundaries of personal time.

Gaurav Kumar 5/12/21 Gaurav Kumar 5/12/21

Tailor the Message

2 weeks back I had a catch-up with a team member. We discussed a host of things & then the conversation treaded towards future opportunities for the individual.

Gaurav Kumar 5/11/21 Gaurav Kumar 5/11/21

Leaving the Land Fallow

Sometimes the mind must be left fallow, much like the land!

Gaurav Kumar 5/7/21 Gaurav Kumar 5/7/21

3 Ways to Motivate

Frequently, we use two ways to motivate those around us

1. Reward & praise when they do something noteworthy

2. Punishment or reprimand when they do something that we don't want repeated

Gaurav Kumar 5/5/21 Gaurav Kumar 5/5/21

Measured Words

"Speak less than you know, and Have more than you show"

Gaurav Kumar 5/4/21 Gaurav Kumar 5/4/21

Personal Accountability

Some of the best managers I have worked with have taken persona.l interest in my well being

Gaurav Kumar 4/30/21 Gaurav Kumar 4/30/21

Priortise The Small Steps

Sometimes what we believe to be your best work goes unnoticed, and what we may feel is just about ‘ok’ resonates well & gathers praise. This happens at work, in personal life, and even in what we write on LinkedIn.

Gaurav Kumar 4/29/21 Gaurav Kumar 4/29/21

Humility to Keep Going

To have a project derailed from the plan is human, and probably happens in many situations both personal and professional. It happens to be the best of us. This is not what distinguishes the successful from the unsuccessful.

Gaurav Kumar 4/23/21 Gaurav Kumar 4/23/21

Pronouns Matter!

He/ him; She/ her; Them/ they; or any combination of thereof

I knew broadly what this meant, at least so I thought. It meant people were sharing their gender alignment or what they preferred to be addressed as.

Gaurav Kumar 4/21/21 Gaurav Kumar 4/21/21

Is the Experienced Indian Middle Class the Proverbial ‘Frog in Hot Water’?

There is near omnipresent trend centered on financial and career insecurity facing the Indian white collar middle class, especially those in their 30s-50s. Are we becoming the frog in hot water, not reacting fast enough to the changes all around us? Sharing my thoughts on what’s driving this, and how we could be better prepared for managing it. Look forward to hearing your perspectives on this.

Gaurav Kumar 4/20/21 Gaurav Kumar 4/20/21

Stereotyping

We carry #stereotypes of what makes for a successful career in a particular role.

For instance, to be successful in HR you need to be more empathetic, or people in marketing need to be outgoing, or the finance person needs to be awesome at maths, or to be an entrepreneur you need to be a risk taker etc.