A birthday boy’s take on what brings the best out of people:

 (Published - LinkedIn on Oct17, 2020)

Does a day make you wiser – in some ways it always does, in some ways it doesn’t! So, in many ways now that I am a year older, I am the same guy; yet I am not the same guy. For years, I just came to work and tried to leave the place a tad better – and I still try to do my work with that same basic philosophy of life every day. However, today I feel this sudden urge to share my work philosophy with you -:)

So hear you go; my 2 for 2 (for you and for your folks - "sociopathic tendencies" + "luck"!):

 

#1. Connect with people – They will take the bullet for you! 

Connect with people at a personal level through genuine understanding and empathy, so that when the time comes, they will be willing to take the bullet for you instead of fantasizing to put a bullet in you! Every person that I have been able to meaningfully connect with (irrespective of their power or lack thereof; irrespective of whether their circle of influence is big or negligible), has always without failure provided me with something of value!

#2 Empower people – They will move the mountains for you! 

Empower and Enable (yes with a capital E) people to take decisions; and irrespective of outcomes, back their decisions. It brings the best in an employee, and it breeds a culture of support and hence faster change. To me a person or an organization has to always change; you can move forward, backward or sideways -- but the fact of the matter is one has to move -- standing still at a place is like being dead! And, instilling decisiveness is synonymous to a desire to change – and decisiveness comes only when you let people make mistakes and let people make their own course corrections!

 And off you go to realize your dreams, by making others’ dreams come true! Everything else is "inactive ingredients"; and really won't matter in the long run.