A Leader Should Know How to Manage Failure

Question: Could you give an example, from your own experience, of how leaders should manage failure?

APJ Abdul Kalam: Let me tell you about my experience. In 1973 I became the project director of India 's satellite launch vehicle program, commonly called the SLV-3. Our goal was to put India 's "Rohini" satellite into orbit by 1980. I was given funds and human resources -- but was told clearly that by 1980 we had to launch the satellite into space. Thousands of people worked together in scientific and technical teams towards that goal.

By 1979 -- I think the month was August -- we thought we were ready. As the project director, I went to the control center for the launch. At four minutes before the satellite launch, the computer began to go through the checklist of items that needed to be checked. One minute later, the computer program put the launch on hold; the display showed that some control components were not in order. My experts -- I had four or five of them with me -- told me not to worry; they had done their calculations and there was enough reserve fuel. So I bypassed the computer, switched to manual mode, and launched the rocket. In the first stage, everything worked fine. In the second stage, a problem developed. Instead of the satellite going into orbit, the whole rocket system plunged into the Bay of Bengal . It was a big failure.

That day, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, Prof. Satish Dhawan, had called a press conference. The launch was at 7:00 am, and the press conference -- where journalists from around the world were present -- was at 7:45 am at ISRO's satellite launch range in Sriharikota [in Andhra Pradesh in southern India ]. Prof. Dhawan, the leader of the organization, conducted the press conference himself. He took responsibility for the failure -- he said that the team had worked very hard, but that it needed more technological support. He assured the media that in another year, the team would definitely succeed. Now, I was the project director, and it was my failure, but instead, he took responsibility for the failure as chairman of the organization.

The next year, in July 1980, we tried again to launch the satellite -- and this time we succeeded. The whole nation was jubilant. Again, there was a press conference. Prof. Dhawan called me aside and told me, "You conduct the press conference today."

I learned a very important lesson that day. When failure occurred, the leader of the organization owned that failure. When success came, he gave it to his team. The best management lesson I have learned did not come to me from reading a book; it came from that experience.

Source: This is from Former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam at Wharton India Economic forum, Philadelphia , March 22,2008

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Sam

Curiosity - The Key to Discovery

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Curiosity is an emotion related to natural behaviour such as exploration, investigation, and learning, evident by observation in human and many animal species. The term can also be used to denote the behavior itself being caused by the emotion of curiosity. As this emotion represents a drive to know new things, curiosity is the fuel of science and all other disciplines of human study.

Curiosity is common to human beings at all ages from infancy to old age, and is easy to observe in many other animal species. These include apes, cats, fish, reptiles, and insects; as well as many others. Many aspects of exploration are shared among all beings, as all known terrestrial beings share similar aspects: limited size and a need to seek out food sources.

Strong curiosity is the main motivation of many scientists. In fact, in its development as wonder or admiration, it is generally curiosity that makes a human being want to become an expert in a field of knowledge. Though humans are sometimes considered particularly curious, they sometimes seem to miss the obvious when compared to other animals. What seems to happen is that human curiosity about curiosity itself (i.e. meta-curiosity or meta-interest), combined with the ability to think in an abstract way, lead to mimesis, fantasy and imagination - eventually leading to an especially human way of thinking ("human reason"), which is abstract and self aware, or conscious. Some people have the feeling of curiosity to know what is after death.

To be curious, all it takes to start is imagination and curiosity. If you've got these qualities, along with persistence, you've got what it takes to consider a career in science-perhaps an award winning career. That wonderful world of the future, now only in your imagination can become real. If you act on your curiosity, you can help make it happen!

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Sam

Thinking Out of Box

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Try to answer the following questions!

Question(A):

You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night, it's raining heavily, when suddenly you pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for a bus.

1. Old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
2. An old friend who once saved your life.
3. perfect partner you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing very well that there could only be one passenger in your car?

This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application.

1. You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first.
2. You could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back.
3. However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again.

The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer. Guess what was his answer?

Answer(A):

"I would give the car keys to my Old friend and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams."

Question(B):

Interviewer (To a student Girl candidate) - One morning you woke up & found that you were pregnant, what will you do?

Answer(B):

"I will be very excited and take an off to celebrate with my husband."

Normally an unmarried girl will be shocked to hear this, but why should one think it in the wrong way!

Question(C):

The interviewer asked the candidate "This is your last question of the interview. Please tell me the exact position of the center of this table where u have kept your files."

Answer(C):

Candidate confidently put one of his finger at some point at the table and told that this was the central point at the table.

Interviewer asked how did u get to know that this being the central point of this table. He answers quickly that, "sir you are not likely to ask any more question, as it was the last question that u promised to ask!

The candidate was selected because of his presence of mind with humor.

Thinking outside the box means coming up with creative ways to solve problems, new ways to look at things.

How can you do it? First you have to understand what the "box" is. Then you can look at how to get outside of it. The "box" is the normal way of looking at things, doing things, and all the assumptions that almost everyone involved is making. Your best way to start thinking out of the box then, is to identify and challenge all the assumptions that make up the thinking inside the box.

• Willingness to take new perspectives to day-to-day work.
• Openness to do different things and to do things differently.
• Focusing on the value of finding new ideas and acting on them.
• Striving to create value in new ways.
• Listening to others.
• Supporting and respecting others when they come up with new ideas.

тнιηк συтѕι∂є тнє вσχ!

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Sam

Remember Your A B C 's

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Avoid negative sources, people, places, things and habits

Believe in yourself

Consider things from every angle

Don't give up and don't give in

Enjoy life today, yesterday is gone, tomorrow may never come

Family and friends are hidden treasures, seek them and enjoy their riches

Give more than you planned to

Hang on to your dreams

Ignore those who try to discourage you

Just do it

Keep trying to matter how hard it seems, it will get easier

Love yourself first and most

Make it happen

Never lie, cheat or steal, always strike a fair deal

Open your eyes and see things as they really are

Practice makes perfect

Quitters never win and winners never quit

Read, study and learn about everything important in your life

Stop procrastinating

Take control of your own destiny

Understand yourself in order to better understand others

Visualize it

Want it more than anything

Xcellerate your efforts

You are unique of all God's creations, nothing can replace you

Zero in on your target and go for it!

Source: Wanda Hope Carter

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Sam

What Makes The Difference?

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Ever heard the story of the giant ship engine that failed?

The ship’s owners tried one expert after another, but none of them could figure but how to fix the engine. Then they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was a youngster. He carried a large bag of tools with him, and when he arrived, he immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom.

Two of the ship’s owners were there, watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine lurched into life. He carefully put his hammer away.

The engine was fixed!

A week later, the owners received a bill from the old man for ten thousand dollars.

”What?!” the owners exclaimed.

“He hardly did anything!”

So they wrote the old man a note saying, “Please send us an itemized bill”

The man sent a bill that read:

Tapping with a hammer ……………………. $ 2.00
Knowing where to tap ………………………. $ 9998.00

Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort in your life makes all the difference.

Source: Inspirational

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Sam

Broad Mind

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Once an unhappy young man came to an old master and told he was very sad and asked for a solution.

The old Master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it. “How does it taste?” the Master asked. “Awful,” spat the apprentice.

The Master chuckled and then asked the young man to take another handful of salt and put it in the lake.

The two walked in silence to the nearby lake and when the apprentice swirled his handful of salt into the lake, the old man said, “Now drink from the lake.”

As the water dripped down the young man’s chin, the Master asked, “How does it taste?” “Good!” remarked the apprentice.

“Do you taste the salt?” asked the Master. “No,” said the young man. The Master sat beside this troubled young man, took his hands, and said,

The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount we taste the ‘pain’ depends on the container we put it into. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things..

Stop being a glass. Become a lake

Broader Mindset will solve most of the problems we face. So don’t allow problem to grow broader than your mind.

Source: Inspirational

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Sam

God Exists

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A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said, “I don’t believe that God exists.”

“Why do you say that?” asked the customer.

“Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn’t exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can’t imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.”

The customer thought for a moment, but didn’t respond because he didn’t want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber, “You know what? Barbers do not exist.”

“How can you say that?” asked the surprised barber. “I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!”

“No!” the customer exclaimed. “Barbers don’t exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.”

“Ah, but barbers DO exist! That’s what happens when people do not come to me.”

“Exactly!” affirmed the customer. “That’s the point! God, too, DOES exist! That’s what happens when people do not go to Him and don’t look to Him for help. That’s why there’s so much pain and suffering in the world.”

Source: Fr Eugene Lobo SJ

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Sam

How To Be Successful

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Every day, we fight the fight.
Every day we play the game.
Every day we expect good things.
Every day we want to do our best.
So what's the secret? Where's the answer?

Well here it is. There isn't one.

No matter how long you live, all you can do is improve upon the mistakes and reap the success. That's it.

That's your job. So instead of searching for the magic waters, live for now. Wake up with that smile, that energy, that goal, and strive on. It might not happen or work today, so what. Guess what, it probably didn't for the next person either.

So you take what you have, and try again. Because every day is another chance, another opportunity. There will always be a next time. Remember that.

"Can't" is an excuse and giving up is not an option. So get out of your comfort zone and get something done. Nobody can make you do it but YOU! Not this quote, or anything else you read. It's you.

So find that personal motivation. Make it happen. Because the magic potion is somewhere very few people look, with-in you.

"I'm not in competition with anybody but myself. My goal is to beat my last performance." - Celine Dion

Source: Curt Bachman

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Sam

Excellence

A German once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor, "Do you need two statues of the same idol?" "No," said the sculptor without looking up, "We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage." The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. "Where is the damage?" he asked. "There is a scratch on the nose of the idol." said the sculptor, still busy with his work. "Where are you going to install the idol?"

The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. "If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?" the gentleman asked. The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, "I will know it."

The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not. "Excellence" is a drive from inside, not outside. Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction and efficiency.

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Sam

Six Keys To Success

1. Attitude
Bloom where you are planted. You have a choice to get back up after temporary set backs. Attitude is a small thing that makes a big difference!

2. Direction
If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there. Write your short term goals down on paper. I have discovered and continue to discover that putting your dreams and goals down on paper lock in or focus your belief that they can be achieved -- even if you have to take a course correction in achieving your goals. Success comes in cans, failure comes in can'ts.

3. Values
Explore what is important to you. Maybe it is family, friends, your spirituality or working hard at any given task. I can assure you that your priorities will change as you grow older. Very important that you value yourself and treat yourself like the valuable gift from God that you are.

4. Interests
Birds of a feather flock together. This is to say that if you are hanging around winners or others with a "can do" mind-set, you'll likely adapt to this same kind of thinking. Remember -- "SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES!

5. Commitment
Feelings may change, commitments do not. "Success is getting up one more time than you fall." I have often wanted to give up, and then I must think to myself about what the consequences of giving up will be. Generally, this is more than enough of a motivation to make us stick to the task at hand even if we don't feel like it. When the task is achieved, Whow! -- IT FEELS GREAT!

6. Encouragement:
Be an encourager and comforter to friends that are feeling discouraged. I promise that you will not regret this as you will be encouraged by one, if not many, when you are feeling down. Encouragement and love are contagious qualities that can change the minds of the most stubborn and "hard-to-get-along-with" people you know. I have seen it happen over and over again.

Source: motivateus

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Sam

10 Important Things For Life

10 Most Important Things

1. LOVE
The Special Feeling That Makes You Feel All Warm And Wonderful.

2. RESPECT
Treating Others As Well As You Would Like To Be Treated.

3. APPRECIATION
To Be Grateful For All The Good Things Life Has To Offer.

4. HAPPINESS
The Full Enjoyment Of Each Moment. A Smiling Face.

5. FORGIVENESS
The Ability To Let Things Be Without Anger.

6. SHARING
The Joy Of Giving Without Thought Of Receiving.

7. HONESTY
The Quality Of Always Telling The Truth.

8. INTEGRITY
The Purity Of Doing What's Right, No Matter What.

9. COMPASSION
The Essence Of Feeling Another's Pain, While Easing Their Hurt.

10. PEACE
The Reward For Living The 10 Most Important Things.

Source: motivateus

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Sam

You Are The Result Of Yourself

Don't blame anyone, never complain of anyone or anything

Because basically you have made of your life what you wanted.

Accept the difficulties of edifying yourself

And the worth of starting to correct your character.

The triumph of the true man arises from the ashes of his mistakes.

Never complain of your loneliness or your luck.

Face it with courage and accept it.

Somehow, they are the result of your acts and

It shows that you'll always win.

Don't feel frustrated of your own failures, neither unload them to someone else.

Accept yourself now or you'll go on justifying yourself like a child.

Remember that any time is good to start

And that no time is so good to give up.

Don't forget that the cause of your present is your past,

As the cause of your future will be your present.

Learn from the brave, from the strong,

From who doesn't accept situations

From who will live in spite of everything.

Think less of your problems and more of your work.

Learn to arise from your pain,

And to be greater than the greatest of your obstacles.

Look at the mirror of yourself and you'll be free and strong

And you'll stop being a puppet of circumstances.

For you yourself are your destiny.

Wake up and stare at the sun in the mornings and breathe the sun of dawn.

You're part of the strength of your life now,

Rise up, fight, walk, be sure and you'll win in life.

Don't ever think of 'fate'

For fate is the excuse of failures.

-- Pablo Neruda [Chilean Writer]

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Sam