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Manu Rishi Guptha

The great Indian election tamasha and the 6 lessons for the CEOs in corporate world

The recent Indian elections have been interesting for more than a few reasons and the resounding victory with which the ‘allegedly fundamentalist and polarising’ BJP came to power has some deep rooted lessons for the senior management in the corporate world. 10 years was a real long time for ‘the messiah of youth’ Rahul to grab this opportunity and redeem the vouchers of confidence that were secured with the grandson of… Read More »The great Indian election tamasha and the 6 lessons for the CEOs in corporate world

Negligible marginal utility of Governments

Circa May 2004. I was holidaying in Binagudi (a remote village in West Bengal) when the India Shining Campaign of the incumbent BJP government was almost set to get them back to power and they lost. Congress put up a good show and Sonia Gandhi / Manmohan Singh was set to become the PM. I had intermittent access to television but saw AB Bardhan (Of Communist party that was to… Read More »Negligible marginal utility of Governments

Case for appointing Google as the Central Banker

5 years after the worst economic meltdown (US housing et al) as i watch the indices erode shareholders wealth and the Indian currency plummet, i cannot help but muse over the underlying cause of economic crises in different parts of the world. I have read of more than a handful of well known economists (Nouriel Roubini, Peter Schiff, Ron Paul, Raghuram Rajan etc etc) who claim to have predicted the… Read More »Case for appointing Google as the Central Banker

Warmth – An essential leadership tool

One of the most important tools of leadership is warmth. That’s something, which can neither be taught to a leader nor can it be acquired. The gait of true leaders can be recognised from miles away. Their warmth, way of interaction with their colleagues, a gentle pat on the shoulder, a smile or a greeting (without expecting one in return) are powerful conduits of influence that align organisations in the… Read More »Warmth – An essential leadership tool

The power of dissent

The best service that a company (striving to become great – if it’s already good) can do to itself, is to allow dissent. More than often the culture ‘my way or highway’ stems from the top, driven by the success or falsely assumed success of entrepreneurs. When God made man, it’s most unique and efficient creation, he whispered into the man’s ear “you are my best and most intelligent creation… Read More »The power of dissent

Remembering a great Man : Some people who made a difference to my life – III

When I first met Sh. O.P. Gupta (OPG) in 2006 he was a man who was going from strength to strength after having established his credentials as a builder of repute in Jamshedpur and establishing townships and retirement homes in Bhiwadi – A rather unsexy place. For me who was only hobnobbing with the British royalty in three previous years, setting up the group’s first hotel in Bhiwadi (then) was… Read More »Remembering a great Man : Some people who made a difference to my life – III

Questioning the existence of GOD

Whilst I bow down in front of the picture of my God with alarming regularity each morning and have unquestionable belief in the existence of an invisible hand that writes our destinies, the recent devastation in Japan has left me with many unanswered questions. And I believe that most of the theories about laws of karma, and existence of God are at best specious. An island nation that rose from… Read More »Questioning the existence of GOD

Some of the people who made a difference to my life-II

Golf courses are known to be the playgrounds of the rich and the famous and I have heard that people strike big business deals there. For me the experience was entirely different when during an idyllic Sunday in early 2000, while playing at the Annadale golf course, my path crossed with Brig. R. C. Shard on the 8th hole. He said “Son seeing you for the first time on the… Read More »Some of the people who made a difference to my life-II

Decoding the festival of lights – Diwali

Diwali is a festival of lights as light is a metaphor for knowledge and darkness represents ignorance. Therefore this festival of lights symbolises the destruction, through knowledge, of all negative forces- wickedness, violence, lust, anger, envy, greed, bigotry, fear, injustice, oppression and suffering. People distribute sweets among friends and relatives as a token of affection and bonhomie, visit each other’s homes and symbolically start a new year. But lately this… Read More »Decoding the festival of lights – Diwali

The un-Commonwealth games

I have been receiving messages from my friends in Britain about some juicy dope on the ill fated games that are likely to start in a few days. I am ashamed that some greedy individuals in the position of authority have brought immense disrepute to the nation and to Indians at large. While I am worried about the images that are being flashed across the world media, the collapsing bridges… Read More »The un-Commonwealth games