And then there are words that have kept changing meanings over a period of time, which is why perhaps they dont evoke such a passionate response in one as do the others. Brave, for example, once implied cowardice — as indeed Bravado still does.

A word that perhaps describes this best is Nice, which is first recorded in 1290 with the meaning of stupid and foolish. A century later, it was being used to mean lascivious and wanton. Then at various times over the next centuries, it came to mean anything from extravagant, elegant, strange, slothful, unmanly, luxurious, modest, slight, precise, thin, shy, discriminating, dainty, and eventually in the last few centuries — pleasant and agreeable. Perhaps, that is why when someone says „you are nice“, one doesnt really know what exactly they mean!!!
That was a nice long blog post…………

It’s an incredible story. His. One of dogged passion and a survival instinct that only the bitten can possess. And an amazing case study in the power of word of mouth marketing and the business impact right market segmentation and positioning can have. But its different from any other case studies that I have read or come across, because it’s the first time a social project was the cause of the establishment of a commercial global brand, and not vice versa. It’s a story that inspires one to believe that you can be the cause of change, however daunting the cause might be.

And I came away truly inspired and hungry for more…..

The marvel of technology connecting this motley group of individuals each of who in their own right is trying to initiate change, and the human enterprise made me realise that at the end, this is what really makes things happen; makes the world go around- This will to bring about change and the technology that will power it. And I am glad I got an opportunity to witness the optimism of youth combined with the maturity that can only come from experience this morning. The results will be out soon and I would love to see the project we chose, to see the light beyond the secure environs of the University it was created and make a difference to the lives of many with clean water and fresher air. In a manner that’s sustainable and scalable.

Life is good.

It is true that “instincts” could be strong in both men and women, and more importantly, both sexes are capable of relying on their gut. My premise was that as a woman, having string instincts come naturally, but many women don’t rely on this natural ability they have, mostly owing to peer pressure and societal norms that sometimes equate instinctive decision making with being emotional. Listening to one’s heart and doing what makes one “feel good” is woefully under-recognised in our societies and I wanted to share some insights from my own experiences to highlight how it could be used to one’s advantage.

Following your heart doesn’t mean you change your mind every now and then. Sure, there are all kinds of people in this world. Some find their happiness in stability and some others want to explore multiple dimensions of their personas. Instead of being judgemental on what could be a better path, I would say the focus should be in creating a path that works for you. The objective of my talk wasn’t at all to say that one needs to follow the path I have charted for myself. Its worked for me but it may leave some others who have different wants in life totally dissatisfied. That is really the underpinning of instinctive decision making.

My friend who is visually impaired decided she is going to post a picture of hers on this social networking site (yes, she is incredibly IT savvy and totally “with it”!!!), even though she wont be able to see it. I saw the picture, in which she looked incredibly sexy and complimented her on her gorgeous looks. She called me soon after and said she was confused. She had got mixed reactions from people on the picture, with some saying that maybe it was “too sexy” and made her seem er… frivolous, which she is not. I disagreed (since she looked fantastic) but told her she could review it once more and put up something that was “more acceptable”, but she should do what makes her comfortable. I asked her how she would choose the right picture. She smiled and responded…she will have to choose the right person to make that judgement!!
That statement said so much. We assume that if one has a certain disability, one would also lose one’s sense of making the right judgement. I learnt on this call yesterday that our ways of making choices are different, but that’s the only difference.

In another discussion, this time with a sighted man, I was discussing the process of recruiting blind high potentials who would conduct workshops for senior business leaders. Firstly, he was intrigued that someone with disabilities could actually teach a thing or two to the best brains in business. When I explained to him that it wasnt about IQ, but about EQ, his first question was…”are there enough educated blind people for us to go on this recruitment drive?”. His question was baffling to me. Since I work closely with forums and platforms related to disabilities, I probably have a better idea of the ground realities, but his perception of the fact that if one has disabilities, one is also bound to be kept away from a decent form of education told me many things. Perceptions and practices that prevail in our society, and achaic laws that refuse to take cognizance of about 10% of the population.

In yet another interaction, I was pleasantly surprised to see employement agencies working to place people with disabilities in mainstream jobs. And these are not charities or NGOs. They are for-profit organisations running a successful business- just that they have found a niche that very few have any understanding about. Its all about perception!

I am looking forward to speaking at the US Business Leadership Network later this month where senior HR leaders of corporate America will discuss and find real-time examples of how they can bring more diversity into the workforce, and actually enhance productivity and employee engagement.

I have been following the Harvard Business debate closely and the writing on the wall is clear. Its time that not just leadership but also schools that are breeding grounds for future CEOs need to look inward and rethink their strategy so tomorrow’s leaderrs are more collaborative, transparent, empathetic and inclusive.

Example 2: I was channel surfing the other night and came across this ghastly serial called “Laado”. Supposedly, it is a serial made to bring to the limelight rising cases of female infanticide in Haryana. What I aw in the episode was anything but. There was this loud-mouth village ruffian (a woman no less!) who had dragged her daughter-in-law to the Panchayat on some flimsy case of adultery (not yet proven). The husband is conveniently missing, and to cut a long story short, the Panchayat, after some arguments back and forth with the “victimized girl” tell her to spend 6 months in the house of her mother-in-law as a maid….
I am sure this happens in reality in some boondocks in the Haryana hinterland. But there are all kinds of audiences for television, and I cant for the life of me understand how one can promote the cause of preventing female infanticide, if this is the general tenor and storyline the awful serial is taking. Am I glad I hate telly soaps!!!!!!!!

Example 3: Nothing gets my blood boiling more than seeing small kids travelling in fancy cars with their parents throwing trash out of the moving vehicle as if the whole neighbourhood was their personal trash can. The parents have lost their civic sense anyway, but cant they at least pretend to be socially aware and teach their kids a thing or two about basic etiquette? Wish they’d at least read their children’s environmental science book once when they are asking them to mug the answers. I get into an argument with one such callous parent at least once or twice a month on an average….but is that the answer? Cant we find a simpler way to instill a basic sense of civil behaviour in public?