Professor M. S. Rao&#8217;s Vision 2030: One Million Global Leaders

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This is a nonprofit blog to share Professor M.S. Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as global leaders by 2030. Please don't cut articles from my blog and redistribute by email or post to the web. The use of this material is free provided the copyright is acknowledged and reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com. This material may not be sold, or published in any form, or used in the provision of business services to a third party without permission.

Friday, 5 July 2024

Be The Change That You Wish To See In The World—Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—The Father of “Soft Leadership” & International Leadership Guru

“If someone asks me a question, ‘What is it you see when you look out the window that is visible but not yet seen by others’ I will answer, ‘I see a world filled with people with a huge potential lying untapped. If I can identify their strengths and inspire them to unlock their potential, I feel that I have made a difference in the world.’” ―Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D., The Father of Soft Leadership

There is growing importance attached to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with companies looking up aggressively and making good profits. Every company is giving returns to its shareholders, paying salaries to its employees making payments to its raw material vendors, and paying interest to its financial institutions. All the people involved in the company right from the stakeholders to the shareholders benefit in different ways. But what is about the common man? He too expects something from the companies, which are generating a lot of wealth. William Pollard aptly said, "It is the responsibility of leadership to provide opportunity, and the responsibility of individuals to contribute".

Prof. Amartya Sen bagged the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1998 for his contribution to the cause of Welfare Economics. All the companies across the world are contributing something towards the people by way of CSR.

In developed countries, people are protected by way of social security measures. The unemployed will get some allowance to maintain themselves if there is no job or loss of job. Old age homes are there to protect the old people. Pensions are provided to the old people to sustain themselves. Even if children do not take care of their parents, there are securities provided to the aged people by various means. People have the trend of spending and borrowing, as the people are not bothered about their old age. The risk-taking capacity is higher in those developed countries because one finds himself protected by all means. Whereas in the case of India, unfortunately, we do not have such social security measures as we are still a developing economy.

In this context, it is the people in general who should take up the responsibility individually to support the social groups and communities. I would like to coin it as Individual Social Responsibility (ISR) because society is the collection of all individuals. As too many tiny drops become a great ocean. The collective contribution of all individuals can make our society both qualitative and quantitative. The combined contribution of ISR and CSR will make global society prosperous.

Each individual must come forward to donate either physically or monetarily towards society, as charity begins at home. Mahatma Gandhi aptly said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Individuals can donate his/her eyes after death to eye banks so that the eyes can bring light to blind people. Individuals can donate whatever the possible amount for the marriage of the daughters of poor families. Similarly, everyone must do something on the eve of their birthday or marriage or any auspicious day at the orphan homes. Those who are not blessed with children can adopt children from orphan homes. Where there is a will there is a way. If there is an attitude of charity then everyone can contribute to society in many ways.

Each literate must make a firm commitment and take a pledge to create one more literate. India still lives in villages and the majority of illiterates are there in the villages who still grope in darkness. It is time we wake them up and raise their expectations and aspirations towards contributing to a better society. To put it in the words of Jonas Salk, "Our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors." One should always be proud of being a good ancestor rather than a good inheritor.

A few people do not have time but they have a big heart and they contribute a lot to society after adjusting their hectic schedules. To put him in the lines of Anthony Robbins, "Life is a gift and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back, by becoming more."

Teaching professionals can teach the poor and needy daily for an hour and can contribute to society. They must train the less privileged lot so that they can earn their living. Those who get good salaries can part away a month of their annual salary for sponsoring a poor student or they can monthly earmark an amount for the education of poor children.

Child labor is a matter of grave concern in India. Many parents, due to lack of economic resources, send their children to work although they know that it is illegal to exploit their children. Every individual must look at the problem at the root level and find out and check it. Paul Tillich said, “The first duty of love is to listen.” Every individual must be proactive and should listen to the conscience of the needy to meet their needs.

Women at home are still the untapped potential in India. Teaching skills like knitting, making jute bags, tailoring, beauty parlor services, cloth printing, mat making, repairing TV and radio, and making cotton and nylon bags will help them learn and make extra income. The extra income so generated will improve their living standards. And also teaching about yoga and meditation can help them establish their establishments. Nowadays people work harder and they are developing high-stress levels. Opening meditation or yoga centers relieves their stress levels and enhances their productivity levels.

There is a limitation to the charity work and the best thing is to help them stand on their own feet. There is a Chinese proverb, which says, “Give a fishnet and teach a man how to fish so that he can have plenty of fish regularly.” Instead of giving fish daily, teach a person how to catch fish so that the person can become confident and independent. All individuals must look forward to teaching things or concepts in such a way that they stand on their legs and live independent and dignified lives.

Children can also participate in various constructive activities such as bringing awareness about ecology by planting one at their homes and watering regularly. They can once in a while go in groups to bring awareness about rainwater harvesting, controlling the traffic, helping blind people to cross over busy roads, etc.,

When someone extends help in return s/he should not demand a simple 'thanks', s/he must take a firm commitment from the person to extend such help to two more people and ensure that the network grows exponentially. Over some time we would find a society filled with great charitable people resulting in the concept of 'Sarwa Jano Sukhino Bavanthu (let all people live with peace and happiness).

A lot of dry land is lying unutilized/untapped. Individuals must come forward to make it fertile and cultivable to increase revenue. Abraham Lincoln aptly said, "You can't escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." What could become a major problem tomorrow must be addressed right now.

The idea of ISR (Individual Social Responsibility) has come and it is here to stay because ‘No one can stop the idea whose time has come.’

“Nothing is greater than serving others with a great heart. We live in a world where there is a huge competition for takers and the least competition for givers. So, be a giver and serve your societies and communities to build a better world.” ―Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D., The Father of Soft Leadership

Reference

Share if you care!

“Things You Don’t Know about Professor M. S. Rao” http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2015/10/things-you-dont-know-about-professor-m.html

Read my ‘Vision 2030 One Million Global Leaders’ URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html

Note: I had COVID. I had a brain hemorrhage. I was in bed for five months. My right hand is paralyzed. I am recovering. Thanks for understanding and empathy. https://youtu.be/BFJrSRLHPUk

Life is great!

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.

Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.-S.-Rao/e/B00MB63BKM

Vision 2030: https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormsrao

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/Professor-MS-Rao-451516514937414

See the Light in You: https://www.amazon.com/See-Light-You-Spiritual-Mindfulness/dp/1949003132

Thanks for reading!

Kindly share your thoughts and comments below, I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.

Global Leadership: Search For Similarities, Not Differences—Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—The Father of “Soft Leadership” & International Leadership Guru

The present world demands a unique leadership to tackle the challenges arising out of complexity and uncertainty globally. We can call it global leadership because the current globalization opened the floodgates of the economy by collapsing the borders and integrating the entire world.

Global leadership is the ability to unify all forces and factors under one platform to achieve global goals and objectives such as saving the environment, maintaining peace and security, and ensuring all-around prosperity for humankind. It calls for unique traits and qualities essential to molding global leaders. These leaders must be equipped with tools and techniques such as mindset, skill set, and toolset to name succinctly. Let us look at a few of these traits:

Global mindset: They need to think globally with a global mindset. They cannot just develop a global mindset by merely reading books. Books will help with theoretical inputs and equip them to have a fair idea about global leadership. What is required is to work in a cross-cultural ambiance to develop a global mindset and experience the challenges.

Cultural competency: Love your mother, but don’t hate others’ mother. You need to love your culture and respect others’ culture as well. The leaders need to learn and empathize with others and must be strong at both cultural competence and cultural flexibility which is possible only when they have cultural tolerance.

High internal locus of control: Global leaders must have a high internal locus of control where they must have the mental ability to pull the strings towards their goals. Usually, things don't go as scheduled. Things go out of control due to the forces and factors which are beyond human control. Besides, it is difficult to predict what happens next due to the rising complexity. Leaders with strong internal locus of control will be in a better position to take on global challenges.

Managing uncertainty and complexity: Learn to accept the reality that things are getting more uncertain and complex due to rapid changes in technology. It is tough to predict where the technology will take us to the next level. Therefore, leaders must be prepared mentally to face the challenges head-on. They should learn to live with uncertainty and complexity.

Change is constant: Global leaders must have the flexibility to change constantly with the changing conditions. What goes on well today may not go well tomorrow as the rules of the game are constantly redrawn. They should learn to reinvent themselves situational, socially, culturally, technologically, and politically to sail smoothly and successfully along with the global stream.

Knowledge workers: The leaders must be open to learning and development constantly. They should open up their minds and hearts to welcome all cultures and communities wholeheartedly without any prejudices. They must be specialized in a few areas to stay ahead of others and to stand out from the pack. Passion to learn and grow must be the slogan for these leaders. Above all, they should share their knowledge as knowledge grows when shared.

Appreciate similarities, not differences: It is rightly said, "Every country is our country because it is the country of our God." Leaders must be in a position to realize and respect cultural differences and similarities. They must have the ability to connect people culturally through a common thread by highlighting the similarities rather than by focusing on differences. It helps in binding and bonding mankind emotionally paving the way for common goals—global peace, prosperity, and ecology.

No one can become a global leader overnight. It is a step-by-step process where the leaders have to undergo the process by taking up assignments globally. They must understand cultural diversity and undergo diversity training periodically. They need to update themselves regularly by sharing their knowledge and by becoming knowledge leaders. Finally, leaders need to demonstrate more soft skills rather than hard skills to gain acceptance and evolve as global leaders.

Takeaway: Practice global leadership

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“Things You Don’t Know about Professor M. S. Rao” http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2015/10/things-you-dont-know-about-professor-m.html

Read my ‘Vision 2030 One Million Global Leaders’ URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html

Note: I had COVID. I had a brain hemorrhage. I was in bed for five months. My right hand is paralyzed. I am recovering. Thanks for understanding and empathy. https://youtu.be/BFJrSRLHPUk

Life is great!

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.

Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.-S.-Rao/e/B00MB63BKM

Vision 2030: https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormsrao

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/Professor-MS-Rao-451516514937414

See the Light in You: https://www.amazon.com/See-Light-You-Spiritual-Mindfulness/dp/1949003132

Thanks for reading!

Kindly share your thoughts and comments below, I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.

Wednesday, 3 July 2024

Solitude is the Key to Fortitude—The Father of “Soft Leadership” & International Leadership Guru

“We live in a very tense society. We are pulled apart... and we all need to learn how to pull ourselves together.... I think that at least part of the answer lies in solitude.” —Helen Hayes

Life is becoming more complex with the rapid changing technology. Stress levels among the people are rising at alarming rates with the rising aspirations and expectations of the people. Companies demand a lot from their employees to beat the stiff competition which is possible only by being innovative and creative in delivery of goods and services. In this process, employees undergo fatigue at the workplace resulting into higher stress levels. Employees also want to prove and survive themselves by going extra mile. It is in this context, solitude is the need of the hour to break stress, anxiety monotony and boredom.

What is Solitude?

“Inside myself is a place where I live all alone, and that's where I renew my springs that never dry up.” —Pearl Buck

People often confuse between solitude with loneliness. In fact, it is not so. Solitude is a state of being alone for a short-term where in there will not be any physical contact with others. It is like taking a break once in a week by totally avoiding the routine work. It is also like taking a short leave for vacation. As people go for fasting without taking food for giving rest to the internal system, people also go for solitude for giving rest to mind for sometime.

Loneliness versus Solitude

“We enter the world alone, we leave it alone.” —James Anthony Froude

Often loneliness and solitude are interchangeably used by people. However, there is a thin line separating these both. Loneliness is a negative state whereas solitude is a positive state. Solitude helps in engaging oneself internally with a healthy thought process as a companion. Loneliness reflects missing something in life. It represents isolation. Loneliness depletes mind and body while solitude restores. Loneliness is bitterness while solitude is sweetness. To put it succinctly, solitude is chosen while loneliness is imposed.

Merits of Solitude

“True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.” —William Penn

It is the best way to get to know about yourself.
It removes the clutter and purifies your mind thus enhancing your concentration.
It helps in beating stress levels.
It helps you dig deep within and brings out the best.
It helps in better self-awareness, self-control and self-discipline.
It helps in recouping the lost energies. Besides, it builds fresh energies, enhances creativity and innovation.
It helps in exploring yourself analytically thus improving your personality for all-round success.
It replenishes your energies and helps you move further and forward with confidence and optimism.

Solitude is Fortitude

“No man should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strength.” —Jack Kerouac

When you do routine things you get bored. Then, it is time to go for solitude for self-analysis and introspection. When you want to do things differently, it is time to go for solitude. People go to beaches and spend time in solitude in the sounds of sea waves as it provides solace and strengthens will-power.

History reveals that several great leaders preferred solitude whenever they were in distress. In the epic Mahabharat, at the fag end of Kurukshetra battle, Duryodana underwent inside the water to remain calm for sometime and also to take in fresh energies. It was a kind of solitude. Saints and sages go for solitude to search themselves internally. They go to a serene place and enjoy in a state of solitariness. Therefore, solitude is fortitude.

Conclusion

“Solitude shows us what should be; society shows us what we are.” —Robert Cecil

People should spend sometime in solitude everyday so as to stay healthy physically, mentally and spiritually. It should be treated as an investment and expense of time. Few companies provide sabbatical leave to their employees who work for some period. It helps them to unwind themselves and get back to work with recharged energies. To sum up, it is essential for individuals and institutions to go for solitude regularly keeping in view of the growing uncertainty and complexity due to rapid technology.

“The happiest of all lives is a busy solitude.” —Voltaire

Share if you care!

“Things You Don’t Know about Professor M. S. Rao” http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2015/10/things-you-dont-know-about-professor-m.html

Read my ‘Vision 2030 One Million Global Leaders’ URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html

Note: I had COVID. I had a brain hemorrhage. I was in bed for five months. My right hand is paralyzed. I am recovering. Thanks for understanding and empathy. https://youtu.be/BFJrSRLHPUk

Life is great!

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.

Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.-S.-Rao/e/B00MB63BKM

Vision 2030: https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormsrao

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/Professor-MS-Rao-451516514937414

See the Light in You: https://www.amazon.com/See-Light-You-Spiritual-Mindfulness/dp/1949003132

Thanks for reading!

Kindly share your thoughts and comments below, I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.

Elevating our Soft Skills

Tuesday, 2 July 2024

Emphasize the 4Ps of Business Philosophy: Passion, Purpose, People, and Profit—The Father of “Soft Leadership” & International Leadership Guru

"Who are businesses really responsible to? Their customers? Shareholders? Employees? We would argue that it's none of the above. Fundamentally, businesses are responsible for their resource base. Without a healthy environment, there are no shareholders, no employees, no customers, and no business." —Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia

There is a myth that businesses are run basically about making profits. The truth is that businesses are run basically about adding value to customers and clients with an emphasis on ethics. When you look at entrepreneurs including Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk, started their businesses with fire in their bellies. They did not start businesses with the sole intention of making money. They wanted to impact and make a difference in society. For them, passion is more important than profit, purpose is more important than profit, and people are more important than profit. Steve Jobs was passionate about technology and founded Apple which changed the lives of people globally.

A Global Shift in the Business Philosophy

“The idea that business is about maximizing profits for shareholders is outdated and doesn’t work very well, as the recent global financial crisis has taught us. The 21st Century is one of ‘Managing for Stakeholders.’” —R. Edward Freeman, Father of The Stakeholder Approach

Previously the business philosophy was ‘customers first and employees second.’ Currently, the business philosophy is ‘employees first and customers second.’ In my award-winning book, 21 Success Sutras for CEOs, I implored business leaders to adopt the philosophy of ‘employees first, customers second, and shareholders third.’ When employees are respected, they are motivated leading to improved productivity and performance. They add value to the customers and clients leading to improved organizational bottom lines. Satisfied customers and clients bring more business to the organizations leading to improved shareholders’ value. This philosophy works well especially in the post-coronavirus world and in the future world. Therefore, organizations must consider adopting this business philosophy.

The ‘4 Ps’: Passion, Purpose, People, and Profit

"The future of business is not really just being able to make a living for people, and make more money, and go public, and all those kinds of things. But it's actually the possibility to make a difference in the world." —Eileen Fisher, Founder, and CEO of Eileen Fisher

Keep purpose as an end-product and profit as a byproduct to excel as an ethical and inspiring entrepreneur. When you keep purpose over profit, you succeed in the long term. When you keep profit over purpose, you succeed in the short-term but you are tempted to cut corners to survive in the business. With the changing times and technologies, it is ideal to shift the focus from profit to purpose and from profit to people. As individuals search for meaning, organizations must search for meaning by emphasizing passion over profit, purpose over profit, and people over profit. To summarize, keep passion over profit, keep purpose over profit, and people over profit to excel as successful entrepreneurs and make a positive impact in society.

Explore the Business Philosophy of ‘4 Ps’

"Passion is like the electricity in the car, but purpose is the direction that the car is driving. You need the passion. You need to be passionate about purpose, otherwise, the car won't get going. But you also need to know where you are going, and what you are trying to achieve." —Debbie Haski-Leventhal, Professor of Management and CSR

Money is finite while human resources are infinite. Elon Musk’s global wealth ranking fluctuates every day based on his decisions and comments on Bitcoin. When businesses are run by passion, purpose, people, and profit in the pecking order, they achieve short-term productivity and long-term performance. It is ideal to follow the 4Ps in the pecking order—passion, purpose, people, and profit to build a business world that is ethical, encouraging, and inspiring. To conclude, entrepreneurs must identify the biggest global challenges and explore solutions to resolve them with a business philosophy of 'passion first, purpose second, people third, and profit fourth' to build a better world.

"Don't start a business, start a crusade. Businesses fail. Businesses die. Businesses fade into oblivion. Revolutions never die. So start a revolution, not a business." —James Watt, Founder, and CEO of Brewdog

Share if you care!

“Things You Don’t Know about Professor M. S. Rao” http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2015/10/things-you-dont-know-about-professor-m.html

Read my ‘Vision 2030 One Million Global Leaders’ URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html

Note: I had COVID. I had a brain hemorrhage. I was in bed for five months. My right hand is paralyzed. I am recovering. Thanks for understanding and empathy. https://youtu.be/BFJrSRLHPUk

Life is great!

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.

Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.-S.-Rao/e/B00MB63BKM

Vision 2030: https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormsrao