Professor M. S. Rao’s Vision 2030: One Million Global Leaders

© 2015 MSR Leadership Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. 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. The use of this material is free provided copyright is acknowledged and reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.in. 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, 21 March 2025

Share Your Wisdom Freely to Impact—Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—21st-Century Philosopher & The Father of “Soft Leadership”

“I rose from humble origins with a toxic family background. When I was 18, I dropped out of college to support my parents financially and joined the Indian Air Force. I had to struggle hard to earn my livelihood. I sacrificed my personal time, invested a portion of my monthly salary and resources, and acquired several qualifications including DME, BSc, MA, MBA, PGDCLL, and PGDBM. I earned my Ph.D. in 2011. I understand the pain of life. I am a self-made man. I have learned that there's no such thing as a free lunch.” ―Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—21st-Century Philosopher & The Father of “Soft Leadership”

Every parent wants their child to be great. Every teacher wants their students to become great. Every root delivers fruit. But what is common among all these examples is that all are torchbearers and show light. They guide and glide from nowhere to somebody.

The root of a tree can not eat its fruits but it helps others enjoy the fruits. It is enjoyed when someone eats its fruits and derives great joy and happiness. Its role is to have a strong foundation to sustain itself for a longer time by providing fruits for others. In our daily lives, we find a few people who remain as root but share their fruits with others and derive immense pleasure from it. These people remain a source of inspiration and motivation for others to dream big and achieve greater heights.

Similarly, teachers enjoy giving out their knowledge and wisdom to students. They feel proud when their students reach a tipping point. The teachers can not reach the tipping point but they encourage and educate their students to reach the same. They enjoy shaping the careers and lives of their students.

Every parent wants their child to grow and be successful. They provide character and confidence in their child which are the foundation for success. They do not expect anything from their child except love and affection.

Some people would love to share their knowledge with others as they enjoy others' growth. It is like a candle providing light for others and getting melted during the process. And there is immense pleasure in getting melted as they provide light for others as long as they are alive.

“I am 62 years of age and a survivor of a brain stroke that occurred in 2021. My upbringing was not characterized by luxury; on the contrary, I was raised in a toxic familial environment and polluted surroundings. I do not possess either a motorcycle or an automobile. Furthermore, I do not receive any pension or a consistent income. My life is marked by numerous struggles and hardships, including mental, physical, and financial challenges. Nevertheless, despite these adversities, I have managed to rise from the ashes like a phoenix.” ―Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—21st-Century Philosopher & The Father of “Soft Leadership

Reference

https://www.amazon.in/Vision-2030-Million-Global-Leaders/dp/938620231X

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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 a brain hemorrhage. I was in bed for five months. My right hand has been numb and paralyzed. I am recovering. Thanks for empathizing with me. With gratitude. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFJrSRLHPUk&ab_channel=ProfessorM.S.Rao

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

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

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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; redistribute them by email or post them on 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, published in any form, or used in the provision of business services to a third party without permission.

Friday, 14 March 2025

Do You Sharpen Your Saw Regularly?—Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—21st-Century Philosopher & The Father of “Soft Lead

“The illiterates of the 21st century are the people who cannot unlearn, relearn, and learn." —Alvin Toffler.

Students often think that they can say "goodbye" to education once they switch from academic life to corporate life. But the fact is that real learning starts in the corporate world. Whatever students have learned academically puts them on the corporate ladder. However, to survive in the corporate world they must work smart to acquire and hone new skills and abilities. Besides, they must also sharpen their skills continuously to race ahead of others.

People often get complacent with success and don't improve within the organizations. It proves costly in the later part of life as their peers and subordinates would outsmart them professionally. What worked to reach the present position might not work to reach the future position. Hence, there is a constant need to improve and grow in this world. In addition, Stephen R Covey emphasizes sharpening saw in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Successful people have the habit of sharpening their saws constantly. They learn and grow continuously.

Tips to Sharpen Your Saw

Improvement is important and is an essential ingredient for all individuals. They must improvise, innovate, and invigorate constantly to sharpen their saws. Here are the tips to sharpen your skills:

Have an appetite for learning. Learn from everyone without any false ego.
Invest a part of your earnings for learning and development.
Daily invest your time for reading. As you take food for your survival you need to read daily to update and sharpen your skills.
Learn from mistakes. We all make mistakes. But recognizing and realizing mistakes help us prevent mistakes in the future thus enhancing our success rate.
Strive for excellence, not perfection as perfection is merely impossible. Striving to be at your best gives you great satisfaction and motivates you to move forward.
Above all, share your knowledge as knowledge grows when shared. The more you share the more pleasure you derive out of it. You will be happy to see people growing in front of you with your knowledge.

A Take-Home Message

The rapid growth in technology has compelled people to perform. Failing to do so leads them to getting oblivion. There is no meaning to life if there is no continuous value addition. Hence, learn from everybody and from all sources to sharpen your skills not only to stay healthy but also to stay ahead of others.

Reference

https://www.amazon.com/Soft-Skills-Overcome-Workplace-Challenges/dp/1628653035

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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

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

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

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

Humor and Message—Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—21st-Century Philosopher & The Father of “Soft Lead

Is humor essential in public speaking? The answer is both 'Yes' and 'No'. It appears strange! Humor has several advantages. Humor helps in breaking the tense situation. It helps in breaking the ice. It helps in bringing commotion to peace and in catching the attention of the audience quickly. It also helps in providing a break to the stressed audience.

Humor, when used in the wrong situations and places damages effective speaking. A few public speakers use humor as a tool to gain entry to the audience, i.e. connecting with the audience quickly. The trainers and speakers use humor as an ice-breaking activity to take the audience to the actual content. Keeping the profile of the audience in mind, the speakers use humor to connect with the audience. The tools and techniques deployed differ from situation to situation. There is no fixed formula as such that a specific tool works out.

Successful speakers immediately get into the shoes of the audience by using humor. Once it is done half of the battle is won. They demonstrate to their audience that they surrendered and gradually they take their audience to the real issues and challenges and real message. They use proper pauses and pace to see that the message is carried. During the process, they maintain a smooth flow by lowering and raising their pitch depending on the context and content. They gradually exit the speech once they are convinced that the message is effectively conveyed. It is a mental process where the audience may not know the techniques deployed by the speakers. However, in the end, it is the message that counts not humor.

The objective of any public speaking is to convey the content effectively and efficiently. In a nutshell, getting across the message to the audience is the key to successful public speaking. How the speaker gets across the point depends again on the ability of the speaker.

Human beings love to listen to stories. A few speakers use some small stories to arouse the interest of the audience. A few bring in anecdotes and examples to get the message across.

A few speakers use too much humor which is not healthy as it sidetracks and sidelines the essence of the message. Successful public speakers use limited humor to quickly connect with the audience. They use humor as a tool to convey the message. A few public speakers fail to realize this and resort to excessive humor thus defeating the very purpose of the message. For effective and successful public speaking it is essential to blend both entertainment and education with more emphasis on the latter.

Therefore, never confuse humor with a message. It is necessary to draw a fine and thin line between both. The objective of public speaking is to drive home the message and in this process, humor becomes only a means not an end. Ultimately it is the takeaways that last in the minds of the audience.

Reference

https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Successful-Public-Speaking-Speaker/dp/1628656107

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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

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

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

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Empathy versus Sympathy—Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—21st-Century Philosopher & The Father of “Soft Lead

“Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care." —Theodore Roosevelt.

Individuals often look for empathy, not sympathy. There is a vast difference between empathy and sympathy. Sympathy is all about showing compassion when others are in problems expressing solidarity and standing by them. In contrast, empathy is the ability to step into the shoes of others and look at things from others' perspectives. Empathy is essential for individuals. When you empathize with others most of the problems can be resolved in the world easily. But people often look only from their perspective, not from others' perspective leading to misunderstandings and conflicts.

Empathy is one of the essential ingredients of effective leadership. Leaders empathize with others to accomplish their objectives successfully. Before giving any task to others they empathize with whether people can do it. Only when leaders are convinced that group members can do so can they assign the tasks accordingly. Usually, people expect empathy rather than sympathy. Hence, people must differentiate between these two words empathy and sympathy, and empathize with others to connect with others easily and build bridges thus promoting fraternity and brotherhood. To conclude in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, "Three-fourths of the miseries and misunderstandings in the world would disappear if we step into the shoes of our adversaries and understand their standpoint."

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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

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

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

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Thursday, 13 March 2025

HALT Your Decision—Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—21st-Century Philosopher & The Father of “Soft Leadership

“Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.” —Napoleon

We all make decisions in life. All decisions may not deliver fruitful results as some decisions succeed while some fail. If we take precautions while making decisions the probability of success will be higher. But how to make smart decisions is a million-dollar question. There is no magic wand to make sure all decisions are successful. However, what we can do is to HALT your decision where HALT is the acronym for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tensely to ensure a higher success rate in decision-making. Here is how HALT goes:

When you are hungry you tend to make biased decisions as you have a strong appetite. When you are in anger you make decisions impulsively. When you are lonely you make decisions based on your emotions without consulting others. Finally, when you are in a tense mood you are in a confused state.

For successful decision-making, it is vital to use your head and heart. People either use their heads or hearts and rarely do they blend both to achieve the desired outcomes. When you go by head you go by logic and reason but you may not have any concern for people. Precisely, you go by task orientation. In contrast, when you go by heart you go by emotions and feelings with a concern for people. Precisely, you go by people orientation. However, if you want to eat the cake and have it too, then it is essential to blend both your head and heart that is to care for people and also production so that you can achieve desired outcomes by taking all aspects in view.

Hence, halt your decision when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tense, and blend your head and heart to make sound decisions. Good Luck!

Reference

https://www.amazon.com/Soft-Leadership-New-Direction/dp/1949003523

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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

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

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

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Are There Level 6 Leaders?—Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—21st-Century Philosopher & The Father of “Soft Leadership

According to Jim Collins, there are five levels of leadership. The level 1 leaders are good at their work individually. They can contribute their best individually both efficiently and effectively. The Level 2 leaders are not only efficient and effective but also work in teams effectively thus gelling well with team members. Level 3 leaders are competent managers who can get the work done effectively and efficiently from level 1 and level 2 leaders. The Level 4 leaders think ahead of Level 3 leaders as they have a clear vision of where they intend to go and take their team members forward. Finally, the level 5 leaders are highly passionate and don't mind who gets credit for their contribution. They have humility and professional will. Such leaders take organizations to greater heights of glory. Level 5 leaders are required to take organizations from good to great. Are there level 6 leaders beyond level 5 leaders? Let us look at the same.

Level 6 Leaders

Level 6 leaders work with passion, patience, and perseverance. They emphasize values and ethics. They empathize with others. They believe in values-based leadership. They build further leaders thus ensuring the longevity of the organizations. They know how to inspire the motivate people. They are master trainers and mentor others. They are transformational leaders with a passion for making others believe in themselves for the good of others. They are knowledge leaders having specialized knowledge. They are thought leaders who see the invisible and forecast future requirements that are beyond the reach of normal leaders.

Level 6 leaders strive for the personal and professional success of their followers. They handhold, guide and groom them as leaders. They create more leaders to take things forward. They ensure the longevity of the organization without expecting any rewards and returns.

To conclude, level 6 leaders create more leaders. They are above level 5 leaders. They are humane and kindhearted. They believe in soft leadership that blends both soft and hard skills. These leaders are legends who will be remembered for several generations for their commitment and making a difference in the lives of others.

Reference

https://www.amazon.com/Soft-Leadership-New-Direction/dp/1949003523

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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

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

Substack: https://professormsrao.substack.com

X: http://twitter.com/professormsrao

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessorMSRao

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

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

Wednesday, 12 March 2025

Leadership is Lonely at the Top—Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—21st-Century Philosopher & The Father of “Soft Leadership”

"Leadership is not popularity. It is getting results." —Peter Drucker.

People often compare leadership with popularity. Leadership is more of taking responsibility inviting both bouquets and brickbats. It involves a lot of struggles and sacrifices. Leaders undergo a lot of trials and tribulations and more pain than pleasure during their lifetime. Leadership is mostly a thankless job as leaders are often criticized for what was not done properly than the one that was done properly. And leadership is lonely at the top. Frieda Fromm Reichman once remarked, "People are more frightened of being lonely than of being hungry, or being deprived of sleep, or of having their sexual needs unfulfilled"

Leadership is indeed lonely at the top as leaders cannot discuss certain things freely with others and associate with others freely for fear of kicking up controversies and getting wrangled with irrelevant issues. Most of the leaders suffer internally a lot as they are caught between the devil and the deep sea. They are scared of revealing their weaknesses to their peers and friends and avoid talking with people as they might be interpreted wrongly. They cannot afford to lose their hard-earned positions and powers and at the same time, they cannot pursue several things that are close to their hearts. At times associating with others raises expectations and people expect favors from them leaders cannot help as they are committed to their office obligations and oath of secrecy.

Leadership versus Popularity

Popularity and leadership don't go together as both are poles apart. However, some people believe that leadership gives popularity. If leadership gives popularity then it is a bonus for the leaders. When everything goes well people praise and when something goes wrong people criticize. In addition, it is lonely at the top as leaders cannot enjoy privacy and freedom like any other common man. They cannot move freely for fear of security. Overall, they have to struggle and sacrifice a lot as leaders.

A Take-Home Message

“Criticism is something you can avoid easily—by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." —Aristotle.

Leaders make several decisions and all decisions may not go well. When some decisions go wrong leaders are subjected to severe criticism and they become unpopular. John Maxwell says, "The price of leadership is criticism. No one pays much attention to last-place finishers, but when you're in front, everything gets noticed. Since leaders live with criticism it is important to learn to handle it constructively." At times intentions of the leaders may be good but their actions reflect quite the opposite resulting in unpopularity. You cannot please all. You cannot be good with all. There is always a section of people who may not be happy with your leadership style, policies, and actions. Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, John F Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. to name a few were assassinated not because they were bad leaders but because they failed to please a section of people. Leaders can be good to some while bad for others. The majority of the leaders want to do good things for people. When the interests of a particular section are hurt then leaders are criticized and sometimes assassinated. Hence, leadership is not a popularity contest. Leadership is about taking responsibility and reaching goals and objectives unmindful of bouquets and brickbats. It involves convictions and going ahead with things despite stiff opposition from a few quarters. To conclude, leadership is not a popularity contest. It is taking responsibility, walking the talk, and receiving both bouquets and brickbats.

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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

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

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

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