SUCCESS = LEAD Yourself!

While watching cable news channel I came across this very unique and eye-catching public service advertisement as part of LEAD India campaign. On busy and bustling street tree has fallen. This has crated traffic jam and chaotic scene. Mass of people is waiting for someone to do some thing, but no one is coming forward. This young school boy who dare the monsoon rain, and try to push this huge tree. Looking at him other street boys of age of 7-10 years join in. People feel ashamed and soon one by one join this young boy in his pursuit to clear the street. Soon together they push this gigantic tree aside and clear the way for stranded traffic.

I do not know how many of those viewers who see this advertisement get inspired to lead their lives of principles and take lead, but a strange current traversed through my body. I felt like hugging this boy for unfolding one of the most important principle of success,"Leading yourself". Most of the time we wait for others to lead, and we just follow, and thus we are called "Followers" and not Leaders. To be successful you need to lead! But, you can only need when, you lead yourself first. Success begins with you. But are you willing to lead yourself to that success which is awaiting you to hug and embrace with grace and pride, and shower unimaginable praise, recognition, and place into hall of success. But to reach there you need to being, and you could only begin if you lead yourself! Thus -

SUCCESS = LEAD yourself!

SUCCESS = BEING INNOVATIVE!

On last Sunday, I was to travel between Copenhagen, Denmark and Keil, Germany by train. I looked at map to realize that two locations are separated by Sea. I kept on wondering weather train would be cover cross this through tunnel or bridge. As I boarded the train with two of my colleagues David Remsen and Eamonn O Tuma, I asked them about my doubt. They responded that we would cross the channel by ship. I thought that they are just jocking. But then as we arrived the border crossing, it was announced that rail car would soon board the ship and in next 45 minutes we would be on the other side of the channel. Several questions stormed my mind, as to how exactly it is happening, how would rail car be boarding the ship. But before I could realize how it would happen, it was announced that rail car has already boarded the ship, and we are on our way towards German coast. In next 45 minutes we were on the German coast, offloaded from the ship, and the rail car started its journey towards Keil. I was excited with the experience.

But more than experience, I was thrilled with this simple yet innovative approach that those who devised this solution came up with. Thus, I understood and experienced one more mantra for success, "being Innovative"! Being innovative and open to alternate approaches to routine problem pays off in overcoming these constraints. To me this is like doing common things differently. As Shiv Khera says, "Successful people don't do different things, they do common things differently". Thus, SUCCESS = being Innovative!

SUCCESS = PLANNING

Many a times I come across individuals, groups, communities and even nations who state that "we would be successful, we are ready for it, we are going for it". However, you also see them never succeeding - but even moving towards a success. Some basic ingredients success that they seems to be missing. Last week, I realized one of the basic ingredient which I feel most of us often miss.

It was 8.16 a.m. and I had to reach to my office before 9.00 a.m. for a meeting. From my house in Ordrup to office at Universitetsparken in Copenhagen it is 38 minutes either by bus or train. As I reached, Ordrup station I saw more people than would be usually there. Though, I could not guess, what's the problem either from Denish announcements and display from the TV screens, I guess that one or some of the trains are late or canceled. As, I began to worry about my meeting at 9.00 and was about a to make a call to my colleagues informing that I could be late - I saw the bus approaching to railway station with board as "extra". Bus took us from Ordrup to Hellerup station, from where I got my train for Norreport station and from their bus for Universitetsparken. In whole of this saga, I was just late by 2 minutes, a time that I took to walk from Ordrup station platform to "extra" bus. This is called "Planning"!

How many of us do have planning to this level of details and fall-back plan. Forget to this level, but majority of us have no plans at all. In fact, we often say enjoy and deal with life as it comes and happens. I think that is major difference between ordinary individual and successful human being. Successful person, group, community, society and nation plan for their success, and ensure that they implement it with strictness. But only determined person can do planning, only those who truly wish to succeed can do planning - rest others can never! Thus,

SUCCESS = PLANNING.