Keep It Strategic, Simon

It’s all about Momentum. Methodically, one step after another, gradually build Momentum.

Work with what you have, invest it intelligently to get more. Then reinvest.

Follow the same principles: Contact, Cultivate, Commit, Coordinate. Everything that you build using the resources that you collect along the way has to stay within this formula. Don’t get deviated at any point to doing things that do not contribute to this strategic focus or you will lose momentum.

Don’t do anything “for the sake of doing it”, because “it’s a good idea”, because “it will please the devotees”, or in other words without a clear and rigorous understanding of how it fits in to this strategy. Each step has to have the following characteristics:

1. Strategic - this means that it contributes to the pipeline by either creating the next step in the pipeline or enhancing an existing one.
2. Sustainable - this means that you can sustain it without destroying your existing team or overly depleting your resources.
3. Synchronous - it’s all about timing. When you push a swing, if you push at the right time, it will go higher. Push at the wrong time, and you’ll stop it dead. Do the right thing at the right time to increase momentum. Do even a “right thing” (sustainable and strategic) at the wrong time and watch everything stop dead in its tracks. See this article of mine for a description of the symptoms of asynchronous ailments.

It’s all about creating, sustaining, and increasing momentum.

It’s kind of like playing Katamari Damacy. Not that I’ve ever played it, or even seen it, but I’ve heard enough about it to know what it is.

You have to have people with strategic leadership aptitude who can analyze each step to make sure that it will contribute to momentum, and isn’t simply a misstep. You have to measure things carefully and step back if you do take a misstep, and quickly, or you can get bogged down.

 

Lord Ganesha

Five lessons from Ganesh

Of all the multitudes of deities and gods that constitute the Hindu religion, Lord Ganesha is probably one of the most loved and revered of all, regardless of individual beliefs and customs. Considered the god of good beginnings and wisdom, it is in his name that new ventures are undertaken and important life decisions made.

While there are many spiritual lessons to be learned from the stories of Lord Ganesha, there are some lessons that find a place in our every-day professional and personal lives as well. We take a look at some of them:

Act in good faith

Whatever Lord Ganesha undertook, he undertook with conviction and self-belief. It was the belief that his actions were in his and his mother Parvati's best interests is what governed his thoughts and translated into challenging acts, feats that improved his abilities and honed his skills.

It is this that we need to inculcate in ourselves, in the way we work. Any job, if it is worth doing, is worth doing well. Whatever the task you are faced with, face it with courage and conviction and do it to the best of your ability. At the end of the day, even if your effort goes unrecognised, you have the satisfaction of knowing that you gave it your best shot

Depend on yourself

One of the other names Ganesha is known as is Vinayak, meaning master of oneself. This signifies independence in thought and action. Whether in one's professional or personal life, one must act on one's beliefs after due consideration of relevant factors. Take ownership and responsibility for your actions and their outcome. Just knowing that you alone are responsible will make you take the decision that much more seriously.

 

Every obstacle can be overcome

Lord Ganesha is also known as Vigneshwara, one who removes obstacles. It is for this reason that he is invoked in times of crisis by believers and also why business ventures are started with a puja (prayer ceremony) in his name. Removing obstacles is his religion.

To take this a step further, one must believe that every obstacle can be overcome. One must also make removing obstacles a dharma in one's own life. Whether in your professional or personal life, with the right attitude -- a never-say-die attitude -- even what seems like the most insurmountable difficulty can be handled without your world falling to pieces. All you need is faith in yourself.

Modesty

Lord Ganesha is considered one of the most powerful gods in Hinduism, unlike the other gods who choose bejeweled chariots, his vehicle is the modest mouse. The mouse is seen to signify darkness and, as the Lord's vehicle, is believed to signify the journey from darkness (or ignorance) to light or enlightenment.

Another interpretation is that Ganesha wins hearts through simple methods, and this too holds a lesson. A shiny car or extravagant lifestyle might impress, but to win hearts, the simplest way is through one's actions -- through simple gestures of affection and respect.

Seek knowledge

While Lord Ganesha has been attributed with many of the qualities proverbially credited to elephants, the most well-known are the ears and trunk -- which suggest curiosity, the quest for wisdom and knowledge. His large head and ears are said to indicate an open-minded attitude that helps him accrue wisdom.

These are qualities that we could do well to adopt to improve and grow as a person. Read, explore, listen and learn -- nothing is irrelevant and nothing insignificant. Only when one educates oneself and listens to all sides of an argument can one judge what one truly believes in, what one wants and how it can be achieved. that every obstacle can be overcome. One must also make removing obstacles a dharma in one's own life. Whether in your professional or personal life, with the right attitude -- a never-say-die attitude -- even what seems like the most insurmountable difficulty can be handled without your world falling to pieces. All you need is faith in yourself.