I was in a heated debate with a bunch of old friends catching up over a drink and we debated some questions on leadership and sports. I caught a 16 hour flight soon after that and thought it was so good a debate that I should capture the questions and my views!
The thoughts resulted in an article for People Matters magazine which (hopefully) captures the difference between winning teams and others. Check it out!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Wild Boars and Wilder Dreams
Being bang in the midst of what can only be described as the middle of nowhere (I’m on vacation in the wild animal-infested Nilgiri forests of southern India) – sort of clears up your mind. Down a shot of locally brewed alcohol and it even allows for a spot of introspection!!
The wildest of wild dreamers couldn't have dreamt about where our industry would end up going. There are several visionaries around who dreamt big and achieved big - but even they wouldn't have imagined as to where this has come to.
Even today, it's difficult for most people to understand why this has worked – was it just a matter of the right timing or is there something more to it…
While that maybe too lyrical a question, one thing is probably true -- when people have a vision today, they are probably "under dreaming" as to where their dream can go - in the way companies run, who does what etc. The boundaries between companies in terms of doing work, the boundaries where competencies get created and the amount of value that can be and gets created in that process and the expertise that is globally distributed...all that one can dream of and envision...are probably 'under dreamt' and 'under-visioned.' Dream of a company that designs, prices, markets and sells a product or a service and does nothing else itself....everything else it buys through an eco system of partners!
It's become so much more mainstream now. There was a point when only some companies thought about it and it was possible only for large companies who were global. Today, it’s all pervasive in terms of culture, industry, size etc. and one of the interesting things is that it has spread its wings into countries that earlier were only delivery centers but are now buying services as well. That’s another indication of where this is going.
Therefore, any of us associated with any aspect of running companies who are in decision-making positions should really force ourselves to dream harder, else it’s likely that we will miss something. A lot of people who read this might ask which planet I’m on! They might argue that this has gone as far as it could…but that’s just my view.
The wildest of wild dreamers couldn't have dreamt about where our industry would end up going. There are several visionaries around who dreamt big and achieved big - but even they wouldn't have imagined as to where this has come to.
Even today, it's difficult for most people to understand why this has worked – was it just a matter of the right timing or is there something more to it…
While that maybe too lyrical a question, one thing is probably true -- when people have a vision today, they are probably "under dreaming" as to where their dream can go - in the way companies run, who does what etc. The boundaries between companies in terms of doing work, the boundaries where competencies get created and the amount of value that can be and gets created in that process and the expertise that is globally distributed...all that one can dream of and envision...are probably 'under dreamt' and 'under-visioned.' Dream of a company that designs, prices, markets and sells a product or a service and does nothing else itself....everything else it buys through an eco system of partners!
It's become so much more mainstream now. There was a point when only some companies thought about it and it was possible only for large companies who were global. Today, it’s all pervasive in terms of culture, industry, size etc. and one of the interesting things is that it has spread its wings into countries that earlier were only delivery centers but are now buying services as well. That’s another indication of where this is going.
Therefore, any of us associated with any aspect of running companies who are in decision-making positions should really force ourselves to dream harder, else it’s likely that we will miss something. A lot of people who read this might ask which planet I’m on! They might argue that this has gone as far as it could…but that’s just my view.
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