Most of us are not very adept at dealing with uncertainty. We prefer certainties and guarantees. You know those moments when you ignore your strong intuition or gut feeling, become fearful, and seek reassurance from others, asking, “What do you think?” “Should I do it?” Our craving for certainty undermines our intuition in those instances. […]
Winning the Argument, Losing the Respect: The Hidden Cost of Being Right
Watching the recent public shouting matches between global politicians, I am reminded of a business meeting from my younger days when I argued with a colleague about something he said that didn’t make sense to me. The disagreement grew emotional, and our voices became louder. Ultimately, I managed to present some facts that my colleague […]
Beyond the CV: How to Hire for Character, Not Just Skills
I wrote a post some time back in which I mentioned that looking at CVs and LinkedIn profiles only is not a good way to recruit. It is much better to spend time with candidates and get to know their stories if you are interested in their character rather than just skills. Expanding on that […]
Lonely in a Connected World: The Cost of Too Much Screen Time
I grew up in a community where everyone in our street and the next knew each other. Our immediate neighbors were closer to us, but we also knew the children who lived 10 or 12 houses away. What the neighborhood provided us with, as children, and to my parents as adults, was hardly any alone […]
Redefining Success: Why True Happiness Starts Outside the Office
I often hear people say, “My work is who I am.” Nothing could be further from the truth. If you do not know yourself well, chances are that you will become what you do. Most of us are trapped in this phenomenon because we have defined our identity based on our business cards! In today’s […]
DISCOS – Is there a way out of the existential quagmire?
The current discussion on economic issues in government circles as well as business networks seems to be focused upon the host of energy issues being faced by the country. One of the major ones pertains to the distribution companies (DISCOS) and what to do with the constant losses burdening the public finances. For many years, […]
Why have MNCs left Pakistan? And what will it take for the Saudis, Chinese and the others to stay?
As I look at the business headlines these days, they are full of potential investors from countries like Saudi Arabia and UAE flocking to Pakistan. A few years earlier, it was the story of the Chinese finding business opportunities in the land of the pure. Perhaps we can also add a few Turkish and Korean […]
Managing Exits; How to Fire an Employee
This off-limits subject is critical and needs to be well-understood by leaders everywhere In a famous scene from the 2009 movie “Up in the air” the protagonist, corporate downsizer Ryan Bingham, played by George Clooney, counsels the person being fired with the famous line “How much did they pay you to give up your dreams?” I […]
Board composition – do you have the right people for your business?
Most medium to large-scale businesses need to think deeply about the different types of talent required for their boards Boards of directors can play a crucial role in building companies. They act as a strategic asset that can help guide management while providing the knowledge and experience necessary to navigate a variety of challenges. In […]
Pakistan’s hordes of unskilled IT labourers
Most of Pakistan’s IT exports are based on low-value IT related services. Investment in the right education can change that Why do all good things or potentially great things stray invariably towards mediocrity in the land of the pure? A lot is being made of the great potential for IT-related exports from Pakistan. It is […]
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