Top Life and Business Lessons from the Book - 'Mind Without Fear'

I first got motivated to read this book because of its title. In my personal quest to explore ways to lead a fearless life, it seemed to provide the right fodder. Motivation transformed into a decision-to-buy when I learned that Rajat Gupta, the author, was initially rejected by McKinsey but went on to become the youngest and it's first-ever foreign CEO!

Rajat was a business icon who sat on several boards - Goldman Sachs, P&G, American Airlines - and was a trusted advisor to the global elite. He was the driving force behind major global philanthropic initiatives. The extraordinary rise sadly had a remarkable fall too. 'Mind Without Fear' is a compelling, inspiring, and a poignant memoir. It is one of the best books I read with much learning. In this article, I am sharing my top learnings which I hope will benefit you in all walks of life.

Leadership

• Expect the best from people, and they often live up to the expectation. Treat people as if they are worthy of trust and they will prove themselves to be so
• Assert yourself in a culturally unfamiliar environment. Rather than trying to be like everyone else, focus on your strengths and use your difference to your advantage
• You can't push a needle. You need to find the right angle and pull it
• You can learn a lot about a company by speaking to those on the lower rungs of the ladder than by speaking only to the leadership
• Criticize ideas, not people!
• Serving clients is at the heart and soul of what any business does. So why should the leader be exempt from that work?
• When you are making big changes, it is natural to have naysayers
• Get out of your comfort zone and test your leadership capacity on a bigger stage
• Human beings with disparate interests and backgrounds can do wonders when they work for an unselfish purpose

Business Development

• The problem the client presents may not be the actual problem. Be able to see beyond the apparent problem and help customers put aside their own assumptions in order to see the deeper issues to which they are often blind
• Customers know their business (domain and functional knowledge) better than you, so tread carefully and do your homework
• Serve clients putting their interests above yours, letting the financial reward be a byproduct of providing an excellent service
• Sometimes, the secret to business development is simply patience. Customers will call you when you are ready, not when you are ready. The key is to be the first person they think of when they decide to make that call. You can achieve this by focussing on providing value and contributing to their thinking without any immediate expectation
• If you believe in the technology and it is a strategic fit, you should not care if you pay a few dollars more for a share (mergers and acquisitions)
• Being there is 90% of the game!

Career

I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference - Robert Forst

• If you go with an open mind, you can learn from any assignment you get. Don't try to over-predict what will be best for you, career-wise
• If you genuinely believe in your capabilities and think that it is not fair to not be given growth opportunities, speak out
• The qualities which will help you progress swiftly - problem-solving abilities, relationship with clients and colleagues, leadership record, trust you earned

Life

Let us unite, not inspite of our differences but through them. For differences can never be wiped away, and life would be so much poorer without them - Rabindranath Tagore

• If you have ten problems, ignore them - nine will go away
• How little life needs to be happy? We can discover joy in the small things that cost no money - sunshine, friends, family time, laugh, walk
• You have the right for the action alone, never for the results
• Life is a series of experiences, none of which is inherently good or bad
• Never judge others by surface characteristics alone
• When you are honest and vulnerable about your needs, people will want to help
• Stand for yourself at various crucial junctures of life
• Avoid the pointless torment of replaying negative events - past and future
• No matter what people do to us, we can always choose to respond with grace and spiritual strength

As Rajat enters the twilight of his life, 'Sanyas' as he calls in the book, I will not wish him a peaceful life devoid of action, collaboration, and impact. I hope that he musters the energy and gets the support to continue creating the impact he is capable of!

Our life, like a river, strikes its bank not to find itself closed in by them, but to realize anew every moment that it has its unending opening towards the sea - Rabindranath Tagore, Sadhana