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THE WISDOM OF CROWDS (Why the Many are Smarter than the Few) Author:   James Surowiecki Introduction The wisdom of the crowd is the process of taking into account the collective opinion of a group of individuals rather than a single expert to answer a question. It is a book written by James Surowiecki about the aggregation of information in groups, resulting in decisions that, he argues, are often better than could have been made by any single member of the group. The book presents numerous case studies and anecdotes to illustrate its argument, and touches on several fields, primarily economics and psychology .

OUTLIERS:  THE STORY OF SUCCESS, by Malcolm Gladwell Outliers, begins with a provocative look at why certain five-year-old boys enjoy an advantage in ice hockey, and how these advantages accumulate over time. It also states what Bill Gates, the Beatles and Mozart had in common: along with talent and ambition, each enjoyed an unusual opportunity to intensively cultivate a skill that allowed them to rise above their peers. In the book also, the detailed investigation of the unique culture and skills of Eastern European Jewish immigrants persuasively explains their rise in 20th-century New York, first in the garment trade and then in the legal profession.

A 2 –in- 1 book that teaches the basic principles of "being what you can be " and at the same time "being a people person"……… seamlessly. As a leader, you need to work on yourself, and be all you can be, and then work towards being a people person. In essence a leader needs to build himself/ herself before attempting to build others and make an impact in their lives. Our success, fulfillment and happiness all depend on our ability to relate to people effectively. " there are principles of success and there are principles of failure."

HOW TO WIN FRIENDS & INFLUENCE PEOPLE by Dale Carnegie The principal message of this book is basically to live the Golden Rule -- "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." How do you do this? Through empathy. Take an interest in other people. Understand their interests and motives. Give them praise, encouragement and appreciation. Understand that one of the greatest human needs is to feel important. The book de-emphasizes “me” and focuses on   “you” and “we.

EXECUTION: THE DISCIPLINE OF GETTING THINGS DONE Bossidy and Charan suggest that execution is “the missing link between aspirations and results”.  As evidence, they point to the significant number of CEOs who fail.  For example the author states in 2000 alone, 40 of the top 200 CEOs in America’s Fortune 500 list were removed from post – not retired, but fired or made to resign.  The usual explanation is that the CEO’s strategy was wrong, but Bossidy’s and Charan’s view is that most strategies fail because they were not executed well.

  DRIVE (the Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us)   Author:   Daniel H. Pink – Penguin Group 2009 Overview: Most of us believe that the best way to motivate ourselves and others is with external rewards like money. That’s a mistake-the secret to performance and satisfaction at work, school, home, is the deeply human need to direct own lives, learn, and create new things and to do better in life. Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does-and how that affects every aspect of life. The three key elements of true motivation – autonomy, mastery and purpose were discussed extensively to offer smart and surprising techniques for harnessing them into action.     

BECOME A BETTER YOU: 7 KEYS TO IMPROVING YOUR LIFE EVERY DAY – JOEL OSTEEN PART 1 – KEEP PRESSING FORWARD Stretching to the Next Level God never performs His greatest feats in your yesterday. Do not allow your life to become dull, keep dreaming, hoping, and planning for new projects, experiences, and adventures with God. Other people do not determine your potential. Do not allow other people’s opinion or negative words and attitudes take root, just keep pressing on.

Author: John C. Maxwell and Les Parrott The Authors of this book have critically analysed some ways in which you can win with people, these ways can help you become the kind of magnet person who lights up the room when you arrive. It draws others to you like magnet- bringing respect,achievements and success along with it. These 25 ways are crucial for anyone wanting to win with people.   1)Start With Your Self If you want to win with people, you've got to be a winner or at the very least be on your way to becoming one.

(What the World’s Greatest Managers do Differently)       Author:   Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman About the Authors: Marcus Buckingham is the leader of The Gallup Organization’s twenty year effort to identify the core characteristics of great managers and great workplaces. He is also a senior lecturer in Gallup’s Leadership Institute. Curt Coffman is the global practice leader for the Gallup Organization’s workplace management practice. He consults regularly on the development of productive and customer-oriented workplaces. For more than sixty years, The Gallup Organization has been a world leader in the measurement and analysis of human attitudes, opinions and behavior. The company has numerous clients they consult for which includes Audi, Bank America, Best Buy, Citigroup, Delta Air Lines, Sears and Toyota INTRODUCTION Buckingham and Coffman make the point that the greatest managers in the world may differ in many different ways - bu...

Not education, not experience, not knowledge or intellectual horsepower serves as an adequate predictor as to why one person succeeds and another doesn’t. We have observed supposedly brilliant and well educated people struggle, while others with fewer obvious skills or attributes flourish.   The answer almost always has to do with the concept called emotional intelligence. It’s harder to measure and certainly difficult to capture on a resume, yet its power cannot be denied.

The book reviewed notable sports men/women achievements and the impacts of training, hard work and focus over every other factor. The true value of the book is found in its dissection of the dangers of the ‘talent myth” rather it re-emphasizes the age long message; success is possible for all of us, but it comes with hard work and self belief rather than innate ability. The book is divided into three parts namely: - The talent myth, -   Paradoxes of the mind              - Deep reflections.

THE POWER OF DOING THE RIGHT THING:                                           The Hundredth Monkey Effect It’s about the power of one person doing something right, which can spread quickly to change the behavior and culture of a whole Team. The story goes like this … In 1950s in the Island of Koshima, where there was a large population of monkeys, potatoes fall from the trees into the sand for the monkey to eat.

THE MAGIC OF THINKNG BIG - A plan for personal success in life By – David J. Schwartz The meaning of success comes in many forms and definitions. It depends on what you are searching for in life or in business. To some it means personal prosperity, financial security, finding real satisfaction from life and a lot of other things to many people. However, true success is simply the realization and obtainment of a worthy ideal, or result that your heart is deeply connected to. It is soaked with Emotion, Powered by Passion, Driven by Destiny and Forged by Fire of the heart.

What is your dream in life? My dream is to move people from where they are presently, to where they never expect to be in life in terms of personal success. -           Dreaming creates a gap between your present reality and the reality you want to have, thus causing you to question whether you can bridge the gap.

Nothing of significance was ever achieved by an individual acting alone. Even Albert Einstein, the scientist, who revolutionized the world with his theory of relativity didn’t work in a vacuum. Of the debt he owed others for his work, Einstein once remarked “many a times a day I realize how much my outer inner life is built upon the labours of my fellow men, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received”.

SUCCESS AND SIGNIFICANCE Success is secular.   It is adding value to one’s self.   Success focuses on the three ‘Fs’ of achieving: my fans, my fame and my fortune.   It’s primarily knowing my purpose in life, growing to my full potentials and benefitting myself and probably my immediate family.

The story of Singapore Talent is a country’s most precious asset.   Singapore, a small resource, poor country had a population of two million at independence in 1965.   Their populace were mainly descendants of agricultural laborers from the Southern provinces of China, early Indians immigrants / merchants. Analysis of the 1980 census population revealed that their brightest women were not marrying and would not be represented in the next generation.   The implication was grave.   Our best women were not reproducing themselves because men who were their educational equals did not want to marry them.  

Shai Agassi, an Israeli was an executive at SAP, the largest software company in the world, “he decided that the most important thing to do was how to take a single country off of oil”. Agassi believed that if one country was able to become completely independent of oil, the world would follow.   This was a revolutionary insight. His first step was to find a way to run cars without oil; battery powered electric vehicles . Israel was first test case country to free itself from oil. Other countries like Australia, Denmark, San Francisco Bay Area, Hawaii and Ontario announced they would join the better place plan as adopted by Israel.  

If you have a PhD in math or statistics, the revolution you are probably trying to capitalize on today is big data – a term for the vast amounts of digital data we now create and have an increasing ability to store and manipulate. If works were fashionistas, big data would be this season’s hot new color.   When I interviewed him before a university audience in late 2011, Larry Summers named big data as one of the three big ideas he is most excited about (the others were biology and the rise of the emerging markets).  

“Doing the same thing everyday cannot deliver new result.   To change the results we are getting, we need to change the things we are doing, in the same vein, it means we can never ever get what we have never had until we are willing to do what we have never done”

Purpose is the destination of a vision.   It energizes the vision, it gives it force and drive, it should be positive and powerful, and serve the better angels of any organization. As leaders, we must embed our own sense of purpose into the heart and soul of every follower or subordinate.   The purpose starts from the leader at the TOP, and through infectious, dynamic, passionate leadership, it is driven down throughout the organization.   Every follower has its own organizational purpose that should connect with the leader’s overall purpose.  

In the years after American civil war, a lecturer name Russel Conwell crisscrossed America, delivering a message that stirred millions of people.   He told the story of an Indian Merchant who had been promised by a prophet that he would surely become rich beyond all imagining if only he would seek his treasure.

Giving is a power which stems from a very selfless act, that of simply giving from the heart. The act is not connected to any special occasion like Christmas or birthday, etc, rather, it is “anytime” -   primarily for one reason - that is,   wanting to share what it is that you have, showing your gratitude and showing how you actually care. There must be none other reason behind it. Service is the very purpose of life. It’s the rent you pay for being on this planet. The secret of living is giving. Always give more than you expect. Popular Quotes on Act of Giving Barbara Bush “Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our minds to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others”.

As leaders, we need to get used to criticism, because if you are successful you will be criticized. Certain people will always find some thing to be unhappy about. I love the story of the salesman who was getting a haircut and mentioned that he was about to take a trip to Rome, Italy. “Rome is a terribly overrated city”, commented his barber, who was born in northern Italy. “What airline are you taking?”

Titles do bring power, but the problem with the type of power they bring is that if the title gets taken away, the power gets lost. The power that comes with being an MD, for example, only lasts as long as that person has the title of MD.   If it is taken away, all the power that associated with it goes out the door with it.

The greatest act of leadership is mentoring.   No matter how much you may learn, achieve, accumulate or accomplish.   If it dies with you, then you are a generational failure .   The act of mentoring is the manifestation of the highest level of maturity and self confidence.   Leaders who fail to mentor exhibits spirit of insecurity, low self esteem, poor self concept and devalued self worth always focusing on self preservation and self protection. The lack of willingness, understanding and interest in mentoring is the greatest curse and weakness of the 21st Century leaders .   Leaders should be more interested in investing in people than in pursuing private ambitions.   The highest manifestation of True leadership is to identify one’s replacement and begin mentoring him or her.

CREATING A CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE Too many people view culture as one of those “soft things in business”, not nearly important as hard results like sales figures or financial returns.   However, having the right culture, one that breads positive energy, passion and success, is critical not just for the success of your current goal, but to buy anything you and your Team want to accomplish, going forward.   A great culture is what will allow you to get those hard results and get them consistently. What is a Culture? Culture is about the work environment.   As a leader, what sort of values are you projecting?   What kind of atmosphere do you create for your Team?  

CHANGE YOUR THINKING; CHANGE YOUR LIFE… Brian Tracy   Make every thought, every fact, that comes into your mind pay you a profit. Make it work and produce for you. Think of things not as they are but as they might be…. Maxwell Maltz You are a potential genius. Your amazing brain has more than 18 billion cells, each one connected to and interlinked with as many as 20,000 others. This means that the numbers of possible thoughts you can think is greater than the whole molecules in the known universe.

AVERAGE PERFORMERS – CATEGORY “C” PEOPLE There are two types of people in this world, performers and non performers.   Performers focus on results while non performers focus on obstacles.   There are three categories of people in any organization, in terms of performance:   Top 20%, Middle 70% and Bottom 10%.

ADVERSITY:   One of the Catalysts for Learning Extraordinary people survive under the most terrible circumstances and then become more extraordinary because of it.   Most of the time, we don’t choose our adversity, but all the time we can choose our response to it.   If we respond positively to difficulties, the outcome will be potentially positive.   If we respond negatively to our difficulties, the outcome will be potentially negative.

  THE 4-E (AND 1-P) FRAME-WORK FOR WINNING The first E, is Positive Energy It means the ability to go go go- to thrive on action and relish change. People with positive energy are generally extroverted and optimistic. They make conversion and friends easily. They start the day with enthusiasm and usually end it that way too, rarely seeming to tire in the middle. They don’t complain about working hard, they love to work. They also love to play. They follow their deal through to the very end. People with positive energy just love life. The second E, is the ability to energize others

FERGIENISM :     EIGHT (8) LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALEX FERGUSON – MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB Preamble Sir Alex Ferguson spent 26 football seasons as Manager of Manchester United.   He is regarded as one of the greatest football Coaches in the world.   He won 13 English League titles and 25 other domestic and International trophies.   According to Anita Elberse (Harvard Professor), who wrote in Harvard Business Review of 2013, Alex Ferguson, during his tenor as manager, almost double the number of honours the next highest winning coach on English soil had amassed.   Alex Ferguson played a central role in Manchester United, beyond just being the Coach of the team.   According to erstwhile Manchester United CEO, Davio Gil:   “Steve Jobs was to Apple as Sir Alex Ferguson is to Manchester United

After the debris of the European power is cleared in the 20 th century, as well as what is left of the Soviet Union, one power remains standing and overwhelming powerful. The power is USA . USA is economically, militarily and physically the most powerful country in the world and there is no real challenger to that power. For past 500years, Europe was center of international Systems, because they controlled the North Atlantic; the main highway to Europe and the entire world However, in early 1980s, something remarkably happened for the first time in history; trans-pacific trade equaled trans-Atlantic trade.   With Europe reduced to a collection of secondary power after the World War II and shift in trade patterns, the control of North Atlantic was no longer key to controlling the world trade.

   (A revolutionary approach to success at work and life). Author:  Adam Grant  Who is Adam Grant? I cannot possibly do a comprehensive review of this book without giving an insight into the life and background of the author. Adam Grant   an award wining researcher and Wharton’s height-rated professor. He holds a Phd in Organization Psychology from the University of Michigan and a BA from Harvard University. He is a former record-setting advertising director for junior Olympic Springboard and also professional magician. He is an award wining researcher   and teacher. Adam Grant consults and speaks for Google,   NFL IBM, Gloxosmithkline, Goldman Sachs, The World Economic Forum, the United Nations, and the US Army and Navy. He has been honoured as one of the business week’s favourite Professor. He is also one of the world’s   top forty business professors under the age of forty.

EAT THAT FROG! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy EAT THAT FROG ! is a compilation of ideas and techniques from many influencers in the time management and personal productivity industry. The book covers many different ways of overcoming procrastination and it makes it very accessible for people to apply the techniques.  The advice given by the author comes from his real life experience and the focus of the book lies in actionable exercises and tips to be implemented right away. There are 21 chapters and each chapter introduces a different idea, tip, or technique that will help one overcome procrastination and get more things done.