INTERESTING GYAN

Fresh fruit has been a status symbol since time immemorial. The Greek god of excess, Dionysus, is often depicted swathed in grapes. Southern mansions are graced by pineapples, a symbol of hospitality. Pomegranates, figs, apples, pears, peaches: You name it, it probably represents fertility, beauty, abundance or even immortality. And now, some new data is showing that nothing has changed in the 21st century. What do you associate with lemons? Freshness? Summer days? Coastal climes? Well, it seems that in Russia and Southeast Asia, they’re using them to show off. See, back in January, I attended the ICR Conference, a huge venture capital event where I was able to sit down with Harold Edwards from  Limoneira , a gigantic, fascinating company that has been growing lemons and other citrus fruits in California since 1893. Limoneira started buying land and water rights from the very beginning, and today it owns a staggering 14,500 acres of California land where it grows everythi...

Although psychologists have evaluated human potential for over a century, it is only recently that HR practitioners became obsessed with the identification of high potential employees, also known as HiPos. While definitions of potential vary, they generally concern probability, in particular the likelihood of making a substantial contribution to organizational output in the future. Thus a HiPo is someone who will probably become a key player in the future, meaning they are worthy of special care, development, and retention. To identify someone as a HiPo is to make a strong bet on their future, or expect them to have a bright future. Importantly, no matter how effective today’s key players may be, they will not be around for ever, so having strong HiPos in place will ensure a long-lasting talent pipeline and healthy succession plan for the organization. The alternative would be to replace top employees with external candidates, which tends to be more expensive and have lower chances...

N iccolò Machiavelli was born in May 1469 as a Florentine and was a philosopher of modern political philosophy. His ideas though are quite old. He was far from ordinary, and was raised under the rule of Medici of Florence. Savonarola attempted a theocracy for a short time, which did not work out, and as a result the republic was reestablished. His famous work is his political treatise, The Prince, which was published at the beginning of the 16th century. Other works include The Discourse on Livy, and The Art of War. Machiavelli lived in Florence, a republic and a city state at that time, and spent a good deal of his adult life there. In fact, he held a diplomatic post for 14 years. What Leonardo Da Vince did for art, he wanted to do for politics. After the republic fell, he had to go into exile. Even though Machiavelli drew his ideas from the ancient philosophers, his philosophy was also based on his own experiences. In the dedication part of The Prince, Machiavelli says that this ...

In many ways, Japan has preserved ancient Indian traditions, even when they may have changed in India. The 6th century Siddham script is preserved in Japan though it is not used in India. The “Beejaksharas” (seed syllables) of Sanskrit in this script are regarded as holy and are given great importance. Each deity has a Beejakshara, and these are venerated by the people even though most of them cannot read them. In fact, Beejaksharas are found in almost all Japanese homes. The Siddham script is also found at Japanese tombs, to respect the souls of the dead. Many words in the Japanese language are from Sanskrit. Sanskrit was also the basis for the formation of the Japanese alphabet “Kana”. In supermarkets, a major brand of milk products is branded “Sujata”. The company personnel are taught the story of Sujata, who gave sweet rice milk to the Buddha when he broke his period of austerity before he gained Enlightenment. In the words of Yasukuni Enoki, former Ambassador of Japan: ...

Networking can be challenging. You may not know what to say to strangers, including how to introduce yourself. To others, this can come across as being timid or that you are unsure of yourself. Do you want to demonstrate your confidence and leadership and introduce yourself like a boss? Do not do these three things when networking: 1.  Don’t say, “Hi. My name is...” Leaders introduce themselves, not their names. They simply say their names without any preface. When you introduce yourself, try not to say, “Hi. My name is Jessica.” Walk up to the person and say “Jessica Smith” while making eye contact and offering a nice, firm handshake. It demonstrates your confidence and assertiveness. Here, less is more impactful. 2. Don’t mention (at first) too much about yourself. Leaders know that others are more important than themselves. When you introduce yourself to the other person, try to refrain from saying too much about you at first. Ask about them, their career, and their ...

Aabhas K Maldahiyar Bharat is a godless land. Yet, it has innumerable gods and goddesses. This paradoxical idea is beautifully captured by the ‘Republic of Temples’. Bharatavarsh is a land of divinity with a delightful diversity that has amazingly come together to shape the Republic. While its diversity is tied to the legal framework of the Constitution, the Hindu culture is irretrievably tied to its temple traditions. It may appear to be distinct on the surface but if you scratch the surface and go a bit deep, it only leaves us dumbstruck.   Chennakeshava Temple at Belur   Temple tradition forms the very core of our civilisation. Indeed, it is the very thread of Hindu tradition that has kept our civilisation alive, despite thousands of years of oppression and foreign invasions. Forces in post-Independence India that have become significant are trying to eschew Hinduism’s ancient tradition. Our worst shame has been our tendency to ignore our temple tradi...