This is, I think, my second interlude in this blog, and it may very well not be the last! Some of what I write now has been written already in the first, but what the hell…. I will just plough on.
When I started the blog, I thought that I would make it all about leadership, management, sales & marketing and organizations. As I went along, I started meandering. I have always felt that, in organisations, while we may wear the organisational hat, we bring the other hats and clothes along to work, and these influence how we behave and act in organisations. We take the organisational hat along with us when we get back into our personal lives, and the two often become inseparable until, bang, one day you are forced out or you retire. If you have been a one dimensional person all your life, then the odds of rediscovering yourself are generally stacked against you. You need to unlearn, and relearn.
I also realised that there are many things that contribute to make you a leader, a manage, or whatever you are in whatever walk of life you are, and at whatever stage of life you are.
Your upbringing, the teachers and friends who influenced you (and, family), the things you have seen and witnessed, all play a role in helping you become what you are.
I have been accused of sometimes lacking focus, and to this charge I must accept my guilt. As I looked back at what I wrote, I find that there have been several threads that seemed to have become intertwined: leadership; organisations; education; play; my whimsical look at life; my views on hunger, and sustainability and, to some extent, my views on a lot of human stupidity. All of us are guilty of this, but this is what makes us what we are. I have been concerned by other issues, like water, sleep and homelessness, but I am not sure how to approach these. Let’s see how this progresses.
When I started this blog, I gave it a weird corporate sounding name, and was cockily proud of myself. When I realised that I had started to meander, I gave it a different sub-title “Down The Strange Alleyways of Life”.
I also thought that I would develop a more formal, corporate sounding tone to the blog. However, I have always believed that good stories do more than just entertain, and so I gave up on that idea, and decided to write in a voice that is mine.
Much more appropriate, I think. So, while I continue to weave my path down these alleyways, I think that I shall stay reasonably true to the above themes. A few strands of random thought may escape from time to time, but I think I can forgive myself for such minor transgressions.
The journey continues…
Thank you for yet another thoughtful and thought-provoking post. Like your previous one (“Teach Your Children & CSNY) I know that I’ll be re-reading this several times. Hope you have a good start to the week 🙂
Excellent post. Enjoyed reading it.
Thanks a lot!
I am one of those guys that believe leadership is mostly learned through decades of experiences but can be a natural tendency that are inherent in some people. With that said, Leadership skills can be learned and through observation we can use these observations to better our own style. To me, leadership is about caring about those you work with and some how interconnecting them with the goals of the organization you work for. This can sometimes be a tricky slope.
On that note, I am glad you keep it personal. We are not defined by our corporate lives but by our individuality.
I agree with you here. I have been up and down this journey
I agree with all comments previously made. Excellent!
Thanks!
I really like the sub-title. And the personal! Great entry.
Thanks a lot!
I am happy to have found you just before the interlude. I look forward to discovering the real Rajiv Chopra in the future posts. Insightful observation on how we start losing ground when we try to be ‘something’ or ‘someone’ on the blog-space. I think we all sustain much better online when we speak in our own true voice.
You will!
And why not meander? It’s where our best ideas and thoughts can be discovered and good leadership is nourished by what happens outside of the role of leading. Like so many things balance and judgement is everything. Keep going with the great work Rajiv.
True. Meandering often helps. I always believed that a straight line path can lead you to perdition
Love how you realized: “Your upbringing, the teachers and friends who influenced you (and, family), the things you have seen and witnessed, all play a role in helping you become what you are.”
Our blog evolves as we do.
Thanks… Yeah, we are a collection of what has influenced us in the past
Reblogged this on HarsH ReaLiTy and commented:
You know… many teachers said I lacked “focus” as well. Imagine that. -OM
Note: Comments disabled here, please comment on their blog.
We do get influenced and inspired by everyone around us…its really inspiring specially for youngster 🙂
YEs indeed, we do!
Are you still a freelance consultant?
I didnt get your question…but I have never worked as a freelancer…
Ah…I went to your blog, and that is what it seemed to indicate, from an entry in 2007!
Oh…well I started my blog in Feb 2014…I guess it must be someone else 🙂
The free bird blog?
Yes
Strange.. It keeps sending me off to some strange blog…
Which one…the freebird does belong to someone else…and that person started it somewhere around 2007
Ahh. That’s the one I keep getting directed to!
YES…I dont think so that person is writing anything else…there’s no latest post on that blog
So, what is the link to your blog?
Ohh… http://thafreebird.wordpress.com
I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Got it! Yeah.. It is very good!
Actually I wanted to go with the name The Free Bird…but it was already taken…so I went with Tha Free Bird