Steve Jobs, the CEO who got fired from his first job

Talk of computers the first thing that strikes anyone today is 'Apple'. Know the success story of the brain behind this massive player.

Inspiring excerpts from the commencement speech by Steve Jobs, at Standord University on June 12, 2005.

Truth be told, I never graduated from college, and this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today, I want to tell you three stories from my life.

Best decisions I ever made

The first story is about connecting the dots. I ped out of Reed College after the first six months. Why? Well, it started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption.

She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, but my biological mother found out later that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would go to college.

This was the start in my life. And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. So I decided to out. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms. I returned coke bottles for the five cent deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the seven miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.

Let me give you one example: I decided to take a calligraphy class at Reed College and learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations. None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. If I had never ped out, I would have never ped in on that calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.

Love and Loss

My second story is about love and loss. Woz (Steve Wozniak) and I started Apple in my parents' garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown into a two billion dollar company with over 4,000 employees. We'd just released our finest creation the Macintosh a year earlier, and then I got fired.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down. I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me: I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit and I decided to start over.

The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life. During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, and I retuned to Apple. I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple.

I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

If today were the last day of life

My third story is about death. When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: 'If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right.' It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I've looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I will be dead soon is the most important tool I have ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors told me this was incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for 'prepare to die.' I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, and was told that it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and, thankfully, I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept: No one wants to die. Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalogue created by a fellow named Stewart Brand and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: 'Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.' It was their farewell message.

And I've always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

"If it is to be, it is up to me!"

A set of ten two-letter words to help from a new you

Have you heard of the rather unique funeral held in an office in New York some years ago? As employees of the firm came in to work one Monday morning, they were greeted by a solemn notice at the entrance: "The person responsible for inhibiting your growth died yesterday. The body has been placed in the cafeteria, till 2 pm today."

Sad to think a colleague had passed away, and curious who the person might be, the employees trooped into the cafeteria to pay their last respects. A crowd of company staff had gathered inside. 'Who is this chap who has been hindering our growth?' each wondered, as they walked up to the coffin to take a dekko. One by one, as each person took a look inside the coffin, there was shocked silence - and a look of disbelief.

Inside the coffin was a mirror. And below it was a placard on which was written: "There's only one person who can set limits to your growth. And that's YOU." Now that's a message we would all do well to remember.

When we find ourselves falling short of the success we think we deserve, we often blame our bosses, our employers, the industry, or the current favourite - the recession! Everyone and everything, in fact, except ourselves. For things to change in your life, you don't need to change your job, or your company or your town. You only need to change yourself. Start now. Adopt a new philosophy for your life. Tell yourself the magic phrase: "If it is to be, it is up to me!" It's not often that you can get a set of ten two-letter words to form one whole sentence. And no ordinary sentence but one, which has the power to become a life-changing philosophy for you, for me and for all of us: "If it is to be, it is up to me!" Just say it to yourself, believe in it, and see the difference.

The power to change our lives and chart our future lies within each of us. Resist the temptation to blame others for your plight. When you blame other people, you take away your inherent power to change. You weaken yourself. But by taking responsibility, you empower yourself to change your fortunes. And that one act - taking responsibility for yourself - is really what separates winners from losers.

Have you ever seen sailing boats wander into the sea? They all take off from one place, around the same time, and yet reach different shores. Why is that? The winds are the same. The water currents too are the same for all the boats. Yet, they reach different destinations, because, where the boat will reach is determined not by the direction of the wind, but by the set of the sails.

Our lives are like that too. So stop blaming the winds of your company policy or the currents of the economy. Stop worrying that you did not go to a premier B-School, or that you grew up in a non-English-speaking home. Take charge of your life. Change your mindset and get your thinking right. To reach your goals, it's important to set your sails properly. For things to get better, you need to get better. Need new skills? Invest in training yourself don't wait for your employer to do it. I find it puzzling that while young people spend money on trendy new clothes, and on new cellphones and on the monthly visit to the beauty salon, they want the company to spend money on training them, on making them better employees, smarter people. 'Training myself is not my responsibility' seems to be the general dictum!

For things to change, we must change our beliefs, and our mindsets. Do yourself a favour. Stick this ten-word aphorism on your bathroom mirror: "If it is to be, it is up to me!" And wake up to a new you.

Mastermind success! You can, if you think you can

Have you heard of Roger Bannister? He was the first athlete to run the mile in less than four minutes.

In doing so, he not only broke the four-minute barrier, but also taught us all a valuable lesson.

Back in the 1950's, the world record - 4 minutes 1.4 seconds - was held by Sweden's Ginder Haegg. The record stood for several years since it was set in 1945. Athletes, experts and the world were convinced that it was impossible to run a mile in less than four minutes. Some even argued that the human body was biologically incapable of running the mile in less than four minutes!

And then, on 6th May, 1954, Roger Bannister did the impossible. He broke the four minute barrier, finishing the race in 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds.

His rival - Charles Landy - had thrice run the mile in less than 4 minutes 2 seconds without breaching the 4 minute mark. The four minute barrier was "like a wall", Landy had said. But guess what? Just 56 days after Bannister's feat, Landy ran the mile in 3 minutes 57.9 seconds. And by 1957, 16 athletes around the world ran the mile in under 4 minutes. The 4 minute mental barrier was truly shattered!

What really happened? Did coaches get smarter and teach the athletes new techniques? Did running shoes get more sophisticated? Did bodies suddenly get stronger? No. The 4 minute barrier it turned out was not a physiological one - just a mental one! As Roger Bannister explained later, it seemed illogical that you could run a mile in 4 minutes and a bit, but not break 4 minutes. His mind refused to accept that barrier. That made all the difference.

Once that mental barrier was broken by Bannister, everyone believed it could be done! And once the belief changed, the rest was easy.

It's important to understand that our achievements in life are limited not by what we can do, but by what we think we can do. More than ability, it's our attitude that makes the difference. As Henry Ford said, "If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you are right".

You will probably find your mind constantly grappling with two competing thoughts: 'I can't!' and 'I can!' How do you ensure the 'I can' wins? How can we break our mental barrier of 'I can't'?

There was a man in Alaska who had a black dog and a white dog. His dog fights attracted large crowds. Every week people would bet on which dog would win. Sometimes the black dog won, and sometimes the white one. One lady noticed that no matter which dog won, the owner always bet on the right dog, and won each week. When the man retired the two dogs, the lady asked him the secret.

"Simple," said the man. "I always bet on the dog I had been feeding all week."

So whether 'I can't' wins in your mind or 'I can', depends on which thought you are feeding!

Feed the 'I can' dog in your mind. The thought you feed, grows! Focus on your strengths, and they will grow. Or keep thinking of your weaknesses and your fears. And unfortunately they'll grow too.

You won't always find a Bannister to break your mental barrier. You need to do it yourself. Once you start feeding the 'I can' thought, you will achieve more than you ever thought was possible!

Want to be a winner? Just do it!

Whatever be your goal, take the first step - however small - right away.

Here's a simple question to get you started. There are three monkeys sitting on a tree, above a pond. One of the monkeys decides to jump into the pond. How many monkeys are left on the tree? Two? Wrong.

The right answer is three. You see, the monkey only made the decision to jump into the pond. He didn't actually jump! If you think about it, we are all like that. We take decisions. We make resolutions. But somehow, we don't follow through with action. And intent without action is quite useless, really. Getting started - taking that first step - is often the master key to success. As someone once said, you don't have to be great to get started. But you sure have to get started to become great!

Do you find yourself struggling to take action on your plans and intentions? Well, here's a five-point programme to help you move from intent to action.

Make a beginning ? right away. Whatever be your goal, take the first step - however small - right away. Until you take that first step, your mind does not believe you. You need to signal to yourself that you are serious, that you mean business. Commit to taking action, immediately. Today. Now.

Break up the grand plan into smaller tasks. Remember, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Sometimes the task ahead looks so enormous that we feel overwhelmed - and we don't do anything about it. Break that up into smaller sub-tasks, and suddenly you'll find something that's doable. Remember that old adage &lsquosomething is better than nothing'? It's still true.

Think of the pleasure, not the pain. Visualise success. If you want to do an MBA at a premier school and plan to devote three hours a day to studying, don't think about missing the football game on television, or about not being able to go out for that Saturday night bash. Think instead of the job that you could get post your MBA, the rewards that it would bring, the dreams that would get realised.

Create a support group. Surround yourself with people who share your objective, who are co-passengers on your journey to success. The excitement of being in it together will help you fight the inertia, and get you going with the rest of the gang.

Pay up ? in advance. For most of us, monetary commitments are a strong impetus for action. The fear of losing money or wasting it, can spur you into action. We follow up on our commitments, if only to ensure our money is well-spent. Plan to lose weight? Pay up for that three-month weight loss programme! Don't wait.

Surround yourself with people who share your objective, who are co-passengers on your journey to success.

Bestselling management author Tom Peters tells the story of a man who approached American financer and banker JP Morgan with an envelope, and said, "Sir, in my hand I hold a guaranteed formula for success, which I will gladly sell you for $25,000."

"Sir," JP Morgan replied, "I do not know what is in the envelope. However, if you show me, and I like it, I give you my word as a gentleman that I will pay you what you ask." The man agreed to the terms, and handed over the envelope. JP Morgan opened it, and pulled out a single sheet of paper. He gave it one look - a mere glance - then handed it back to the gentleman. And paid him the agreed-upon sum of $25,000! On that sheet of paper, were two things:

JP Morgan benefited from this advice, and you can too. Knowing what to do is often easy. We all have our list of things to do. Our plans and our resolutions. Doing it - that's the tough bit. But that's the hallmark of successful people. The Nike guys are right. Want to be a winner? Just do it!

Job interviews: Answer 10 tricky questions

 Think carefully before responding to these commonly-asked but tricky questions, during jobs interviews

The formula for success in job interviews is not written in stone, especially when it comes to tricky questions. For instance if you are being interviewed for a sales position, a potential employer may ask you, “What would you do if a clients hinted at kickbacks?” How would you respond? Will you appear shocked or deliver your answer with poise? Here are some suggestions on how to answer 10 such questions. Being prepared will give an edge, and not to mention, boost your confidence.  

1. Tell us about a difficult relationship in your personal life you have had to cope with?

Don’t go into too many details about what happened, when and where. Don’t condemn the other person or defend yourself. Talk about what you had learnt from the experience. 
  
2. Your boss-to-be is short-tempered, impatient and abrasive. Can you work with someone, of such a temperament?

Working with a short-tempered and very abrasive boss is not easy. Stating that you can effectively work under each and every person, in any and every situation will make you seem over-confident, and unrealistic. Do you get upset if you’re shouted or screamed at? Does it leave you de-motivated or disillusioned for long? If your answer to the latter question is in the negative, let the panel know that unpleasant experiences don’t weigh you down for too long. 

3. Since you are in sales, some clients may hint at getting kick-backs. How will you handle such situations, since as a policy we don’t offer bribes?

When asked awkward questions like this, it helps if you plead ignorance. It may be also a test to check your views on bribes. They may ask if you have bribed anyone or what you would do, if you witnessed a government employee accepting a bribe. Tell them your personal experiences or views. Companies always respect individuals who are truthful and who possess a clear (not rigid) opinion on most matters.

4. Why have you fared averagely in Academics?

Many interviewers pay importance to what you have scored in your board examinations. If you had fared averagely and are asked to explain the reason, there’s not much you can do. It would help if you honestly admit that you have only yourself to blame (if that is really the case) and in future you will be clear about your priorities and work hard to achieve your goals.

5. Our industry requires a lot of social interaction with clients - over drinks and at parties. Are you comfortable with smoking and drinking?

Smoking isn’t cool. And many corporate head-honchos are teetotallers. It may be okay to say that you are uncomfortable around smokers and don’t enjoy social drinking. And do you really need to explain why you would not like to smoke or drink? No, it’s a personal choice.

If you’re applying for a job in an advertising or marketing consulting firm you may be asked if you’re okay with working on a tobacco or liquor account. If you feel you can never perform your job well, if the job involves promoting these products, then mention that you want to work on brands, which you are passionate about, and since you are convinced that tobacco or alcohol is injurious to health you may not be the best person to work on an account that involves actively promoting related brands.

6. Since you are a lady, and most of our clients are males, it is highly likely that some clients will try to be over-friendly. How will you handle such situations?

Will you be upset by such behaviour? If you’re confident that you can deal with such clients, only then tell the interviewers how you think you can be professional, yet not interact with clients who you’re uncomfortable with. Honesty is the best policy.

7. Tell us about your weaknesses?

What do you say besides the stereotyed ‘good’ weaknesses – impatience, over-enthusiasm? All of us have weaknesses, but do we need to mention all? And do you weaknesses surface all the time, or on occasions? For instance, while talking about your own traits such as a short temper or abrasiveness you can indicate that you display such traits or behaviour at some times only.

If your weakness is lack of time management, you could say that you are working on it and hope to overcome it over a period of time. Think about this and answer accordingly.

8. You will be replacing a person who we are letting go of. In the few weeks that you spend with him, you have to learn as much about his job so that you can continue doing his work effectively. Do you feel you are okay with this arrangement?

Not an easy situation to be in. While you can try your best to learn as much as you can, what will you do in case your predecessor does not cooperate and tell you all that you need to know? You could point out that you may need your organisation’s support, cooperation and intervention, if need be, in such a circumstance.

9. What if we hired you for one job profile and then change it within weeks?

Your response will depend on your future plans. If you’re interested in a sales job, because you want to pursue a career in marketing, then you’d obviously not want to work in finance or accounts. However, if you’re unsure which area interests you, and would like to learn about the different functions in an organisation, this might be a good opportunity to explore. You should preferably talk about why you prefer some roles or jobs. At the same time try to avoid talking about why you don’t like particular roles.

10. What salary do you expect? What if we told you we cannot pay you for the first three months?

State that since it is the start of your career, learning and experience are more important than salary. If you’re still asked to quote a specific amount give them a general indication on what you would like to earn. Don’t over-quote. If a company states that for whatever reason they won’t pay a salary for the first few months, make sure they are not one of those outfits, which exploit those who need work experience. If the organisation offers a good learning environment, tell them you’re joining the organisation for the valuable experience and you’re confident you’ll soon receive a salary commensurate with your performance.

Cardinal rules

1. Arrive preferably 15 minutes early, so you can relax, freshen up

2. Gauge the company dress code, dress appropriately

3. No unclean hair, sweaty visage or dirty hands with pen marks

4. Keep two copies of your rèsumè, handy

5. Carry a notepad and pen

6. Be poised, confident, but not too relaxed or over-confident.

7. If you’re unsure about an answer and need time to think, request the interviewer if you can take a minute to think and respond

8. Be patient, be courteous

9. Never interrupt even if the interviewer is stating a wrong fact. Let him complete the sentence and then respond. Words like ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ also go a long way

10. If there are two or more interviewers, make eye contact with all

It’s A Matter of Choice Always…

 

Jerry is the manager of a restaurant. He is always in a good mood. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would always reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" Many of the waiters at his restaurant quit their jobs when he changed jobs, so they could follow him around from restaurant to restaurant. Why? Because Jerry was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was always there, telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! No one can be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, I have two choices today. I can choose to be in a good mood or I can choose to be in a bad mood.I always choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be victim or I can choose to learn from it. I always choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I always choose the positive side of life." "But it's not always that easy,“ I protested. "Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk every situation is a choice.

• You choose how you react to situations.

• You choose how people will affect your mood.

• You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood.

• It's your choice how you live your life.

Several years later I heard that Jerry accidentally did something you are never supposed to do in the restaurant business. He left the back door of his restaurant open. And then??? In the morning, he was robbed by three armed men. They Wanted $ *# $$$...While Jerry trying to open the safe box, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found quickly and rushed to the hospital. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jerry about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was,he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Want to see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place."The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, after they shot me, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or could choose to die. I chose to live." "Weren't you scared”  I asked? Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the Emergency Room and I saw the expression on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read "He's a dead man." I knew I needed to take action". "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything.“ "Yes", I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, "Bullets!". Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Please operate on me as if I am alive, not dead". Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude.
 

I learned from him that...

Every day you have the choice to either enjoy your life or to hate it. The only thing that is truly yours -- that no one can control or take from you, Is your Attitude, So if you can take care of that, everything else in life becomes much easier.

Smash the peg. Set yourself free

In life we often play the role of the elephant trainer. Handle your baby elephants with care. Don’t be overly critical. Don’t belittle them. Don’t chain them to a peg!

DO you know what they do to keep a circus elephant from running away? They tie a metal chain onto a collar around the mighty elephant’s leg – and tie it to a small wooden peg that’s hammered into the ground. The 10-foot tall, 5,000 kilo hulk could easily snap the chain, uproot the wooden peg, and escape to freedom. But it does not do that. In fact it does not even try. The world’s most powerful animal, which can uproot a tree as easily as you and I can break a toothpick, remains tied down by a small peg and a flimsy chain. How come?

It’s because when the elephant was a baby, its trainers used exactly the same methods. A chain was tied around its leg and the other end of the chain was tied to a metal stake on the ground. The chain and peg were strong enough for the baby elephant. When it tried to break away, the metal chain would pull it back. Sometimes, tempted by the world it could see in the distance, the elephant would pull harder. But the chain would cut into the skin on the elephant’s leg, making it bleed, creating a wound that would hurt the baby elephant even more. Soon, the baby elephant realised it was futile trying to escape. It stopped trying !

And now when the big circus elephant is tied by a chain around its leg, it remembers the pain it felt as a baby. And it does not try to break away. So even though it’s just a chain and a little wooden peg, the elephant stands still. It remembers its limitations, and knows that it can only move as much as the chain will allow. It does not matter that the metal stake has been replaced by a wooden peg. It does not matter that the 100 kilo baby is now a 5,000 kilo powerhouse. However, the elephant’s belief prevails.

If you think about it, we are all like the circus elephant. We all have incredible power inside us. We have it in us to take on the world. And of course, we have our own chains and pegs. Our self-limiting beliefs that hold us back. Sometimes it’s a childhood experience or an early failure. Sometimes it’s something we were told when we were younger. That becomes our chain and peg, holding us back from doing what we are capable of, stopping us from achieving what was well within our powers. Time then to ask the question: what’s holding you back? What’s your chain and wooden peg?

When we are young, many of us grow up on a diet of “Don’t do that”, or “You can’t do it!”, or “You are no good!” And we stop ourselves from aiming high. We say “I can’t do it because…” and fill in our favourite excuse. Because I don’t speak English too well. Because I didn’t study in a premier B-school. Because I come from a poor family. Over time, these beliefs about our limitations become stronger and stronger. These self-limiting beliefs become chains that stop us from trying. Circumstances change, metal poles get replaced by wooden pegs – but we don’t recognise that. We stop trying. We give up without even trying.

And in life we often play the role of the elephant trainer, too – as parents, teachers, colleagues or friends. When that happens, remember to handle your baby elephants with care! Don’t be overly critical. Don’t belittle them. Don’t chain them to a peg!

Remember, we all have the strength of an elephant. Don’t let a mere chain-and-peg hold you back. It’s a good idea to recognise what’s holding you back. And break the shackles of your self-limiting beliefs. It’s sad when we allow our achievements in life to be determined not by our strengths and our powers – but by our self-limiting beliefs.

Time then to break free. Snap the chain. Smash the peg. Break your self-limiting belief. Set yourself free. Today!

Unleash the elephant within!

Soichiro Honda: A story of persistence

“Success is 99 percent failure.” - Soichiro Honda

The life of Soichiro Honda is often quoted as an inspiring story of a man who overcame unbelievable obstacles and went on to achieve great success. The story of Soichiro Honda is an inspirational tale of motivation and persistence in the face of adversity. His story serves as an important lesson for all of us and it teaches us not to give up when we suffer a setback. Despite suffering failure, ridicule and endless financial difficulties, Honda believed strongly enough in himself to make his success a reality.

Soichiro Honda was born in 1906 and he grew up helping his father repair bicycles in the small town of Komyo in Japan. While Soichiro Honda was in school he started a workshop with the intention of developing a piston ring which he planned to sell on to Toyota. He spent day and night working away in his workshop believing that he could produce the perfect design. He struggled financially during this period, even selling his wife’s jewelry for capital and occasionally slept in his workshop.

When he finally completed his finished piston ring, Soichiro took his design to Toyota who told him that his work was not up to their standards. After suffering this terrible setback, Soichiro was forced to go back to school and was taunted by those around him for failing. Other engineers laughed at his design but Soichiro refused to give up despite being ridiculed by those around him. Soichiro Honda paid little attention to school work that did not relate to his business and, when verbally attacked by his teacher, Honda responded that ‘A ticket will get you a seat in a movie theater, but a diploma won’t get you a job!’.

Soichiro believe strongly in his idea and refused to give up on his dream. He struggled on for two more years before finally gaining a contract with Toyota. By this time Japan was gearing up for war and Honda found it hard to find the building materials he needed to create a factory to produce his work. Despite this potentially disastrous set back, Honda persisted and found a new way of making concrete which allowed him to finish building the factory he needed.

Sadly this was not the end of Soichiro’s troubles as the factory he had struggled so hard to build was bombed twice during the war and steel became unavailable. Whilst most people would have given up at this point, Honda persisted and found a way to get past these obstacles. He started collecting gasoline cans which had been discarded by US fighters to help regenerate his factory, objects he described as “gifts from President Truman”.

When Honda started rebuilding his factory an earthquake finally destroyed it. This setback would have spelled the end for most people but Honda carried on chasing his dream.

After the war, Honda found a way of attaching a small engine onto his bicycle and quickly found that other people were interested in his strange new idea. Sadly the materials Honda needed were not available to supply the demand for his new creation. Rather than give up, Honda dug deep and sought out a way to get the finance he needed to continue with his project. He wrote an inspiring letter to 18,000 bicycle shop owners which asked them to help him revitalize Japan through innovation. A huge number of the shop owners he wrote to responded by giving Honda what little money they could to help him. Soichiro battled away with several redesigns before finally producing the ‘Super Cub’ which became an overnight success. By 1963, Honda was the top-selling brand of motorcycles in the United States.

Honda Corporation now employs more than 100,000 people in the USA and Japan and it is now second only to Toyota in Japan. Honda succeeded because of the passion and determination of one man who was committed to his ideas and making them a success. Despite suffering more failures and set backs than most of us will see in a lifetime, Honda persisted and never once allowed himself to give up on his dreams.

Is “Chalta Hai” your defining motto?

Most young people have similar goals. They want to be loved, healthy, happy, and successful. And rich! And here’s the problem

WANT to go somewhere but don’t know the way? Simple. Just punch in your destination on one of those websites that offer maps and – bingo – you will get directions on how to get there. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with your goals in life. Those websites don’t offer roadmaps to get to your goals!

Most young people have similar goals. They want to be loved, healthy, happy, and successful. And rich! And here’s the problem. As we set off on the journey towards our goals, two paths emerge ahead of us. One looks like a fast and easy road – full of short cuts. It’s the path of least resistance. And the other is a long hard road, often strewn with obstacles. And - no prizes for guessing – most of us take the easy way out!

And that becomes a habit. We look for short cuts all the time. We compromise. We don’t push ourselves to succeed; we merely set ourselves the objective of not failing. We don’t play to win. We just want to avoid losing.

And so we love tips like “If you study these three sections, you can get 35 marks”. Or ‘if you attend classes twice a week, you won’t be in the black list.” Unfortunately, this attitude pervades our life and becomes a habit. We stop striving for the greatness that we are all capable of. “Chalta Hai” becomes our defining motto. And as someone rightly said, ‘Good is the enemy of Great’.

There once lived a sculptor in a small town. He was working on a huge idol of a Goddess that he was making for the local temple, when a young man walked into his workshop. As the young man marveled at the idol, he suddenly noticed another idol, almost identical, lying on the ground. “Do you need two of these?” he asked. “No,” came the reply. “We only need one. But the first one got damaged in the finishing stages. Hence I am doing it again.”

The young man looked closely at the idol on the ground. It looked perfect. He could not see any signs of damage. “Where is the flaw?” he asked. “Look carefully,” said the sculptor, “and you will notice a scratch under the left eye.” “Wait a minute!” said the young man. “Where will this idol be installed?”

The sculptor explained that it would be on a platform fifteen feet high inside the temple. And the young man quickly retorted, “At that distance, who will know there is a scratch beneath the eye?” The sculptor smiled and said, “I will.”

Now that’s a good reminder of what excellence is all about. It comes from inside, not from outside. And it’s an attitude. One we would all do well to inculcate.

Commit to doing your best at all times. Don’t compromise, ever. Whatever you do, give off hundred percent. Aim to be the best at whatever you do. And do that not because someone else tells you to do it – but because YOU want to.

And make sure you always, always do the right thing. Don’t tell yourself it’s okay, no one will notice. Remember, someone is watching all the time. And that someone is you. Your character is defined not by how you behave when you know others are watching – but by what you do when no one is looking.

If you create an idol with a scratch and think no one will notice, you will soon find another scratch appearing in your work and then another. And you will spend a lot of time and effort hiding those scratches, covering up, hoping no one notices. And instead of becoming a master sculptor, you become a patch-up artist. And your life – instead of becoming a masterpiece – becomes just another flawed piece of work. And in either case, what makes the difference is not the skill. It’s always your attitude.

Get the sculptor’s attitude. Commit to excellence. And make your life a masterpiece.

Prakash Iyer is MD, Kimberly-Clark and Executive Coach.