Steeve Jobs was the genius who gave the world a range of Information Technology based products, and the world has been totally different since then.  Try as hard as they might, the competitors of Apple Computers, he firm Steeve Jobs founded and took to great heights, is the number one Information Tecnhology in the world, in terms of business excellence and sheer depth of innnovation.

Be that as it may, the late Steeve Jobs continues to inspire a whole lot of followers throughout the world.  No where is this evident than in India, where there are a number of artilcles in literally every single Indian language, about how his Managerial and Leadership Styles brought about a significant change to the whole workforce. 

Among several of his ideas, the most profound is one speech that he delivered at the Stanford University, USA.  "Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish" was the subject of the subject, but this main idea, had two related ideas -- connecting the dots, and look around, don't settle.

As regards the first idea, that is, connecting the dots, one has to understand the idea in a wider context.  Steeve Jobs did not attend college, and was a college drop out.  However, he had a very fertile mind that kept looking for the unknown, and he went on to learn caliography.  He mentions during the course of his speech, that "dots" refer to events in one's life.  Yes, the fact remains that certain things started to fall in place in Steeve Jobs's life.

For example, the skills in caliography helped him to design some of the most fascinating computers in the world.  However, for each one of us, it is pertinent to note that we need to pick up a basket of skills and then go on exploring new options.

There are several examples.  The most glaring examples are that of the great genius called A.R. Rahman and another genius whose name is Kamal Hasan.  The first genius was and is a great music director.  The latter is a world famous actor, who has acted in many Indian languages, but whose mother tongue is Tamil.  Both have excellent records and have won the Oscar award and several National awards.

However, what is common to each of them, is the passion that both of them bring to work.  The most important aspect of such a passion is to pick up a whole range of skills pertinent to their won field of specialization and then go about systematically exploiting each of these skills.  The basket of skills is what can be called the "dots".  For instance, A R Rahman specializes in what is famously called "fusion" music.  He combines a whole range of instrumental music with the most finer aspects of carnatic music, and brings out stunning tunes, some of which have become huge hits.  In fact, he is known all over the world, as he has now gone as far as Hollywood movies.

Kamal Hasan is another rare genius.  He has started acting from a very young age.  He has not had any formal education.  Yet, he speaks English, with the most sophisticated command over the language.  He is a dancer, a singer, a superb actor, producer and even director.  His "Vishwaroopam", a movie that was released a couple of years ago, went on to become a huge hit.  

Connecting the dots in Kamal Hasan's life would correspond to how each of these skills have made such a huge authority on world cinema, and his knowledge about Cinema throughout the world.  Curious to know what is going on around the world, is not something that is common to most of us.  Yet, this curiosity can transform into something that is so profound, as we will discover a whole range of "dots" that will simply connect beautifully in our life as well.

There are such examples in the Information Technology industry.  A huge number of start ups in the Dot Com industry, for example, have been able to exploit the convenience factor, that is so much vital to the customers.  Each and every product that is sold online adds value to the customer in terms of reduced petrol costs, saving on time and of course, money.  How this has become possible, can and should be the subject of a whole range of research for Management pundits. 

So, if we do acquire a whole ranges of skills, we can also discover that we have several "dots" that will connect at some point in time.

The second and most important point is regarding "don't settle".  This simply means that we should find out what really interests us and what we love to do.  Once this is done, we should be able to exploit each of the skills we have to do what we are really passionate about.

In several Tamil Brhmin families, we notice a profound trend to encourage those endowed with a good voice, to take to singing as a career.  Of course, such children are given some basic education, but singing becomes a passion, and a very lucractive passion, when they reach a particular level of specializaiton and excellence.  Some of the best Carnatic musicians, both vocal and instrumental, are all Tamil Brahmins.  To some extent, this is genetic.  However, what is most important is that the communtiy alone doe not make it. Those who have good voices do not take up singing as a career, because they are not able to take the risks involved and also do the huge amount of hard work, extending to as much as two decades. 

So, "dont settle" has a very profound message in as much as we all need to find out what exactly we love doing, and then go about doing it.  The parents of severalk lakhs of young people, also need to understand the most important thing -- do not impose your will on your children.  Allow each of them to discover their own inner calling.

The third idea of "Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish" caps the first two profoundly important ideas.  This simply means that we all should be hungry to learn more, to go after the unknown and the whole range of skills and knowledge that we all need to acqure in a much wider context.  

Once our ego overtakes us, we feel that we have conquered the world. There is nothing much to learn, is what we all think.  However, the present world is so much transient.  We cannot rest on ur lawrels.  We need to understand that we all need to acquire new skills and knowledge and keep on learning.  When we stay "foolish", we go on exploring the new, the spirit of unknown.

So, when we stay hungry and stay foolish, we will be innovative and seek to do new things.  This is the most significant message of Steeve Jobs.  Even by taking simple baby steps we would be really innovating like Steeve Jobs, in our own little ways.  So, let us all do it.

• Written by ABSIVAKUMAR.
• In category General.
• 9 years ago.

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