Integrity : An Inevitable Attribute of Success

"A quiet conscience makes one strong" - Anne Frank

Let's begin the article by asking a simple question to ourselves which fulfills the purpose of this reading.

" What will you do if you find some money lying on the road and nobody is nearby seeing you ? "

We all are human beings who commits mistakes no matter the experience we possess and its natural in this world. Nothing unusual !!! But what if one is engaged in wrong doing that might also put others at stake. Integrity means "doing right even when no one is watching". In the present scenario, it has become the need of the hour where we come to know about several incidents which could have been avoided if the so called quality was possessed and exercised. It must be shown in all aspects; personal, professional and social whatever the circumstances maybe. The world would have been a better place if everyone would be honest to themselves and others. It is the conscience that differs according to people which facilitates the decision making that results in doing good or bad. At the end of the day, everyone has their own justification for the actions done by them.

Being a social being, one has to show high level of integrity towards others for the overall well being even if one has to face consequences for the actions taken. The relationship between Integrity and Success has a direct effect and it can be analyzed from different angles. In this article, I would like to share the story of a bureaucrat who has faced hardships and paid a high price for being fair.

Shri. Raju Narayanaswamy IAS, a 1991 batch officer hailing from Changanassery, Kottayam stood first in all the examinations he attended which also fetched him a scholarship from MIT. Graduated from IIT, he decided to work for the system rather than running behind lucrative jobs and successfully cleared the Civil Service Examination with first rank. He possessed a high level of integrity and so his intolerance towards corruption earned him flaks from politicians and businessmen including his father-in-law. Being transferred 22 times and assigned to work under junior officers did not pull him back from exercising integrity for the common man's good. As an public administrator, Raju has shown justice to the people through various initiatives, notably the widening of Patalom Road which created regular traffic blocks. He was also part of the evacuation of illegal encroachment team handpicked by then chief minister, V.S Achuthanandan. He says, “In my service life I have always fought corruption. We could be sidelined but officers should not get demoralized. The public applause we get for taking strong stand on issues is what keeps us going’’.

Its the mentality and conscience to do right makes such people survive in this world. At present he is working as the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Kerala. People like Shri. Raju Narayanaswamy are needed for the empowerment of our society.

Be the Change to Bring the Change  
 Elaph Hafis

Success : A Journey through Experiences

" Experience is the teacher of all things " - Julius Caesar

The word "experience" takes on different meanings depending on the instances its called for. In this article, it has been defined as getting acquainted with knowledge and skill over time or encountering various situations during one's life that leaves an everlasting memory ; it could be fruitful or a nightmare" .

Every individual in this world has their own experiences to share about the ups and downs, they have faced in the so called journey;Life. Some may be amazing and motivating while some result in venting a pity face after listening to them.These experiences moulds one's personality and his views about life which in turn increases the chances of becoming successful. The bitter fact that all of us have to accept is that; Life is too short for getting hands on each and everything in this vast universe. The role of "advice" then comes into play wherein experiences are shared with another person who has not come across that kind of similar situation. We all do give and take advice: it may be our friends,peer groups,parents,siblings,elders or even from our bosses. The advice given by them is based on the outcome or effect that they have gained through experience. The important decision lying right upfront is to : "Take it or Leave it". Have you ever wondered, why recruiters always prefer experienced professionals over freshers ? The answer is simple. The errors or mistakes committed, cost of training and development will stay on the lower side. The knowledge and skill acquired over time has made them error-free and virtually perfect. By and large, the same principle is applicable in one's life. It depends on the risk appetite of the individual. If he opts to go for a ride, then he would ignore the advice and moves on. Certain people are adamant in accepting facts or things that they have not experienced and eventually lands up in trouble.
Similarly, Experience do play a vital role when taking and implementing decisions have a direct effect on others, especially pertaining to a society. These life changing decisions are taken by public servants, who strive for the benefit and well being of others.

An epitome of such a bureaucrat is Shri. M.G Rajamanickam IAS, a 2008 batch officer who currently serves as the District Collector of Ernakulam also known as The Commercial Capital of Kerala. A humble and great visionary hailing from Madurai managed to add those  three premier letters to his name through sheer determination, hard work and above all it was the right decision taken at the right time. The power hunger for becoming a civil servant (IPS Officer) came in him at the age of nine.  After completing his post graduation in M.Tech, the challenge that came in front of him was whether to focus on his exam preparation or make a living for his family as his father was about to retire. He decided to pursue his studies and cracked the Civil Service Examination with 80th rank which granted him the Indian Administrative Service, the premium management service occupied by the brightest minds of the nation. He started his innings as Assistant Collector of Thrissur and later on served as the Sub Collector of Munnar before being appointed as the Inspector General (Registration) and Director of Survey Department. In February 2014, he took charge as the District Collector of Ernakulam after heading Kannur District for a very short period of  two months, and the rest is history. He focused on the betterment of the rural roots which was neglected due to the overemphasis on urban development. The speedy land acquisitions carried out by him for the Kochi Metro project gave a further push to its progress and was awarded as  "The Best District Collector-2014". During the Chennai flood disaster, formed a voluntary group named "Anbodu Kochi" spearheaded by Rajamanickam Sir were successful in delivering essential items,clothes, water and medicines to the flood affected areas. The social-media based group very soon came up with a mission of reviving 51 ponds across the district naming it as "Ente Kulam Ernakulam" project thereby conveying a message of nature preservation  to the society with a view to overcome scarcity of water in the future. Lately, the collector had organized a camp; "Muthe Ponne" for backward students to hone their skills in various field of  arts and sports. All these initiatives helped in bringing out smile on every face which was the result of true leadership and faultless execution. The term "Civil Servant" has taken over "Bureaucrat" because common man is the master and gone are those days of command and order. As a public servant, Rajamanickam has shown justice to the society and the Commercial capital will see new face of development under his helm. An inspirational quote shared by him to the young minds at a seminar is given below.

"Be Sincere to your Dream, Be Sincere to your Work. Destiny will take you there."

Elaph Hafis

Does One's VIEWS about life determines his SUCCESS ?

"Dream is not that which you see while sleeping, it is something that does not let you sleep"

One of the famous inspiring quote that has been said by the Missile Man of India, Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam in his autobiography "Wings of Fire". Reading this quote energizes me, urges to work hard  and above all pictures me the positive side of life i.e. Being Successful. The psychology of each and every individual varies and so his thoughts,viewpoints and opinions about anything he is asked to comment on. A glass half filled with water can be seen by a person from two angles, just like the two sides of a coin: Half Filled or Half Empty. This distinction between the positive and negative aspects of life determines one's success. The journey of life is filled with sorrows, hardships and happiness.Some may last for a while,some may vanish within the blink of an eye. If it is sorrow or hardship that lasts, we get demotivated, starts blaming fate and complains "Oh God,Why only this is happening to me? " At the end,we tend to lose our hope and give up. The mindset that an individual creates at this stage i.e hardship and make wise decisions to move ahead in life brings out the real human in him as it calls for positive attitude and courage to fight back. A very apt example that depicts the so-called quality; which I would like to share is about the founder of  Apple Inc. : Steve Jobs. A person who doesn't need an introduction to be remembered. Steve Jobs started struggling in his early life for an identity, where he was adopted and there kicked off an era of innovation and entrepreneurship. Jobs founded Apple in the late 1970's with his co-worker Steve Wozniak and things went smooth till 1985 when Jobs was forced to move out by the former CEO of Pepsi, John Sculley; who was hired by Jobs himself. That was an shock to his career life which remained as a reminder in him until his death. He never gave up; rather took some of his old team mates and started another company NeXT, a computer platform developing firm. In 1997, Apple purchased NeXT and appointed Jobs behind the wheel. After his death, Jobs's official biographer: Walter Isaacsson described him as "creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing."  

What quality or attribute helped Jobs to rise from a fall and influence the global information technology sector ?
It was his attitude and belief in his own creative abilities. We all must develop such kind of quality in order to survive in this fast moving world where everyone is busy chasing their lives.
Start a day in your life with a positive mind and "Challenge and Move on with Problems" rather than thinking "Why Me ?".


Happy New Year !!!

Elaph Hafis

Success : A Wider Perception

"Coming together is a beginning; Keeping together is progress; Working together is success" 

These lines were quoted by Henry Ford, an American industrialist and the founder of the Ford Motor  Company. Everybody has their own perception and views on becoming or being successful. It may be getting your dream job,marrying your love,buying a private jet or becoming Ambanis; the list goes on. No matter what they dream or wish to be,it is the way and means that they choose in order to be successful. No person or individual is born successful, it is the dedication,hard work and dream that helps them to keep up the fire. We come across several incidents or happenings in our day to day life. Some may be obstacles while some may be happiness that comes unexpected. In this 21st century, we are blessed with technology that fetches us anything that was considered impossible in the past. Though it has eased the efforts of an individual, its contribution to the overall success is hardly comment able. By large, it is the sheer willingness and commitment to attain the set goal that pays off. Everyday we get to read about new personalities who have struggled and reached at various helms. One such example which I would like to bring into everyone's attention is Sundar Pichai, the new CEO of Google; the world's best workplace. Sundar Pichai, a Chennai born alumnus of IIT,Kharagpur has never experienced the lavishness of watching television or traveling in a car but his extraordinary skills in remembering numbers and the urge to learn about technology took him to Google in 2004.He had made several innovative contributions including the launching of Google Chrome,Android and other products where he has served as a key leader and player.
There are various examples of successful personalities like Mark Zuckerberg,Ratan Tata,Amitabh Bachan,Sachin Tendulkar,Cristiano Ronaldo and the names keep flowing. All these persons had a goal set in front of them and they gave their best shot  for it, no matter what obstacles or challenges came across them. There are several traits and qualities that were revealed by these great personalities over interviews and conversations. Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam, the former President of India has said "You have to dream before your dreams can come true". We all should dream in order to motivate our inner self to strive and work hard for achieving the desired goal.

Dream your Goal in order to Reach it.

Elaph Hafis