A No-Tears Approach to Life (By Keeping Soap Away From The Naked Eye)

It hurts me see people cry.

The tears flowing down their cheeks, & eyes red due to the strain, makes me wonder what I can do to help prevent the agony. What distresses me even more is the knowledge that this pain of tearful eyes is self-inflicted, & that applying soap to ones eyes would most certainly (& naturally) cause tears to flow……….

It gets more interesting when you see them go on & on & on & on & onnnnnnnnnnnn about the pain, the stress & the fact that they wished they didn’t have to cry. Guess what folks; you needn’t apply soap to your eyes in the 1^st place. Try telling this to my tearful friends and they’d snap back at you:

“Ahsan, you think I don’t know that? Stop patronizing me!”

So, in essence what we are saying is we know that applying soap to the naked eye hurts, it has hurt the 1^st time you did it, it hurt the 2^nd, the 3^rd & the 4^th time, & yet you have allowed the slippery criminal to go back to offence this time, and when I tell you it is avoidable & that there is no reason why you should be in this agony, you feel I am at fault in telling you the obvious?

Hmmm, right. Me & my big mouth!

Losing cash, borrowing cash, making losses, not controlling expenses are some of the leading international brands of soap. Apply any to your eyes and you can trust the latter to cringe.

Don’t believe me? Try asking your best buddy for $700 and then treat yourself with the beauty of a sleek iPhone 6. Or for that matter, borrow $50 and buy a not-to-be-shown phone or ice creams, for all I care. Wait till the deadline when the loan becomes due for payment, and tell your friend you won’t, can’t or don’t want to pay. In fact, tell her you need a little more to get back the initial amount she had lent.

I’d love to know what happens. You may email me, call me, Whatsapp me or engage me on Skype. Something tells me I know the answer already.  And you know what, my friend, I think even you know that right now.

So my question is, why is it that you mismanage CASH and make decisions that ensure someone is always there at the door, or on the couch, demanding you to pay her? The answer is in the word “self-restraint”, or the lack of it. If you know that you wouldn’t be able to pay on time, or pay at all, just don’t borrow. If you are so freaking good that you would be able to pay in X moments from now, why doesn’t Superman wait those X moments, save that much and buy when cash is in hand? The creative bull**** I get to hear as a response to that is called “Self-Belief” & if you’d want to get technical & throw that Wall Street crap on me, it is called “Leveraging”.

Folks, choose whatever science, philosophy & terms to justify your actions but that fact remains the same. If you want a no-tears life, try following the simple words of ultimate wisdom:

“Dainay wala haat lainay walay sai behtar hai”.  (The hand that gives is better than the one that takes).

Hope you’d choose sensibly if you haven’t already & you’d help your friends too if they are in tears. Till next time, adios amigos!

What we can learn from some traits of 50 leaders (Fortune.com)

1. Saved the company without resorting to bankruptcy or bailouts
2. Changed risk-averse, reality-denying, CYA (cover your ass) culture
3. Hands-off style that gives managers wide leeway and incentivizes them like owners
4. Three rules of success. The first? Surround yourself with good people. Over the years I’ve forgotten the other two.
5. Highly demanding
6. Never offer excuses or give less than maximum effort
7. Exhorted employees to think big and work for their dreams.
8. Someone who sees beyond existing constraints to imagine novel solutions to once intractable problems.
9. Get players working in harmony
10. Empower the players by sometimes stepping back
11. Care more about players than to win
12. Undertake multiple missions
13. Ability to group employees into small, self managing teams that choose their own managers, compete for internal talent, and can earn big bonuses.
14. A low-ego leader with big dreams
15. Still pushing (and pushing)
16. Understood that he was not just selling a product, he was creating an experience.
17. He saw value of offering medical insurance to all employees, even part-timers, and pursuing environmental and social projects that inspire employees and attract customers.
18. Thinking different
19. Stood up to resistance
20. Fierce and outspoken defender (of beliefs and values)
21. Persuasive
22. Sees each meet as a new chance to change things up
23. We can do better!
24. Aggressively expanded (through acquisitions)
25. Maintaining reputation as one of the most sought-after employers
26. Infectious optimism, which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy
27. Pursue a long impossibly audacious plan of consolidation—working with governments, powerful labor unions, and other constituencies to rewrite the rules of the game in tough times.

A Tribute to the Mentors…..

I have had 2 solid years since I left Pizza Hut. Alhamdolillah!

I feel I need to thank all my mentors who stepped in and tamed me for I was an absolute mess. It wouldn't be possible for me to thank all but the ones who have had the most profound impact on my development were the following individuals:

1. My uncle, Mr. Meherally Mahmud:

1A. "Always have a back-up".

Wow! What a lesson! If only one could pay attention to this and spend time creating back-ups before the crisis hits you.

1B. "Even if you are asked to be a dispatcher, do it in a manner no one else can"

Job description doesn't matter. Pay scale doesn't matter. If one can instill this element in him or her, job security/ success etc would never be an issue.

1C. "Ahsan, you will have to weather the storm!"

Uncle, couldn't you give me an easier way out? ;) Best advice ever!

1D. "Stop comparing yourself to your ex-company"

A very recent advice that has changed the way I am approaching my current assignment.

2. My ex-boss, Richard Unsworth:

2A. "Every problem has 2 legs"

A simple diagnosis of alllllll our personal and professional problems.

2B. "Grab those ***** and jump in"

This line simply extended my shelf-life in retail business. There is no way one can succeed without the mindset of an Operator.

2C. "The 3 N's of fixing someone"

Richard, you need to consider writing a book on this. It is a beautiful and simple way of fixing sooooooooo many problems.

3. My last boss, Rasikh Ismail:

3A. "You're on holidays. Just rejuvenate"

He wouldn't take my calls or let me stay connected to work while I was at home. A difficult route but if done well, it can ensure such calmness in life.

3B. Have the ability to prevent work & personal stresses to overlap and affect each other.

4. My friend, my mentor, the late Babur Firoz Sahib:

4A. "Don't leave Pizza Hut. What you will learn here is something even Universities cannot teach"

During the period when my bottom was getting whipped for my casual, irresponsible behavior. Had I run away from PH in 2009, I would not have been able to get a grip on my internal weaknesses. A big thank you, Babur Sahib for guiding me back then.

4B. "Na jaanay kon duayon mai yaad rakhta hai, mai doobta hoon (aur) samundar uchaal daita hai"

Wah! Babur Sahib, you were one of a kind. :)

4C. A master negotiator thanks to his great ability to keep his emotions' buttons firm within his fingers.

Well, this is something I can probably achieve only with age. Still a long way to go.

End:
A big thank you to these individuals and all the others who have been around me. Still a long way to go before I am able to achieve my vision. And yes, how can I forget Yameen Bhai, Suleman Bhai and Rehan Bhai for shaping my vision.

Alright, back to work now. :)

Need to Launch "Winning Food"

It was a sight that broke my heart.........

We were on the top floor of Defence Y Block Pizza Hut today afternoon, when my eyes got fixated at a sweet-looking girl. She was probably Hajrah's age, clad in a pink colored outfit. She stood next to the garbage tank while her mother rummaged through the smelly contents to find something useful.

I started thinking, what could this duo possibly get out of this commercial garbage bin? And then it hit me. Food!!!

Could you believe it? This is Defence Housing Authority--one of the upscale residential projects in Lahore. And not very far from where the girl's mother had her hands planted deep into the waste, maybe just 30 feeds on either side, were parked fancy cars like the Civics, the Mercedes and the Land Cruisers of the elites that lived in Defence. They bought fancy clothes from the Bareeze's, the Urban Cultures, the Stone Age shops; bought grocery from the Al-Fateh Departmental Store and spent ten of thousands while this family had to search for their meal.....in a garbage bin!

Shame on us Pakistanis! Especially the well-to-do ones for thinking that our issues at work, our petty quarrels at home, and other problems in our lives are so grave that we can't even thank Allah for what we actually do have. It probably doesn't hit many of us that we too have a responsibility, not just of our families, but of those that are actually forced to search for a meal in the garbage bins.

Many of you would argue that it is difficult to discern the genuine needy ones from the fake ones. Well you have a point, and while you are busy pondering and arguing over that, what I am planning to do is to launch Winning Foods--a charity where we will go out with our 10 rupee note, our 100, 1000 or more and collect whatever we can, and do whatever we can to help some of the needy people to eat.

I am certain Allah would help me and you, if you choose to contribute. As a first step, we will create a bank account that we can collect funds in. People can just transfer or deposit in this account and we can distribute it by buying food. Or we could gather food that is generally discarded in the restaurants or at home. And then give it all ti the one(s) in need. In short, we will do something. InshaAllah!

The question is, will YOU? If the answer is yes, let me know and we shall work our way through this. Frankly, I don't where this road would lead to.....I just hope it would take us to Heaven one day.

Producing the Book "Winning: Why Some Professionals Are At The Top, While Others Are Languishing At The Bottom"

I am forming a team for research & production of book "Winning: Why Some Professionals Are At The Top, While Others are Languishing at the Bottom". Those interested in participating should send CVs to Ahsanoni@gmail.com or send a private message on LinkedIn. Final selection would be based on scrutiny by the core group. (Note: The project team would comprise of winners with a track record of successes in their field. This project is and would remain philanthropic in nature, so do not apply if you are seeking an escape route from your existing project)

Reacting to the 6th Sense

The challenge confronted by a business manager is to ensure ALL the teams are focussed on the KPIs as much as you yourself are. Easier said than done! As someone rightly said, "Most problems in business have 2 legs", the business manager needs to respond fast to any 6th Sense signals. I personally feel that the success depends on the quality of response the business manager makes to every signal that indicates a potential problem in the team's focus. You can't take a chance at all! While I am not saying that one should become the pessimistic, control-freak leader, I am only stressing the need to keep your wits about and do spot checks. Try not to leave anything to chance as a stitch in time could save nine.

Ab Khud Kuch Karna Paray Ga!

I see faaaaaaar too many people living meaningless lives, and eventually withering into oblivion. As a result of this inaction, there are seemingly no rewards for them after death and they certainly haven't got much to enjoy in this life too.

Instead of cribbing and crying about the above, I want to change this current state of affair!

I want to ensure that humans get the maximum in the herafter and also the best in this world. I would urge you to do the same too. Let's make our lives count and leave an impact that would ensure accomplishment of the above-mentioned vision.

You are all quite successful in your own fields. People look up to you. I would like you to consider writing a line, a paragraph, a page, an article, anything you can contribute easily to help people learn from your wealth of information, and as a result of their access to you, add value to their lives.

Let's help them in Winning this challenge called Life! 

InshaAllah, "Winning" would become a Counselling, Consultancy & Training platform which would leverage professionals like you. The idea is to help people with problems get connected with a relevant person who has managed to get out of a similar situation earlier.  For example, I am currently working with some professors of LUMS in drafting a research paper on lives of top 100 investors, professionals and entreprenuers of the country who weren't born with a silver spoon in their mouths, and yet have managed to reach the top of their fields. You could consider either becoming one of those whom we would interview, or help us identify and get connected with others whom you think can add value to this project.

Similarly, you can just contribute on this blog by writing articles about success in your field, for instance. Or it could be any FAQ that you usually answer, and you think I should post on this platform. For example, my friends from Islamic Finance industry can most certainly help by giving material that can answer multiple questions that people have to ask.

Or if you feel there is some other thing that can be done, feel free to share and we will see how to make that a reality. In short, let's do something......

So, if you are interested to extend your hand in any way, just comment on this blog, or email me on ahsanoni@gmail.com and we will see how we can take the proposition further.

Ab Khud Kuch Karna Paray Ga!