Has anyone ever wondered if maestros who excel in their field are born or made? Can some people be so ignorant that they don’t realise how ignorant they actually are? Is it possible to nudge oneself to do things that they doesn't want to but realise that it is in their best interest?
The rapidly changing environment can disrupt careers, make education outdated and even ensure that the skills become irrelevant. Despite this, by acquiring six practices, one can thrive at work and achieve goals that one has set for themselves. Mukesh Sud, Associate Professor, IIM Ahmedabad and Co-Author of the book Leapfrog: Six Practices To Thrive At Work lists six practices that every individual should follow to achieve their goals
Passion and perseverance
The first is grit which is the ability to work towards the goals with passion and perseverance. For that one needs to practice deliberately, refine mental maps and learn how to embrace boredom. That is how some people are able to remember and recall even a string of 82 digits from memory. The renowned swimmer Michael Phelps showed exemplary grit at the Beijing Olympics while swimming blind as his goggles were filled with water, ultimately winning the Gold.
Make right choices
The second practice to learn is how to nudge oneself and do things that are best in one’s interest. For which, one needs to learn to make choices intelligently, celebrate small wins and engage with social groups. The success of several social and political movements in India rested largely on nudging the masses of India towards those practices which helped in driving considerable changes.
Accept failures
The third practice is being intellectually humble by accepting the limits to what one knows. It helps in both reception to new learnings and assert confidence in the existing ones. It allows to open up the mind to contrary ideas. One of the greatest figures in American history, Abraham Lincoln failed in several things and finally became the President of the United States of America. One needs to learn and move on.
Discipline is the key
Dancing with disciplines, the fourth practice, can be achieved by exploring a liberal education and looking at any field like an amateur would. This will help to build a T-shaped profile in which you are an expert in one field and also share ideas and collaborate with people from other fields. The mathematician Manjul Bhargava often attributes the Fields Medal that he has won to his ability of connecting disciplines like music, maths and Sanskrit.
Using information correctly
Learning to curate from all the information around will help in cutting through the clutter, which is the fifth practice. For this, one needs to narrow choices using simple rules and focus on what is essential. The ‘KonMari Method’ of decluttering the home has gained worldwide popularity and has even been turned into a highly successful show on Netflix. It teaches that it’s not about throwing away what one doesn't want, but rather finding things one wants to keep. This practice also helps in detecting and debunking everything unnecessary around a person.
Be enterprising
The last practice is learning to think and behave like an entrepreneur. This involves leveraging the bird in hand and learning to stitch a crazy quilt with the other. Finally, one will need to be the pilot on the plane. Entrepreneurs are always asking things, because they quickly realise that if they don’t ask the answer is always no.
Once you have imbibed these six practices you can chart out the journey in a personal journey map. It will have a starting point (the current repertoire), the landscape that one sees ahead of oneself (new opportunities) and the curated path one needs to achieve the goals.
Co-authored by Priyank Narayan, Director - Centre for Entrepreneurship, Ashoka University, Leapfrog: Six Practices to Thrive at Work is available online.
