The (new) leadership hypothesis

The hypothesis is that there is a dearth of global leadership - the likes of which we saw over the yester centuries, where men were inspired by a vision to reduce suffering of fellow men by freeing them from oppression inflicted by other fellow men or a combination of circumstances. Think: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, ML King, etc. I further hypothesize that this chasm in leadership is due to the nature of the problems that require solving, that have shifted since. The problems that plague this world today, require a different approach to solving and aren't fit to attract the leaders of yester years.

The thought began when we started speaking at home, about someone we knew .. a man, enthralled with a vision to make something happen, followed it through and created a legacy that will be remembered for a long time. The vision took several years to come true, several barriers that needed to be overcome, health challenges, naysayers to be endured - this visionary persisted.

History has recorded several heroes, leaders - portrayed as selfless, tenacious in the pursuit of their vision, in their quest towards a purpose, liberation for the masses - leaders such as the founding fathers of the US, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela. History has recorded many more and the modern ones that may go down in history as  leaders - Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, Mao Tse-Tung.

The common trait that I hypothesize that they all possessed, is the desire to help their fellows, followers break the shackles, achieve what was then the unbelievable, create a vision for the future, lead with bravado and cut a pathway toward the future.

Starting with who is familiar to me - Gandhi, once he set off on his experiments with truth in South Africa, the nonviolent movement, went on to lead the Indian subcontinent to freedom from three centuries of British colonization. Granted there were barriers, but he held to the steadfast belief and vision of a free India. A vision that led to sacrifices, jail sentences, physical & mental agony - a not so dissimilar story in the case of ML King & a similar case of Nelson Mandela.

But, today, it feels like there is a global leadership crisis - the oppressors aren't easy to create a crusade against ... there aren't nearly the likes of Gandhi anymore .. the suffering hasn't subsided - the african nations are mutilated by ethnic cleansing, genocide, poverty, famine, blood diamonds - some of which take root in corruption and even deeper, greed for each other's meager possessions. Asian nations, despite their growth spurt, are racked with corruption, disparity in income distributions, high inflation, rocketing population growth - a combination that is likely to be explosive in the future years, if left unaddressed.

The emergence of leaders like Muhammad Younis, Anna Hazare, with seeming solutions to the largest of the emerging world's problems, have been like short meteor showers in a dark sky for leadership in the last few decades. These leaders are short lived in their rise to the pinnacle and quick drop to the obscure abyss - barely able to state a platform, leave alone lead a crusade ..

Yet, the emergence of philanthropy among the wealthy capitalists - spurred by Bill Gates & Warren Buffett appears to be a ray of hope in this dark night's sky - they have tackled head on problems, so simple, fundamental, yet impactful such as providing clean toilets, polio vaccinations in the third world countries, it feels like this may very well be the new model for leadership. Achieving economic growth and improving the basic quality of life may very well be the oppressors that these modern day leaders crusade towards.

Providing solutions to the basic needs and amenities of life may well be a start. Again, it doesn't teach a man how to fish. However, a happier man is less likely to rob his neighbor and even less likelier to kill for his goat.

Will this be the new leadership model for the future? Where guarantees of basic well-being and incentives that lead to economic prosperity be inspired by philanthropically minded capitalists? Can they be incentivized to do more? Will such initiatives create a band of brothers who can inspire each other, break barriers, improve the quality of life, for fellow human beings? We'll remember them as successful capitalists - Will we remember them as the new Leadership role models for us to follow in the years to come ...

Grand Canyon - itinerary, places to see, things to do

The trip to Grand Canyon can be undertaken from a variety of ways - the South rim is the most popular, as it is the most accessible. The grand canyon is a place where one can spend days together - there are short treks, long hikes, week long trips through the canyon are possible. Several day trips are advertised from vegas - but, you should only take that if you aren't a nature lover & think of the Grand Canyon as a deep gorge that you want to only look at from a distance & run back to your casinos.

There are several other canyons in the neighborhood - including the Oak Creek Canyon, leading to Sedona & the red rock formations at the bottom, half way between the Grand Canyon & Phoenix. While the general area is a bit touristy, there are quite a few nature hikes, picturesque spots along with eateries at Sedona. In the next few posts, I will share an itinerary that we took to visit the "gorge"ous formations around the Grand Canyon.

Buying a home - the process!

Alright, it is time we take the plunge & start down the path of debtdom again ... only balanced out by the infinite possibilities of the pleasure of owning a home ...

For newbies looking to buy a home in the USA, I decided it might be worth while documenting our journey, the resources we used and our considerations and calculators. So, here goes the journey, as it unfolds!!

Resources:

1. How are the damn monthly mortgage payments calculated? - http://www.ifitbreaks.com/interest.htm

Other topics I will include in the next days will include:

2. What are the resources to finding properties? -

3. What are the considerations to finalizing a property?

4. What is the process of making an "offer" a.k.a haggling, in other parts of the world?

5. The money talk - the costs of doing business/ buying a home & how does a bank get you?

MAYA | Mexican | Shanghai

As I think about this place, I still yearn to eat the food here. In my more recent trips, I had decided that after traveling to Shanghai over nearly two years, it was time to start exploring some of the places that my colleagues were raving about. Ron kept raving about their guacomole & I decided it was time to test it out. So, one fine afternoon, I decided I was going to head to Maya, printed the directions from their web site: http://www.cosmogroup.cn/maya/and tried to tell the hotel concierge that this place existed and that he was to give the taxi guys directions!!

He wasn't quite sure it existed & skeptically directed my cabbie in the general direction. Sure enough, it is a minor bit tricky to find, as it is actually off the street inside an apartment complex - watch for the numbers and look for an entry gate to an apartment complex where there is a teeny sign proclaiming Maya is inside the complex. Once you find it, rest easy & get ready for an explosion of taste in your palate. Well, be also ready to shell out some RMB, as they are a tad bit pricey - this is, after all, the french quarter!



I decided I was going to munch on some nachos & salsa (stingy quantity), a garlic & jalapeno quesadilla & a unique chile relleno (with pumpkin & goat's cheese and a walnut & pomegranate reduction - whatever that is!). I have to say the food was plain blissful!! simple as that!! The garlic and jalapeno combination was certainly something to write about!! Made it worth the trip absolutely.



The Chile Relleno was the right combination, with promise of spice that isn't delivered and sweetness that is simply delicious!! Its a fusion like something I had never tasted before. I wiped the plate clean, resolving to come back, which I did with Ron. The next time when Ron & I came over, we tried the guacamole, which was reasonably OK (I think Charan & I make a better guac), some tacos - after having had tacos at several places, I have decided tacos aren't for the vegetarian palate. Somehow, when the person across from you is oohing & aahing, you just done get the sense that you are done justice!! We did end up ordering two plates of the garlic jalapeno quesadilla. It took considerable effort to leave.

A caution: The second time we were over, we found it a tad hard to find taxis to get back (given it was a bit late & there was some rain/ intense cold in the city). So, you may want to ask your host to call a cab for you instead. Another restaurants in the same area that is well acclaimed is the Mesa Manifesto.

Mobile service providers & marketing in India

This post is at least 3 months overdue - so, here we go: observations of the last year or so of the exploding, number porting, marketing laden Indian Mobile phone market

It is no surprise that each of the major global telecom providers eye india as their best chance of growing world wide market share. Having said that, with the number of new entrants and the estimated potential for growth, there is clearly a race for market share and organic growth amidst the top groups that have established themselves in the telecom space already viz. Reliance, Tata, Bharti airtel, Idea cellular, Vodafone, etc. Docomo & ,Telenor have joined the fray. Domestic players welcome the foreign entrants and view it as an opportunity to gather expertise while strengthening their positions themselves.

The race for growth and share has manifested itself in significant marketing. You only need to watch a cricket match to end up singing docomo's catchy jingle,



feel warm and fuzzy from vodafone's ads,


get puzzled by airtel's weird antics and


get the message from Abhishek Bacchan's brilliance


However, if you have seen some of the ads that these service providers have invested in, some ads, like those of Docomo & Idea state the value and benefits of their networks/ products, while that of airtel is just plain confusing. Docomo, since their entry have been clear with their advertising, taken a simpler price and feature communication approach, while telenor's ads all over South India clearly has something lost in translation.

Idea cellular have quickly learnt a lesson and moved away from their ads featuring their not so "green" ideas of why using a cell phone is better, to talking about how their network is different than the others in the market. In the latest iteration, they have taken a slightly different approach from the price wars that Docomo helped perpetrate to possibly creating differentiation on the issues that are slowly becoming apparent to the Indian mobile user - poor customer service, network availability, call quality, etc. It remains to be seen if they can truly build a reputation of delivering their election manifesto.

With number portability having made its entry in to the market, the challenge ahead for all of these players and their respective marketing departments would be to provide a message backed up by a proposition that is likely to make consumers break their inertia barrier to switch or acquire a new service line. Today, while vodafone 's ads promise warm & fuzzy service, I am not sure what they promise to deliver and see no reason to switch and risk what I have. Idea does seem to convey better reception, prices and service - but then, I am not sure I'd believe them yet. Typically, it takes a bad experience with an existing service provider or a great differentiator for a consumer to switch. These are likely to happen in post-paid accounts, data plans, wifi broadband plans, where there is a higher level consumption and need. Consumers are likely to shop again for services and compare plans before making the commitment.

With 3G starting to make its appearance in India, we are embarking on interesting times - the Indian consumer is only likely to benefit, with the competition to gain their buck.

Pongalo Pongal - in Chennai

Celebrating Pongal at home in Chennai - Pongal, harvest festival, celebrated widely in South India, to offer thanks to the Sun God & the elements for the bountiful harvest the last year & for blessings for the next year -

we are setting off the cooking of the sweet pongal & white rice in the bronze pot, decorated by fresh turmeric & chunam (lime) to the chorus of "pongalo pongal" - nostalgic festival times - of course, the rest of the day is filled with eating, watching TV & calling friends and relatives!!

Pane e Vino - Shanghai

After looking for new non-Indian food places to eat in Shanghai, I read about Pane e Vino in the City weekend magazine - http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/listings/dining/italian/has/pane-e-vino/ - the review in the magazine was better than the one online. It talked about the ambience, the Caprese Salad & the fabulous thin crust pizza that they serve.

On a cold wintry night in Shanghai, I decided it was pizza time and moreover, time to find a new spot - I also decided I am going to take public transport. I love being able to take public transport everywhere. After a bit of online research, I found that this place is just a gentle walk from the Shaanxi Rd station - So, I decided to take Line No. 10 from Nanjing East Rd station and arrived at Shaanxi Rd (S) station. Take exit #1 and once you reach the top of the stairs, take a left (or ask the people hawking wares outside for MaoMing Road). The next intersection is Mao Ming Road - take a right at the intersection and walk a couple blocks and there you are staring at a Mexican place, Blue Frog, Melrose Pizza, Pane e Vino and a Moroccan restaurant in a little stretch in the middle of what appears to be no where.

The ambience, as described resembles that of a tiny Italian restaurant you could find in the Little Italies of the world, giving you the feel of a cozy family owned restaurant. I arrived late (9:20 PM), was frowned upon & told the place was closed. However, they were willing to make a pizza for me. So, quickly, I decided I wanted there famed Margarita pizza. The pizza arrived rather quickly & as promised was about 10-11" in diameter, but was extra thin that it had to melt in your mouth - trust me, this is thinner than the brooklyn style pizzas that New York has become famous for. The servers were a bit jumpy literally willing & wishing for me to get the heck out of there. Given I didn't really need the urging, I devoured the pie in a few minutes and walked out quickly. I'd give the food & ambience a double plus & the service a minus - it feels like a good cozy place to get down to with a bunch of friends, a bit earlier in the evening.

Line No. 10 also stops at Xintiandi & Yu Yuan Garden (places that I didn't know the subway went to). So, I stopped at the Xintiandi station & found out the station is just a block away from the central Xintiandi party places - wandered the area for a bit & returned to the comfort & saftety of a nice cozy bed. All in all a good night.