THE KINGDOM

The Red Bull Team had taken off on a bright and sunny afternoon at the Bangalore Air Show. The conditions were perfect with Bangalore’s climate reporting mild heat and a cool breeze was adding to the fun for the spectators. The 03 aircraft flew off the tarmac and soon they were sizzling the skies. Their deft maneuvers and wing to wing flying skills bedazzled the spectators. Coming into the arena from the eastern side of the runway, the planes attempted an inverted loop. The spectators gazed as the two aircraft came closer and closer and suddenly the wing of one aircraft brushed the propeller of the other one. It was now an emergency and the 66 year old lady in command of the plane with the damaged wing had an emergency at hand. She had to battle a crippled plane, vagaries of speed and atmosphere. The plane banked to the starboard side as the broken and mangled wing disoriented the flight trajectory. Inside the cockpit, the mind and senses of the lady raced to the hilt. Well trained in her art and balanced in her mind, she eased the throttle of the veering plane. The runway inched closer to the plane and the lady had her calculations set right. The acrobatic plane landed safely and the 66 year old pilot walked out of her crippled plane. The well trained mind and a soul of steel had averted a disaster and let the premium event to unfold its wares. The speed of the action unfolded the looming danger to its hilt but the calm mind of the Pilot saved the day for a premium event.

George Washington was huddled with his group of advisers, colleagues and military leaders. He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The debate was raging to christen George Washington as the “Father of the Country”. But inside George raged a personal battle. He considered the Country’s honor and its establishment as a powerful Nation much ahead of his personal glory. The concept of the “Father of the Nation” did not rule his mind and he set about to set up the Constitution of his Nation which remains the Law of the Land and guides the United States till to-date. George Washington maintained his composure whilst under pressure from all the sides and let the Nation grow out, rather than establish a Kingdom. He was in a position to easily become the King and etch his name forever in history. The speed of George’s decision settled many a factions fighting to gain control of the throbbing and upcoming nation and guided the growth into a definite pattern. As the leader of the first successful revolution against a colonial empire in world history, Washington became an international icon for liberation and nationalism. He is consistently ranked among the top three presidents of the United States, according to polls of both scholars and the general public. George retained his decisive power and continued with his core aim- to liberate the society and progress the Nation. Washington had a vision of a great and powerful nation that would be built on republican lines using federal power. He sought to use the national government to preserve liberty, improve infrastructure, open the western lands, promote commerce, found a permanent capital, reduce regional tensions and promote a spirit of American nationalism. At his death, Washington was eulogized as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen" by Henry Lee.

On weekday mornings, I power up my 4 Wheels, flare up the Radio and cruise to work. The drive to the Company is done in a single lane as I keep my wheels focused on the single track, which I have discovered, keep my vehicle safe. At times, on unknown tracks and roads, I do end up meeting red lights and I listen to words of wisdom from my human navigator and life partner. But all that I lose is a few minutes to reach our destination, albeit, safe and sound. The journey time is well utilized to connect with the day’s work plan and a Bluetooth wired speaker comes in handy to connect a few calls to people who matter that particular day. The speed is set by me and the journey is well lived.

The other day, my rear view displayed 2 helmets doing a zig-zag on the busy highway. The bikers were out to their places of work and zipping the lanes in a zig-zag fashion. Balancing their machines precariously, they would come dangerously close to the plying vehicles, rein in their clutches, shift gears, brake hard, release brake, shift weights, let the clutch go and accelerate to go ahead. It all appeared like the video console of our school days wherein we would put a Rs 10/- token into the machine and zig-zag the virtual race car or the bike. Soon, the token money would be over and the virtual machine will come to a standstill wherever on the screen it was at that moment. The screen would go blank and wait for the next token. One of the biker veered towards my 4 wheels and I kept my attention on his dare-devil move. Keeping my gas pedal at a steady speed, I saw him crossing my wheels and any change in my thrust could have just grazed his rear wheel. He was now ahead and repeated the smooth shifting of the bike’s mechanisms. The other biker was also busy doing his calculations. This was the time, my mind raced and I positioned myself into the biker’s minds. I could see the maze of cars as far as my vision travelled. They were all being driven in a manner which has no scientific concept. The waves of the sea follow a sine-wave pattern but a traffic wave has no known pattern.

Sitting on my elevated platform, I cruised my mind with the bikers and suddenly realized that I did not know the mind waves of the drivers ahead of me. I did not know who those people were and what were they thinking as they all raced against time and commitments to reach their respective destinations. Their pressure on their respective gas pedals was different and their clutches and gears meshed with different efficiencies. The bikers had not calculated this phenomenon. They were masters of their machines and their movements but their eventual drive depended to a large extent on the humans ahead of them. The bikers had only one aim- to cruise, stop, bank and cruise. The drivers ahead of them had different aims and thought processes. I powered up my 4 wheels to keep the unfolding action in my vision.

Then came the moment which bikers had not calculated. The road took a right bend at a bridge and the traffic’s pace was now highly uneven as the lanes were being shifted to meet the upcoming exit. The bikers were now zooming together on a small clear stretch. The small car in front of them was oblivious of the chasing bikes. The lady behind the wheel shifted her gear and the car jerked. The error of the speed had taken place. The car stalled for a couple of milli-seconds but that was big enough for both the bikers to crash into the rear of the car and the inevitable happened. The luck holding the game for many minutes crashed and so did the bikers as they skidded and soon were doing zig-zag on the road minus the bikes. The traffic came to still as many braked hard to save the fallen heroes. As the right most lanes cruised along, the jam started to build up. As, I crossed the car which had crashed the bikes, I could see that the rear view mirror had a fancy screen gadget onto it and the purpose of the rear view was defeated. The biker run was ended and the bikes lay prostrate on the road.

The speed of the decision lies in the human mind. Each one of us tries out to establish a kingdom and eventually end up setting a fiefdom. Neither Kingdoms nor fiefdoms are permanent. Eventually, the future questions all the decisions that are taken in the past. The efficiency lies in controlling the speed and making the right maneuvers to settle the issues amicably and with justification. The big truth that needs to be embraced is the validity of the decisions of today. The moment that goes by throws up newer challenges and these challenges emerge from the envelope of the older challenges. The actions to meet the challenges can be diametrically opposite to the previous actions. The moments and time are big companions. They both keep stealing the efficiency of humans with each tick of the clock. The roads of life too keep banking sharply. The most trained human beings also end up meshing into other’s flight paths, the best of the minds agree to disagree and the lack of rear view mirrors can spoil the dreams of speed’s fantasy.

The calm and watchful humans keep their horizon well under their vision. The champion marathoner does not look down when he competes; he looks straight ahead and keeps pacing harder and harder. The time keeper sets the pace and then falls behind as the clockwork of the human mind takes the tandem moves with the limbs. The Kingdom does get established but with a time frame of existence. The only thing constant in this world is change itself. Change we must by keeping a sharp lookout for minds working around us. The brute power has no takers amongst today’s humans. The Kingdoms need to be rehashed to a new setup of collaborative and constructive thinking. Finally, it is the thinking power which makes the difference between a leader and a follower. The follower would always follow a selfless leader and a selfless leader would always create a just Kingdom. The Lady Pilot and George Washington maintained the sanctity of their thoughts to achieve their respective aims. The bikers kept their own brains functional but could never locate the modified rear view mirror and crashed.

The wave does favor humans at some point of their lives. Catch the wave and ride the crest to secure the balance to meet the trough. The Kingdom would last to meet yet another crest. 

  

THE GENERAL'S (CEO'S) DILEMMA

“It is essential for victory that Generals are unconstrained by their leaders.”                                                Sun Tzu                                                                                                                                                                  

The lonely General stood erect on his ground. His gaze went far as his eyes could see the unfolding battle. He was not lonely because he was left alone or deserted but he was lonely in his thoughts. His grey cells were placing the options in the right corners of his calculating brain. Watching the dust rise on the battle field, he was concentrating hard to bring forth his tactics. He was pushing his brain to generate the best attack philosophy and had an onerous task of fighting against a mighty enemy. The advantage was that the battle was being fought on his home ground and the infiltrating Army had surrounded the General’s domain. The General had established himself as a warrior and a philosopher. His reputation had started traveling to the nooks and corners of the World as a grand strategist. He was a keen student of SWOT Analysis and had developed a unique capability to penetrate the enemy’s mind. His capability to achieve loneliness shut his outside World and he knew only himself and his thoughts which would churn out the battle game. His thoughts firmed up and he churned out clear instructions and explicit commands to his battle ground commanders. General Sun Tzu then waited and watched as his Commanders decimated the enemy’s Army which was 10 times larger than his own Force. The victory established the General’s traveling credentials into a firm belief.

Sun Tzu’s commanders fought fearlessly as they knew that there was no turning back. The Kingdom had to be defended and the costs had to be paid by the enemy and not his men. War, after all, is a matter of life and death. Like the General in a War, the CEO’s in today’s business world are always fighting an uncertain future. The strength of adversaries today cannot be calculated and the big data poses its myriad challenges to “not so lonely” minds. The matter of death by the surrounding enemy motivated Sun Tzu’s soldiers so that they could live to see another day. Today, the CEO’s face the same General’s dilemma as they push the employees to achieve higher ROIs to keep their brands afloat in the churning oceans of global businesses.

General Sun Tzu had a considerate King as his ruler. The King understood that his limitations would not let him survive the onslaught of the marauding enemy. He subdued his own dilemma by entrusting General Sun Tzu and then let Sun Tzu achieve his loneliness. General Sun Tzu was a keen practitioner of three Golden Rules:-

(a)          The key to success lies in intelligence.

(b)         Outwitting the enemy was more important than winning the battle on the first day.

(c)          A limited Force should not go head to head in a battle unless death is the only option.

With no external influence, all that Sun Tzu had to worry was for his own actions. His crystal clear thoughts flowed out into a guerrilla strategy against a more heavy and slow enemy. Sun Tzu’s warriors attacked the outposts of the enemy relentlessly and destabilized the enemy forces. Today’s CEO’s could do much better with constant and calculated maneuvers, deceptions and surprises. Resources have to be well utilized and each resource is to be accounted to capture more business. The elements of costs have to be controlled at each step as each failure leads to higher costs to the business. Controlled guerilla tactics and precise calculations can avoid bigger losses due to hasty and mighty expenditures to meet project timelines. What more- precise calculations by most modern computers, best trained minds bought at a price and new generation analytical techniques are always available to the CEO’s of today. The resources have immense flexibility in their operational modes and need the correct tweak at the opportune time.

In War, sheer numbers does not accrue a tangible advantage. Brute military power has seen many a debacles during the conflict. Similarly, a CEO needs to understand that mere numbers may not lead to more revenues. Limited numbers with precise maneuvers and supporting environment can crunch the numbers to the best advantage for a CEO. The in-depth knowledge about the environment and the competition puts a CEO in a position of advantage. The CEO must keep an eye on the horizon and the signs of rising dust must be analyzed correctly. A joining force can also support the enemy forces and fritter the advantage of the winning General. A wise General keeps his supporting forces at standby and has a constant connect with the counterpart General. Invoking support means loss of precious time to mobilize the support mechanism. This time gap can decide the fate of the battle. The CEO also has to keep his supporting elements ready for any eventuality.

General Sun Tzu demonstrated a moral influence. He remained unfazed as his smaller force kept the tirade against a larger enemy. His explicit orders and clear commands aptly supported his moral fiber element. He was willing to accept his failures and celebrated his success as the success of raw courage of his men. He dreamt and let his men achieve his dream. A CEO has to equally demonstrate his moral thread to his team. He has to take the final call when required and keep a sharp look out for the failures in his team. The team has to be churned and goals have to be portrayed clearly. The CEO’s actions cannot display ambiguity. A lonely General is not disturbed by his King and likewise a lonely CEO is under watch, but not disturbed till a trend emerges. After all, there is one big difference between a General and a CEO- the War may die any day, but a competitive Company is always at War.

A General, who has to win the War, analyzes his battlefield first and this analysis is absolutely thorough and meticulous. This analysis can be impartial provided the General is lonely. His thoughts should only be towards his strategy towards the War and nothing else should disturb his peace and tranquility. After all, the General is on the battle ground and not the King! Loose inputs and doses of wishful thinking can derail the best of the plans. Each order has to be weighed correctly and keeping all the circumstances in the calculation matrix. The enemy behind the closed door is not visible to the naked eye. A smoke screen can hide the cannon and it can be moved to a position of great advantage. A calm General keeps his gaze steady on the theater and his eyes pick each movement. He does not let the enemy open the door and emerge with a cocked gun pointing at him. A CEO also keeps analyzing the trends of market and his reaction is well thought when the market opens. He listens carefully, analyses thoroughly and acts quickly. The General and the CEO both have to act at a quick pace to capture the open ground.

The General does not let his commanders die in vain and neither does he let them get routed in battle. A rout, if it is happening, can be clearly seen. The battle worthy soldiers has to be motivated to lead a final assault to derail the winning enemy. This might spring a new surprise or even demoralize the enemy. It is a great truth that societies grow again, even after a rout. The General whether in win or in defeat keeps the challenge alive for his enemy. The enemy should weigh the challenge and decide future actions. A CEO also faces the similar dilemma as the Company’s fortunes start oscillating. He has to fight with his might and smell opportunity even under tight circumstances. CEO’s decisions can lead to twists in the corporate plans and he should be wise and bold enough to make those changes.

The General and the CEO are two sides of the same coin. If the General is the symbol of authority, then, the CEO is the symbol of prosperity. Authority and prosperity are invariably and inexplicably linked to each other. They are rather always entwined in a close embrace. The dilemma is the beginning of a grand strategy or a deep pitfall. Lonely General and lonely CEOs look hard at the horizon to align their thoughts and keep striving till they reach their desired end states. In every clash, one side has to accept the defeat. Sometimes, it is best not to fight at all and rehash the complete strategy paradigm.

The General and the CEO have to stay behind and oversee the unfolding game. The Commanders would look back for the correct advice. The high position gives ample opportunity to decipher and generate the correct action. Ensure the action and let the dilemma fade away into oblivion. Do not let the enemy behind the closed door to come out all guns blazing. It is better to blow the door away if it is amply clear that the enemy is hiding within the premises. After all, the cost of replacement of a door can never equalize the loss of a well trained human. Suppress the dilemma and ensure the action.