True Wealth Moment #1 by Manoj SharmaDon't Engage In A Conspiracy Of Convenience Don't stand by idly when you know your or someone else's decision is wrong. Do not allows errors in judgement to prevail, hate to be harboured and jealously to be fed.Doing so is to engage in a conspiracy of convenience. A conspiracy of convenience, where you conspire with yourself and/or others and make it just too c
Be Happy by Manoj SharmaEverybody deserves to be happy - be happy at work, at home and at play, be happy in the company of others and especially to be happy when alone.It has been suggested that the key to a great life is to bring happiness into it. Notice that I mentioned the word "bring". It is in the bringing of happiness that happiness unravels in a human being's life.To bring happiness, one h
8 Angles To FREEDOM by Manoj SharmaIt seems everybody desires freedom in some shape or form. So the question must be asked, "What does freedom really mean to us?"While there are multiple uses of the word freedom and almost everybody strives or hides under its umbrella, there are in principle only a few angles to it.Freedom ultimately it seems to limited to...1) The state of being free from any con
What Does Your Organization Need To Do To Profit From This Economic Downturn? by Manoj SharmaPeople everywhere are aware that the global economy has taken a downturn. Your organization as part of the global business community either has already or will most likely be impacted in some shape or form. Regardless of the impact, thinking ahead what are some of the things you need to pay attention to, to ensure your organization makes the best of this change in economic climate? Below is a short list of things you might want to consider to have your organization bound back stronger still.Focus on making things better.Take everything you have and figure out how to make it better. Then keep making it better and even better still till the downturn is over. Know that if you make something truly grea
What Are Some Of The Most Important Challenges You Need To Address Now? by Manoj SharmaEverybody from Individuals, Teams, Organizations, Communities and The World are facing a set of Problems, Issues, Difficulties, Obstacles and Challenges.While everybody professes that they would like to overcome their problems, issues, difficulties, obstacles and challenges, few actually do what is actually required to do so. Most put in some variety of a structured and unstructured effort, but ultimately, almost all, continue largely down the "same-old, same-old" path, barely experiencing the "different-new, different-new". While the smart get professional assistance to save themselves time and money, the foolish attempt it on their own.Ask yourself, how many from the list below do you realize you desir
Where Does Your Business Stand In The Mind Of Your Customers by Manoj SharmaWhich of these 12 levels are your customers predominantly at?Poor awareness of you, your products, services and ideasAn awareness that you exist but no awareness of your products, services and ideasAn awareness of you and a brief awareness of your products, services and ideasAn good appreciation of your value propositions but no idea of how it benefits themA good appreciation of your value proposition and a good idea of how it benefits themA very good appreciation of their benefits from your value proposition and a good mind share to contact you when they need themAn immediate request for you to quote when they have a challenge that needs to be addressedA full understanding of why they should engage you regardless
Lies, Illusions, Delusions and The Truth by Manoj SharmaPeople reveal their true identity most accurately, in the lies they tell behind closed doors to themselves, more so than the lies they attempt to cover up in the publics eye.There is a state of mind present in the early stages of unconsciousness of all in all human beings; a state of mind in which we conveniently lie to ourselves to, strangely, hide the truth from ourselves. Some call this a defense mechanism, a convenient pretense and/or an artful fake. Whatever the name we accord to it, the truth is it the individual ego's attempt towards self-preservation.The individual's ego, hiding in the shadows, having convinced the host that it does not exist, does this by creating an illusion than it deems more conducive to its aims. Fundamen
If You Cannot by Manoj SharmaIf you cannot find happiness right now, where else do you expect to find it?If you cannot seize the opportunity right now, where else will you be able to seize it?If you cannot learn the lesson right now, where else will you learn it?If you cannot see the truth right now, where else will you see it?If you cannot elevate your consciousness right now, where else will you elevate it?If you cannot correct your thinking right now, where else will you correct it?If you cannot listen right now, where else will you listen?If you cannot shed your ignorance right now, where else will you shed it?If you cannot allay your ego right now, where else will you shed it?If you cannot be of service right now, where else can you serve?If you cannot enjoy the moment right now, wher
The Many Are Riding On the Backs Of The Few And Something Needs To Be Done To Assist Right Now by Manoj SharmaFailure is lurking at every corner in your organization and is rarely spotted, because the accepted norm when it comes to success is a case of stumbling forward on the effort of the few. Whether you have realized this or not, it is absolute true. Don't take my work for it, do however think about it! And please note this is not a criticism, but an observation and a call to raise consciousness.Possibly like you, I too never realized the extent of the problem, but the more I work with organization around the world, the more obvious this is becoming to me. The many are riding on the backs of the few and something needs to be done to break this cycle, especially if your organization is
Opportunity by Manoj Sharma"Contrary to conventional understanding, the truth about opportunity is that, an opportunity can only exist in the right here and right now - you either seize it immediately or you miss out on that opportunity forever!The illusion that the same opportunity is there later, is exactly that; an illusion resulting from muddled thinking. Very few people understand this fundamental point and therefore many miss out on the opportunity to live a wealthier life." -- Manoj Sharma from KNOWING - An Illuminating Experience As usual, please feel free to send me your thoughts and comments to Info@DifferWorld.com And if you'd like to explore how you, your teams and your organization can benefit from the above and other DifferWorld initiatives please feel free to drop me a no
Five Questions for Creatively Re-Thinking your Organization and Business by Manoj SharmaThinking is truly the hardest work in the world. Anybody who believes otherwise obvious hasn't really done some great, fresh, breakthrough thinking. Another thing that is true is that people rather get the answers than have to think them through.If you are willing to do the work, here are some questions that, will force you to rethink things through when it comes to your organization and business.Ask the following questions and see what answers you are able to come up with.What would you do differently, what would happen if...1) You start to realize everything your organization does has everything to do with energy of the quantifiable and unquantifiable kind?2) Your "competitors" started to provide more and more products and services for free?3) You truly started to formulate your strategies based entirely on your customers demands, even if they seem to be to your determent?4) A true appreciation
Redefining The 48 Laws Of Power by Manoj SharmaI write this with respect for the work that Robert Green and Joost Elfers have been doing and safe in the knowledge that they are big and open enough to entertain another point of view.Law 1Robert Green and Joost Elfers say, "Never outshine your master"Manoj Sharma says, "Strive to outshine your master"You should strive to build a win-win relationship with your Master based on mutual respect, trust and and above all contribution to each other such that you have their permission and support to go beyond where they have gone and show total respect towards each other as professionals at the same time. A true master ultimately seeks for nothing more than to have a disciple build upon their work and take it to the next level. Any master who does not strive for this end is not really a master but a power hungry, praise seeking, ego-maniac.Law 2 Robert Green and Joost Elfers say, "Never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use enemies." Ma
The Difference Between Human Resources, Human Capital And Human Investment by Manoj SharmaHuman resources is a general term used to represent the people element within organizations. In years past while organizations robotically said that their people were their greatest assets, this was mostly just lip service. Today with the human resource function within most professionally run organizations taking on a broader role beyond menial administration, the question of human capital and even human investment has become a topic of huge interest.Naturally, this interest stems from the realization that human being are an expense that cost financial capital to acquire, maintain and retain. That the right human being in the right place within an organization can prove to be huge competitive advantages in the face of various challenges. And ultimately that if as an organization is investing in human resources, an organization needs to show clear return on investment in an increasingly pay-per-per
Key Elements Of A Great Marketing Plan For A Successful Business by Manoj Sharma - Part INo matter what business you are in or plan to get into, it is always great (especially towards the end of the year) to create a new marketing plan as part of an on-going effort. I know to many doing a marketing plan for an established business may sound strange but there is tremendous value in zero-basing your business and creating it a fresh year on year. For starters, it will put aside all that has happened and allow you to look at things afresh, not to mention it will also keep you on your toes. Finally it will force you to engage in creative destruction - reevaluating all that is no longer relevant and of value (even if it may have been of great value in the past. This also applies to employees and business partners) and consciously recreate the future that best serves all parties concerned.a) Executive SummaryA marketing plan is best fronted by an Executive Summary that sums up the key element
The 2P2S Professional Coaching Fact-Finding System by Manoj SharmaI often get asked by other professional coaches and professional coaches-to-be partaking in DifferWorld's Professional Coaching Champions what has made me so successful in getting and retaining coaching clients. The answer can never one dimensional as I have over the years added many elements of sophistication into my professional practice that has given me a solid competitive lead over my peers internationally - elements such as the years of research, trial and error to formulate the professional coaching technologies, methodologies and techniques I have developed and use, my professional background and especially my competency in deeply appreciating the gamut of personal and professional challenges that we all face.While all of the above cannot be replicated fully unless people undergo a solid coaching program with me, what can be replicated immediately is what I call my 2P2S Professional Coaching Fact-Finding Syste
Top 15 Ways To Promote Your Professional Coaching Practice by Manoj SharmaOne of the keys to being a successful professional coach is to promote yourself and give yourself a better chance to contribute to as many people's lives as possible. Below are the Top 15 ways for you to get started. Naturally, when you attend Professional Coaching Champions you will learn more about exactly how to translate these strategies into reality and how to immediately profit from them. Furthermore as a Professionally Certified Coach, you will be introduced to a few more secret strategies that will assist you get your name out there and be a huge success as a Professional Coach. In the meantime do read the brief list below to get a sense of what you will need to do to promote yourself as a Professional Coach.Have meaningful dialogues with everyone you meet, be genuinely interested in them and if appropriate introduce how you and your services can assist them. Create a website or a web page that features
11 Questions To Contemplate On About Communication by Manoj SharmaPonder the following. I would love to hear your answers, which you are welcome to drop to me at Info@DifferWorld.comIs all uneducated communication doomed to failure and its success only coincidental?If there is only a slim chance of failure in communication, is failure still its natural course?If communication is primed to succeed, does its major tendency still tilt towards failure? If communication succeeds is its success merely coincidental?Is communication crafted for yourself doomed to fail with others?Is the possibility of numerous interpretations in communication inviting failure?If someone phantoms your communication better than you do, have you failed in your communication?Is the greater frequency of communication the cause of greater communication failure or success?In communication is "what is" more important that "what was" or "what can be" or does perception override reality?Is proximity to the source an ind
Being a Professional Coach by Manoj SharmaBeing a professional coach is a calling. A calling to be greater than you are, a calling to contribute to other's lives and a calling to continue to self-adjust without abasement. You do not become a professional coach by accident, by printing a name card that says so, and you certainly do not become a professional coach without major sacrifice - be it sacrifices of your time, your money or your energy in its various forms.Being a professional coach is a systematic evolution, that happens second by second, hour by hour, day by day, week by week and year by year. It is a gradual process, which can be catalyzed, that when looked at from a distance seems to others like a sudden revolution.It starts with becoming ruthlessly good at what you do, and requires a dogged willingness to be great. It calls for mentors, masters and masterful coaches to take you under their wing, show you the ropes and save you years of frustration in trail and error. It t
You Absolutely Have To Identify Which One Of These Two Path You Are On by Manoj SharmaAre you on the path to something or nothing. Read on and identify it for yourself. Your harmony, peace and bliss is on the line.Everything in the known material universe originates through thought. From thought, through a series of processes, the world as you know it created and continues to create itself. Every thing you see, the world, every region, every country, every community, every organization, every landscape, every infrastructure and even every human being, is the way they are, because of thoughts that were there and thoughts that were not there. Everything and everybody is the result of thoughts that express themselves materially and non-thoughts that do not express themselves materially.An artist has a painting in mind before he paints and then creates a painting. An architect has a building in mind before she plans and then creates a building. A director has a movie in mind before he dire
What Does All Of Humanity Desire? by Manoj SharmaAll of humanity knowingly or unknowingly ultimately desires to re-discover, re-connect and re-merge with the source of the universe. This does not necessarily have to only happen in seclusion, it can well happen through the normal course of an active modern life.The above is true for all people, of all ages, all educational levels, all economic standings, all political affiliations, all societal variations, all geographical regions and all manner of sophistication. And this in itself should be spectacularly illuminating.Those in the know, know that something magnificent comes to light from within a human being as the human being pursues this most ultimate of human desires. A certain clarity of mind, stability of emotions, soundness of body and freeing of the spirit are just some of the obvious observations.While it is intuitively well known that there is something very powerful, purposeful, meaningful, timeless and true at play in the pu
You Are The Problem & The Solution by Manoj SharmaThe Problem is that You are Seeking the Subjective.Seeking higher levels of Subjective Survival, Security, Success, Status and eventually Serenity.This very Seeking causes Struggle, Stress, Suffering, Sacrifice till you eventually Surrender.Surrender to the realization that the Subjective will never Satisfy the Seeker.As long as there is Subjectivity there is a Separation; Separation between the Seeker and the Sought which compromises Satisfaction.The Solution lies in the Shift from the Seeker Seeking the Subjective to the Seeker Seeking the Subject; the Subject of the Seeking.And only when the Subject becomes the Sought can the Solution reveal itself.Know that You are both The Problem and The Solution.For VijaySai for embracing The Principles Of Money so wholeheartedly. As usual, please feel free to send me your thoughts and comments to Info@DifferWorld.com And if you'd like to explore how you, your teams and your organization can
Things To Remember In Relation To A Dialogue by Manoj SharmaRemember that....1) Your life is a living laboratory, for you to experiment and experience till you gain the liberation of enlightenment.2) Human relationships are a dialogue and that when the dialogue is over, the relationship is over.3) For there to be a true dialogue, human being needs to "check in" with themselves and other human beings too. We can loosely term these "check ins" as intra-personal communication and inter-personal communication that involve becoming present to intentions, contexts, contents, feelings and meanings.4) Once people re-discover the value of a dialogue, it is like a re-recognition of an art form they knew and a re-gaining of something they seem to have lost.5) Having a real dialogue, is having a real awakening that once had is impossible to put to sleep, as it is being in the midst of the most sublime of experiences.6) Just because you are having a conversation with another party it may not tantam
Professional Wealth Coaching Program by Manoj SharmaToday we launched a fabulous program that has been in the works for the past 3 years. Being the first launch of it, it is by invitation for past alumna and alumnae only and by special interview only for those who are new to us.The program does not discriminate against how financially and non-financially successful you already are as it is future focused and entirely about how much more successful you desire to be.To give you the reader of The Manoj Sharma Blog a brief feel of the program and a priceless early opportunity I have extracted and highlighted below some of what the program will do for you, just in case you are able to see value and are interested to attend it to enhance your personal financial and non-financial wealth.So here is what this Professional Wealth Coaching Program will assist you with.DifferWorld's Professional Wealth Coaching Program will...Assist you clarify your present financial and non-financial wealth.Assi
The Blueprint For Inspiring Next Generation Leadership by Manoj SharmaAs a modern leader, especially in an international organization, you wear many hats, you play various roles, you juggle multiple responsibilities and you are accountable for numerous key targets. What is required of you over the years has evolved and will continue to do so. Your responsibilities have shifted from simply delivering great profitability, to including having to inspire performance and ensure the fulfillment of those around you.The role of a modern leader; your role, is no longer simple, it has become complex and requires higher levels of sophistication on your part to execute successfully. You simply cannot keep up with everything that is going on around you, but by developing your congruency, competency and compassion you can prepare yourself, your teams and your organization to rise above whatever challenges that may come your way. Don't wait for the future to catch you, catch on to what it will take
How To Create A Culture Of Service Excellence by Manoj SharmaService standards are becoming more and more crucial to the longevity and success of organizations. They are a key differentiator and a competitive advantage that is rarely fully realized. The problem lies in that most organization while lauding the importance of service only pay lip service to it. Service is mostly promoted in organizations in spits and spurts with ad hoc service initiatives and almost never (with the exception of top-notch service organizations) as a complete whole, across-the-board, fully-infused, year-after-year cultural initiative.For an organization, its people and its customers to fully benefit from the true value and meaning of service, organizations need to invest a considerable more by gaining a clearer idea as to how to create a culture of service excellence.The following guide should give you some food for thought. 1) Don't run a service initiative until leadership has completely bought into it a
Do You Pay Attention To These 3 Things When You Present? by Manoj SharmaA presentation is not just about sharing facts and information, it is also about persuading your audience to a your point of view and getting them to act upon it. Furthermore to be effective, it is important that your point of view is based on truth, is impartial and is also beneficial to all.In order to deliver your point of view with maximum impact please consider paying attention to the following and incorporating it into your presentations.Pay attention to EthosBe at the height of your character and strive to continually improve upon it. Build yourself up to qualify yourself to speak through your personal congruency. Have a depth of perspective and be agenda neutral. It will make you and your message timeless and also speak to the best in other people.Pay attention to LogosAppeal to people's logic. To do so you have to be well versed with the length, breath and especially the depth of the topic. You need to h
Some More Thoughts On Service by Manoj SharmaService is an all-term solution, not just a knee-jerk, short, mid or long term solution.Serving because...what goes around, come around,it is easier to sell to an existing customer, it costs less to reach an existing customer,if they are buying from you, they are not buying from your competitor,repeat customers are slightly less price sensitive,repeat customers are more willing to purchase more,repeat customers are more willing to recommend others...... is not service, its strategy. Let us not confuse the two.Service is an orientation, it is where you are coming from, it is not just a before, during and after event with moments of truth.Be of service in life, not wait for service in life. Only then will you understand not just how to serve a customer, but to be of service as a customer.Service is not a part of your job (whatever your job may or may not be); service is your job.Which level of service are you at?Level 1 - not serving for whate
The Future by Manoj SharmaIt is crucial that you face reality and be optimistic about the future and execute your plans now with passion. This is regardless of how volatile, bleak or pessimistic you may be told the future is, or believe the future to be.Understand that opportunities in the future will have to be be greater than the past. Why? Because that is the law of progress.Change will continue to alter the social, economic, political and geographical landscape. Whether you perceive this change to be good or bad, do not resist it. Instead accept it, embrace it and work with it to create a compelling future that benefits everyone.Whatever the situation is, the circumstances you find yourself in or the events you are involved with, remember that your future calls for you to be happy now.Become a student of history, learn the lessons of the past, act and live in the now as you think extensively about the future you are going to create and why you would like to create it.In reality, t
10 Step Framework For Great Decision Making by Manoj SharmaEverybody knows the value of making great decisions, but most people do not have a clue as to how to make good decisions or even that there is a basic framework that can assist you to make great decisions.You need to make decisions everyday as do people everywhere, at home, at work and at play. Before you explore DifferWorld's 10 Step Framework For Great Decision Making that could assist you, your teams and your organization tremendously, it would be good to get a more encompassing perspective on decision making.Decision making is different from executing an order, carrying out a task or simply making something happen. Great decision making does not require all the fact to be in, or even for the facts to be absolutely accurate, but requires a certain sufficiency of information, combined with good expertise, experience, gut feel and other peoples' sentiments. No decision is not a bad decision, just as a fast decision is not a
Seize The Opportunity Here And Now by Manoj SharmaIn the mind of an "ignorant" child there are infinite possibilities, but in the mind of an "knowledgeable" adult there are few. Correspondingly, those who live their lives as being a possibility of something or another are only giving further power to their ego. Their ego, which is only too happy to convince them as to their own grandeur, legacy and "contribution".Following the path of possibility will only serve to move you further towards the systematic failure to appreciate the underlying principle of the universe, made up of multi-verses, existing as an opportunity waiting to be seized.An opportunity, here and now, for consciousnesses to emerge, re-merge and sub-merge with consciousness itself and ultimately realize its true nature. As usual, please feel free to send me your thoughts and comments to Info@DifferWorld.com And if you'd like to explore how you, your teams and your organization can benefit from the above and other Dif
Are You In The Know? by Manoj SharmaBorn you were, as everyone else is, almost completely ignorant. Ignorant about yourself, ignorant about your world and certainly about yourself in it. Sure, you had some basic survival mechanisms in place such as crying for food, not putting yourself in danger and resonating to the friendliness of a smile. Outside of the above and their likes, you were even born ignorant of mother and father and definitely ignorant of language, mathematics, science, society, ethics, arts and the other fundamentals that signify a "civilized" human being. You had precious little knowledge of anything (And in the bigger scheme of things, are you willing to be truthful enough to recognize that you still don't?) - and therefore were born largely ignorant. As knowledge crept into your presence, correspondingly ignorance started to eliminate itself and ideally this process of gaining wisdom should continue until the day you die.Presently you are who you are and face the se
10 Things I Believe In by Manoj Sharma1) Humanity above organized religion, as the here and now greatest power we have, with a creator - a certain Oneness, that pervades every thing and no thing and expresses itself actively and passively as pure consciousness.2) The fallibility of our egos.3) The nature of our world and surrendering to the process of creation, sustenance and destruction.4) The importance of recognizing and owning our individual motivators of fears & desires, gravitations of pains & pleasures, limiting & empowering strategies and selfish & selfless orientations.5) The need for all human beings to clearly know their core values and innermost passions, to create a compelling vision for their lives, live with a sense of mission, while becoming clear about their desired rewards and ultimately living as a congruent identity.6) The universal principle-based, immediately-actionable, core-knowledge relationship between involution, evolution, devolution and revo
Are You Living As A Congruent Identity? by Manoj SharmaIn the volatility and interconnectedness of the world we live in, all it takes is one bad apple to start the rot, one unknown assassin to send a city into chaos and one bad sheep to ruin everyone's good name.We need to clearly appreciate that one conscious way of being can be a contributing factor, one powerful thought can set a direction for life, one well chosen word can shift the entire meaning, one conscientious action can define your entire life and one significant result can make a world of difference.In the same way, when it comes to human beings, one act of pretense can cause you to live a lie, one element of self-deception can cause you to live an incongruent life and in effect this can completely compromise your potential for magnificence.For a human being to live a truly wealthy life of fulfillment, performance and profitability, the human being first has to identify and root out incongruent and idiosyncratic limiting s
Warning: Are You And Your Partner Falling Victim To Any Of These Relationship Destroyers? by Manoj SharmaAfter working in a Professional Coaching capacity with more than 500 people there is much that I have been privileged to learn about what makes relations succeed and especially what makes them fail. Calling on my ever increasing wealth of experience here is a short check list that you can go through to get a sense of where your personal relationship is headed. Also remember, never have I had a Relationship Coaching Client whose major problems did not start with "small & insignificant" inconveniences that they chose to ignore.Relationships get destroyed because at the very least someone is...Being selfish and ego-centric.Not investing in regular quality dialogues.Not being enough of a contribution to the relationship.Taking the relationships too seriously and not being light hearted enough.Not appreciating the value of mutually beneficial common standards and upholding them.Being
Are You Too Suffering From These Deadly Silent Killer Of Fulfillment? by Manoj SharmaEven the most respected professionals, the captains of industries, leaders in their fields, the top producers in organizations and others who are the barometers of conventional success have dips in their performance. Known or unknown to them, by allowing these dips to continue unresolved, they in effect compromise their own, their team's, their organization's and even their family's (and in some cases their community's and nation's) overall fulfillment (and profitability) levels.Not addressed professionally and immediately, these periods of unavoidable and natural lows can go on perpetually, leading to an unnatural and avoidable range of mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and financial entanglements. The longer these symptoms are ignored or a compromised without any real resolution, the harder they become to address, as they take on a life of their own, careen offtrack and snowball out of con
What Is Responsibility? by Manoj SharmaOver the years responsibility has crept more and more into our everyday lexicon and has become part of our presently evolving zeitgeist. We hear the word being used, we use the word, we have a general understanding of the word, but really what is responsibility at a deeper, more sophisticated and meaningful level?The Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines responsibility as:the state or fact of being responsible. an instance of being responsible: The responsibility for this mess is yours! a particular burden of obligation upon one who is responsible: the responsibilities of authority.a person or thing for which one is responsible: A child is a responsibility to its parents.reliability or dependability, esp. in meeting debts or payments. —Idiomon one's own responsibility, on one's own initiative or authority: He changed the order on his own responsibility.While the American Heritage Dictionary defines responsibility as:The state, quali
Living An Unreal Life by Manoj SharmaMost of the suffering a human being experiences across a lifetime is mental and emotional and human beings have been conditioned over generations to keep this "more often than you can imagine" suffering hidden from others and generally take it, in their thinking moments, to be the normal malaise of society.The truth of the matter is that the part that is hidden is largely a counter-to-magnificence pretense, while the belief in it being the normal malaise of society, is absolutely erroneous and simply an ill, due to ignorance of what could have been and what can still be for generations to come. To contemplate and become even remotely and briefly aware of the extent of human suffering permeating and being caused across all strata of society from time immemorial, is to become aware of the urgent need to discern; discern between what is real and not real and to start to live an unreal life.Consider for starters that what is real to you (through whate
The Successful Professional of The Future by Manoj SharmaInteracting with numerous global organizations, listening first hand to their rising international challenges, bouncing ideas with their top executives and with my present future focus towards individual, team and organizational profitability, performance and fulfillment - here is an outline as to what The Successful Professional Of The Future needs to be, to seek and to create. Read it and see for yourself how you stack up to it.EducationThe Successful Professional Of The Future requires a continuous quarter on quarter, ever increasing and highly valuable professional education and the maturity to go along with it. This is necessary to connect the dots and formulate a clear picture of the real picture behind the noisy conversations in the mass media. Thereafter The Successful Professional Of The Future needs to use this new insight towards formulating plans and actioning them towards delivering great results. To do this, The Su
THE WISDOM OF THE AGES 28 - ONENESS - by MANOJ SHARMAContemplate the following and make sense of it...One minute thought, word, action and/or result involves and integrates the entire universe. It connects everything and allows for nothing to occur in isolation.Everything connects to a oneness; a one certain something from which there is no exception and exclusion.Oneness does not need, want and desire anything as it is all things and non-things.Oneness is everything, everywhere, eternally.The original conditions, the choices, causes and consequences that follow and lead to present conditions are but oneness at play.Oneness does not require perfect as it is perfection.Deep contemplation takes you to oneness and thinking takes you away from oneness once you are there.Oneness takes all forms of creation, continuity and destruction. Recognizing this truth removes the illusion of birth, growth and death once and for all.Oneness, Allness, Noneness are the same one thing.To experience onenes
THE WISDOM OF THE AGES 27 - HUMANITY - by MANOJ SHARMAContemplate the following and make sense of it...All of humanity springs forth from one consciousness and because of that all of humanity is one, from a standpoint of higher knowledge, all the differences we perceive with lower knowledge are absolutely superficial and illusionary.As collective consciousness increases across humanity we give ourselves a chance to discover our greatness, but in the absence of this consciousness we give our individual egos room to reinforce our littleness.Everything humanity has comes from nature and to nature it returns. This is inclusive of humanity itself, which like everything else follows the principle of creation, sustenance and destruction. Our presence on this planet is not guaranteed and is certainly not a right.Every human being is born to fully realize the highest within. The highest within that connects not just all of humanity but the entire universe.Eventually you as a human being will ei
THE WISDOM OF THE AGES 26 - EMOTIONS - by MANOJ SHARMAContemplate the following and make sense of it...Do you best to keep a check on your emotions before, when and after they take you over and unravel them at the soonest.To unravel your emotions requires an unbiased examination into your choices, causes and consequences.Your emotions are closer to your reality that your body, mind and spirit and therefore the easiest to discern.As your emotions are in the moment, so you are in the moment.Emotions should not be confused as a product of the heart, as what people refer to as heart and soul are much closer to what is actually spirit.Your emotions and other people's emotions are contagious and collectively create a sphere of emotions that you will do well to be mindful of and recreate if necessary as your emotions create both your paradise and prison.Remember that you have commonality of spirit, duality of mind, singularity of body and multiplicity of emotions that range from empowering,
THE WISDOM OF THE AGES 25 - DISCIPLINE - by MANOJ SHARMAContemplate the following and make sense of it...While the gate is open and an invitation extended to all to enter, it is only the disciplined who succeed in existing at the end.Long term discipline is always required to find what you seek.Finding your way to the path is tough enough, but having the discipline to stay the course is tougher still.Self-discipline before discipline from others.Being informed as to the principles is very different from the discipline of living the principles.Discipline is the prerequisite for great achievement. The presence of discipline is a success maker, its absence is a success breaker.To fully devote yourself to a discipline over a prolonged period of time is a sure path to success, power and mastery.Total discipline has to be inclusive of both doing certain things and not doing certain things.Discipline has the greatest meaning in the face of doing what is tough, hard and difficult for you. Disc
THE WISDOM OF THE AGES 24 - PERCEPTION - by MANOJ SHARMAContemplate the following and make sense of it...Perception has been called reality, but what happens when you regard your external reality to be true but, only as a perception unique to you?Your perception while a reality is not the same as the reality. To appreciate the reality, requires a removal of your perception.You have a choice as to how you choose to perceive and a decision to make on what you want to have show up in your next reality.Your perception is your point of view, another's perception may or may not be a differing point of view. While it is easier for you to see your point of view, it is much tougher to see another's point of view and virtually impossible without a high level of consciousness to observe view point - a point of view without the bias of perception.The further into yesterday and tomorrow you can peer the more sense everything happening today will make and the more your perception will fade into tr
What Is Financial Freedom? by Manoj SharmaFinancial freedom while being an extraordinarily popular general aspiration is a very individualistic and subjective pursuit. Individualistic as it stems from the desire for financial freedom from the ego-based "me, myself and I", and subjective because financial freedom means a vast variety of things to different people, at different stages of their growth, at different levels of society.If one simply looks at the phrase "financial freedom" one would be pardoned for assuming that it refers to freedom from finances. In contemporary, everyday life, true freedom from finances can only be possible by living a strictly secluded and isolated monastic life (and even then it can be quite a challenge). It is rather safe to assume that this is not the desire of the general populous when they express their desire for financial freedom.So what is financial freedom to people in general and what is true financial freedom?Before, we get to that, like it or
THE WISDOM OF THE AGES 23 - MIND - by MANOJ SHARMAContemplate the following and make sense of it...The human mind is very subtle, incredibly fluid, vastly expansive, absolutely unbounded and yet it basically works in a finite number of ways, across an infinite spectrum.You are not your mind, your body, your emotions or your spirit. You are a whole made up of all those parts. It's all you.You are not where you body, or your emotions, your finances, or spirit is at. You are where your mind is at.Through your body, your senses assimilate your world, thereafter your mind reacts or creates, while your spirit observes and your emotions sway. Fear and desire trap the mind and keep it as a slave to the body.Ignorance darkens the mind, while knowledge illuminates the mind. Continuous illumination of the mind leads to enlightenment of the mind.The impurity of your mind, may or may not infect another human being, but it certainly infects you. It is the same with purity of your mind.The mind attr
THE WISDOM OF THE AGES 22 - BODY - by MANOJ SHARMAContemplate the following and make sense of it...Truth requires first a body consciousness and then an elevation beyond that.As hard as it is to swallow and harder still to put into practice, all pursuit of the material is the product of ignorance. While spirit and mind can exist without body, emotions and finances have no meaning without the body. This makes most sense in appreciation of the knowledge that the body is transient.Common spirit - associative mind - a body - ranging emotions - impermanent finances. This is the sum that makes the whole. Your body is the nucleus around which your spirit, mind, emotions and finances revolve.Your body is an instrument necessary for you to experience life and liberty. So appreciation of it should at all times exceed denial of it.First body consciousness, then body neutrality, not the other way around.Body neutrality dissolves ego, diffuses psychological pain and pleasure and takes away fear and
Truisms of Culture by Manoj SharmaFor an individual, a team, an organization, a community, a nation and the world as a whole to shift its paradigms and live in a vastly different and preferably more conducive holistic manner require a permanent shift in culture. Naturally, culture rarely, and almost never shifts permanently overnight, with the exception being in the face of a major cataclysmic event. But a shift in culture can be, none-the-less, progressively engineered over time.To do so, we must first, at the very least, appreciate what culture is and how it shifts. If you've attended any of my initiatives over the years, especially a "Culture of Service Excellence" you may be aware that I define culture as the collective and predominant thoughts of a group of individuals put into words, established through actions and observable through results. So, it was very interesting for me to come across the following from Richard Dawkin's "The Selfish Gene". Although the book was much mali
THE WISDOM OF THE AGES 21 - EDUCATION - by MANOJ SHARMAContemplate the following and make sense of it...To education another best, requires compassion, great insight, direct experience, a high degree of expertise, the willingness to share an abundance of knowledge and the continuous re-educate oneself. And the willingness to have this ultimately translates itself into wisdom towards creating true wealth.Thoughts and words are a powerful means of education, but far more powerful means of education are actions and results.If an individual is not willing to put aside his/her ego, listen openly and even risk contemplating ideas that are contrary to his/her own, there is no foundation created for new learning to be gained.Education is not a one time event, it is a continuous never ending process of deepening insights.There are 3 basic types of education. Formal education - the education you gain through school that allows you to be a functioning member of society. Informal education - the e
What Caused The Great Depression And What Can We Learn From It Today by Manoj SharmaThe Great Depression is the term given to a period in recent history, starting on Tuesday, the 29th of October 1929 - a day now known as Black Tuesday. The event was sparked by the almost total collapse of the American Stock Market and the repercussions of this were felt around the world for the next 10 years.There have been many downturns in the economy over the last 100 years but The Great Depression stands out as a landmark event in world history as it resulted in...unparalleled loss of financial wealth,widespread unemployment,mounting debt,abject poverty,extreme homelessness,social unrest,political turmoil,industrial collapse,shrinking exports,grinding down of international trade andall the social, economic and political ills associated with the above. So what caused this apocalyptic scenario to unfold?The first thing of note is that The Great Depression occurred in the United States on the back of
What Is A Stock Exchange? by Manoj SharmaA Stock Exchange is an organization run by a company or institution that is in active business by itself. The Stock Exchange collectively forms and runs the system upon which companies publicly list on, traders trade on, and brokers assist to facilitate the trade of stocks, bonds and other securities. Today the term Stock Exchange is used interchangeably with the words, Stock Market and Bourse.The origins of stock markets can arguably be traced back to 11th century Cairo, where Jewish and Muslim merchants established their own associations along with methods of payments and credits. This idea permeated Western civilization in 12th century Italy and France and took off across Europe thereafter. There are multiple claims on who is the oldest stock exchange with claims going back to the 9th century but, according to Research Machines, and simply for our reference, the oldest stock exchanges in the world are believed to be "Antwerp (1460), Hamburg (
THE WISDOM OF THE AGES 20 - WORLD - by MANOJ SHARMAContemplate the following and make sense of it...Being fully engaged, while simultaneously, being completely disengaged from your world is possibly the toughest of human challenges you might ever face.This world is both an illusion and reality, in which we tend to, live in delusion and unreality.Once a human being starts to accept this world as a friend and also rejects it as an impostor, the human being can start to come into his/her own.This world, your world, while not the be-all and end-all, needs to be lived in, as if it is.It is impossible to check into this world and check out of it without personal consequence, so mindfulness is required.It is pointless to attach yourself to the delights of this world and pointless to reject them. Strive for acceptance instead.Creation, sustenance and destruction are the three facets of change and the foundation on which everything in our world exists.The world while driven by consciousness, de
THE WISDOM OF THE AGES 19 - GREED - by MANOJ SHARMAContemplate the following and make sense of it...Allow greed and fear to bond to you through your ego is the highest price you can pay in the pursuit of financial and non-financial wealth.All excess is the by product of some form of greed.There there is greed, there cannot be contribution.The wise seek slow acceleration of value, while the greedy seek fast acceleration of profit.The bad news is that greed will lead you down the path of misery; the good news is there is no shortage of company there.It is tough to find satisfaction, but easy to find greed on your pursuit.To not suffer from the greed for results, the mind needs to seize to be greedy first.A greed for possession never leads to a sufficiency of possession, just as a greed for money leads to a lack of appreciation of your true wealth.The insatiable appetite of greed leads from zero to infinity.No greed, equals, instant happiness.The greedy person cultivates an enemy whom he/
3 Basic Steps To Consider As A Value Investor by Manoj SharmaThere is surely no one way to spot, buy and profit from a value stock investment but the below should give you a basic and reasonably comprehensive guideline on what you need to pay attention to in your decision making process. The idea of course is to look at it as though you are buying into a business for the long term.1) Start by Checking Out The Prospective Company's...Historical Performance, Annual Growth Rate, Market Penetration Rates, Market Adoption, Business Strategies and so on through its Reports, Balance Sheets, Income and Cash Flows StatementsPresent Perceived / Known Brand Value, Competitive Advantages, Earnings Per Share & Overall ProfitabilityFuture Expected, Projected and Analyzed Growth Potential and see if they are favourable to you as you endeavour to gain a good grasp on its business.2) Weight Out The Prospective Company's...Short Term and Long Term DebtsAsset to Liability RatioReturn on EquityEarnings
Extracts from The World Wealth Report 2007 and Comments by Manoj SharmaThe following are extracts from The World Wealth Report 2007 by Capgemini and Merrill Lynch, a report I put a lot of credence in. The report is in italics with my thoughts and comments in bold thereafter.High Net Worth Individual Financial Wealth Expectation"High Net Worth Individual Financial Wealth is expected to reach US$51.6 trillion by 2011, growing at an annual rate of 6.8%."This is likely to meet its mark regardless of whichever way the global economy might progress.Asia Pacific"In Asia-Pacific, the overall High Net Worth Individual population grew by 8.6% in 2006, up from 7.3% in 2005. The region's wealth grew by 10.5% in the same period. The High Net Worth Individual population of Singapore, Indonesia and Taiwan all enjoyed double-digit growth in 2006; India and China also posted significant gains. Market capitalization grew in select geographies - in China, for example. However, Japan's growth, despite
Some Truisms of Wise Investments by Manoj SharmaA wise and profitable investment strategy requires a strong financial quotient and a stronger emotional quotient to adjust the investment strategy without it breaking down in the face of fear, greed and ego.The more erratic market conditions are the greater the opportunities that lie in it, as the more other people's financial and emotional quotients become stretched past their competency levels.Any wise investment should be looked at as a compounded ownership of that investment for the long term. And it is up to you to remain vigilant as to your investment.All investment markets shift from unrealistic to realistic to unrealistic and will continue to do so in a general upward climb, ceteris paribus. The wise investor keep abreast through gaining knowledge and understanding there is a time for everything.Wise investments are made profitable by buying from emotional pessimists and selling to emotional optimists.Even people with the highest
To Be A Wildly Successful Team by Manoj SharmaTo be a wildly successful team requires a whole lot, but one set of principles always hold true if a team is to create fabulous results. And that set of principles are...1) Everybody needs to dive in with both feet with no other considerations. Most people are never willing to do this and that is why most teams never (and in truth simply cannot) produce outstanding results. The moment even an iota of anybody is not fully there, be it in the name of security, survival or other issues and commitments there is a significant leakage of energy. This automatically takes away from the chance of excellence and leads to the stench of averageness to be found in teams, everyday and everywhere.2) You should not be overly concerned about the viability of the end-product at the start. It is rare for the end-product at the start to be so. Most people are too concern about the end product from the start, and are furthermore usually waiting for someone to h
THE WISDOM OF THE AGES 18 - HAPPINESS - by MANOJ SHARMAContemplate the following and make sense of it...Happiness is difficult to pin down as it lies in the paradox of contentment. Happiness is short-lived without contentment and happiness is also short-lived with contentment.Happiness can be experienced in hitting the target, missing the target and on the path towards the target. If you are not happy on the path, you are certainly unlikely to be happy in missing the target and even more unlikely to remain happy after hitting the target. Happiness while there, would have escaped you.Unhappiness is destroyed by happiness, and happiness is best experienced through creating happiness for others.If in the interest of your happiness you create unhappiness for others, you happiness shall soon leave you. Observe this from your own experience.True happiness like everything else of real value is uncovered through knowledge and wisdom.Lasting freedom is the ultimate experience of happiness.To no
THE WISDOM OF THE AGES 16 - THOUGHTS - by MANOJ SHARMAContemplate the following and make sense of it...As your thoughts, so arises your reality.Thinking things afresh is far rarer that you can imagine.When you allow doubts to cloud clear thoughts, the doubts create their own doubts.Past thinking is by its nature at conflict with future thinking and the preventer of new realities.There is no future, there is only a future being created now. So lets call it the future now. What you create now is your future now. This is true for individuals, teams, organizations, communities, nations and the world as a whole. You cannot be experiencing a problem and be creating a future now at the same time because there can only be one predominant thought.The further and more expansively you propel your thoughts the more problems you clear away on your path through creating a future now.Your thoughts are prone to wondering, you are not born with a still mind. A clear future now demands a clear, still an
THE WISDOM OF THE AGES 15 - SUFFERING - by MANOJ SHARMAContemplate the following and make sense of it...Any resistance to people, ideas, circumstances and situations either creates or leads to your suffering.The root of your suffering can always be traced back to your thoughts & non-thoughts, your words & non-words, your actions and non-actions, your results and non-results.Any suffering you may face from having made the right choice is either a suffering of the ego (which is great for you, once you are aware of it, accept it, acknowledge your role in it and take action to achieve a different outcome) or a temporary physical discomfort (which too will pass). So you lose nothing from making the right choice regardless of how difficult it is and how tough the consequences may seem.Choosing to makes choices to prevent your suffering, with a lack of awareness or a deliberate blindsiding of the impact of your choice on the suffering of others is to promote your eventual suffering too.Su
THE WISDOM OF THE AGES 14 - POSSESSIONS - by MANOJ SHARMAContemplate the following and make sense of it...You actually own nothing in the physical world. You came with nothing, you will leave with nothing. Everything is just passing through. Fully and truly appreciate this point.The greater your desire for possessions the greater your attraction of possessions. The greater your attraction of possessions the greater likelihood of your attachment to your possessions. The greater your attachment to your possessions, the greater your inability to detachment from your possessions. The greater your inability to detach from your possession. The greater your suffering. These tendencies takes a lifetime to appreciate, build up and destroy. Attachment and detachment from the start is the key and it is tougher than you might imagine. Therefore the need to start right now.Master your possessions by converting them into contributions or forever be a slave to your possessions.Your possessions are a
THE WISDOM OF THE AGES 13 - CONDUCT - by MANOJ SHARMAContemplate the following and make sense of it...If you devote yourself to live in the most beneficial way you know how, for the greatest good of humanity, for the longest time possible and educate others to do the same, you can only be moving in the right long term pleasurable general direction, regardless of short term painful fluctuations.A reputation for trust takes a lifetime to build an an instant to destroy. Likewise, we would all like a reputation for generosity and would preferably like to buy it cheap.It can be argued that fear-free, desire-free, ego-free conduct is the riskiest to develop. It can also be argued that it is quite possibly the most rewarding too.If every past attempt at improving your conduct has failed you, take on leadership, put yourself in public life and become recognizable. You will leave yourself no choice but to steadily improve your conduct or face the consequences of your choices and causes.The ave
3 BASIC THINGS PEOPLE DESIRE FROM THEIR LEADERS by MANOJ SHARMALeadership today is a broad area with multiple definitions and an infinite number of reinterpretations based on the lives of the great leaders of all time. At its absolute core leadership is the ability to influence and is determined by followership. This is self evident and uniform across the board.The question that really needs to be asked is, "What do people desire from their leaders today and how can you develop these traits to enhance your Primary Leadership (leadership with yourself), Secondary Leadership (leadership with others) and Tertiary Leadership (leadership with leaders) ability?"The 3 points below will give you some indication that will serve as a great starting point for you, your teams and your organization.VisionA human being without a vision is akin to a ship in the ocean without a Captain - deadwood floating directionlessly, endlessly.Vision is the ability to assimilate a plethora of information, separat
ARE YOU THE RIGHT PERSON IN THE RIGHT JOB? by MANOJ SHARMADo you work an average of 70 hours a week and above, inclusive of travel to and from work, checking & responding of emails, taking phone calls and being on conference with staff and customers, doing research & planning presentations, and other work related activities? ____________________________________________________________________Do you find your work to be mentally stimulating, exciting, energizing and engaging?____________________________________________________________________Do you feel emotionally fulfilled with the relationships you have with people in your workplace inclusive of both your internal and external customers?____________________________________________________________________Do you feel physically well rested and do you feel you will be in good health if you continued to do you job for the next 10 years?____________________________________________________________________Do you look forward to your job
MENTORING & COACHING - WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE by MANOJ SHARMA "A mentor is like a sounding board, they can give advice but the protégé is free to pick and choose what they do. The context does not have specific performance objectives.A coach is trying to direct a person to some end result, the person may choose how to get there, but the coach is strategically assessing and monitoring the progress and giving advice for effectiveness and efficiency." Mentoring is biased in your favor. Coaching is impartial, focused on improvement in behavior." -- Unknown (If anybody knows who this quote is from please do let me know so I can credit it.)Above is another perspective on the difference between a mentor and a coach. There is tremendous value in it and I personally would word it slightly differently. Nevertheless it is another alternative perspective to mine.I would summarize it as follows.MentorWealth of experienceWith whom you build an unstructured relationshipWhose advice you seek (one wa
A BRIEF HISTORY OF INTRAPRENEURSHIP by MANOJ SHARMATo remain competitive and successful in an increasingly challenging world, your organization needs to be highly entrepreneurial. You need to up the ante and continue to benefit from increased productivity, efficiency and effectiveness. That is if you want to remain successful.You need people who embody the basic characteristics of top entrepreneurs (Proactivity, Responsibility, Innovation, Commitment and Excellence) and you need to promote an entrepreneurial culture within your organization. Within the context of your organization, this entrepreneurial effort can be referred to as being INTRAPRENEURIAL.The following is a brief history of intrapreneurship for you to get acquainted before your organization takes the Intrapreneurial path to creating wealth."In an article in The Economist in 1976, Norman Macrae predicted a number of trends in business - one of them being "that dynamic corporations of the future should simultaneously be tr
CAN MONEY BUY YOU LOVE AND HAPPINESS? by MANOJ SHARMAThe 1964 Beatles Hit "Money Can't Buy Me Love" ended with the following words... "Say you don't need no diamond ring, and I'll be satisfied,Tell me that you want those kind of things that money just can't buy,For I don't care too much for money, for money can't buy me love, Can't buy me love, love, can't buy me love, no."Most people, with the exception of the most daft and shallow (and unfortunately there are quite a few of them around), fully understand the maxim, "Money Can't Buy Me Love" with or without credit to The Beatles bringing it into social awareness, through their catchy song from more than 4 decades ago.But, what alarms me most in the work I do with top executives, professional, business owners and their staff is that a ridiculous high percentage of people still delude themselves and hold on to their own erroneous belief that somehow money can and will buy them happiness - in the sense that money is a means to a
HAS ANYTHING REALLY CHANGED IN 2,500 YEARS? by MANOJ SHARMAYour RealityAlmost 2,500 years ago Socrates said these immortal words... “The unexamined life is not worth living.”While it seems 2,500 years is a long time from a human life-time perspective, it really is not in the bigger scheme of things. Looking at the expanse of these 2,500 years, you would have every right to say that things have changed.But, have things really changed?It is very interesting to note, when we look at the challenges human beings have faced over the past 2,500 years, that quite possibly very little of real significance has actually changed.We have advanced in many respect, evolved for sure, but at what expense?In truth upon deeper examination, it is possible that very little has changed. A case in point is that regardless of our external pursuits and overall greater comfort, the same three questions still haunt all of humanity…“Who am I?”“Where am I?”“What am I (supposed to be) doing here?”
FREE PROFESSIONAL COACHING SESSION WORTH $450/- by MANOJ SHARMAProfessional Coaching - The DifferWorld Way takes a solid effort on both the part of the Coach and the Coachee. An effort in solid thinking (which even some of the brightest unfortunately do not do), solid actions (which most people lack the discipline to consistently do) and producing solid results (which most people do greatly desire but, don't necessarily have the adequate mind sets, skill sets and business sets to produce, especially when left to their own devices) that makes Professional Coaching a highly profitable financial and non-financial endeavour.The ultimate idea in professional coaching, especially Professional Coaching - The DifferWorld Way is to assist the Coachee to ultimately enjoy both a higher standard of living and quality of life.In order to do that, the Professional Coach needs to get an in-depth 360 degree appreciation of the Coachee's past, present and desired future. To do so the DifferWorld Prof
WHAT IS WEALTH? by Manoj SharmaPrinceton University's WordNet defines wealth as, "the state of being rich and affluent; having a plentiful supply of material goods and money". It continues on to add it to be, "the quality of profuse abundance". It further elaborates that wealth is, "an abundance of material possession and resources" and finally concludes with the statement that wealth is, "property that has economic utility: a monetary value or an exchange of value". All of which are globally accepted today as the various "understood" definitions of wealth and seem to slant heavily towards primarily defining financial wealth.But is that all that wealth is?It may surprise many to discover that before the Middle Ages (around the 1200s) wealth was not definite as the above and we will explore this point in more depth later. Most prominent dictionaries today however do define wealth in the above mentioned terms with some subtle and negligible linguistic differences.It is interesting to no
SOPHISTS AND PROFESSIONAL COACHING by MANOJ SHARMAThe Encyclopedia Britannica lists Sophists as a "Group of itinerant professional teachers, lecturers, and writers prominent in Greece in the later 5th century BC..... a movement which arose at a time when there was much questioning of the absolute nature of familiar values and ways of life." At that time, the word Sophist was a highly regarded terms (taken from Sophia - The Goddess of Wisdom) and very much meant "a wise and knowledgeable person". The Sophists arose at a time when there was a well documented distrust of the results of preceding thinkers. So the Sophists choose to educate based on new exigencies, with a focus on the problems of knowledge as well as the challenges of justice and morality. And from the prominent Sophists of the time came some delicious maxims of infinite wisdom which are still familiar till today. Maxims such as, " Nothing in excess", "Know thyself", "To many workers spoil the work", "Know thine opportunit
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY by MANOJ SHARMAMost of us, the bulk of the population, do not think of ourselves as leaders. We only tend to think of ourselves as leaders when we are afforded a position and/or title and have the roles, responsibilities and rewards to go along with them.This is both an old and outdated concept of leadership. Leadership today requires each person, at whatever "level" of society, to recognize that they have the power to choose to play a role, take responsibility and do their part to make ideas and ideals a reality (in thoughts, words, deeds and ultimately results) for the benefit of all. This is regardless of the position, title and rewards that may or may not go along with their choice to take leadership (Consider that it is only at this point; in the absence of position, title and rewards, that we can talk about true service). Furthermore, let us note that today we have become largely a globally connected society and this opens up the realm of
HOW TO MAKE POWERFUL PRESENTATIONS by MANOJ SHARMAI came across, what seemed an unproven and strange fact many years ago (as I am sure you too have) that the majority of people fear giving a speech or making public presentation more than they fear death. At one time, I must confess, I too fell into that category. Today however, I have no problem with getting up on stage and speaking to thousands at a time. Exactly what changed, and what happened, is something I myself find difficult to put a finger on, but what I am clear about is that understanding what makes a wonderful presentation made a huge difference and gave me extraordinary confidence, with practice, over time.Here is a brief outline which will assist you immediately to make compelling presentations too. Put it into action and let me know how it went.1) Start by getting to know your audienceWho are you speaking with? Why are they here? What are their general thoughts on the topic? What are their likely points of view? Are ther
STANDARD OF LIVING AND QUALITY OF LIFE by MANOJ SHARMA"What makes the work DifferWorld does distinct?"This is a question I got asked recently by a Managing Director of a technology company from Singapore, while giving a talk on how to address the future human resource challenges of organizations to a gathering of international CEOs in Australia.The question caught me off guard as it had no relation to the speech I was giving. As I realized later, he was actually asking me the question as a favour for me to touch on a point that he felt was quite unique in the work we do. I have been working with the senior management of his organization for almost 10 months now in a strategic business consultancy and executive coaching role and the exceptional results we are together producing are self evident. He was just as aware as I was that in the last quarter his overall sales figures had increased by 41% (after an initial dip of 8% in the first 3 months that I worked with them) and the level or
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD, GREAT AND EXCELLENT PROFESSIONAL COACHES by MANOJ SHARMAThere are many certified coaches out there in the world today. Many of the certifications are not worth the paper they are printed on. (But that is another story) Most of them do not actively coach. Out of the active ones, the majority are nothing more than average. Some are good, few are great and fewer still are truly excellent.Where a coach stands and the quality of results a coach produces are dependent on many factors. One thing which holds true is that...The Good are PassionateGood professional coaches exhibit the best traits of passion. The love what they do intensely. They are warm, personable and the enthusiasm they generate is contagious. Their passion is a like an internal fire that keeps them going regardless of the circumstances. This is also a prerequisite for professional coaches who stay the course and keep developing within their profession.The Great are CompassionateThe great build up
ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS, LEADERSHIP, HUMAN RESOURCE CONSULTANCY AND EXECUTIVE COACHING by MANOJ SHARMAAn organization, your organization, is a system. And the thing about systems is that the quality of a system is hugely dependent on the quality of its leadership.Systems pivot around leadership. Every system is a subset and has subsets of its own, each with their own leadership. How efficiently and effectively a system as a whole operates is in direct co-relation to the efficacy of its leadership. And leadership, regardless of its past successes and failures, always has the potential to be enhanced.Stagnant leadership equals stagnant systems. And stagnant systems die out.Even the best leaders get to a point where inertia and the feeling of being jaded set in. They need a boost and training does not necessarily provide it. One-on-one Professional Coaching however does. Leaders in key positions of responsibility more than anybody else need to be heavily invested in. It is interesting to
HOW TO DEVELOP EXTRAORDINARY LEADERS AT EVERY LEVEL OF YOUR ORGANIZATION AND CREATE A CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING TEAM by MANOJ SHARMA Part IJust like every championship winning team has extraordinary leaders who play a vital role at every level, every organization that seeks extraordinary results requires extraordinary leaders at every level. The nature of competition today has dictated that a stellar performer with a cult of personality while of great value, is simply not enough to create a truly consistent championship winning team.A championship winning team requires extraordinary leaders at every level with a constant commitment to consistently produce extraordinary results.This is not just about a few people rowing the boat and pulling everyone elses weight, but a whole lot of people punching above their weight, setting new standards, creating breakthroughs and supporting collective progress (Please keep this in mind as you read on). The former and the absence of the extraordinary spiri
THE 7 HIDDEN POWERS OF COMPELLING GREATNESS THROUGH COMMUNICATION by MANOJ SHARMAIt is too often under appreciated that the quality of your communication is at the heart of your power with people and also with yourself. In our massively inter-related and inter-connected world, the quality of your communication impacts both the quality of your life and your standard of living. Interestingly, this is independent of your awareness and lack of awareness of it. Please allow yourself to be acutely aware of this now.This is simultaneously shocking and not so shockingIt is shocking, how generally oblivious people are to the subtle and not so subtle nuances of communication. And it is also not so shocking, because we are never actually taught the subtlety of communication at home, at school and even at work. I've asked myself numerous times, why we are never taught it and have come to the conclusion that it is a combination of a lack of appreciation, mind share and expertise on the part of the
UNRAVELING UNIVERSAL MYSTERIES by MANOJ SHARMAThe following are some extracts from the interview between Charlie Rose and Lisa Randall and some thoughts by yours truly.Lisa Randall :We are really trying to understand.. what is the fundamental nature of matter and forces. What are the fundamental forces and why are they related in the way they are. So we are trying to understand more about gravity for example, why is gravity so much weaker than all the other elementary forces we know about. That is to say the three other elementary forces we know about...electro magnetism, weak and strong nuclear forces. Gravity is far weaker, I mean if you think about it, you can pick up a paper clip with a tiny magnet, competing against the entire earth. And the fact that you can jump up and down... I mean gravity is not a strong force although it dominates things and it is only because there is a big mass of object.My Thoughts:Beautiful perspective of the strength and weakness of gravity. A force tha
FOCUS ON YOUR FUTURE NOW by MANOJ SHARMAIn a world of immediate pressures and instant deadlines, the intelligent focus on long term solutions and diligently invest towards making things happen.The only way to stop playing "catch up" in our speedy world is to project, anticipate, focus and prepare for the future ahead. Do so, so that when the future catches up to your visionary thinking you will find yourself way ahead of the game with respect to everyone else. This is equally true for individuals, teams, organizations, communities and nations.Now, don't get me wrong, I am not talking about focusing on your future at the expense of what needs to be done now. I am talking about creating additional time to attend to the next 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years. (Depending how old you are or far ahead you'd like to project.)The pressure, overload, distress, discomfort, disappointment and/or overwhelm you may be facing today will pass only if you actively create a new reality for tomorrow, right
WHAT IS MONEY? by MANOJ SHARMAHere is a sampling of what some people have to say in answer to this question."Money is a good that acts as a medium of exchange in transactions. Classically it is said that money acts as a unit of account, a store of value, and a medium of exchange. Most authors find that the first two are nonessential properties that follow from the third. In fact, other goods are often better than money at being intertemporal stores of value, since most monies degrade in value over time through inflation or the overthrow of governments." -- Mike Moffatt"Money is a token that is widely accepted as a medium of exchange. The token can be tangible like a coin or note, or intangible like a bank deposit. If the token is convertible on demand into a valuable commodity like gold, the token is known as commodity money. The exchange value of commodity money varies, but is normally greater than its value as a commodity. A precious metal coin is simply a token potentially conve
THE NEXT 10 YEARS OF YOUR ORGANIZATION'S GROWTH RIGHT NOW by MANOJ SHARMAIf as a leader you've already grown your organization over the years such that it is profitable and is experiencing healthy cash flow. If you've built the foundations, adhered to sound fundamentals and done them well, then congratulations are in order.Now it's time to get your teeth around the next set of challenges that could make or break your organization over the next 10 years and beyond.It's time to project into the future and anticipate a spate of potential problems, issues, difficulties, obstacles, concerns and adversities that could wipe out your wonderful efforts up to this point.This is what THE NEXT TEN YEARS is about.In the next 10 years you and your organization will experience and have to face at a minimum the impact of...Globalization / Semi Globalization / Localization / GlocalizationShrinking Markets / Expanding MarketsMarket Saturation / Market VacuumsProtectionism / Free TradeDisappearance
ARISTOTLE, ECONOMICS, MONEY, PROFITS, VALUE AND WEALTH by MANOJ SHARMAThe moment an individual's or a group's point of view enters into the public domain accusations (valid or invalid) of inconsistency and contradictions are sure to follow.Aristotle like all the other greats too faced his fair share of criticism. What is important to note is that we are unlikely to ever find a perfect model that works at every level for everyone, everytime. So, to advance we need to adopt what works, discard what does not, to think long term, make adjustments, do so without invalidation towards the cause of discovering consistent holistic principles and living them. In other words we need to maturely seek true value, not pettily dismiss things enbloc for various reasons.Aristotle, amongst many things, brilliantly identified and distinguished two activities which he referred to as Economia and Chrematistike.He identified Economia with any activity that involved the management and running of the househ
MONEY (ECONOMICS) MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND by MANOJ SHARMAIt is said that money makes the world go round! In our contemporary world, it seems that money has become a key (if not the key) decision shaping factor. Is it now the top mover and shaker on the planet and the main driver of both the political and social arenas.Money is not naturally occurring. It was invented. We created it, and have over time made it inseparable from our social lives. We have done this to such a degree that it is now virtually impossible to separate this phenomena from our lives. To understand the dynamics of money requires an understanding of the dynamics of economics - arguably the most influential social science of our time.Supply, Demand, Capital, Surplus, Deficit, Profits, Losses, Gross Domestic Index, Gross National Index, etcetera are all economic concepts that have a real impact on you regardless of your race, language, religion, age and whether you fall into the category of have or have not. They imp
7 SUPER POINTERS FOR INTRAPRENEURIAL ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS by MANOJ SHARMASuccessful entrepreneurs have a distinct way of relating to their world that typical employees do not always appreciate and understand.As a CEO, President, Director and Leader one of your functions is to boost your organization's, your team's and your individual's profitability, performance and fulfillment levels. Looking ahead at global trends, if you plan for your organization to be competitive in the global arena, you as a leader need to cultivate a core group of intrapreneurs, if not develop a complete intrapreneurial organization.Here are numerous ways we at DifferWorld can assist you to do so. Before you contact us and make a superb positive difference, here are 7 "basic" super pointers for intrapreneurial success that you either need to adopt or avoid. Depending on your business capacity some of them will go down quite smoothly, while others will take more time to fully digest.1) Corruption is detrimen
BEING FIRST IN A 24/7/365 WORLD by Manoj SharmaYou live in a 24/7/365 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year) world.A world that is moving ahead, regardless of whether you are working, sleeping, resting, relaxing or recuperating!A world in which people are working longer hours, living longer lives and experiencing a higher cost of living.A world in which jobs are constantly redesigned, performance monitored by the day if not by the hours, minutes and seconds.A world where more people are being made redundant faster, and better talent is being sought after faster still.In this 24/7/365 world, the latest integrated technological devices already connect the world - wherever, whenever.In this 24/7 world regions, countries, industries, organisations, teams and individuals have to seek to be better, faster and cheaper to stay ahead of the curve.To win in this world demands that you free yourself from the shackles of yesterday’s thinking, continue to enhance your personal and pr
CUSTOMIZE AND INVEST IN YOUR CHANGE RIGHT NOW by MANOJ SHARMASuccess in business, as in any endeavour in life, is never a straight forward formula.In the world of business it is the coming together of a vast variety of elements inclusive of people, products/services, timing, knowledge, competency, proficiency, marketing, finance, operations, environments and innovation - just to mention a few broad areas.What works for another may not work for you, just as what works for you may not work for another. Also, what worked for you yesterday may or may not work for you tomorrow. In our ever accelerating world it may be more essential than ever before, to have a perspective of the past, stay attuned to current events and preempt the future.Change is a universal constant, all things are in flux. And because not all change is productive you need to invest in your change with fully customized initiatives. And in this truth lie extraordinary opportunities.It is normal to want things to remain th
MAKING MONEY by MANOJ SHARMABeing a Professional Coach and running a Professional Coaching Organization a lot of what I do is bringing ideas and ideals into reality for the people, teams and organizations I work with. Everybody has targets, goals, objectives, aspirations and dreams of what they would like to achieve and many of these revolve around money.Briefly... anybody and any organization can make money. The question for the future is the manner in which the money is made.Here are some simple truths.Principles drive Practice.Practice creates Process.Process determines Produce.Produce is Monetized.Monetization therefore is then based on Principles. (The good, the bad and the ugly; so to speak.)What you Monetize determines the Standard Of Your Living.Your Principles determine the Quality Of Your Life.Think about it, and draw your own conclusions as to where I am going with this in relation to the world today and tomorrow.And as usual, please feel free to send me your thoughts and co
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF BUSINESS? by MANOJ SHARMAAs long as we are all working, in one way or another we are all in business.We trade / exchange our time, experiences, expertise and resources.We work / produce / create products, services and ideas.We earn our keep in one way or another.We consume / waste / spend / invest what we earn and/or have earned.We horde / accumulate / put aside / leverage our resources.We gain / acquire actively and/or passively and might even be given.We may even help / assist / contribute to others along the way.And so on. With what end in mind?To make money?To change the world?To achieve something of significance?To express our identity?To gain and apply knowledge?To build relationships?To be happy?To be independent?To connect with others?To survive?To be secure?To provide for others?To thrive?Why do we do what we do? Is it because it is something to do? Or is it a purposeful activity?The question we need to ask is, "What is our purpose of business?" Peter D
HOW TO CREATE ABUNDANT TIME by MANOJ SHARMADo you find yourself running out of time?If you are, chances are good that you are either not doing what needs to be done in the manner it needs to be done, or you have fallen into the "get there fast trap". Most likely it is a combination of both.We live in a fast paced world where everything needs to be done instantly.You probably have goals, aspirations and dreams and would preferably like to have achieved them yesterday. What you might need to recognize is that being in a hurry to achieve your goals or not to give them enough time in the sun, is to guarantee that you will always running out of time.Even if you were to achieve your goals by rushing through time, what would you really have achieved?Those with depth, understand the meaning of a hollow victory, while the shallow live only to trumpet their triumphs.Substance is the key to sustainable and scalable success, while immediacy of success does not necessarily require substance. You ca
THE MIRROR PRINCIPLE by MANOJ SHARMAThe Mirror Principle is the starting point of great things.The Mirror PrincipleIf you are not happy - first take a look at the person in the mirrorIf your family is not harmonious - first take a look at the person in the mirror (Thanks Mom!)If your team is not producing - first take a look at the person in the mirrorIf your organization is not contributing - first take a look at the person in the mirrorIf your community is not working together - first take a look at the person in the mirrorIf your country is not advancing - first take a look at the person in the mirrorIf your world is not in good shape - first take a look at the person in the mirrorIt is tough, it is true and it is the only place where change has to start.And as usual, please feel free to send me your thoughts and comments to Info@DifferWorld.com. And if you'd like a FREE CONSULTATION on how you, your teams and your organization can benefit from the above please feel free to call up
YOUR ORGANIZATION DESPERATELY NEEDS TO BOOST PROFITABILITY, PERFORMANCE AND FULFILLMENT RIGHT NOW by MANOJ SHARMAA recent Gallup Poll showed that 70% of employees felt "not engaged" or "actively disengaged" at work. Taken across the board, that is potentially 7 out of 10 employees in your organization. Just imagine your organization's loss of productivity. The mind boggles at the terrifying repercussions of this truth, zapping away rapidly at the strengths and advantages of your organization.
