3 Qualities to Nurture at Work (and in Life!)

I was recently invited to speak at a panel for students (aged 18-22) on 'What It Takes To Get Here'. If one can look past the slightly presumptuous title - I by no means suggest that I have all the answers, or indeed, if you want to 'get to where I am' - the spirit of the event is to give these students a sense of some of the qualities that are needed to survive, and indeed, thrive in today's economy.

So while I'm hesitant to think that I've already reached a stage of my life where I can dispense pearls of wisdom based on my own experiences, there is perhaps some merit in sharing what I've observed from 7 years of working at some really great places.

I've had the chance to work along side some truly smart people, but I have to say, in many companies today, intellectual capacity as a currency is so widely available.  It is who you are as a person that differentiates you from the long line of Harvard/Stanford/Wharton/INSEAD/name your fancy school MBAs. There are a couple of things I've observed consistently in people whom I would classify as some of the best I've worked with. These are also qualities I've tried to cultivate, and if asked by younger friends, would encourage them to nurture as well.

1. Grit
Develop it at a young age. When you have the luxury of youth, develop a wide range of interests.
Develop the capacity to practice and be dedicated to something
Learn to cope with failure. To paraphrase J.K. Rowling: The caprices of life will hit you somehow, somewhere down the life. And if it doesn't, you have lived so cautiously as to fail by default.

2. Empathy
Having had the opportunity to work along side some of the very brightest minds, my repeated conclusion is that there is a long line of very smart and intelligent people out in the world. But those who stand head and shoulders above the crowd are people who are able to deeply put themselves in the shoes of others. This manifests in many ways - being a better communicator because you can identify with and relate to your audience;  being a better problem solver because you can understand other people's issues more deeply; being a better project manager because you can better align everyone along a common goal.

3. Be Humble
There is an old saying that having humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. This can mean many things.
Intellectual humility - propels you to always be hungry in your curiosity, it helps you open to listening to other people's ideas and feedback.
Humility also helps you to be a better team player, since you're not always thinking of things in a self-serving manner, but more focused on the collective success of the team. I would say I've worked with a few people who were very sharp and quick, but because they lacked humility, they were never great to work with.

So that's it, the Top 3 characteristics that I think are needed to succeed not only at work, but life in general. Do you have your own list? Email me with your thoughts!

Book Review - The New Digital Age by Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen

I am one of those distracted readers who have anything from two to five books lined up on the reading table at the same time, jumping from book to book depending on the mood and brain juice left for the day. I have to confess - I have been struggling to get through this book for a while now - 'The New Digital Age' has been languishing on my reading table for more than 6 months, but I'm proud to report that I've finally finished it this past weekend.

I have to say, it was a matter of hitting my stride with this book, because once I got past the first 30%, the rest was interesting enough to speed through in one week. It starts off ominously with this quote from Schmidt, "The Internet is one of the few things that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand," and indeed, the rest of the book is an treatise that tries to better understand and, therefore, navigate this unwieldy beast.

The moonshot sounding title set up my expectations that this was a prophesy of the digital future from the oracles at Google, filled with sci-fi worthy predictions of how people would live in an age of new technology. Unfortunately, this falls short of that, as the technologies that they talk about are more or less available today, albeit some in more nascent stages. But hey, if you miss the moon, at least you're in the stratosphere.

By any measure, this is still an ambitious and detailed assessment of the digital paths that are open to states and people in the near future - how will we think about identity, privacy; how will revolutions be fought and won; how will conflict, terrorism - and our response evolve; even how will we re-think disaster reconstruction.

The authors travel to an impressive list of places in the world, many of those dangerous and controlled by regimes that are markedly oppressive and abhorrent of the freedom that the Internet brings. However, that doesn't mean that they are un-privy to the powers that new technologies bring, albeit to carry out their nefarious agendas.

Many subversive plots are suggested that could be used by authorities to undermine shady characters. (Side note -  as a Singaporean, the premium I place on privacy vs national security strikes me as being very different from some Western opinions.)

Bearing in mind that this book was written over 3 years (2011 to 2013), if we look at what is happening today, it seems fairly accurate in espousing on the direction that these new technologies are headed. Take the issue of cyber-security, that was the subject of many lengthy chapters - the authors discussed different ways of how warfare and political mischief could be committed in this arena. Several high-profile breaches have occurred in the 3+ years since - eg the hacks on Sony, multiple NSA leaks, DNC etc, the last of which are alleged to have direct impact on the 2016 US elections. The authors end that chapter pleading for more whitehats to join the fight against mis-use of his information.

One uncomfortable omission in this book is how private corporations (Google, Amazon, Facebook etc) are increasingly playing a bigger role in influencing how these new technologies are unfolding. I can imagine that this might be a sensitive topic for the authors to address, but the scant mention of these private players seems to me to opt for the  easier, but less rewarding path.

Having said that, this book remains a rich reach, offering insights into a breadth topics, ranging from national security, terrorism, education, economic policy, business, to foreign and domestic aid. (And this isn't even an exhaustive list!)

The possible futures imagined in each of these mammoth areas tell of a world brimming with possibilities to improve the lives of millions, if not billions, but also of the catastrophic devastation that can be inflicted to mankind if these new technologies are not guarded and used for benign/noble purposes.

In conclusion, when it comes to navigating the New Digital Age, this book doesn't have all the right answers, but it sure asks some interesting questions.

Book Review - Grit by Angela Duckworth

Grit: Passion, Perseverance, and the Science of Success by Angela Duckworth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Frankly speaking, I'm only a little more than halfway through the book, but I was so taken by the book's premise and ideas that I felt compelled enough to jump into action and pen a review for it. (Caveat for readers who are expecting book reviewers to have completed the entire book...what a silly expectation to have! ;p)

Duckworth weaves together dry statistical experiments, pop-sciencey psychology, and moving anecdotes from a wide range of folks (including her own remarkable story) to present a theory on Grit - what it is (and importantly, what it is not) and how to develop it.

If all this sounds like the ingredients of a particularly annoying self-help book aimed at the meditation-loving, kombucha-drinking but ultimately flaky millennial - it is not - and I propose that taking such a cynical view is a loss for anyone who seriously wants to learn more about developing strength of character.

For those who struggle with possessing grit, Duckworth is encouraging with constant reminders that grit is malleable and can be developed over time. She puts forth 3 pillars to achieve this:

1. Start with interest. Even world experts had to start with a fledgling interest before that thing explodes into a sustainable passion.
2. Hone your capacity to practice. Beyond quantity of practice (by now, the 10,000 hours rule is well-known), focus on the quality of practice. Practice deliberately, repeatedly, especially on your weaknesses. You might even get to enjoy a state of 'flow' (her term), which is what I call 'being in the zone'.
3. Recognize your purpose. Motivation to continue in the face of adversity comes from knowing that your efforts have meaning and purpose bigger than yourself. It often has to do with contributing to the well-being of others.

To end off, if this is any testament to the book's readability - I simultaneously can't wait to finish the rest of the book but also wish that the book would go on a bit longer, just so I can enjoy reading it for a bit longer. What a great book to kickstart 2017 with!


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Hello 2017

With CNY, I guess I have a second chance at cobbling together some resolutions for 2017!

New Year's resolutions are  tricky thing. I've occasionally had the habit of coming up with a list, but for the low-level reason of not being able to keep track of that list, it hasn't been very meaningful. Hopefully penning this down will at least strike this off the list of excuses.

I remember a handful (and perhaps that is the trick to forming resolutions - keep it short!), mostly around personal fitness and being a kinder human being, but the details are fuzzy.

Here's my list of 7 resolutions for 2017:

1. Write publicly more often: at least once a fortnight
2. Exercise at least 2x a week
3. Learn at least ONE new technical skill
4. Volunteer at least twice a quarter.
5. Read at least 12 books this year
6. Meet up with at least 2 friends per month
7. Have dinner with my family at least once a week

Share your resolutions with me as well - we can help keep each other accountable.
:)