108 Pearls of wisdom

By Dr. Raghu Korrapati

There is often a considerable gap between the aspirations that many college graduates harbor and the way they go about achieving their goals. While education and technical expertise are often ignore and that defines the difference between an average and a successful career. Dr. Raghu Korrapati has taken it upon himself to identify this 'soft' element and painstakingly elaborated upon its numerous facets. The result is this path - breaking book, which highlights the soft skills that every young graduate and professional needs to possess to reach the pinnacle of professional success. Moreover, this book will also serve to refresh and revitalize these essential skills in the seasoned professional. The 108 pearls of wisdom presented here have been drawn from sources as eclectic and diverse as Greek, Indian, Buddhist philosophies, modern day management theory, and psychology.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Diamond Books
• Release date: Oct 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9798128819680

Book preview

References

1. HAVING A SMILE ON YOUR FACE

Smile is a curve that sets everything straight

Phyllis Diller

A genuine smile is priceless and has the power to elevate the mood of not only the recipient(s) of this warm gesture but also the giver! A smile is infectious - when someone smiles at you, despite your indifference, you can’t help but smile back. If you want to make a good impression, be it in college, social, or corporate environment, smiling is your first and best opportunity.

Though a smile is only a facial expression formed by flexing the muscles near both ends of the mouth, its impact on oneself and on others can be very powerful. Smiling helps you stay positive, every single time. It is very hard to think of anything negative without losing the smile and vice versa. When you are going through any challenging situation, force a smile on your face — you will invariably start feeling better. When we smile our brain sends a message to the rest of organs in our body that Life is fantastic!

Given the choice between two equally qualified aspirants for a job, the candidate who sports a smile often is going to be perceived as being more of a team player and easier to work with. Who do you think is more likely to get the job offer? You can get many things done with a simple smile because it is worth more than words. Sometimes a smile can give you results that many spoken words might fail to.

I am yet to see a smile that is not beautiful but we need to become better at smiling. One way is to increase your awareness. Take notice around you of those you find warm and approachable. Is it their smile? You must start making conscious effort to look for great smiles and emulate them. Notice people whose smile start from their heart and comes out through their eyes not just their mouth.

Next time you are tempted to face your inner or outer world with a scowl, remember another old quotation. It takes seventeen muscles to smile and forty-three to frown.

From today resolve that you will make at least one person smile every day. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead … Smile!

2. HONESTY

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.

Thomas Jefferson

Many young candidates seeking jobs in corporate offices appear to me to have never come across an answer to the question - why should one be honest? Let me try to explain to you why a person should be honest in order to grow in one’s career.

I know a journalist who is very popular in the Indian province of Andhra Pradesh. One day we were discussing interviews. I asked him, What did your employer ask you at the interview? He said He asked what books and magazines do I regularly read. I wished to know his reply to this question. I told him the truth. The truth was that I was a regular reader of Playboy. I told him the same and he gave me the job. The newspaper proprietor did the right thing. He rewarded the honesty in my friend, who later became a popular journalist. That is how it is - Honesty always pays. You must be wondering why employers are so obsessed with honesty. To understand that you must once again recall the school book story The King’s New Clothes.

Let me recount it for you. Once upon a time there was a King who was obsessed with new clothes. Two swindlers came to his court to take advantage of his foolish obsession. The swindlers, armed with the gift of salesmanship, convinced the vain and somewhat stupid emperor to pay a large sum of gold for a new suit made from a thread so exquisite and fine that only the most intelligent and sophisticated were able to see it. The guileless emperor bought this fantasy and when the tailor presented him with his new suit, he proudly paraded through the street stark naked. Of course, no one dared to mention that the emperor was not wearing any clothes; they preferred to support his deluded fantasy rather than risk being punished. It took a young boy who didn’t know any better to shout out the truth that was obvious to all and finally give the emperor the honest feedback he so desperately need.

Think honestly. If you don’t think honestly, you won’t BE honest. Prejudices and preconceived ideas can make it difficult to distinguish what the truth really is. Don’t take things at face value. When you read, see, or hear something, don’t make assumptions. When you make a commitment to communicating and understanding the truth, it can be humbling to realize that most of what we think we know is actually just based on assumptions rather than facts. Keep in mind: What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t witness with your mouth.

To Start with, practice being honest about the simple things in life; the facts that would make no difference in the world. Abraham Lincoln became famous for going to great lengths to return a few cents that did not belong to him, hence the nickname Honest Abe. By applying honesty to the little things, you will get in the habit of being honest in general.

Finally, I would like to remind you to be kind and to always bring your truth from a loving perspective. Too often, I have seen truth being used like a weapon, causing misery and havoc to people all around. Remember that many of those around you will not be equipped with these advantages, so tread carefully. Not lying is not the same as thrusting your truth on everyone around. Stay honest with yourself, be honest with others, and always adopt an empathetic perspective.

An employer worth his salt will be looking for that fairytale young boy in you, because by being honest alone will you be able to give your best to his organization. Only an honest person fearlessly tells the truth. This doesn’t mean that I am advocating insubordination or endless arguments against decisions made by your manager or your company. As they say, conflict of ideas leads to progress. Only when there is a free flow of ideas and opinions will a company prosper. A person who does not measure up to that value may be able to find a job, but will find it difficult to hold on to it.

3. COMMUNICATION

Communication is my religion

– Raghu Korrapati, PhD

Religion can be defined as a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects, for instance Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, or Buddhism.

Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred routines and rituals that are intended to give meaning to life or to explain the origin of life or the universe.

Try and think of communication as a religion. Just like one may go to temple/mosque or a church and offer prayers, develop a routine for communication as well. Practice communication, like you practice your religion.

Identify specific stakeholders in all aspects of your life - social, family, workplace, and develop a ‘communication action plan’ for each stakeholder in your mind and practice.

Different forms of communications

(1) Verbal Communication:

Verbal communication is one way for people to communicate face-to-face. Some of the key components of verbal communication are sound, words, speech, and language.

(2) Non-Verbal Communication:

The process of communication through sending and receiving wordless messages is known as Non-verbal Communication. Such messages can be communicated through gesture; body language or posture; facial expression, and eye contact.

(3) Written Communication

Written Communication includes communication by means of written symbols and words.

For any communication plan and action to be effective, it must be consistent, predictable, and meaningful.

4. PATIENCE

"Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain

always cool and unruffled under all circumstances."

Thomas Jefferson

Life’s annoyances and challenges require that we practice patience; but the speed of life often wears our patience thin. Patience is essential because it gives us self-control, helps us be more loving, and achieve what we want. Like a muscle, patience can be strengthened with regular exercise. The right attitude and a little practice capture the power of patience.

The phrase patience is a virtue is just a way of expressing the importance of being patient. A virtue is a trait or quality deemed to be morally excellent and thus is valued as a foundation of a good moral being. Patience can make us better people. The definition of the word is to tolerate delay implying self control and forbearance. Patience is a necessity for a happy existence and that is why the phrase is so often used.

Steps to Cultivate Patience

Try to figure out why you are in such a hurry. We tend to lose our patience when we’re multi-tasking or when we’re on a tight schedule. If you’re stretching yourself too thin, you should reconsider your to-do list before you attempt to change your natural reaction to an overwhelming situation. Try to spread out your tasks so that you’re doing only one thing at a time. Delegate responsibilities to others if you can; this in itself may be a test of your patience, but you have to learn to share the load.

Pinpoint the triggers that often influence you to lose your patience. Impatience creeps in insidiously, and if you feel anxious, worried, or unhappy, you may not even realize that the underlying cause of these feelings is impatience. To reduce the frequency of impatience, it helps to be aware of it. Which events, people, phrases or circumstances always seem to influence you lose your cool? Sit down and make a list of all the things that cause anxiety, tension, or frustration in