Thursday, January 6, 2011

Address by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam – Chief Guest

L’Attitude 13 05, 2011 got underway in grand style today. Dr. Kalam, former president of India and one of our most distinguished scientists was the chief guest. His speech was on ‘21st century Management Education’

Excerpts –
I would like to greet the experts and professionals in management, academicians, industrialists, corporate and all the guests present here. I was reading about the Great Lakes Institute of Management which has the motto “Global Mindset, Indian roots”. This amalgamation is indeed the need of the modern Indian Management Education in this new decade and beyond.
Economic development, competitiveness and creative leadership

Since I am in the midst of experts and professionals in management, let me discuss the linkage between national economic development and creative leadership.

1. A nation’s Economic development is powered by competitiveness.
2. Competitiveness is powered by knowledge power.
3. Knowledge power is powered by Technology and innovation.
4. Technology and innovation is powered by resource investment.
5. Resource investment is powered by return on Investment.
6. Return on investment is powered by revenue.
7. Revenue is powered by Volume and repeat sales.
8. Volume and repeat sales is powered by customer loyalty.
9. Customer loyalty is powered by Quality and value of products.
10. Quality and value of products is powered by Employee Productivity and innovation.
11. Employee Productivity is powered by Employee Loyalty.
12. Employee Loyalty is powered by employee satisfaction.
13. Employee satisfaction is powered by working environment.
14. Working Environment is powered by management innovation.
15. Management innovation is powered by Creative leadership.
For success in all the missions, it is essential to have creative leaders. Creative leadership means, exercising the vision to change the traditional role from the commander to the coach, manager to mentor, from director to delegator and from one who demands respect to one who facilitates self-respect.

The knowledge society in 21st century

The world in the 21st century will be a knowledge based society with multiple opportunities. I was studying a book, "Empires of the Mind" by Denis Waitley. This book gives what type of the new world which we are facing now? What was yesterday and what is today. I have modified certain points of the author to suit our conditions. I have also added a third line which is pertinent to the action required by the management institutions.

It especially says that “what worked yesterday won’t work today”
1. Yesterday – natural resources defined power
    Today - knowledge is power
     Institutions will be the powerhouse for knowledge.
2. Yesterday - Hierarchy was the model
     Today- synergy is the mandate
     Institutions will be enabler of intersection of multiple faculties towards mission goals.
3. Yesterday – leaders commanded and controlled
  Today – leaders empower and coach
   Potential Leaders will be empowered through exposure to the needs of sustainable       development.
4. Yesterday - shareholders came first
    Today – customers come first
    Education should inculcate sensitivity to "customer" needs.
5. Yesterday - employees took order
    Today – teams make decision
    Institutions can inject team spirit.
6. Yesterday - seniority signified status
    Today – creativity drive status
    Institutions are the breeding environment for creativity.
7. Yesterday – production determined availability
    Today – Competitiveness is the key
    Competitiveness is powered by research and university has to have the motto of "teaching-research-teaching".
8. Yesterday - value was extra
    Today – value is everything
    Value based education has to be introduced as a part of the curriculum, at least for one hour every week.
9.  Yesterday – everyone was a competitor
     Today – everyone is a customer
     During education industrial and entrepreneurship training is essential.
10. Yesterday - profits were earned through expediency
      Today – Work with integrity and succeed with integrity.
      Home, organizations and educational places should become learning places

Conclusion: 

We will have to find newer methods of cooperation so that core competence of even remote villages can be synergized for competitive products. So, everything global must have the tone; management for the 6 billion; water for 6 billion; energy for 6 billion; education for 6 billion; healthcare for 6 billion. Such empowerment will lead to a world which is prosperous, peaceful and grows on sustainable path of development. It is beyond doubt, that the enterprises and business models will play an increasing role in the evolution of the humankind and nations in the future. They would be recognized by the contribution which they make the lives of the people and the profits would be recognized only when they come with integrity.

Profit with integrity:

 Profit with integrity leads to sustained growth. How is it possible? We need to have National ethics for sustained growth and peace. Where from it starts?

* Nation has to have ethics in all its tasks, for sustained economic prosperity and peace.
* If nation is to have ethics; society has to promote ethics and value system.
* If society is to have ethics and value system, families should adhere to ethics and value system;
* If families have to get evolved with ethics and value system, parenthood should have inbuilt ethics.
* Parental ethics come from great learning, value based education and creation of clean environment that leads to righteousness in the heart.

Friends, for 21st century one of the very important business ethos will be the song "I will work with integrity and succeed with integrity". It is indeed a tough process, but only tough minded people, defeat the problem and succeed.

With these words, I inaugurate the L’Attitude 13 05’ being organized by the Great Lakes Institute of Management. My greetings and best wishes to all of you. May God Bless you.

To a question on how the rural urban inequality can be tackled, Dr. Kalam gave the example of project PURA (Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) This project provides urban amenities in rural areas by providing physical, electronic and knowledge connectivity. Once this in place, this can facilitate earning capacity leading to economic connectivity and upliftment of rural areas.



Dr. Kalam wanted the students present in the audience to send him a mail with 5 names consisting of a politician, a bureaucrat, a corpocrat, a social worker and a public personality who have practised integrity and have succeeded in their domains.

Talking about integrity, in his typical style, he made the audience repeat the following-

“Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character,
When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home,
When there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation,
When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.”

Dr. Kalam gave us ample food for thought when he said, “can you be you or do you want to be everyone else? The World around is doing its best, day and night to make you like everyone else”. As he ended his address, he left us with this single overpowering message – “Work with integrity and succeed with integrity”

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