Very late in college--graduate
school--I realized that to be successful I needed to be organized. Making
lists, having an organizer and a calendar all became part of my functioning as a
graduate student and now as a professor. My daughter, Sukul (now 12 years old), has always bugged me
for a nice planner. Why would a kid want that? Well I see now. She is on summer
vacation--every morning she gets ready, writes in her planner what she has to
do, and how she is going to accomplish it. Sometimes, we nag her--"Have
you done your Cello?" or "When will you ...". Her answer: "I have
it on my planner, and it will be done -----."
Sukul likes cooking, and Indian
culture like many eastern cultures is centered on food. Rather than just
cook, she explores--she is a food entrepreneur. When she cooks breakfast for
the family, it has unusual garnishes. She likes to make coffee for me, but will
ask me to try different garnishes--chocolate, vanilla, and yes even herbs. Many
of them have turned out to have great taste, tastes that I would never explore
on my own. That she can take risks, and not worry if the outcome is not always
positive shows she will not hesitate to be creative.
Why is all this so important? I
am a professor of business, and have a biased view informed by my own
experiences. In my own career, I've observed now over hundreds of business
students--undergrads, MBAs, and phDs--graduate, and can monitor their success
prospectively. Typically, the ones who are successful are NOT the ones who are
unusually smart or have the highest grades. Yes, they are academically
successful. But they have a high level of organizational skills, social skills,
and entrepreneurship--no fearing new things and failure. Coupled with
academic success these qualities make for lasting and enduring success. I've
seen met smart CEOs, VPs, company presidents --- all successful by virtue of
skills that cannot be captured in "grades" or "test
scores."
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