Azim Premji : Adapt change or be the change….

A very inspiring, interesting and thought provoking speech by Azim Premji of Wipro at the 37th Annual Convocation 2002, IIM, Ahmedabad.A small gist of his drivers that would change the world:

Change descends on every one equally; it is just that some realize it faster.Some changes are sudden but many others are gradual.While sudden changes get attention because they are dramatic, it is the gradual changes that are ignored till it is too late.

Guard against complacency all the time.Complacency makes you blind to the early signals from the environment that something is going wrong.

For every problem that change represents, there is an opportunity lurking in disguise somewhere. It is up to you to spot it before someone else does.

While routines are useful, do not let them enslave you. Deliberately break out of them from time to time.

Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to manage fear without getting paralyzed. Feel the fear, but move on regardless.

You have to constantly learn about people and how to interact effectively with them. In the world of tomorrow, only those individuals and organizations will succeed who have mastered the art of rapid and on-going learning.

Spend time with people who have a “can-do” approach.Reasonable optimism can be an amazing force multiplier.

Playing to win would help you to concentrate your energy on what you can influence instead of getting bogged down with the worry of what you cannot change. Do your best and leave the rest.

If you succeed 90 per cent of the time, you are doing fine. If you are succeeding all the time, you should ask yourself if you are taking enough risks. If you do not take enough risks, you may also be losing out on many opportunities.

In spite of all the change around you, decide upon what you will never change: your core values.

All of us have a responsibility to utilize our potential for making our nation a better place for others, who may not be as well endowed as us, or as fortunate in having the opportunities that we have got. Let us do our bit, because doing one good deed can have multiple benefits not only for us but also for many others.

You can have a look at the complete presentation below: