Subroto Bagchi > Quotes

“Open your mind before you open your mouth”
― Subroto Bagchi, Go Kiss the World: Life Lessons For The Young Professional

“Most men take more out of life than they give to it. A few give more to life than they take out of it. The world runs because of such men.”
― Subroto Bagchi

“If we make a small commitment towards keeping our talent alive, one day it becomes a beautiful gift, which nourishes us, makes our lives complete.”
― Subroto Bagchi

“Managers who work for very senior people must not remain in awe of their bosses if they are to be effective.”
― Subroto Bagchi

“There are three qualities that make someone a true professional. These are the ability to work unsupervised, the ability to certify the completion of a job or task and, finally, the ability to behave with integrity at all times.”
― Subroto Bagchi

“THERE ARE AS MANY stories as there are jokes about consultants. One of my favourites is about a shepherd who encounters one while grazing his flock in the countryside. A man appears from nowhere, screeches to a halt, steps out of a fancy automobile and offers to tell the shepherd the exact number of animals he has in his flock if the latter agrees to give him a sheep. The shepherd says, ‘All right.’ The man takes out his smartphone, jabs at a couple of keys, downloads a few industry reports, activates an applet, and within a few minutes tells the shepherd he has 1,628 grazing animals. The shepherd is dumbfounded. The man then points to the animals and asks, ‘Now can I pick up one of the sheep?’ The shepherd nods. The man picks out an animal, puts it in the car and is ready to zoom off when the shepherd says, ‘Hey, wait a minute. If I tell you your profession, will you give my animal back?’ ‘Okay,’ says the man with a smirk. ‘You are a consultant,’ the shepherd announces. This time, it is the consultant’s jaw that drops. ‘How on earth could you tell?’ he asks in complete astonishment. The shepherd says, ‘Well, first you stopped by without an invitation. Second, you know nothing about the subject on which you offered expert advice. And third, the animal in your car isn’t a sheep. It’s my dog.”
― Subroto Bagchi, The Elephant Catchers: Key Lessons for Breakthrough Growth

“Ford hired the quality management guru Edward Deming to train his people on quality principles. In the kick-off meeting, he introduced Deming, spoke briefly about the critical need for quality management and then, leaving Deming to do the rest, left the room. As he was walking out, he realized Deming was following him. Surprised, he asked what had happened. In answer, Deming famously quipped that he was simply following the leader. Ford immediately realized his mistake and turned back to sit down with his team to learn about Total Quality Management (TQM).”
― Subroto Bagchi, The Elephant Catchers: Key Lessons for Breakthrough Growth

“Developing the power within, to have the confidence to take charge in the most difficult and dangerous of situations, is the hallmark of a true professional.”
― Subroto Bagchi, The Professional

“How does Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw choose one idea over another? She asks herself seven questions. Do I have a basic understanding of the area? Do I know something about what is happening in the larger space of that idea? How will I build differentiation, particularly if the idea is a common product? How do I make it affordable and at the same time, deliver high value? Wherever there is a collaborator involved in the ideation process, how do I create larger leverage through the relationship beyond just that one idea? Do I know upfront who will be a paying customer and how I will go about marketing my idea? Finally, do I have conviction about the idea?”
― Subroto Bagchi, THE HIGH PERFORMANCE ENTREPENEUR

“When you embrace the uncertain, life opens up unusual new paths. Seeds sown way back bloom as flowers, in ways one can never fathom.”
― Subroto Bagchi

“Our vision is not always a function of our capability to see, it is our willingness to open up our inner eye to the limitless universe that lights up the path of our existence.”
― Subroto Bagchi, Go Kiss World

“Sometimes, not handing out the punishment when it is most expected is the best way to bring lasting repentance.”
― Subroto Bagchi

“All battles should be based on principles. And in a battle of principles, it is not the size of the adversary that matters. It is the size of the principle.”
― Subroto Bagchi

“world is always hungry for things it can easily understand, easily touch and feel and smell, and hold and carry and throw away.”
― Subroto Bagchi, On Leadership and Innovation

“At a very personal level. as the head of an institution, it is the arrogance of my ambition that wants to see the outcome of my efforts in my own lifetime. But, our ability to even embark on this journey is the result of generations of people who have invested time and effort. - Ramesh Ramanathan, Janaagraha”
― Subroto Bagchi, Zen Garden: Conversations with Pathmakers

“set of strategy traps leaders routinely fall prey to. A group that is battling with ways to achieve only”
― Subroto Bagchi, The Elephant Catchers: Key Lessons for Breakthrough Growth