Work habits and secrets of 25 supereffective CEOs

Modi govt's one year

8 focus areas of Modi govt toimprove public perceptionIn what seems to be attempt at improvingpublic perception, ministries have beenasked to focus on "masses at large in theirday-to-day affairs".

FM Jaitley lists govt's first year feats,vows more actionIndia Inc hails Narendra Modi govt'sone-year performance

Indian smartphone m

Phone makers bullishdespite famous flopsGlobal top-10 players Hhave failed to make a mprevented internationalentering India.

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By ET Bureau | 22 May, 2015, 05.20AM IST 9 comments | Post a Comment

India Inc’s bosses share their productivity secrets. 25 of themost effective CEO's share their secrets to accomplish whatthey have today.

ET SPECIAL: Love visual aspect of news? Enjoythis exclusive slideshows treat!

Work habits and secrets of 25 super-effective CEOs

READ MORE ON » Vinay Agrawal CEO | The Office | the middle | Shishir Baijal | Sharma Vice Chairman | SABMiller |

"Spend time with your direct reports"

Kamal K Sharma

Vice Chairman, Lupin

"I make it a habit to spend quality time withmy direct reports. Every week, I mark out atleast an hour-and-a-half with a directreport, where we might talk aboutanything, not just the work at hand. Nowit's usually in the office, but earlier, it wasalso over lunch. Another habit I haveinculcated since my IIT days is to stayfocused on a problem until it is solved. Idon't subscribe to the idea that you shouldset a problem aside for a while if it isproving to be intractable. I believe you need to keep at it until it is solved."

"Don't take the phone to meetings"Anuj Agarwal,

MD and CEO, Bajaj Allianz

"I come to office early and plan out the entire day. At the end of the day, I make sure thateverything I planned is done. I also make a yearly plan at the beginning of the year. Thisis pasted on to the wall in my cabin in front of me. I split this to monthly targets and Iconduct review meetings with my colleagues for their feedback on where we areregarding targets. I only take the yearly plan off my wall at the end of a year. I don't takemy phone with me when I am entering a meeting and I don't check my mails while in a

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"Be approachable, day & night"

GVK Reddy

Chairman & Managing Director, GVK Group

"Punctuality is the cornerstone. I make it a point to always be on time to office, and thisautomatically sets an example for everybody at GVK. I begin work in the morning, with ameeting with the Heads of Departments (HODs) of various projects to guide them toachieve the best, followed by meetings with other people from outside the organisation.After a break for lunch, I resume office to work until end of the day. I like to beapproachable at all times, whenever they feel the need for experience, and in times ofcrises. I ensure that I am available even in the middle of the night if someone calls mefor my advice and guidance."


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"Use your daily commutes to manage"

Vinay Agrawal

CEO, Angel Broking

"Like most Mumbaikars, I have a fairly long commute to work. I use the morning ride toplan my day and the evening ride to network. I also take out three hours every week tobrowse the net and keep up with latest technology trends. I keep hand-written notes in apersonal diary during the monthly meeting of senior executives, where I make a note ofcommitments each one has made. At any meeting, I have notes from at least 12 previousmeetings, so I can recall what was said before and monitor what action has been taken.My direct reports know of this habit, so they're very careful."

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perception

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"Walk around the office"

Rajiv Kaul

Vice Chairman and CEO, CMS Info Systems

"Over the past 20 years, I have developed a habit of walking around the office meetingpeople. I don't spend much time at my desk. We have a lot of conversations in thecorridors, where issues are resolved. I prefer that to scheduling formal meetings. I alsokeep emails to the minimum. I spend 45 minutes on email daily and I don't get or sendmore than ten emails a day. Compare that with most other people who take pride ingetting 100 emails a day and spend a lot of their time on them. Four years ago, I toldeveryone that I don't want to be marked on every office email."


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for unborn baby boys

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Shishir Baijal

Chairman & Managing Director, Knight Frank India

"I've made it a habit to wake up at 5 am and spend at least an hour at the gym or doingyoga on my sea-facing balcony. I get to the office by 8 am, an hour before everyone.This gives me time to think and plan the day. My own work, such as answering mails, isall done before anyone else comes in, leaving me free the rest of the day to meet withpeople and build relationships. I'm not much into email communication - I keep myreplies short and terse - and prefer talking to people on the phone or face-to-face. WhenI'm traveling, though, I don't go to the gym or do yoga. Instead, I take a long walk."


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Ashutosh Kaushik to play leadrole in 'Yeh Hai India'

Twitter can help improvetransgenders' well-being

Ladies! Chamomile tea canhelp you live longer

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"Seek fresh perspectives, use sticky notes"

Rohit Bansal

Co-Founder, Snapdeal

"Every morning,I drink a huge glass of water and check emails that came through thenight. I clear my mailbox every night. I spend the first 15 minutes of a work day planning.On the laptop, I use sticky notes all the time. Ours is a fast growing company, so it isdifficult to stay away from work completely over weekends. But I do ensure that I spendtime with my family a lot more on weekends than on weekdays. I meet at least two newpeople every week from any stream to keep a fresh perspective on the world. Many ofthem are not even connected to the Snapdeal business. I meet them, sometimes at ouroffice or at coffee shops and restaurants. I try and stay connected with most peopleeither through phone calls or emails or social networking sites."


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other fiction legends broughtthe action to India

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"Maintain a journal & listen to people"

Munish Sharda

Managing Director & CEO, Future Generali Life Insurance

"Since 2009, I keep a hand-written diary with a list of things to do, in which I makejottings at least three times a week. This is very useful given the hectic schedules.Another work habit I have instituted is a "listen only" session with my team every sixmonths. At these sessions my direct reports can say anything they want and I only listenand don't respond during the course of the meeting. A third work habit I have is to dowith managing relationships. At the start of every month, my secretary gives me a list of


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8 of 23 23-05-15 13.04

Zoravar Gill's stint withMaharashtra CM DevendraFadnavis

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them."

"De-clutter your life"

Shalabh Seth

Managing Director, Sabmiller India

"I allocate "me time" on a daily basis as well as on weekends. This "me time" is assacrosanct as the most important business meeting. This habit ensures that one isalways ready for a marathon and not just a single race. My Saturday afternoon nap issomething I enjoy and I try never to schedule anything that disturbs the routine. Overtime, I have tried to de-clutter my life. For example, my formal wardrobe consists of lightshirts and dark trousers. On Fridays and weekends, I wear jeans and T-shirts. I don'twaste time pondering over what I should wear. I have moved most of my work on to myiPhone, so I no longer carry a laptop, though I still carry my iPad as back up. We're abeer company, so I've made it a habit to take my team out to a bar after meetings. WhenI visit our offices outside Bangalore, I make it a point to take everyone there out for adrink in the evenings."


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Cannes like film festival

Premature birth can run infamilies: Study

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'Masaan' gets standing ovationat Cannes

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"Travel for new ideas"

Devendra Shah

Chairman, Parag Milk Foods

"Innovation doesn't come from sitting in the office. When we set up our first cheeseplant, the technology here was limited, so I toured Europe. I have now made it a habit totravel abroad at least six times a year, usually for one week at a stretch. I usually goalone, but sometimes I take one of my senior technical people. I don't just go todeveloped countries, but also to the developing nations of Asia. My last trip was to thePhilippines. I look for insights when I travel."


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Sonam Kapoor's featherygown at Cannes humorous,say fans

Natural sounds can boostproductivity in office

70% people use smartphoneswhile driving: Study

Shah Rukh Khan back atCelebex summit

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Google search allows tweetson mobile devices

Ashton Kutcher slams mediafor posting photos of hisdaughter

Swarup Choudhury

Managing Director, First Data India

"I have a meeting with my direct reports every fortnight, but we also have a system of"war room" meetings, which requires everyone to assemble with one hour notice. Warroom meetings are called when we have a big transaction coming up and they happenonce a fortnight. I've set myself a standard of responding to emails within 24 hours andSMS and WhatsApp messages within two hours. As the country head of a MNCheadquartered in New York, I often receive visitors from other countries. I've made it ahabit to take foreign guests out to dinner. Most Americans visiting India want to goshopping and I accompany them if they're looking for antiques and handicrafts. If they'relooking to buy clothes, my wife steps in."

"Ab tum batao"

Sanjay Sethi

CEO, Shopclues

"If you come to my office and speak to me, the phrase that you will most hear would be"Ab tum batao (now, you say)." Now, this has become an office joke. I have a habit ofmaking people repeat what I said in meetings. Through this, I am able to detect whethermy colleagues have understood what I have said or not. Mostly, people get only 50% ofwhat I just said. So, when somebody is late to a meeting, I don't repeat myself, but Imake someone else repeat what I spoke for the benefit of the late comer. If something islost in communication, I clarify. I have slight dyslexia. So, I listen to audio books on myway to office. When I reach the office, I am usually half way through a book. I aminterested in astrophysics and quantum physics. It makes me realise that we are veryinsignificant in the larger universal scheme of things. The only time we have, is now."


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11 of 23 23-05-15 13.04

resistance

Now, an online store that isalways on sale!

Cyril and Vandana Shroffcelebrate 30 years oftogetherness

Bellandur Amani lake frothcatches fire

TVs and laptops might betalking to each other soon!

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Critics slam HBO drama 'Gameof Thrones' for rape scene

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Music is doctor ThomasCandy's therapy for the soul

Rock band Lagori partnerswith Big Brewsky to createlimited edition beer!

'Baa' of 'Kyunki', SudhaShivpuri, passes away

"Meet new people, stay updated"

Vineet Toshniwal

Managing Director, Equirus Capital

"Our business is all about new ideas. This can only come from meeting people fromvarious walks of business like entrepreneurs, investors. I meet 7- 10 people a week. Thishelps me in ideation. I try to remain updated about global business developments. Ifollow articles and blogs of Warren Buffett and Jim Rogers. This gives me a long termperspective. Mornings, I dedicate to tracking news and markets. I devote the first half ofthe day to meetings and second half for internal office work. I try to catch up with friendsoffline rather than social media sites. But I am very active on LinkedIn, which helps toconnect with people in the investment banking ecosystem."

"Interview all prospective employees"

Anu Acharya

CEO, Mapmygenome

"I sleep very little - around 4-5 hours. As soon as I get up, I workout. I don't use atreadmill. Even at office, I don't pick up the phone and call my colleagues, I walk up tothem. I like to come in to office before the rush begins, so that I can focus on what I wantto do. I delegate my work to my colleagues, because someone is better than you atcertain things. But there are certain things I don't delegate, like recruitment. I interviewcandidates myself. On weekends, I go for various conferences and meetings. I am a


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Here's the latest Rolls-Roycecar, 'Wraith'

Vivek Oberoi and Priyankaname daughter AmeyaaNirvana

Underwater tennis court couldsoon be a reality

Do you have a 'dadbod'? Takethis quiz to find out

Narendra Modi & BarackObama among the top 5 stateheads on Twitter

Pepperfry.com celebrates onemillion customer milestonewith Rajasthan Royals

Blues fan Anand Mahindrapays tribute to BB King

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Celebrities douse in diamondsat De Grisogono

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"Start early, acknowledge performers regularly"

Vivek Gambhir

Managing Director, Godrej Consumer

"On days I'm not traveling, I come to office before everyone else. 8.00 - 9.30 am is mytime when I don't take any meetings. It's for reflection and reading. I have a one day, oneweek and a longer term to-do list which I look at while driving to work. I also avoidchecking email through the day. Instead, every 1.5-2 hours I set aside 15-30 minutes andrespond to email in these blocks of time. Every Sunday, I carve out some time to reflecton the week gone by and send out emails acknowledging people who've donesomething stellar during the week. I've made it a habit to have coffee or lunch with mytop 50 team members every quarter to get feedback. I also be a part of their specialoccasions - kids birthdays, anniversaries, promotions — by sending a handwritten note."


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Review: Top-notchperformance, but the heftyprice is a letdown

BlackBerry Leap Review:Adequate performance but notwhat you expect at Rs 21,490

A new bridal fashion mighthave been set off by thisvillage girl

Launch pad: Top gadgetlaunches of the week

Apple updates MacBook Pro,cuts price on high-end iMac

George Clooney talks politicsat 'Tomorrowland' premiere

I've been offered Marvel andDC movies: MatthewMcConaughey

Base jumping: The thrill to flycarries risk with each leap

My agent says I'm too old toplay teenagers: Carey Mulligan

Twitter, LinkedIn: For world'sbest CEO's

Cannes steps into trouble withhigh-heels code at 'Carol'screening

Aishwarya-starrer 'Jazbaa's'first look launched at Cannes2015

Disney World tells riders tostop using selfie sticks

Gwyneth Paltrow faceswardrobe malfunction

Taylor Swift, Calvin Harris kissand tell love tale

Cigarette butts can offer greenenergy storage solution

Raju Vanapala

Founder, Way2sms

"I do a lot of reading-not books, but articles and blogs. These are mostly articles writtenby startup heroeslike Paul Graham of Y Combinator. These are very insightful - like howto manage macros and what kind of people you want to hire. Another guy, who I follow isAaron Levie, co- founder of Box. I never miss his blog posts. The other habit I have isthat I write down everything from micros and macros. My room is full of scribbling padswhich I have used over the years. I finish one note pad every week. On Saturdays, Ireview my goals, which helps you validate. I also use the ColorNote app for drawing goalsetting graphs."

"Use social media to connect with people"

Swati Bhargava

Co- Founder, Cashkaro.com

"For the past 7 years, I have been doing Yoga in the mornings. I am very active onTwitter. I have found that normally people who don't reply to you via email, usuallyrespond quicker on Twitter. I connect with my teammates also on social media so that Ican get to know my colleagues better. We even have a WhatsApp group in office. Myhusband Rohan (also the co- founder) and I have lunch with our colleagues every day.We have a kitchen in the office. So, we don't do any other lunch meetings."


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14 of 23 23-05-15 13.04

Savour the taste of mangoesat Foodhall's food fest

Orange juice good for ageingbrain: Study

If your kids throw tantrum,consult a doctor

Asthmatic men less likely todie of prostate cancer

Games on FacebookMessenger very soon

Sarah Jane packs her bags forCannes

Sex helps populations avoidextinction: Study

Keep smartphone away forbetter grades: Study

Show is show, books arebooks: GRR Martin on Game ofThrones

Is nicotine all bad? Find out!

Salman Khan tweets aboutKashmir, Katrina Kaif

Why do men exist? Scientificstudy offers an explanation

ZTE Nubia Z9 mini launched atRs 16,999 in India

Physics paper with over 5,000authors a world record

Iron Maiden vocalist, BruceDickinson is free from cancer,says band

D Shivakumar

Chairman & CEO, Pepsico India

"Everybody has 24 hours and the biggest demand on any CEO is maximising time. Hehas to be good in time discipline. CEOs must come well-prepared for meetings. For that,they must have access to information at least 24-48 hours prior. I ensure suchinformation is available in advance. Also, CEOs tend to get stuck up with internal issuesand normally use 5%-10% of their time interacting with external stakeholders. A strongexternal orientation helps and I regularly take time out to interact with industrial bodies,media or just reading up.

"Don't check social media at work"

Girish Mathrubootham

Founder and CEO, Freshdesk

"Every morning, I play 3 sets of tennis on a clay court. During this time, if my phonerings, I won't take it. I make a lot of official calls while I drive to office. A lot of startupfounders come to meet me for advice. And I try to meet at least two wannabeentrepreneurs a week. I have a rule for emails. If I am not marked in the To or Cc, I movethose mails to a separate folder. That is how I prioritise. I don't check social media on mydesktop during work. I only do that on my mobile phone, when I am free."


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15 of 23 23-05-15 13.04

prom because he wore a kilt

Mother's obesity may weakenbaby's immunity

Joachim Trier maps complexUS family drama at Cannes

Pacific quest: Swiss pilotAndre Borchberg prepares fortoughest leg

Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown leadBET award nominations

Actor Shivrajkumar's daughterNirupama to wed on August 31

Leonardo DiCaprio buys$13,600 Chanel bag for charity

Anil Kapoor is not ready tostart acting school yet

Russia to move away fromAndroid, iOS

Filmmakers look to Twitter,Facebook for stars

After a Cannes drubbing, VanSant reflects on 'Sea of Trees'

Teewe 2 Wireless StreamingStick launched for Rs 2,399

'Selfie' and 'biryani' entersFrench dictionary for first time

Google's self-driving cars to hitthe roads in US

American TV legend DavidLetterman bids farewell

Natural colours are making areturn to the make-up kit

"Use mind mapping software, stay calm"

Ganesh Ayyar,

CEO, Mphasis

"As an early bird, I believe daybreak to be the most productive part of any 24-hourregimen. I've done it for years, even as a student preparing for my exams. Ever since theadvent of tablets and mindmapping software, I use the devices to the hilt to provide mewith a beforeand-after scenario. Personally, I use the 'iThought HD' software. It helps meto think through the key messages of meetings quickly. I have been using them for threeyears to verify if I'm on the right track as being a CEO is a very lonely job. I rarely exhibitany emotion. I don't let my emotion dictate my reaction. It actually helps people to bringthe bad news to me. Otherwise, they would not do so since I'm the CEO."


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16 of 23 23-05-15 13.04

As 'Mad Men' concludes,creator ready to rest onlaurels, stay offline

I admire Justin and Rihannaji’smusic: Himesh Reshamiya

Teenager discovers a 1,400-year-old wine press

Shahid Kapoor's fiancee MiraRajput has a bridal shower

Actor Shikha Joshi's kin don'tbuy suicide theory, say it's acover-up

Bengaluru's nightlife is buzzingagain!

Street markets take a backseat as Delhi shops online thissummer

31 years since 'Sharaabi', BigB looks back

'Netflix will destroy theecosystem of film productionin Europe: Andre Lange, EAO

No evidence for Vitamin Dbenefit claims, says study

Jane Fonda says gender paygap 'unacceptable'

Celebs go ga-ga overDubsmash

Deepika Padukone's 'Piku'overshadows Ranbir Kapoor's'Bombay Velvet'

I'm still alive, says Jackie Chanon death hoax

Milap Zaveri shares sneakpeak of 'Masti 3'

"Plan meetings in advance"


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17 of 23 23-05-15 13.04

ahead of Mississippi funeral

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CEO, Zensar Technologies

"I believe in extreme planning. As of now, I know what my international travel calendar isgoing to be like till March 2016. When scheduling meetings with international clients,you need to give them 4-5 months notice and this also gives me and my team time toplan better, set up more meetings when I'm there etc. It's important for me to at leasthave a tentative schedule for the next 6-7 months and then make sure it works. I'm alsoassociated with industry bodies like CII and Nasscom and before taking on any industryroles, I make sure that I have the calendar of activities a year in advance. Even ourinternal bi-monthly strategic management council meetings and monthly managementcouncil meetings are scheduled for the whole year and this is something we stick by.This is something that I've practised over the last 20 years."

"Take your vacations, destress"

Susir Kumar,

CEO, Serco Global Services

"I take four holidays a year; one with family and friends, one just with my family, one onlywith my wife and yet another one with just friends. This goes a long way in keeping mefulfilled and spending quality time with the people dearest to me. Needless to say, it hasa positive rub-off on my work and helps me achieve the desired work-life balance. Asteady fitness regime and playing tennis has also helped. I have been doing Yoga forthe past nine years and the vertical headstand is my brahmastra for days when I needfocus and calmness. And lastly, I have taken to listening to binaural beats during longhaul transatlantic flights as a way induce relaxation, sharpening of focus, creativity andother desirable mental states."


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"Use calendars, junk review meetings"

Ankur Warikoo

CEO, Groupon India

"I'm a calendar person and have been maintaining a calendar for 20 years now. Fromnotebooks to (Microsoft) Excel sheets, in 2006, I switched to Google Calendar. GrouponIndia has 240 employees and all of our email is on Google Calendar. We don't exchangeemails. There were a lot of people early on who approached me on email for my time. Iimmediately sent them a calendar. This way, each party gets to know and block eachother's time. I never have review meetings. Instead, I conduct workshops, which meanswe will never be sitting and evaluating what has happened in the past. Rather, I go forworkshops where we are always planning for the future and where it is very clear whohas actually worked—the review is implicit."

"Use WhatsApp groups at work"

Rajeev Singh,

Managing Director,Benq India

" For quicker communication, I formed a WhatsApp group called 'Projector Hotwire'. Theentire projector sales and business teams are a part of it and they share everything that


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19 of 23 23-05-15 13.04

become a template of sorts in the organisation. I have been on WhatsApp for three yearsnow and the habit translated into agility on the work front. I tend to spend an hour everyday on WhatsApp and try to use it optimally on the go or between meetings. So thingsare moving faster as competition activity mapping is now real time instead of weekly ormonthly updates as before."

"Go back to the basics"

Alok Tandon

CEO, Inox Leisure

"I am an engineering graduate. Even though my present job does not require me tobrush up my knowledge of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, I still like to flipthrough my old books as a form of relaxation. It gives me a lot of joy, and I think it keepsme grounded, even if it doesn't help me with day to day work. What does help me withmy day to day work is the system of morning meetings which we have instituted in thecompany. The meeting is at 9.30 every morning and is attended by all departmentheads."


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Very sound tips....will be an eye opener to those who wish to climb up the steep road tosuccess.

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Each CEO has his/her own plan and they have fully implemented that plan andsucceeded. DREAM BIG, PLAN AND IMPLEMENT IT AND REST LEAVE IT GOD.


good .. informative.. keep one enthusiastic during work... Agree (0)Disagree (0)Recommend (0)Offensive

Nice article Agree (0)Disagree (0)Recommend (0)Offensive

Good points, but some things like attitude towards social media at work is conflicting. Toevery person, his own.


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Nice read !! Good inputs !! Agree (0)Disagree (0)Recommend (0)Offensive

Good insight !! Agree (0)Disagree (0)Recommend (0)Offensive

very nice Agree (0)Disagree (0)Recommend (0)Offensive

Start early, acknowledge performers regularly" This is what I like, other thing is useVacation to destress.


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Work habits and secrets of 25 supereffective CEOs

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