Srikumar S. Rao - Happiness at Work: Be Resilient, Motivated, and Successful - No Matter What

Be Resilient, Motivated, and SuccessfulNo Matter What

Srikumar S. Rao, Ph.D.

Copyright 2010 by Srikumar S. Rao. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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To my wife, Meena, without whose unstinting support I would never have been able to write this or develop my course. There were timessuch as during my extended sojourns in Londonwhen she was almost a single mother, and though the strain was great, the complaints were few.

I HAVE KNOWN SRIKUMAR Rao for many years and long admired his pioneering course Creativity and Personal Mastery. Some of the professionals I most admire are alumni of this program, including the owner of one of the worlds most prestigious restaurants, the CEO of an amazingly environmental-oriented nonprofit, a fantastic executive coach, and a spectacularly successful investment banker. They all agree that the concepts Dr. Rao shares have dramatically and positivelychanged their lives.

I believe that his great thoughts may be able to help you in the same way.

Happiness at Work: Be Resilient, Motivated, and Successful No Matter What, its author, and its subject are especially significant to me because I attach great value to finding happiness and meaning in life. As a matter of fact, this is the subject of my new book, Mojo, in which I give my answer to the age-old question: What can people do to achieve more meaning and happiness in their lives? What a joy it is to know that Srikumar and I are on similar paths in our writing and our lives!

For much of my career as an executive coach, I have defined my mission as helping my clients achieve positive changes in their interpersonal behavior. Though this mission hasnt changed, I am now focusing more on our internal workings and on personal definitions of meaning and happiness. The stories, examples, suggestions, and teachings that Srikumar sets forth in Happiness at Work are highly supportive of this mission and have expanded my thinking on the subject altogether.

What I find most exciting about Happiness at Work: Be Resilient, Motivated, and SuccessfulNo Matter What is the no matter what part of it. Srikumar delivers on this promise. In Happiness at Work he shows us how to find joy in the bigand littlethings and how to do so anytime, anywhere. It will take a little practice and even a little work, but if you follow Srikumars instructions you will enjoy the journey to having more happiness and meaning in your life, no matter what!

Life is good.

Marshall Goldsmith

Million-selling author of
What Got You Here Wont Get You There;
Succession: Are You Ready?; and
Mojo: How to Get It, How to Keep It, and
How to Get It Back If You Lose It

DO YOU SOMETIMES feel like a rag doll in the jaws of a hyperactive terriershaken vigorously from left to right, up and down, round and round, over and over again? Life can do that sometimes. But now it seems to be happening more often and the terrier has more muscular jaws and greater tenacity?

Its often said that the only constant is change, and stuff will come at you from left field. But what happens when the number of things from that field mysteriously increases and they all come at you with greater velocity and unerring accuracy?

The number of ways in which your life can be upended despite all your careful planningis almost comical. For example, an investment banker, conscious of the precariousness of his job, was determined not to buy more house than he could afford as so many of his peers were doing. He waited until his income was secure, and he received a categorical assurance from his boss that he would be the very last person to be laid off in the event of a downturn. Then he bought his big house. Six months later, his 150-year-old bulge-bracket firm was whipsawed in the financial markets, ran out of capital, and folded, leaving him stranded high but not dry.

In another instance, a senior executive, who had a strong antipathy to one of her colleagues, was finally able to muster enough support to force him out. He joined another firm in a related industry. Less than a year later, that firm acquired hers in a hostile takeover. He became her new boss and promptly fired her.

Similar things may have happened to you, giving you strong empathy with a big-wave surfer caught by an unexpected tsunami and tumbled repeatedly. There are upheavals in career prospects, economic climate, and relationship dynamics. Frequently it becomes overwhelming.