CHENNAI: Inspiration is everywhere...one just needs to know where to look. And Pune-based author Prakash Iyer knows exactly where to look for inspiration. “People inspire me,” says Iyer who was in Chennai recently to launch his third book You Too Can, a collection of entrepreneurial stories. “One day, I was standing in the queue at the security check at Bangalore airport, when I noticed that the trays where we put our laptops in for the scanner were fast depleting.
When I finally made it to the end of the line, there was just one tray left and I was feeling quite accomplished to have gotten it. I happened to turn around to look behind me when I noticed that the man standing just after me, went over to the other line which had a lot of trays and picked not just one for himself, but a few more for everyone else behind him. See that is a leader right there,” narrates the author, speaker and coach as we meet him over coffee just ahead of the launch.
Iyer’s books are filled with stories like these. His first book, The Habit of Winning, and his second, The Secret of Leadership, were both bestsellers. In the most recent one, You Too Can, the focus is on 20 entrepreneurs and businesses. “There’s something we can all learn from entrepreneurs. What is it that makes them the way they are — not just the things they have achieved but the kind of advice they have to offer others ,”says Prakash, who adds that each story is different and has a different lesson that one can learn not just in business, but also in daily life.
A case in point would be Chennai’s very own CK Ranganathan, the man behind the salon conglomerate Naturals. His story in the book titled The Skinny Frog in the Pail of Milk is “the story of a man who believed in himself and never gave up. A story that holds a valuable lesson for anyone hoping to make a mark in business and in life,” writes Iyer.
Women entrepreneurs also feature in Iyer’s book and provide an interesting perspective. Meena Ganesh, CEO, Portea Medical is one of them. In her story, titled Hitting a Home Run, the CEO has some valuable inputs to share, including how to achieve that elusive work-home balance that women simply cannot seem to nail. “She puts it very simply — If you’re at home and you get a work call, and you still take it without feeling guilty...then why feel guilty about taking a home call when you are at work? I thought that was very interesting,” shares Prakash adding that Meena actually has a 3.30 pm call scheduled on a daily basis with her daughter, which she takes at work without fail.
Yet another story is that of Usha Sahu, founder-CEO, Yeh China that provides lessons in Mandarin in Mumbai. “A simple woman from Odhisha, who could not even speak English properly, has grown into a confident woman, who cannot just hold a conversation in Mandarin but teach it too. That is inspiration rightthere,”says Iyer.