Tripping blithely over the yawning inaction of recent times, let me attempt to slide back into rhythm with relatively less effort, by simply capturing some bits of observation lying about in my notes from the last few years: Winks: Struck by the glaring departure from the exemplary compliance culture of the Swiss, implied by the... Continue Reading →
INSEAD Valedictorian Address – Dec 21, 2007
Putting down below my valedictorian address at the INSEAD Executive MBA graduation - Dec 21, 2007 - late in the day to be doing it: EMBA 2007 GRADUATION – VALEDICTORY SPEECH - WAQAS HUSSAIN Introduction I feel honored and humbled to be representing such an exceptional group of people today – a group so talented,... Continue Reading →
Time Travel: Unfiled Snippets
Here's an entry that got sucked into a time warp. The lines below were written in the first week of September during an INSEAD week, but disappeared into a seldom-accessed Drafts folder on my pda-phone:- Propped by in bed in Ibis Fontainebleau right now. Fatima is rolling about in the sheets, putting her newly bought... Continue Reading →
Message Boards & Alumni Reunions: Personality Types
I have a theory about alumni message boards. While everyone who joins up is at first motivated by the same desire to reconnect, catch-up and reminisce, over time the population gets divided into three broad categories, whose hallmarks I think have learned to identify in the tone and content of their posts. The first type (often the majority)... Continue Reading →
Truman Show: The End of Make Believe
Sitting in the main hall of the Brussels Commune - 3rd hour of an interminable wait, only to tell them that I'm changing address. Of course this will be followed by a police visit to verify the address change, and finally yet another eternal morning at the commune to make the change on our cards.... Continue Reading →
Committed: Alea Iacta Est
The deed is done, or as ol' Julius put it, "the die is cast". All things considered, it was not as big a deal as I was semi-expecting. Having given myself ample time to get fully reconciled to the idea, the actual execution of it seemed breezily matter-of-fact. I surprised even myself at the relative... Continue Reading →
42: The Inner Theatre of Introverts
It is common knowledge that introverts use an inner theatre of thought to formulate and refine ideas, while extroverts have a bias for expressing thoughts early and refining them through dialog and interaction. Introverts are under the constant compulsion to utter only well-rehearsed words. Every sentence should be an exquisite rendition of a finely sculpted thought. ... Continue Reading →
Lima Beans: aka Butter Beans
The last couple of weeks have been pretty decisive. I have engaged in some keen discussions and deep reflection on the pros and cons of changing habitat. Whichever way I see it, the arguments in favor of moving are overwhelmingly strong, both from a rational as well as an emotional perspective. I have settled into... Continue Reading →
Two Shadows: Executive Exchange
The Exec Exchange deal came to a head today. I was tail-gated by PB and CB all day as part of the shadowing program, and was reminded of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle (the dummy version) which says something about the measuring process interfering with what is being measured. You cannot go through the motions pretending... Continue Reading →
Ornithology: Taming the Learning Impulse
My "Formation Ornitho" course started last Thursday, and has re-ignited my interest in birds. I used to love my excursions to the Umm Al Quwain mangroves back in 2002, where one was regaled by the sight of legions of coastal birds, like plovers, sandpipers, ospreys, gulls, and flamingoes. My self-study in ornithology was also coming along... Continue Reading →
Notes to Self 