In 300 words or less: Samsung Galaxy Tab

My biggest compliments to Samsung for consistently introducing cutting-edge products in India, not far after their rest -of-the-world launch. Samsung Galaxy tab is the nth such device where they have done this (Galaxy S is another recent example) – Ku Dos! HTC, Apple – please pay heed!

As always, you can find tones of information on technical details etc but here is how you’d ‘feel’ about the Tab.

1.      Zippy – fast processor; easily runs several applications at once.

2.      Flexibility of Android.

3.      Solidly built, feels good in the hand (finger-print magnet however, like most gadgets these days) and looks quite attractive (until your finger prints ruin the classy finish!).

4.      Really average camera.

5.      Hard to type on this big block (like with most tablets) in either portrait or landscape, swipe-type is meaningless – you end up touching more real estate & hence tiring your fingers sooner.

6.      Pre-loaded with MapmyIndia maps but I really don’t see myself peeking at a (relatively speaking) mammoth device for navigation.

7.      Lets you make calls too – unlike more premium (read ‘iPad’) tablet(s).

Bottom Line – Samsung has got the price-point wrong. For that money, you might want to look at (comparison inevitable…) the iPad – which is much more polished OR Dell Streak – which is much more pocket able (and an awesome product if Dell could upgrade the software quicker!! much easier to use as a GPS device too..). Then again, you really need to choose your ecosystem. Polish of Apple vs flexibility of Android.

If you are in India however, you only get smuggled iPad at this point – at over US$1,000. So the Tab may make sense yet.

That then is the review in 300 words or less, but who is counting?!

Until next post,

Nitin Malhotra

Best leaders nurture independent decision makers

In the Ramayana, Hanuman, the monkey-god, is known as the greatest devotee of Ram. It was he who located Ram’s wife, Sita, in Lanka, after she was abducted by the Rakshasa-king, Ravan.

The story goes that after the discovery of Sita’s whereabouts, Hanuman, of his own volition, set aflame the city of Lanka. This had displeased Ram as he had no desire to hurt the residents of Lanka for the crime of their king.

Not want to displease Ram ever again, Hanuman swore never to take any decision without consulting with Ram.
This absolute obedience became so intense that it alarmed Jambuvan, the wise bear, who also served in the army of animals raised by Ram to defeat Ravan and liberate Sita.

When Hanuman was being given instructions of where he would find the Sanjivani herb that could save Ram’s brother, Laxman, from certain death after being injured in battle, Jambuvan told Ram, “Make sure to clearly tell him to come back with the herb after he finds it. Otherwise, he will find the herb and simply wait by the mountain, in complete compliance.” This was not good, Ram realised. The situation had to be rectified.

And so it came to pass, as retold in the Adbhut Ramayana, during the course of the war, Ravan’s cousin, Mahiravan, a sorcerer, managed to abduct both Ram and Laxman, and take them to Patala, his subterranean kingdom. Only Hanuman had the intellectual and physical prowess to rescue them.

He had to rely on his own wits; there was no Ram around to instruct him. He was on his own. Jambuvan realised this situation was of Ram’s own making; Hanuman was being forced to rise up to the challenge.

At one point of the rescue mission, Hanuman had to simultaneously blow out five lamps located in five corners of Patala. He solved this problem by sprouting four extra heads: that of a boar, an eagle, a lion and a horse. With five heads he could blow out five lamps located in five directions easily.

Eventually, Hanuman succeeded in rescuing Ram. He had transformed from an obedient servant to an astute independent decision-maker. He had transformed from Rambhakt to Mahavir, from god (in lower case) to God (in upper case), worthy of veneration in his own right. Ram had thus created a leader.

A time comes in every leader’s life when he has to create leaders around him. This involves making people around him competent enough to take independent decisions. But this is not easy. Every decision has consequences, not all of them acceptable to a leader. It demands tremendous restraint and maturity on a leader’s part not to intervene and change the decision made by a junior.

Hanuman’s decision of burning Lanka displeased Ram. And so after that, Hanuman stopped taking decisions. To rectify the damage done, Ram had to remove himself from the scene so that Hanuman could rediscover his decision-making abilities. A leader need not agree with a junior’s decision.

They are two different people and so may not see the same situation in the same way. But to imagine that the junior will think just like them, is many a leader’s folly. Sanjeev is one such leader.

Sanjeev’s brilliant decision making abilities have resulted in his becoming a partner in a consulting firm at a very early age. Now he has to nurture his managers and nudge them to take more responsibilities.

One manager, Sebastian, on his own decided to follow up on the status of a business proposal with a client. “Why did you do that?” shouted Sanjeev, “It can put them off.”

Another time, Sebastian gave a half day off to a management trainee who was feeling unwell. “Why did you do that?” screamed Sanjeev, “There is so much work to do.” After this, not wanting to upset his boss further, Sebastian stopped taking any decisions.

He just did what Sanjeev told him to do. During appraisals, Sanjeev said, “You need to be more proactive,” to Sebastian’s astonishment, and great irritation.

Sanjeev wants Sebastian to be proactive but any signs of proactive behaviour is immediately reprimanded. As a result, Sanjeev is surrounded by obedient followers and no leaders. Sanjeev does not trust his managers unless they think exactly like him, which is impossible.

Potential leaders, unable to handle Sanjeev’s demand for proactive behaviour followed by reprimand of all independent decisions, have left the organisation. Sebastian is planning to leave too. And he will, unless Sanjeev realises that to groom leaders he has to allow them to take decisions and stand by them, no matter what. This indicates trust. Only in trust does growth happen.

The author is the Chief Belief Officer of the Future Group who has just written Jaya: an illustrated retelling of Mahabharata (Penguin India).