He is the author of several books, includingInner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joywhich became best seller ofThe Washington Postand theNew York Times. The book tour in North America included 17 cities, and the launch events were attended by an estimated 26,000 people.TheHuffington Postreview describes the books as “full of practical tools to begin one’s self-transformation journey.

Here are his 10 tips to be successful .

#1 Forget Luck, Live by Intent

A few things may happen by chance. But if youwait for the chance, good things will happen to you only when you are in your grave because things may take their time. Even quantum theory says that if you try, you can actually walk through a wall once in a zillion times because there is a pulsation of particles happening and you may walk through. It is just that before you reach that one zillionth time, youll have a cracked skull. When you live by chance, you also live in fear and anxiety. When you live by intent and capability, it does not matter what is happening or not happening, at least you are in control of what is happening to you. It is a more stable life.

#2 Stop Fixating on Failure

For a committed man, there is no such thing as failure. If you fall down 100 times in the day, it is 100 lessons learnt. If you commit yourself like this to creating what you really care for, your mind gets organized. Once your mind gets organized, your emotions will get organized because the way you think is the way you feel. Once your thought and emotion are organized, your energies and your very body will get organized. Once all these four are organized in one direction, your ability to create and manifest what you want is phenomenal. You are the creator in many ways.

#3Work with Clarity

What a human being needs is clarity, not confidence. If you want to walk through a crowd of people, if your vision is clear and you can see where everybody is, you can just walk through the whole crowd without touching anyone. If your vision is not clear but you have confidence, you will walk over everybody. Because there is no clarity, people think that confidence is a good substitute. It just cannot be. Lets say you make all the major decisions in your life like this: get yourself a coin, flip it. If its heads, its one way, tails the other. It works 50% of the time. If you are right only 50% of the time, there are only two professions that you can keep either a weather man or an astrologer. You cannot keep any other job on this planet

#4 Embrace the People and Things You Dislike

To handle different kinds of situations in our lives, we need different kinds of identities. If you are fluid about it, if you can change from one to another gracefully, then you can play your role to the hilt and still have no problem with it. But for most people, their personality is like a rock. It sits on them all the time and makes them suffer anything that does not fit into its ambit.

If you have to break that, you have to do something in reverse. This is a simple thing you can do: team up with somebody that you do not like. Spend time with that person, very lovingly, joyfully. Learn to do things that you do not like, be with people that you do not like, and still live your life sensibly, lovingly and joyfully.

#5 Drop Your Calculations

There is no need to aspire to greatness. If you make the focus and ambit of your life well beyond the concerns of who you are, you will anyway be a great human being. If you look at certain people, greatness happened to them not because they were seeking to be great, but because their way of looking at life was way beyond what about me?

If you just drop this one calculation, What about me? from your head, and function to the best of your ability, in some way you will be great because you will naturally be looking at, What can I do about all the life around me? So, you will naturally enhance your capabilities because there is so much to do!

#6 Yoga For Success

Both the neurological and energy systems branch out in a big way between the shoulder blades and above. So, keeping the neck region in a good condition is very important. Within 3-4 minutes of doing these neck practices, you will distinctly see that you are much more alert. There is a higher level of neuronal regeneration, and memory and intellectual sharpness also improve.

#7 Be Equanimous and Exuberant

To be successful in the world, what you fundamentally need is prowess of the mind and the body. If you want to harness the mind, one of the most important qualities is equanimity. Equanimity gives you access to different dimensions of the mind. If there is no equanimity, your ability to use the mind is greatly reduced. Another important quality is on the level of your energy you need exuberance, both physiologically and internally. Only when your energies are exuberant do you have the ability to tide over obstacles in day-to-day life and move towards your success. If equanimity and exuberance are brought into your mind and body, success will come to you much more easily

#8 Tune Up Your Insight

Insight means you pay attention to life around you in such a way that you are able to see things that most people cannot see. If there is no insight, there is nothing to follow and toil for. Mediocrity can be transformed into extraordinary activity, only when there is a deep insight into something.

#9 Find Your Inspiration

Another important dimension is to constantly be inspired. Look at the reason why you are doing what you are doing and see the larger dimension of it, the contribution you make through every little thing you do in your life. Every action that human beings perform is a contribution to some dimension of this world. Whatever you may be doing, someone could be benefitted by it. Being conscious of your contribution will keep you inspired.

#10 Set the Gold Standard in Integrity

Integrity is important because when you want to function in the world, how much trust you generate with the people you interact with determines how easy or hard your daily efforts will be. If there is an atmosphere of trust, your ability to work will be greatly enhanced simply because everyone will pave the way for you rather than setting up impediments.

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1. 52% of vendors are accepting orders below the cost of production
2. 29% of vendors struggle to pay workers
3. 40% of vendors are likely to sub contract orders to other companies due to low prices
4. 60% of vendors admitted that they had to take full responsibility for financing social compliance and other ethical and environmental requirements, including audits

Though the survey was done mostly amongst the clothing and textile vendors to the ready made garment industry, it can be extrapolated to the finished leather vendors to global shoe and accessories brands.

The research identified many areas of conflicting messages. For example, while many brands require vendors to respect their Code of Conduct, their buying practices often sit at odds with such initiatives.

Most buyers have been found to negotiate aggressively on product quality , delivery and more importantly on price , and ethical criteria takes a back seat.

It was found that there is a low willingness on the part of buyers to accept basic increases in vendors cost of production due to labour costs and other accompanying overheads, thus reducing the vendors interest in constantly upgrading themselves in compliances.

Majority of the vendors were found to shoulder financial responsibility for research and development, with no back to back guarantees from the buyer.

Added to this, poor forecasting, late ordering, short lead times, put vendors under tremendous pressure, leading to increased overtime hours and lower wages. This has been further aggravated by todays fast fashion’s multiple seasons and short lead times.

The research concludes that the way forward would be a better understanding and collaboration within the supply chain and some of the recommendations are:

• Sharing responsibility and risk
• Building a deeper understanding of the product and production process
• A more equitable distribution of financial commitments all towards a common goal

World Footwear Production was at 23 Billion pairs, somewhat static since 2014 as against a growth of 15 % during 2010-2014. Production geography:

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Top 15 Exporters of Footwear in Billion US$:

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Footwear Consumption in Million pairs region-wise totalling to 20 Billion pairs:

From the orange at Hermes to the red coating ofChristian Loubotins shoe soles, brands have often distinguished themselves by incorporating emblematic colors into their products.

Color can trigger brand recognition almost immediately. Think of H&Ms red, Starbucks green or Gaps blue. These brands have become virtually synonymous with the colors that represent them.The consistency and frequency with which each of these brands utilizes their flagship colors evokes not just instant recognition but also a reassuring sense of trust and reliability.

Color is used for brand recognition, storytelling, directing a shoppers attention and calls to action.The shades used by a business are key to its branding color has long been touted as a vital component of the in-store shopping experience.

Color can have up to a 60 percent influence on purchasing decisions. Studies show that brighter colors are more effective online than in brick-and-mortar stores and that different colors can inspire different emotions in consumers. Blue might invoke trust, for example, while red might inspire passion. Black might show sophistication (think Chanel), blue or gray can conjure trust and power (Burberry), and black and red combinations might bring to mind sensuality (Victorias Secret). Color undoubtedly plays a role in marketing both in-store and through digital channels . So selecting the appropriate color that aptly reflects a brands value is central in relation to its ability to build a personal connection.

Shades that appeal to women might be different from those that appeal to men, and a younger audience might be more accepting of a given color than an older one. As with everything in branding, you cant understand what the most effective use of color will be until you understand your customers first.

A Tagline or an advertisement slogan can bring in a lot of benefits for business and branding. It fortifies your ideas and allows customers to connect with your message. In fact several businesses are recognised by their taglines and their standing in the market place is influenced by it.

So if you dont have a Tagline get one fast as:

• It sets you apart from competition
• Gives information about your business
• Reinforces your brand identity

If this is the highest forum for the leather industry, then it was a little disappointing. Speaker after speaker repeating same few words sustainability, traceability, transparency, long term customer relationship, RSL etc. Hardly any fresh thoughts except for Michael Shih, President of Tung Hong tannery.

Clearly industry is on the back foot, trying to fight back and change the narrative against all its enemies like PETA and the need to tell aloud tanners side of the story.

Lisa Howlett US leather industries association deputy president 5th generation tanner. Gave statistics how the leather production output in States has been coming down over decades.

Luca Boltri – Italian tanners association said Italy is catching up. Gave statistics for the whole industry.(World produces 1700 sq kilometres of leathers a year). Even now labour cost is only 15% of the leather value so Italy will continue to do well. They have become biggest buyer for US raw hides. According to his figures in shoe production first is China and second is India, followed by Vietnam , 4th Brazil and 5th Indonesia.

Of the total shoe production only 20% is leather shoes in numbers which accounts for 45% in value. He has a positive outlook for leather Industry. World population is increasing and is expected to touch 9 billion by 2050. Beef consumption also will increase. By 2025 US beef consumption will be US$ 400 million and raw export will increase by 20%.

Simon Yarwood CEO of World Leather Keynote address – He talked about making wetblue close to slaughtering areas & how to make industry survive in the coming decades. Mostly talking about how to satisfy customers requirements for traceability , RSL etc.

Erica Ng e- commerce consultant consumer behavior / retail: All management jargons. As a summary e-commerce will grow / mall-shopping will come down.

Ding Xia President JD.com Fashion business unit talked about their company and their growth. Figures are mind boggling. Their marketing festival single day sales is more than Belle annual sales. All in billions. 2016 their sale was 136 billion USD.

Mike Redwood Consultant Clayton leather group same thing sustainability, traceability, transparency, RSL how to address brand demands and customer requirements.

Song Xiaowu Senior VP President scaling up e-commerce to offset falling retail sales.

Gareth Brooks MD GF asia basically same as other speakers how to meet customers demands on traceability, transparency, sustainability, RSL. And about automation. In Dominican republic they are already making Timberland leather shoes and many functions already using robots. Leather is scanned and cut by robots. Nike following the same and there is a move to make shoes closer to the market.

Stephen Jeske GST automotive leather: He says his company is 80 years old and will continue for another 80 years because no alternative still like leather for car upholstery. (Inspite of the fact that Tesla has said they will not use any more leather in their cars).

Chad Martin Tyson GM – They have 24% market share in USA for beef. Same as others sustainability, transparency, traceability ,RSL. They have slaughter houses and tanneries in various locations in USA.

Jonathan Clark Prime Asia CEO same 4 words. Plus innovation / change adapt or perish. No talk about Nike using more synthetics or what he is going to do about it.

Fernando Bellese JBS sustainability manager says Industry is getting a bad name because of a few bad apples. Then went on to talk how JBS is doing a fantastic job to satisfy all their customers in traceability, effluent treatment, human resouces handling and RSL.

Lydia Lin ZDHC foundation started by Nike and another 7 brands years ago for implementing RSL now has around 80 members. They have their own set of standards for chemicals to be used. If we have to supply to these brands, we have to pass ZDHC standards for chemicals like REACH standard.

Dietrich Tegtmeyer IULTCS president (International union for leather technologists and chemists societies) defending chemical usage in leathers. Spoke against these blind RSL mafia and why many chemicals are not as bad as it is projected.

Michael Shih, President of Tung Hung tannery the only fresh voice in the whole session. He said he thought for a long time whether to talk like the rest or tell the truth. He said he doesn’t care he is already old and not worried about upsetting someone. He says, looks like its time to hang up his boots and go home since its not profitable anymore. He runs a cow suede tannery making 2 million sqft for brands. He says when US hides were at 100 USD, meat price was 3.4 USD per kg. He was paying 3.68 dollars per kg for hides. So which one is the by product? Hides or meat. So people like Tyson foods push up the hide price on one side. Then customers like Nike cut leather costs every season inspite of making billion dollar profit already. Then ask tanner for traceability, transparency, RSL – how is it possible? Tanner should clean up the environment but brand doesn’t want to pay 5 cents extra for environment. His was the only talk which got huge round of applause !

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Leather Tanning uses up a lot of water. We are now working closely with the Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai to look at possibilities of using desalinated water in our processes without any change in quality parameters as well as compliances.

This will be one more step towards environmental sustainability.

Read on .

Retail existed for hundreds if not thousands of years before the internet transformed society. Back then, shopping was a local activity. A shopper could only buy products in her physical vicinity. If brands wanted to sell their products, they usually had to open up physical stores or enlist people to sell their products as door to door salesmen. The impact of retail was physically limited.

Because of this localized reality, merchandisingthe process of displaying, curating and organizing products in a manner that drives saleswas crucial. Buyers, who decided what and where products would sit on the sales floor, were critical to the success of a store and brand. As were designers and creative directors, who dreamed up the styles and designs each season. These teams held an immense amount of power, often relying on gut and sometimes historical data to inform their decisions.

During this time, retail was a supply-driven world. Designers would design products and buyers would buy products that they thought shoppers will like. Six to twelve months later, these products would show up on the sales floor for the moment of truth. The feedback loop was slow, which would repeat every season. Design and merchandising reigned supreme. This often created a monologue between brands and shoppers, as the former would do most of the talking and shoppers were expected to listen. Sometimes there was a dialogue, but the brand’s response or acceptance of the shopper’s requests were often slow, if existent at all.

As internet adoption skyrocketed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, browsing and buying products moved from a local to a global activity. Shoppers were no longer bound by the limited selection of products in their town. They increasingly had access to millions of products around the world as the number of choices and competition grew exponentially.

Then social media happened, further catalyzing the shift from a world of gatekeepers who governed supply to a world where shoppers increasingly wielded the powers of demand. The introduction of Instagram in 2010 might have been the final nail in the coffin, as the platform unleashed the most important discovery tool in fashion and apparel today. The retail store used to have a monopoly on discovery, but the internet and Instagram have relentlessly challenged the conventional wisdom.

The industry used to think about a shopper as the ending. Today, a shopper is the beginning. The feedback loop that often took nine months to get a shopper’s opinion on a design collapsed to weeks, if not days or minutes. It’s as close to real time as it’s ever been.Thriving in this world required two related changes: 1) brands have to move more quickly; and 2) be more decentralized than ever before.

Requiring the CEO of a company to sign off on most designs and orders is no longer acceptable, nor are products that take nine months to get from design to delivery. The increase in speed and decentralization are directly at odds with the supply-driven world that existed before the internet. Today, no single person can ensure the fate of a brand, and the quest to hold on to this long-gone reality is futile.

This is exactly what happened. A new crop of “fast fashion” brands expanded rapidly, as they were able to build their culture around the demand-driven world of the present, not the supply driven world of the past. Zara and H&M, the two most well known brands, thrived as they cut lead times down to three weeks. They also gave what were traditionally extreme levels of control to lower level managers and merchants who were closest to the sales floor. They had daily calls with headquarters and were allowed to request products without the approval of higher ups.

We’re now seeing merchandising move from a differentiator to just another input. It’s no longer about talking, but listening. As a result, the profession is radically changing. A job based on gut is moving to one based on data, assuming the job exists at all.Like Amazon’sgrowing listof private label brands, which use the company’s unparalleled data to build demand-based brands that are nearly guaranteed to sell. Amazon only creates supply when there is demand, not the other way around. The results are promising as Amazon is about to become the largest apparel retailer in the U.S., and an increasing share of its haul will be from its private label brands.

When industries are shifting, the reasoning lies not in the symptomscertain brands struggling or trends evolvingbut in the root causesthe shift from a supply-driven world to a demand-driven world. It’s because of a fundamental shift in the mechanics of commerce, arguably one of the most profound changes the industry has ever seen. But challenges for some are opportunities for others, and brands that are brutally aware of the shifting consumption landscape will continue to succeed. Those that aren’t conscious of the earth shifting below their feet will only solidify themselves as relics of the past.

But wait a minute , this is a corporate web site so what is an Indian movie doing in my Blog. There has to be a message for the corporate world some where right? Well there happens to be, not one but many. But to know more about that you need to visit your closest multiplex and watch Baahubali -2 The Conclusion.

Happy Viewing.

Now read on …

A ‘CEO’ is building a different ‘Team India’. And, here’s why we must take note!

For the longest time that one can remember the term, Team India, referred to India’s men in blue, the fabled cricket team. Other sports have tried to latch onto that phrase, but in the popular imagination Team India is etched into cricket lore. All that is set to change if a certain meeting that took place in New Delhi this Sunday, 23 April, is any indication.

On that day the Governing Council of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog met to discuss the long-term policy related road map for the country. Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi the meeting deliberated on a 15 year vision for the country’s development and on several immediate measures for action. But, what caught one’s attention is the signage on the backdrop that dominated the meeting hall. It announced, very simply, “Team India”. And, the PM himself led the way when he told the gathering of heads of India’s federal units, the states and Union Territories, that he wanted them to work with the Central Government as TeamIndia.

So, what makes the idea of this “Team India” so radical and trans-formative? The field of governance and politics, a field in which teaming of this nature had never been imagined before, is what makes this unique. It is a disparate, often conflict-driven field in which the default mode is for individual players to play the ‘me’ rather than ‘we’ game, where competition takes precedence over cooperation. Where, if you are not one-upping the other woman or man, you could be drowning. A good enough reason for those who deal, build and deliver with teams to note the method which is being adopted to architect this Team India. 

In developing this team, India’s Prime Minister has projected himself as a CEO more than a politician. A CEO is distinguished by her/his focus on a sharp vision and granular results. If vision and results occupy most of your mental shelf-space then you are a CEO, whether in Marketing, Finance, HR or any other function, whether or not you actually enjoy the title. Building and deploying the team to work for results has been a huge challenge for most CEOs. That’s why the way Narendra Modi is going about this task may yield useful leads for all of us, and it has to do with three highly-focused management processes: developing the banding, creating the bonding and messaging the branding.

As Prof Andrew Carton of Wharton School said in his study of mobilisation of the workforce at NASA for the moon mission in the 1960’s “ The criticality of articulating a common goal , not just to galvanise collective energy but also to help people build a connection between their work and organisation’s highest aims….Always keeping in mind the importance of not only selling a grand vision but also helping people see a connection between their work and that vision , the usage of sub goals . “

Certainly, India’s ‘CEO’ is cued into the process.