Elon Musk: a series of successful failures

“I could either watch it happen or be a part of it.”

This statement by Elon Musk sums up the true essence of his leadership.

Born in South Africa in 1971, he is an American Entrepreneur and Businessman. Elon founded X.com in 1999(now known as PayPal), SpaceX in 2002, and Tesla Motors in 2003.

As of December 2017, his net worth is $20.2 billion, according to Forbes. And he continuously acts towards creating sustainable technology, by investing in projects such as SolarCity.

Very spirited and a self-made billionaire, Elon Musk stirs the melting pot with controversial tweets and mind-boggling innovations. He is an example of a leader that proves that failure is both inevitable and imperative.

“How?”, you may ask.

All it takes is a look at his story, to see how he turned his failures into successes.

elon musk timeline 2

Elon Musk’s journey proves that instead of waiting for a utopian setup, it is better to work with what you have.

Look around, gather ideas and act after making calculated decisions. As a leader, he has led all of his ventures with the spirit of innovation, while not drifting too far from the goal he set for himself: saving humankind.

He also connects with his employees at a grassroots level and never lets failure stop him from trying something bold and new.

His views are best summed up in his signature quote:

“The first step is to establish that something is possible; then probability will occur.”

If you liked this, you may also be interested in “How self-aware are you?”.

3 Simple Ways You Can Help Kerala

Kerala is a beautiful state in the south of India, which attracts thousands of tourists every year. However, the paradisiac region is currently under red alert due to severe flooding, as a result of the unexpected high rainfall during Monsoon 2018.

Monsoon in Southern India usually kills hundreds of lives annually, Kerala usually being the most affected region. But this year brought the worst floods since 1924.

Considered as a ‘calamity of severe nature’, clogged rivers and deforestation are being regarded as the major reasons for the intensive devastation of the state.

The floods started mid-June and hit 12 of the 14 districts of Kerala. So far, the estimated damage they created revolves around 20,000 Crores!

help kerala - hand showing from the water

The death toll is on a constant rise and it breaks our heart to mention these statistics.

But we’re not here only to discuss the problem.

We’re the youth that builds a nation, and the youth that saves it.

We need to accept the fact that it’s our actions that influence our Mother Nature to respond to them. Our daily habits collectively define the attitude of a generation. And it’s about time that we become a good one, a responsible one.

In moments like these, when a calamity hits hard, we must stick together as Team India, as the leaders who care.

It’s time to become a human and focus on the solutions.

Here are 3 ways you can turn your empathy into tangible help for the people who desperately need it, in Kerala.

1. Make a monetary donation to the Government of Kerala

The Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund by Government of Kerala is an online portal wherein virtual transactions can be made directly to the state.

girl holds coins in the hand with a paper writtern "make a change"

The portal shows the real yet deadly situation of the state, promises transparency of the usage of funds and mentions links to more Payment Gateway options for the donation in detail.

2. Donate things that can matter to them

What you might not really need right now is what they might need to survive. Any contribution matters when people are struggling to live.

The network of AIESEC India is currently facilitating donations of clothes, essentials, food and other crucial items which may mean the world to the people who’re suffering.

less is more

Our donation points are present in 25+ cities throughout the nation. You can get in touch with the offices by finding their contact information here.

3. Spread the word and encourage others

Be empathetic and spread awareness about the issue. The likelihood of someone to take an action is higher when a close one approaches them, anytime, over reading texts.

Every benefaction matters, since unconditional help will always find its way to return to you in a good way.

The world, and currently, the God’s own country, needs more people who are kind and who wish to do some good. We can make our existence useful and meaningful by helping.

 

help kerala

A healthy, aware and accountable youth defines a similar nation.

This is one of the reasons why United Nations laid down Sustainable Development Goals, for a world that breathes well!

Hence, we as the citizens, or rather the nation builders, need to constantly educate ourselves on how our little behaviours or actions are impacting the earth. Only by that we’ll stop doing what we shouldn’t and start doing what the hour demands.

To everyone in Kerala, we are with you!

 

If you wish to have a hands-on experience in helping people, you may like to know more about our volunteer opportunities.

You can teach kids, contribute to an environmental issue or even help an NGO to raise funds. Learn more about it at aiesec.in.


Written by

Vanyashree Chaudhary is a light-hearted Journalism student from Delhi. She’s crazy about her love for graphic designing, Oreo shakes and Daft Punk. Find her the happiest while she’s traveling!

7 Things Young India can Learn from Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee died last Thursday at the age of 93 at New Delhi’s AIIMS hospital.

He became the prime minister of India 3 times and is known as the man who went the extra mile to shape the foreign policy of India.

He steered India out of difficult economic times, so clearly he should have a lot to teach us, right?

Here are 7 lessons on what every young Indian can learn from him:

1. Big Places don’t define your lives.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born in Gwalior. Yet, he became the Prime Minister of India three times (May 16 1996, to June 1, 1996, 1998 to 1999 and 1999 to 2004).

The place we are born doesn’t define what we can accomplish in life. Atal Bihari made his own path and fought to do big things. .We can make big differences regardless of our origins, is all up to us.

Atal Bihari as a child

2. Do not let Money kill your dreams.

Your parents may not be wealthy and powerful, but why should you let that dull your dreams?

Vajpayee’s father Krishna Bihari Vajpayee was a school teacher and his mother, Krishna Devi, a housewife. Nevertheless, Atal Bihari had big dreams, and he followed them!

So if you never doubt your ability on accomplishing your dream, you can definitely get there.

3. Don’t let the world affect you with their opinions.

A year after India won its freedom, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was abandoned. But Vajpayee, who was a member of the RSS, never gave up on his ideologies.

He was a founder member of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, the political parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

After the Jan Sangh became part of the Janata Party, the issue of dual membership was raised.

atal bihari vajpayee

Atal, along with other former Jan Sangh ministers in Morarji Desai’s Janata Party government was told to give up their membership of the RSS, but they refused to abandon the organisation.

Like Vajpayee, don’t let the world force their opinions on you.

If you believe in something, stick with it even if the world thinks you are wrong.

4. No mentor? Don’t let that affect you.

Vajpayee was 29 years old when he lost his mentor, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who died mysteriously.

He was really upset about Mookerjee’s untimely death. Yet he carried on his party work with other leaders, like Deen Dayal Upadhyay and L K Advani.

Having a mentor can make your path easier, but, like Vajpayee, you can forge ahead even if you don’t have one.

5. Always learn from your past.

In the 1998’s election, the BJP won 182 seats. Again, it was short of a majority.

This time, Atal Bihari knew what he had to do. He didn’t resign like he did in 1996.

Instead, he formed an alliance with 13 partners under the banner of the National Democratic Alliance and went on to form the government.

So, if you don’t succeed once, it does not mean you will not succeed if you try again. Plan carefully and gather together people who will support you in your endeavour.

6. Try your best to resolve issues peacefully.

Despite his best intentions, he was betrayed by Pakistan twice. However, he never gave up on his dream of a harmonious relationship with India’s neighbour.

atal bihari

In February 1999, he travelled to Lahore for peace talks, but got the Kargil war in return.

2 years later, he invited Pakistan’s military dictator, General Pervez Musharraf, for a summit in Agra to once again discuss peace. In December that year, Parliament was attacked.

He still persevered and visited Pakistan in 2003, for the SAARC summit.

If the goal is important enough, keep trying.

India may not have succeeded in making peace with Pakistan, but it is possible that you will achieve your goal. Few young people from both the countries are friends and help each other.

Right now, instance, there are people from Pakistan who want to help Kerala.

video of Yuvraj Singh asking for help for Kerela

7. Never give up

In 1998, the Vajpayee government lost the no-confidence motion by a single vote.

Vajpayee refused to give up. The BJP contested the 1999 election with vigour and won.

Sometimes, all you need is a belief, gumption and hard work. That will lead you to success.

Today, BJP has started the Kalash Yatra to immerse our Atal Ji’s ashes in rivers across India.

Let’s take out 1 minute from our daily schedule and pray for his beautiful soul.

Let us know in the comments if you learned something more from Atal Ji! We’d love to know it 🙂

If you like this post you may also like: “How Young People Contribute to changing the world every day”.

Do you want to contribute towards United Nations’ SDGs and help us change the world? Check our leadership programs at www.aiesec.in


Written by

Anisha Bhawanani is graduated in Marketing and Finance and loves writing. She is a happy go lucky girl with a head full of dreams, very passionate about traveling and exploring different cultures. One day she wants to win a man booker prize.

4 Leadership Lessons from Captain America

For more than 60 years, Captain America was one of Marvel Comics’ flagship characters, representing truth, strength, liberty, and justice.

Captain America, aka Steve Rogers, was a squirt from Brooklyn who just wanted to lend a hand against the Nazis. He never intended on being the best, just aimed at being able to do his part.

He had the guts and the passion to do what other big and strong guys did not, and so was chosen to be the test subject to become the first super soldier. The only thing experiment did was to make his exterior match his interior.

Captain America is a hero and not merely heroic. Even after gaining super strength, super speed, and super immunity he stuck to his values. He empowered his team in times of difficulties, miscommunications and looked forward to making an impact.

Among The Avengers, he’s the one who goes around with the police and helps get people to safety. While Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk break, smash and blow stuff up, Cap’s the one on the ground making sure there are no casualties. It’s the thankless role, but he does it and that’s why he’s the leader.

Now, why does he do and feel these things? Is it because he’s from an older, simpler time?

No!

Steve believes in what’s right and will fight to the death to make his dream a reality. He believes in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for every person throughout the world (unless you’re a Hydra or a Super Villain, then he has a few things to say to you).

Yes, he’s a superhero but it’s his human qualities that make him great.

Here are 4 leadership lessons we can learn from Captain America.

 

1. STEVE HAS STRONG VALUES, WHICH HE’LL DEFEND NO MATTER WHAT

One of the best things about Steve Rogers is his moral code. He has integrity and strong convictions, and he doesn’t compromise them.

Having integrity sounds like a boring personality trait for a movie character, but it’s exactly what draws other characters to him and inspires them to follow his lead. He never made excuses or complained when he was weak, and he always stood up because of his moral beliefs, and those beliefs kept him going.  

He had the guts and courage to stand amidst the odds and decide what’s best for his team. His convictions about freedom and justice help guide his decision-making and provide direction for his leadership.

How you can be like Steve:

Having integrity as a leader builds trust between you and your team. Interact and communicate honestly with your team members, even in difficult situations. If you have a vision for your team or organization, share it with them and make sure that your words and actions are in line with your vision.

2. HE EMPOWERS THROUGH ACTIONS, NOT JUST THROUGH WORDS

Leaders are often accused of talking but not doing. But the best way to empower your team is for you to do what you’re asking them to do.

That’s not to say that Cap never used a good rousing speech to fire up the team. You can use words to empower, but follow it up with action to show that you mean it.

Steve saw potential in Black Widow from the day he met her. Even though she came to the U.S. as a Russian spy, she deflected to team up with Hawkeye. Cap saw the greatness inside of her and supported her when she applied to join the Avengers, where she became a critical team member and they have been thick as thieves ever since.

How you can be like Steve:

Walk your talk. If you’re already shared your vision and goals with your team, then lead by example and act in ways that push you towards that vision.

The best leaders lead from the front and what they do empowers their team. If you show your passion for a project, that energy will transfer itself to your teammates. Get to know them.

Learn what motivates them, what their strengths are, and what makes them happy at work. The key is to grow with them, every step of the way.

3. HE BELIEVES IN TAKING RESPONSIBILITY AND HIS ABILITY TO MAKE CHANGE.

Regardless of how Cap may feel about political issues, he makes it clear that he does not, and will not, serve the demands of the government. Rather he’s interested in serving the people and the nation’s dream.

He has is own principles of justice, ideals, and morals from which his beliefs are unshakable. He will not compromise anything he believes in.

He enforces this time and again he’s not interested in signing over their ability to help people according to the needs of the society. He will stand up to anything and everything for the sake of protecting people.

Steve fights for what he believes is right and wants to help the world find peace. This makes Steve a hero through decades of change and turmoil. He can’t and won’t be bought, and he most certainly won’t be bullied by anyone or pushed around, especially for false gains.

Cap will always fight for the little guy because he was the little guy, and he understands what it’s like to feel helpless.

How you can be like Steve

Don’t be a leader who shifts the blame or avoids responsibility. If you’ve made a decision and it turned out to be a wrong one, acknowledge your mistake and learn from it. Use your experience and best judgment to make difficult decisions.

Your team will look to you for guidance and direction when things are tough so don’t shy away from taking responsibility. Believe in your ability to make this world a better place. Be a world citizen.

4. HE MAKES TOUGH CALLS WHEN IT’S REQUIRED OF HIM

One of the most difficult things a leader has to do is make tough decisions. Cap doesn’t shy away from that. He takes responsibility for a number of difficult decisions in the different movies.

Like when he tells Black Widow to close the portal at the end of The Avengers. You can see the regret and sadness about losing a teammate when making that decision, but he has weighed the situation and decided to do what was right in a tough situation.

He focuses on the good part and knows there’s nothing they can’t achieve if they work together as a team.

He makes his team feel positive and guides them to find a solution even in the darkest of time. He focuses on the fact that uncertainties will stay but there dream is bigger than these uncertainties.

How you can be like Steve

The most important lesson to all leaders that losing a tool or resource in your team doesn’t necessarily mean game over. It is important to never bank your strategy on a single skill/tool/person and learn to be adaptable when anticipating the unknown. Captain America believes in people and his ability, even when it looks like there is no hope.

Heroism and being a superhero is so much more than simply throwing punches, taking out the bad guys, and then having victory celebrations.

Being a hero means having empathy and kindness. And so does being a leader.

The real secret to Captain America’s success as a leader is that he is himself.

Take away the shield, take away the uniform, take away his title and at his core, he’s still the same scrawny Steven G. Rogers from Brooklyn. As already said, the experiment merely amplified what was already inside of him.

Hence, be as real, as authentic as you are. Don’t let your title of ‘leader’ change you, but let it magnify your strengths.

If you liked this you may also like “How to be a Harry Potter in a world of muggles”.


Written by

Studying bachelor’s in biotechnology, Aayushi is a really passionate person, who loves to read and travel. She believes people, places, and stories have the power to change anyone and help them understand the purpose of life.

Are we human enough?

Another day, another year and time just pass by. It’s the same people, same routine and same habits. The days end for the resting ones to begin.

But among all the hustle, the commotion to different places, dealing with responsibilities and surviving the restrictions by the society, do we stop to see if we’re really doing fine?

Are we living the life we want to live? Are we adding value to anyone around us?

Damn.

kid say his mind is blowed

It’s hard to ignore the fact that thoughts like these, being the most crucial ones to define the structure of our real purpose or goals, become neglected by the end of the day.

And now that you’re back to being questioned on the real questions, let’s dwell in them and seek answers.

It’s often believed that no human is good or bad, but it’s their habits and circumstances that define their responses to different conditions. And it’s the choices they decide to make in those conditions that differentiate a philanthropist to a culprit in them.

So then, how do you ensure you bring out ‘more of the good in you’?

1. Be vulnerable

     human blindfolded

Starting with home, you can make it a practice to not suppress your inner voice and express the love and concern you feel for your family.

This helps in not only improving your relations with them but also in getting closer as a team and understanding each other’s needs. We’re always better when we’re loved.

2. Be aware of your surroundings

butterfly landing on dirty hand

Remember that you’re not living in an ideal society where everything is flowery and right. People tend to have varied mindsets and preconceived notions on matters, which may create issues.

Be knowledgeable about the ongoings in your neighbourhood, institute or workplace and take a stand for the suppressed.

It can be as basic as asking your siblings if they’re doing okay, helping out your mother at home, helping out a stressed colleague or supporting someone who’s being bullied. Or you can go further and feed the animals and homeless around you and the goodness just doesn’t stop.

3. Be empathetic

“Empathy is understanding their problems and knowing that it’s only luck that separates you from them.”- Unknown

Empathy is something that cannot be taught or instilled, but rather be thought upon and practised. It fuels connection and relates to ‘feeling with people’.

There’s no chance that you don’t see the underprivileged or the injustice around you, but it comes down to you being observant and taking the initiative to sort the issues out.

4. Take actions that actually make a difference

It’s never enough if it isn’t inviting changes. One must know that optimistic views invite contradictions, criticisms and intolerance from the opposite. But in the end, it’s the challenge you’ve taken and you have to get through.

Once a decision is taken, there’s never looking back.

human saying she wants to put an end to that

The more you treat it as a responsibility than an option or obligation, the more you enjoy the process of change, the more you spread happiness and the more changes you bring!

5. Being kind is not an option

Let’s encourage the idea of being a human as a human being and be generous and righteous. Let’s set the trend of being the cool that cares.

Be considerate and treat this trait as a strength.

This can be the true way of leading the odds. What sets you apart from other is the degree of how much you’re own self, and there’s kindness in everyone.

If we want to live in a better world, we should be the ones to take the first steps.

The Humanitarian Day revolves less around acknowledging the ones who made a difference, and more about how we can be better every day, for ourselves and for our world.

So now, it’s all up to you: will you be more human every day?

If this article interested you, you may also like to read this beautiful story about humanity and love.

And if you want to know how you can make a difference you can check our volunteer opportunities here.


Written by

Vanyashree Chaudhary is a light-hearted Journalism student from Delhi. She’s crazy about her love for graphic designing, Oreo shakes and Daft Punk. Find her the happiest while she’s traveling!