Striving towards Excellence

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Contentment comes from having a positive attitude. It means

• Expecting the best in everything-
• Remaining upbeat- even when you get beat up.
• Seeing solutions in every problem- not problems in every solution.
• Believing in yourself-even when others believe you've failed.
• Holding on to hope- even when others say it's hopeless.

Your circumstances and your contentment are not related.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Yesterday I got updates  from three of my students. By God's grace and their deliberate and persistent hardwork,  One got into UPenn, another one to Columbia and the third got into Cornell.  I wasn't surprised by these updates as all of them worked really hard to make this happen.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Received great update from my student Harsh. His score improved from 1230 to 1490. An amazing improvement. He really worked hard, incorporated all the changes  and made it happen for him. So happy for him!

-Karthik Gurumurthy

3 of my students got accepted at UCLA today. Go Bruins! 

-Karthik Gurumurthy

-Karthik Gurumurthy

"You can never be better than your thoughts. What you carry within defines your true well-being."

-Karthik Gurumurthy

When we do our best with what we have we get better.  We should never let what we don’t have or can’t do keep us from using what we do have and can do.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis shared yesterday in HBR about how to be an agile learner. 

What is learning agility?

Learning agility is the skill of learning from experiences so you can succeed in new situations. For example, a leader with learning agility can successfully transfer their talents across different parts of an organization. And individuals with high learning agility become the trusted “go-tos” for high-profile projects and high-impact positions. An agile learner can successfully navigate two different types of newness: complex work with no blueprint and situations where they have no previous experience. Where some people struggle with the high levels of ambiguity that newness creates, agile learners take advantage of the opportunity and succeed in situations where other people might stall.

Agile learners are adept at empathizing with and even anticipating different perspectives. By putting themselves in other people’s shoes, they can connect dots, spot and resolve potential conflicts, and zoom out to see the bigger picture. Rather than waiting to be told a different point of view or that something won’t work, agile learners seek out dissenting opinions and are open-minded in their approach. 

Agile learners have high levels of self-awareness. They understand their impact and seek insight on how they can improve. They are specific about the support they need and confident enough to ask for help from others so they can be at their best. They see learning as a constant and are proactively curious about the world around them, borrowing brilliance from different people and places.

Questions to ask ourselves about our learning agility:

• How often do I work on something for the first time?
• When have I spent time in my courage zone (i.e., doing something I find “scary”) over the past three months?
• How do I respond when priorities and plans change without warning?
• Who do I have conversations with to learn about people and teams I have limited knowledge of?
• How confident am I in high-challenge conversations, where people have different points of view?
• How much cognitive diversity (i.e., people who bring a variety of different experiences, perspectives) do I have in my career community?
• How do I feel about asking for the help I need to succeed?
• Where do my strengths have the most impact in the work that I do?
• How frequently do I ask for feedback on what I do well, and how I could improve my impact?

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Another exciting update from Aarathi. Aarathi's score improved tremendously in her November exam as compared to August. I am so happy for her as she worked hard to constantly improve and adapt. Wishing her grand success to get admitted to school of her choice.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Got an update from Sreesh few minutes back that he got a perfect score in Math and 760 in the English section of SAT. This was not a surprise at all as he was working hard, being consistent and did everything I recommended. Success is predictable. Thank you, God, for all your Blessings.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Harini got a perfect score in her SAT. Just received an update from her and her parents. Success is a planned event. She worked hard for the last several months and made it happen. Happy for her.

-Karthik Gurumurthy 

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this year was awarded jointly to three scientists who revolutionized the field by discovering and developing quantum dots:

• Moungi G. Bawendi: American, received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1993. He currently serves as the Lester Wolfe Professor of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Louis E. Brus: American, earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1972. He continues to work as the Samuel Ruben and Dorothy P. Ruben Professor of Chemistry at Columbia University.
• Aleksey Yekimov: Russian, obtained his Ph.D. in Physics from the A.F. Ioffe Physical Technical Institute in 1980. He is currently the Head of the Laboratory of Semiconductor Nanostructures at the St. Petersburg State University.

Their Contributions:

These three laureates were jointly recognized for their pioneering work on quantum dots, tiny semiconductor particles with unique optical and electronic properties. Their independent discoveries and subsequent advancements in synthesizing and manipulating these particles opened up a wide range of potential applications across various fields.

• Bawendi revolutionized the chemical production of quantum dots, making them brighter, more stable, and easier to control, paving the way for their widespread use.
• Brus was one of the first researchers to synthesize quantum dots and played a crucial role in understanding their physical and chemical properties.
• Yekimov independently discovered quantum dots and made significant contributions to elucidating their unique optical behavior.

Their collective work on quantum dots has had a profound impact on diverse fields, and their ongoing research holds immense promise for future advancements in various technologies, from energy generation and healthcare to electronics and communications.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Annie L'Huillier was unreachable on the morning of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences tried reaching L'Huillier to tell her she was one of the 2023 physics laureates. However, her phone kept going to voicemail.

Luckily, they were able to reach L'Huillier's husband. He explained that she was teaching a class on atomic physics, but she would have only a very short break just before the announcement.

During the break, L'Huillier picked up her phone and received the news about the physics prize, but she cut the call short to return to her students. Before going back to class, she turned her phone off again.

When she returned to the class, she told the students she would have to finish a few minutes early but did not give a reason.

L'Huillier ended the lecture only five minutes before the 11:45 physics announcement and left the room. Suspicious, her students decided to stay and watch the physics livestream in the lecture hall.

When L'Huillier's name was announced, her students broke into cheers. Annie L'Huillier's dedication to her students and her passion for teaching atomic physics is truly admirable. Her students must have been thrilled to witness their teacher's moment of recognition during the Nobel Prize announcement. It's a testament to her commitment to education and her contributions to the field of physics.

Courtesy Photos: Nobel Prize.org 

Anne L'Huillier teaching her atomic physics class on 3 October; Anne L'Huillier taking a call with Nobel Prize Outreach on 3 October; Anne L'Huillier's atomic physics class cheering as her name is announced during the 2023 physics announcement.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Congratulations Varun on getting perfect score in Math and 770 in the English section (Aug 26, exam) . It is all his hardwork and he made it happen for yourself.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Alex C got a perfect score (1600) in SAT. Not surprising at all. I have been working with him last 1.5 years and he was consistent in his preparation despite his summer internship. Winners find a way to make it happen. 

-Karthik Gurumurthy

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."

-Karthik Gurumurthy

This is a personal message from 2022 chemistry laureate Carolyn Bertozzi to all young researchers on why to aspire for a career in science:

”I would want to share with them how a life in science is incredibly rewarding. It is rewarding because it is creating. You are discovering knowledge and gifting that to humanity for all of prosperity. Because once you learn something no one can take that way. It is not an object. It is in intellectual currency that will be shared throughout the generations. And you created that. It has a permanency that ironically a physical object doesn’t have. You can paint a painting, but eventually it will fade. But knowledge doesn’t fade. Knowledge stays with us forever and it becomes the foundation for the next generations.”

Courtesy: Nobelprize.org

-Karthik Gurumurthy

89 years back, the world lost one of the greatest scientists:: Marie Skłodowska Curie.

Photo: Courtesy: Nobelprize.org

Curie dedicated her life to science. She was the first woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize, the first person to be awarded twice and is still the only person to receive the prize in two different scientific fields.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Lovely, authentic, humorous, inspirational  and insightful commencement speech by star tennis player John McEnroe at Stanford. He talked about the epic Wimbledon Championship match in 1980. Though he gave everything he had, he lost to Borg in 5 sets, 1–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–7(16–18), 8–6. He said: "I once had the privilege of meeting the great Nelson Mandela. He told me he listened to that match on a tiny radio from his prison cell on Robben Island, and that the whole prison hung on every point of that match. That we get, we gave Mandela a brief respite from the excruciating hell of 27 years of political imprisonment meant more to me than any award I've ever won."

So winning isn't everything. The journey and the effort were more important.

You can listen to the whole speech here.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Srividhya scored perfect score and Harsh's score improved by 270 points.Very happy about the same...Made my day!!Thank you God!

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Ghez was born in New York City in 1965 and grew up with a passion for science and math. After earning degrees in physics and astronomy at MIT and Caltech, she began studying the stars at the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii.

It was there that Ghez made her most significant discovery: using a technique called adaptive optics, she was able to capture the first-ever images of the black hole at the center of our galaxy. This breakthrough helped confirm the existence of black holes and opened up new avenues of research into their properties and behavior.

Ghez has continued to push the boundaries of our understanding of the universe, using innovative techniques to study the motion of stars and other celestial bodies. She has received numerous awards and honors for her groundbreaking work, including the prestigious MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship and the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2020.

But perhaps most importantly, Ghez has served as a role model and mentor for countless young women and girls interested in pursuing careers in science and technology. Her dedication, intelligence, and passion for discovery are an inspiration to all of us.

Did you know that Astronomer Andrea Ghez is the 4th woman to ever receive a Nobel Prize in Physics for her work on the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way? 

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Rasika Sriram got admission with good scholarship at University of Florida and University of Miami. Yayyy! Made my day!!

-Karthik Gurumurthy

-Karthik Gurumurthy

I am thankful and blessed to work with talented students who brings the best out of me and I try to do the same as well for them. There are times where things don't go the way they wanted and get upset.

When you get frustrated and want to give up, or maybe ask yourself “what am I doing” or “why am I doing this” always remember there’s more to what you’re doing than just the immediate results that you can see. When you get frustrated and think “why am I doing this?” I hope you’ll remember that some of the reasons you’re doing what you’re doing you will never fully realize because the impact that you’re making cannot be fully measured, or even recognized in this life. I hope this message encourages you to do one more thing one more time; plant one more seed one more time.   See the best that is ahead of you not the worst that is behind you or around you. 

Life is full of distractions, disappointments, and defeat … but life is also full of opportunities, victories, excitement and hope if we focus on what we want next not on what we have now. When you get frustrated read this message or even better write your own message of hope, excitement and anticipation. When we have our final conversation and take our final breath hopefully we will be proud of ourselves. Not an arrogant, egotistical kind of pride … but a peaceful acknowledgement that we fought the good fight and did not give up.

We should never give up regardless of how hard or how long the race is because we may be the only reason that others don’t give up. When we finish our race we should be at peace knowing that we overcame challenges and distractions and made a positive difference in the world. 

Our patience and perseverance may be the lifeline and the example that keeps another person from giving up on their dreams. The seeds that we plant today will provide comfort for others today and may provide comfort for others generations from now. Keep planting good seeds, expecting a good harvest. Be the best example you can possibiy be.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Everytime you think about a negative event from your past, your body produces the exact same chemicals in the body as when it happened. That means you relive the experience hundreds/thousands of times simply because you haven't let it go. Move on. It is not worth it.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

“In some of our relationships, we might experience a complete emotional dependency on someone. We spend irrational amounts of time thinking of other person’s needs, opinions and feelings. Our own priorities get cornered, as we give complete control of our emotions and decisions to them.

We even start relying on them to feel loved, and this is unhealthy for both of us.

Have you ever felt your mind getting emotionally attached to someone? Does someone constantly live on your mind? And do you get disturbed with the slightest change in that person’s behavior?

Our emotional dependence on people is riskier than we realize, and it can turn into a deep addiction. When the mind becomes attached to someone’s behaviors, we will need them to be our way. We constantly seek their love, presence, opinions and approval. Not getting even one of these makes us insecure.

We are actually emotionally powerful. We need nothing from anyone. Let us be with people for who they are, not because they can offer emotional comfort.

This is true to some extent. I attend to people neglecting my own interests. I don't do it for approval. 

Maybe, being the eldest child I was instructed differently. I was always a big brother. The eldest child of my parents. Probably they made me make others a priority. Always. Though they never actually said it.  Usually, I don't like to disappoint people. So I become the 'go to' person for all duties and responsibilities.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

I am fortunate to work with young adults in helping them in Prep for SAT/ACT / MCAT tests.  I am also work with organizations in their Agile transformation efforts as an Enterprise Agile Coach. Even though the work involved is totally different, I see a parallel in both the roles.

Sometimes when the results are different from what's expected, we pause and find out what is the root cause of the issue?

Why don’t people perform? It is almost always for one of these reasons:

1. They don’t know what to do.

2. They don’t know how to do it.

3. They don’t want to do it.

4. They can’t do it.

Expectation without proper education equals frustration. Good leaders have the ability to assess abilities. An effective leader knows both what a person is capable of and what training and the education they need to succeed.

But training and development aren’t a panacea. If you’ve got the right person in the wrong role they won’t succeed.

Specifically, it is a matter of fit. The person fits the role. It isn’t an exact science, an either/or. However, when someone who is conscientious struggles performing even after they’ve receive the necessary training, it is likely a fit problem.

Are the right students in the right classrooms and even in the right seats? Are you assuming a student is a poor performer when in reality, her or she is just in the wrong classroom?

Willingness and ability aren’t the same thing. Understanding the nuances of people and performance are an important skill for leaders.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Before the game of life is over,  I want to know I have done someting truly great, that I have made a positive impact of people who worked with me. I do not aspire to become as wealthy as Jeff Bezos, as famous as Napoleon and conquer many nations, but I do want above all else, to feel that I have been an addition to this world of ours. I should like the world, or at least my native land, to be proud of me and to sit up and take notice when my name is pronounced and say, "There is a man who had done a great thing." I do not want to have passed through life as just another speck of humanity, just another cog in this amazing world. I want to be something greater, far greater, than that. My desire is not so much for immortality as for distinction while I am alive. When I I leave this world, I want to know that my life has not been in vain, but that I have, in the course of my existence, done something of which I am rightfully proud. Success to me is how many people are better off because I lived (quoting Bill Britt).

Before the game is over, I want to know that during my life I have brought great happiness to others. Friendship is one of the best things to the world, and I want to have many friends. But I could never die fully contented unless I knew that those with whom I had been intimate had gained real happiness from their friendship with me.  We all want much happiness in our lives, and giving it to others is one of the surest ways to achieve it for ourselves.

Before the game is over I want to have visited a large portion of the globe and to have actually lived with several foreign races in their own environment. By traveling in countries other than my own I hope to broaden and improve my outlook on life so that I can get a deeper and more complete satisfaction from living. 

Before the game is over, I would like to live life to the fullest giving my best everyday.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Whenever we meet friends or family, we make it a point to meet one family at a time. We try our best not to meet many families at the same time.Sometimes due to time constraints we might have done it but we try not to do that anymore. We seldom invite anyone for the sake of meeting them but we always wanted to give them undivided attention.

There’s nothing quite like it to unburden yourself. To know that you are being listened to. To feel that you are special. Many a memory is made up of meaningful conversations with significant others.Everyone has a special story to tell and I have learned a lot from the 1:1 conversations as opposed to having many extroverts completely take over the conversation and you never get to hear from the quieter people who wanted to share a useful nugget or a funny situation.

It is at these times that we learn to still ourselves to listen to the other. To give him/ her the gift of our undivided attention. It is when we learn how our lives can make a difference to other lives.

If we pay more attention to others, someday, in the future, someone will tell us how our attention and words made a difference.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Good win, Ashwin! 

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Good morning, Good night, All the best … Sometimes greetings become mere words, without any feelings created. We can wish people perfectly with an All the best, even though internally we doubt their ability.

Greetings are not mere words but high-energy blessings, where we firmly believe only nice things should happen with the other person.( nowadays people greet with words like morning,night omitting the word good forgetting it is used for a reason).But at times, we say it so casually that it remains a phrase, with no feelings attached.

Greet everyone enthusiastically when you meet them ,it is an opportunity to create and radiate pure energy.
Radiate goodness to everyone, every time. Even if someone does not acknowledge, sustain your beautiful quality.”

-Karthik Gurumurthy

This year, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was once again awarded to three scientists, all of whom contributed significantly to the field of "click chemistry" and bioorthogonal chemistry:

• Carolyn R. Bertozzi: American, received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from UC Berkeley in 1993. Currently, she holds the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professorship at Stanford University and is an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
• Morten Meldal: Danish, earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Technical University of Denmark in 1986. He is presently a Professor at the University of Copenhagen.
• K. Barry Sharpless: American, obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Stanford University in 1968. He continues to serve as the W. M. Keck Professor at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California. Interestingly, this was Sharpless' second Nobel Prize in Chemistry, making him only the fifth person to achieve this feat.

These three individuals were jointly recognized for their groundbreaking work on "click chemistry," a concept developed by Sharpless that involves creating simple and reliable chemical reactions for joining molecules together. Bertozzi further expanded this concept by developing "bioorthogonal reactions" that can occur inside living organisms, paving the way for studying biological processes at the molecular level. Their combined efforts revolutionized chemical synthesis and offered powerful tools for drug discovery, diagnostics, and other applications.

• Sharpless laid the foundation for click chemistry by identifying key principles for fast and efficient reactions with minimal side-products.
• Meldal independently discovered an essential click reaction involving cycloaddition, demonstrating its versatility and expanding its potential applications.
• Bertozzi took click chemistry from the lab to living organisms by developing bioorthogonal reactions that work specifically within biological systems. This enabled her to map important molecules on cell surfaces and develop tools for targeting cancer cells.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

I love this picture not just they are tennis fiercest rivals of all time. To see your greatest rival cry tears of sadness is the ultimate respect. There will never be another rivalry like this duo.Two men demonstrating the strength to be authentic. To be truly as you are, where you are. It's so obvious what this moment means to these two. Their powerful emotions clearly, courageously on display for all to see. How often do we hold ourselves back from being our authentic selves because we feel "it's not allowed." When was the last time you felt strong enough to be authentic?  It disrupts and destroys all myths about masculinity, competition and vulnerability.Being vulnerable in front of others always shows one's inner strength and character. 

Men are expected not to cry.
Men are expected to be tough.
Men are expected to destroy the competition.

Nothing about the raw emotion of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal follows any of those outdated, damaging and dangerous rules of toxic masculinity.

They are openly crying.
They are holding hands.
They are competitors on the court and compassionate comrades who respect and revere one another.

Possessing both masculine and feminine traits is the sign of an evolved person. This really warms my heart.

And I hope that we are continuing to move towards a world that evolves beyond the gender binary "masculine" and "feminine"; one that isn't so desperately set on putting people into boxes and telling them that who they are, what they feel, who they love and how they live is "wrong" or "right" based on how the world has gendered them.

Until then, I implore more and more leaders to show up fully in all of their *human* traits — regardless of gender — so we can embrace, learn from and love them wholly.  Bow and respect to both Federer and Nadal..

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Few people in this world set such a high example for character, class, sportsmanship and pure love for the game of tennis. It was a pleasure watching you compete all these years and you are true definition of an amazing human being on and off the court. Even RF's Retirement Speech will become one of the Greatest Retirement Speeches of All Time! You will be missed, Roger!!

"I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.”- 20 time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer who announced his retirement from tennis"- Roger Federer

-Karthik Gurumurthy

-Karthik Gurumurthy

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Integrity is the most attractive aspect of a human being. When you truly display integrity in all your relationship, you are undisputable. Never manipulate people for any reason. True leadership and integrity go hand in hand.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

When you focus on the "Problems", your "Goal" will stop appearing, and

when you focus on the "Goal", your "problems" will stop appearing.

The Sun is shining on the day so brightly so your day is  also going to shine the same way. Let us focus on the right stuff.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Thank you to parents, teachers, students, colleagues  for showing the light every step of the way.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Happy 50th Anniversary to Dad and Mom. Cannot thank them enough for everything you have done and continue to do for us. All the good things that Aravind and I have gotten is all because of your Blessings and Prayers. We are so thankful that we were born to the most amazing parents. 

-Karthik Gurumurthy

In my twenty plus work experience, I have had the opportunity to work with amazing organizations and great leaders. What I have observed with the top leaders is they focus primarily on the growth and well being of the team and the communities to which they belong.  They always put the needs of others first and help their people develop and perform at a very high level. 

I have also witnessed  so called  average positional leaders sharing lofty big dreams but doesn't necessarily back it up with the action/ strategy to make that happen. To develop leaders, one needs to start from the ground-up.  What separates average companies from the great ones is their ability to build a leadership culture through out their organization that cultivates great leaders.

"a true leader is not the one with the most followers but the one who creates the most leaders."

-Neale Donald Walsch

-Karthik Gurumurthy

CFO asks CEO:  "What happens if  we invest in developing our people and then they leave us?"

CEO: "What happens if we don't and they stay?"

"Train people well enough so they can leave. Treat them well enough so they don't want to."- Sir Richard Branson

-Karthik Gurumurthy

So glad I went with my family to watch this wonderful movie on the  first day of movie release(It is actually first day first show).  Totally worth it and more.

#RocketryTheFilm #RocketryTheNambiEffect is an Amazing Achievement by @ActorMadhavan and his team on the life of legendary rocket scientist #NambiNarayanan . What a great tribute !  #Maddy lived the role & deserves all appreciation. Kudos Team 🏆🤠💐

-Karthik Gurumurthy

I just read an amazing HBR article by Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa.

Great leadership requires mastering key skills like communication, feedback, and motivation. But it's not just about the big gestures; small, consistent actions fueled by authenticity and positive energy are what truly propel you forward.

• 3 key themes for "Energy/Action" leadership:
  • Intention: Bring out the best in yourself and others for a common good.
  • Energies: Activate purpose, wisdom, growth, love, and self-realization.
  • Actions: Simple steps to express these energies (e.g., disarm, appreciate, fuse opposites).
• Benefits of "Energy/Action" training:
  • Attainable: Easier to learn and practice than complex behaviors.
  • Authentic: Aligned with your true feelings and thoughts.
  • Agile: Adaptable to different situations and people.
• Conclusion: Focus on small, genuine actions guided by positive intentions and energies to develop your leadership potential.

Remember, it's the small, authentic, and consistent actions that make great leaders, not just grand gestures.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

"Often in life, we forget the things we should remember,

and remember the things we should forget."

-Karthik Gurumurthy

The most convincing sign that someone is truly living their best life, is their lack of desire to show the world that they're living their best life. Your best life won't seek validation.

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Not everyone is meant for everything. It's completely OK to tell no to things that doesn't makes sense to you. Actually it's a strength if you identify things that doesn't interest you. You will understand everything that is happening around it doesn't mean you have to do all of that. You understand them because of your common sense.  That's all. So step back, focus on things that you love the most and allow the rest to be taken care by others. No hard feelings.Keep on Keeping on..