Probably the longest break I have taken. Work really took off in the last 3 weeks.

I was talking one of my long lost school friends this weekend. He has a double masters from ivy league univs in the US and has just resigned from his job in bangalore. From his IIT days to his double masters, he has spent a lot of time in the academia. When suddenly thrown into the corporate world, the inherent politics, ego and lack if simplicity in people took its toll. Not to say the academia is rid of all this but at least according to my friend, it is much more profound in the corporate world. As I further conversed with him, I realized that he had not changed much from what I knew of him from school. He was his simple, unsuspecting and honest self who had thoroughly enjoyed whatever he had done in life. We were good pals at school and I always believed we had similar personality. Reflecting, I realized how much I have changed since then.

Its been a interesting story in being able to get a buyin and respect from your team, peers and seniors. From what I was when I first started working after engineering, that simplicity in thinking is gone. When I talk to people nowadays, I tend to read between the lines, understand inner meanings and try to understand the unsaid. I seem to think it is necessary too. Being able to understand vibes and handling the ego of anyone around you matters a lot more as you move up the corporate ladder. Somehow I dont enjoy it.

A comment made by Jack welch in a recent interview comes to my mind... "It is so difficult for people to be simple"