India’s well known inspirational speaker and Chartered Accountant T. N. Manoharan gave a rousing presentation on the nature of success at Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2015 on at the Expo Centre until November 14. Manoharan is currently the chairman of Canara Bank and was formerly the president of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). In 2009 Manoharan won the CNN-IBN "Indian of the Year" award in the business category and in 2010 was awarded the Padma Shri. In an event organized by the Dubai Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India he encouraged people to challenge their limitations instead of limiting their challenges and demonstrated how each one of us can unlock our potential and shape our future the way we aspire to have it.
In a session called "Unlock your Potential and shape Your Destiny" Manoharan pointed out that there had been a paradigm shift over the last 20 years. He said, “Twenty years ago if you asked a housewife about making a decision that affected the household she would have said, let me ask my husband. But today, ask any married man the same kind of question and he will say, wait while I talk to my wife. This is a paradigm shift. Things have changed.”Manoharan then quoted the often used phrase, behind every man is a woman which has been changed to behind every successful person is a spouse. He then joked that as he was a Charted Accountant they say behind every successful person there is a spouse and a tax office. One takes the cash, the other takes the credit.
The steps to being a great success were then laid out as Manoharan said anyone can unlock their potential and shape their destiny; there was no age limitation to your accomplishments. He said, “Do not focus on your deficiencies don’t let them stand in your way. Instead dream big. Can ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things, yes they can. Set a goal, focus on your core strength, make sure it is effectively used and strategically work towards your goal.”“Next”, said Manoharan, “raise the bar, set the highest possible standards in your area. Practise and put your heart and soul in to your objective and march towards it. Aim at perfection, set your standard above the usual standard and practise, practise, practise.”
He said next build your brand, as individuals could also be brands. He said in 32 years of teaching he never was late for a class. This was his trademark, he was accurate and reliable. Manoharan added, “Never give up. If you never give up you cannot fail. Plan, work, build endurance and you will cross the finishing line.”He also said, “Do not be afraid of failure. A boxer is not out if he gets knocked down, he could get knocked down 20 times and not be out. He is only out when he fails to get back up in the allotted time. Just as there are no problems without solutions there are no failures that cannot be turned into success and when you achieve that success –particularly if there have been many failures along the way, well then – it will be the sweetest success you can imagine.”For more on the SIBF visit www.sharjahbookfair.com.