Sunil Parekh, CEO and Managing Director, RISE Development Academy

The business world in the 21st Century is seeing change at a rate faster than ever before. The number of parameters affecting the business is mind-boggling. Today’s business leader is expected to ensure business success in spite of all these complexities. He/She cannot afford to make a mistake. One wrong decision could significantly impact the business or even collapse the business. Employees on the other hand are under tremendous pressure to perform and achieve targets which are way beyond the capacity of a normal human being…

The billion dollar question is - If this is the situation now, what will happen in 2020…. What about 2030? Imagine what will be the expectation from a human being in 2030. Are we ready for this? Even today, the pressure is so tremendous that it is stressing out people resulting in lower performance at work and also affecting the physical and mental wellbeing of people. Most people are under fear, worry and anxiety today.

Eventually, a time will come when Darwin’s theory will once again apply, which is “Survival of the fittest”. People who have the capacity to withstand pressure and who are able to come up with innovative ideas and solutions under pressure will survive. The rest will find it difficult to survive or may even perish. The rise in the number of heart attacks, depression and suicide cases are signs that things are not in order. So the question is “What can be done to ensure that people are operating at peak performance even under pressure? What can be done to help leaders perform in spite of the complex environment?”

 The solution to all of this lies INSIDE us and not outside us. In my 17 years of research on human potential development, I have understood that if a person is trained to understand his or her true potential (his mind) and taught how to use this potential scientifically, they can achieve anything. Once they are able to understand their inner powers and potential, they become more intuitive. Increased creativity can help solve problems and constantly innovate while increased intuition (Gut feeling) can help business leaders take sound decisions in spite of the complex business environment.

This is where using man’s most powerful resource, the Mind, becomes imperative. While business focus today is constantly on developing the outside (skills, looks, etc), there is very little focus on understanding and using the inside powers. With the world become more and more focussed on materialism, the ‘inside’ is being completely forgotten. While there is nothing wrong in ‘materialism’, forgetting the inside is creating STRESS for people. It is the need of the hour to get people trained to understand their inner potential and how to use this to operate at peak performance, without compromising on overall wellness.

The Human Mind is very powerful. Historically, humans have faced tremendous challenges including dealing with dangerous animals, to not having means of travel or communication. However, the human mind was able to solve all of those problems by creating safe houses, means of travel and communication to the extent that the world has virtually become one global workplace. This has been possible only because of the ability of a few people who were able to tap into the infinite wisdom within them. But what if every human being is able to tap into this vast potential within? What if people can be taught how to remain stress free even under a high pressure environment? The implications can be far and wide. Each human resource can become invaluable. They would be able to deliver far more than what they are delivering today. Business Leaders are urged to spend time and resources to train their workforce to use their minds so that businesses can become more resilient to outside changes and people on the whole can be happier and fulfilled.

People can become idea generating resources, which can help them constantly innovate to create products and services that are helpful to the society at large. They would also develop a positive mental attitude towards work and all areas of their life. This would result in happier, healthier relationships both at work and at home. The beauty of all of this is that there is no major investment in terms of technology or machinery. All that is needed is focus on the inner resources which are ‘free’.

My strong opinion is that in the 21st century, human beings will be able to survive only if they learn how to use more and more of their inner resources. All Solutions are Inside, Not Outside.