***(Former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam at Wharton India Economic forum, Philadelphia, March 22,2008)*

*Question:* Could you give an example, from your own experience, of how leaders should manage failure?

*Kalam:* Let me tell you about my experience. In 1973 I became the project director of India's satellite launch vehicle program, commonly called the SLV-3. Our goal was to put India's 'Rohini' satellite into orbit by 1980.

I was given funds and human resources -- but was told clearly that by1980 we had to launch the satellite into space. Thousands of people worked together in scientific and technical teams towards that goal.

By 1979 -- I think the month was August -- we thought we were ready. As the project director, I went to the control center for the launch. At four minutes before the satellite launch, the computer began to go through the checklist of items that needed to be checked. One minute later, the computer program put the launch on hold; the display showed that some control components were not in order. My experts -- I had four or five of  them with me -- told me not to worry; they had done their calculations and there was enough reserve fuel. So I bypassed the computer, switched to manual mode, and launched the rocket. In the first stage, everything worked fine. In the second stage, a problem developed. Instead of the satellite going into orbit, the whole rocket system plunged into the Bay of Bengal. It was a big failure.

That day, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, Prof. Sottish Dhawan, had called a press conference. The launch was at 7:00 am, and the press conference -- where journalists from around the world were present -- was at 7:45 am at ISRO's satellite launch range in Sriharikota [in Andhra Pradesh in southern India]. Prof. Dhawan, the leader of the organization, conducted the press conference himself. He took responsibility for the failure -- he said that the team had worked very hard, but that it needed more technological support. He assured the media that in another year, the team would definitely succeed. Now, I was the project director, and it was my failure, but instead, he took  responsibility for the failure as chairman of the organization.

The next year, in July 1980, we tried again to launch the satellite -- and this time we succeeded. The whole nation was jubilant. Again, there  was a press conference. Prof. Dhawan called me aside and told me, 'You conduct the press conference today.'

I learned a very important lesson that day. When failure occurred, the leader of the organization owned that failure. When success came, he gave it to his team. The best management lesson I have learned did not come to me from reading a book; it came from that experience.

"Ways to Success"

PLAN while others are playing

STUDY while others are sleeping

DECIDE while others are delaying

PREPARE while others are daydreaming

BEGIN while others are procrastinating

WORK while others are wishing

SAVE while others are wasting

LISTEN while others are talking

SMILE while others are frowning

COMMEND while others are criticizing

PERSIST while others are quitting

EASY Vs DIFFICULT

Easy is to get a place is someone's address book.

Difficult is to get a place in someone's heart.

Easy is to judge the mistakes of others

Difficult is to recognize our own mistakes

Easy is to talk without thinking

Difficult is to refrain the tongue

Easy is to hurt someone who loves us.

Difficult is to heal the wound...

Easy is to forgive others

Difficult is to ask for forgiveness

Easy is to set rules.

Difficult is to follow them...

Easy is to dream every night.

Difficult is to fight for a dream...

Easy is to show victory.

Difficult is to assume defeat with dignity...

Easy is to admire a full moon.

Difficult to see the other side...

Easy is to stumble with a stone.

Difficult is to get up...

Easy is to enjoy life every day.

Difficult to give its real value...

Easy is to promise something to someone.

Difficult is to fulfill that promise...

Easy is to say we love.

Difficult is to show it every day...

Easy is to criticize others.

Difficult is to improve oneself...

Easy is to make mistakes.

Difficult is to learn from them...

Easy is to weep for a lost love.

Difficult is to take care of it so not to lose it.

Easy is to think about improving.

Difficult is to stop thinking it and put it into action...

Easy is to think bad of others

Difficult is to give them the benefit of the doubt...

Easy is to receive

Difficult is to give

Easy to read this

Difficult to follow

Easy is keep the friendship with words

Difficult is to keep it with meanings.

Once upon a time a married couple celebrated their 25th marriage anniversary.
They had become famous in the city for not having a single conflict in their period of 25 years.
Local newspaper editors had gathered at the occasion to find out the secret of their well known 'happy going marriage'. 

Editor: 'Sir. It's amazingly unbelievable. How did you make this possible? '
Husband recalling his old honeymoon days said:

'We had been to Shimla for honeymoon after marriage.
Having selected the horse riding finally, we both started the ride on different horses.

My horse was pretty okay but the horse on which my wife was riding seemed to be a crazy one.
 

On the way ahead, that horse jumped suddenly, making my wife topple over.
Recovering her position from the ground, she patted the horse's back and said 'This is your first time'.

She again climbed the horse and continued with the ride. After a while, it happened again.

This time she again kept calm and said 'This is your second time' and continued.

When the horse dropped her third time, she silently took out the revolver from the purse and shot the horse dead !!

I shouted at my wife: 'What did you do you psycho. You killed the poor animal. Are you  crazy?' ..

She gave a silent look and said: 'This is your first time!!!'.' 

Husband:'That's it. We are happy ever after. '