Picking a good read - post-mortem

On one of my previous posts, I wrote about thinking of what book to bring on my long trip - to those who were curious - this was what I ended up bringing
1) Sudoku exercise - did not touch
2) 5 attitudes to excellence - a book as small as a A6 notepad with about only 50 pages that can fit in my handbag - read about 5 pages

This was what I ended up doing going (very pathetic)...
1) Wrote a contract for my boss
2) Read 50% of the pre-read materials for the training
3) Watched two and a half movies - March of the Penguins (a famous french documentary), Batman Begins (half), Initial-D (Jay Chou movie!!)

This was what I ended up doing coming back (equally pathetic)
1) Did no computer work cause MAS flight notebook adapter not working
2) Read Men's Health (!!), Cosmopolitan and Runner's World magazine
3) Watched one movie - All about Dogs or something, with Diane Keaton
3) Slept a lot

Deja Vu

Two and a half years ago, I started this blog before and during the peak of a migration exercise. I am back again, this time, with a larger team, and with a heavier responsibility. This is round one of the work I've done since January of the year. Round two is even bigger, in May 2006.

I am here, sitting through my shift despite being sick. I popped enough pills from the docter to get myself to a level of sane thought, wrapped myself with a fleece jacket and went to work, knowing that I need to last myself another two days, of such on-and-off sleep and worries. 11 months of work, what is a little bit of being sick... and yet I know I have to pace myself.

Wish me good luck.

Playing at the highest level

There were 36 teams of on average 6 people. Each team painted a square. The squares were put together.. and the Big Picture was formed!

It was a funny feeling in the stomach. It is indeed an excitement to be here in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for Leadership Development Program, knowing I am playing at the highest level. In my years working with Accenture, I have only recently know how much I really enjoy my job despite sometimes the long hours I work and part of the reason is the passion of the people I meet.

I have said this is a "non-passion" sport in my recent return to blogging. To come to a stage over the last two years to have transformed the non-passion to a passion is to have understood what is balance, and accepted I have a lack of balance. And yet have the courage to refine my own self in the process to find a very personal leadership style and still learning how to work with it.

Living life to the extreme is being here today, with no regrets, because everything is a choice. What I do not have and have yet to have, is balanced with what I have. A good leader needs to work hard, be lucky and be smart enough to spot the luck.

Leadership is tough, but a choice we choose everyday. Extreme leadership is leading with truth and passion. I want to be an extreme leader, not just in work, but in life.

Sometimes it takes to take one away from the environment, many thousands of miles away I can finally think about who I am.

Picking a good read

Definitely not looking forward to the coming long haul flight to US. One thing I absolutely dislike is the jet lag feeling when you get there, and the same feeling when you get back. One of the questions which most people ask me is what I do on the plane for such a long haul flight. Guess what's my answer? You guessed it!!! SLEEP! Despite the attempt to do so, killing time is difficult, and sometimes between sleeping and watching movies, it does help to read a good book.

As I was looking to pick a good read for the upcoming trip, I rummaged through my house for my latest buys which may qualify for the long trip. The last few reads are as varied as the sky and the earth, I thought I'd share them here :
1) The Seven Summits of Success - This book is a pretty thin volume, written by a journalist Rebecca Heller, who scaled the "seven summits" - the highest mountain on each continent. She was an amateur who took on Everest as a goal, and since then has moved on to do the seven summits, and is the first British woman to do so. In the book she relates the process of preparing for and conquering these mountains, the motivation behind her actions and her learnings, leading to seven leadership points. The book is a mix of leadership and also personal story of her conquest, I was especially interested in this after the KK ascent!

2) Sudoku - Yes, I am one of those dumb fellas who has since subscribed to this craze. This is one of those 'cheaper' ones, the first one I bought when I read about this puzzle phenomenon going on, and how it recently invaded Malaysia as well (look at the books in the store!). The amazing thing is that I just got the hang on it recently, but.... surprise surprise, I have YET to solve one puzzle in the book!!! (This is quite embarrasing, I guess my puzzle solving skills have decreased linearly with age!!!). A likely candidate for the trip as I always fall asleep after 20 minutes trying to solve these!

3) Alberto Salazar's Guide to Road Racing - I actually 'ran' into this book, in looking through a series of golf books in a book shop. I admit I am very interested in racing recently but very worried about training, and this was a pretty decent book with a mix of realistic and scientific facts. I am still on this book, it is more of an ongoing reference than a read, as it needs re-reading from time to time to benefit from the advice.

4) Tom Peter's Guide to Leadership - What? Another leadership book? Again, this was an easy reference read, it is more of a pocketbook than a book, has lots of pictures and illustrations. I read this waiting for my MyKad registration in Putrajaya.

5) DK Travel Guide to Shanghai - No, I've never been to Shanghai, and I've yet to make plans to go... just that I did had the tinge of intention to go to visit Mun Lan, and I told her that when I commit to buying a book, this usually means I'm going to make the trip soon... she merely said "I listen first.....", she does know me well...

So, last 5 buys, none of them readable on a long trip! I need a story book... or maybe I need to extend my conversational skills to the next passenger... oh man, the long trip sucks... Anything to recommend?