Catalyst - Chandramouli Venkatesan

 

There are some books that have a surprising ability to change lives and “Catalyst” by Chandramouli Venkatesan is surely one among those. They say that we are living in a time when we should actually start applying what we are reading and there are no doubts that the wisdom and practical experiences shared in this book by the author would yield life changing and career changing results.

“Catalyst” is the perfect book for not only the readers who are going to start with their professional career or work life but also for those who have passed the middle age and are on the verge of entering into the senior managerial roles. There is a good amount of learning for readers of all age groups.

Though there are hundreds of such self-help books but what differentiates this is the relatability that the author has shared with the common reader. Even a reader who for example is a fresher in the corporate work life, would relate to many of problems and solutions presented by the author. It’s like everything is in front of us but we often ignore those aspects. This book sheds light on those ignored but very critical aspects which ultimately is responsible for success in work and in life.

The book starts with praise from some high ranking and renowned corporate heads and sets the tone for the readers expectations. The initial chapter concentrates on making the reader understand how real individual growth is the ultimate catalyst for success and what constitutes real individual growth. Explained beautifully and practically with a simple but logical equation, the reader would surely enjoy this due to its relatability factor. The author has not limited the definition of “Growth” to only the monetary limits but goes beyond.

There is a general tendency among people to conclude that time spent at work is equal to experience. The author shows us with practical examples that time spent at work is not equal to experience. The case study examples which have been presented makes the reader understand this in simple but impactful words. In this section, the reader will also know about the importance of time which we generally take for granted.

The next aspect of maximizing learning cycles shows the reader how one can improve and use the learning cycle for steady personal growth. Why should one participate in more learning cycles? How it impacts our personal growth? These are some of the aspects the author deals with in this section.

Improving personal productivity is one of the core parts of the book. The author brings about simple yet effective concepts which we routinely ignore resulting in negative impact on our lives. Productivity is seen in different angle here and it would surely enlighten the reader.

The next part of the book is actually where the reader will gain the positives of experience that the author shares. Explained with practical experiences, the author details as why one shouldn’t be part of the rat race, importance of delaying gratification and concentrating on the long game. The manner in which author enlightens the reader about how to use the first half of one’s career as a catalyst for the actual and meaning full success in the second half is absolutely brilliant and one of the most important learnings from this book.

The next portion will deal with the importance of having mentors and bosses as Catalyst for meaningful learning.  An interesting portion in the books is dedicated to a chapter wherein the author covers the perennial debate on long term stints at one company vs decision to quit. The reader will surely find some great wisdom and logic that has been stated therein.

The third part of the book concentrates on how values, ethics and life in general plays the role of Catalyst in one’s success. It’s here where one would come across a portion on work life balance and the conclusion there in is surely something we often ignore.

The author is a Corporate Veteran with over thirty years of experience in the industry, serving various senior positions, including CEO and MD. The book is no short of a gift to a fresher starting out his career with dreams and aspirations.  As highlighted earlier, not only would the freshers benefit by reading this book but also the employees who already have passed certain years working in various capacities.

Written in a simple and breezy manner, “Catalyst” is a must read for everyone on the other side of twenty and the earlier one reads this the more benefits one would derive.