Energised Optimism

A few days ago I joined a group on Linkedin - India Leadership Network - mainly out of some curiosity and lots of optimism. Here was a group that had a vision of, and I quote, "to bring about a transformation in the way and quality of life and society".

The optimism in the vision statement was a deja vu of sorts. It was a similar sort of optimism when a few friends at Loyola College, Chennai decided to bring about a transformation in the way our discipline, Economics, was understood and, to use a word from the lexicon, 'consumed' by students.

We started a magazine called 'Oikonomikos'. What started as a departmental publication soon became a college publication. What's of note, however, was that immediately after the first issue was out, at least 6 other departments in the college started their own publications. We sent the magazine out to other colleges and B-Schools in the country and soon we got feedback from a few saying that it's inspired them to start their own magazines as well. Within the college, it changed the way people perceived the Economics department (We hope the mazagine had a role to play in the economics department ranking moving up from No. 7 to No. 2 in the country in one year.) Oikonomikos had caused a ripple effect. (and I hope the India Leadership Network does the same).

The magazine was the showpiece of the college.

Perceptions changed.

The ambition of Oikonomikos changed, too. We now wanted to become a national publication.

10 years hence, I think the magazine still continues, but still as a college magazine and not a national one. So what went wrong?

With the benefit of hindsight, there are two things I would do differently given the chance again -
1. Write out a clear constitution for the working of the group that runs the magazine
2. Stick to point one, come what may

This I believe would be relevant to the guys behind the India Leadership Network (http://india-leaders.blogspot.com)

The India Leadership Network could turn out to be the trigger to loads of other movements. ILN has struck the right chord. They just need to ensure that the momentum continues.

Kudos to them for dreaming big.

For energising thousands of others.

For all the optimism.

To me the ILN is an example of Energised Optimism!