New Year Holiday has always been embellished with a matchless significance of global nature. A significance that is beyond the ken for many in this World.

          Two aspects stand out to make this great significance :

          1.  New Year Holiday is a Global Holiday unlike any other holiday.

          2.  New Year Holiday does not have its origin from any religious, ethnic, racial, national, or astronomical event or reason unlike any other holiday.

           The passage of time is continuous through the day, through the week, through the month, through the year, through the millennium with no divisions earmarked. Nor is the New Year marked by any lightening, thunder, bugles, or even disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes,  …  ….  It is just we, the human beings, marked the New Year according to our own convenience.

           Ancient Egyptians celebrated September 21 as New Year Day ;  Ancient Greeks celebrated December 21 as New Year Day;  Christians in mediaeval days celebrated March 25 as New Year Day;  Gregorian calendar, introduced in 1582, put January 1 as New Year Day. It was immediately accepted by Germany and Denmark, and later by Sweden in 1700. England accepted it in 1752 and that tradition continues till this day.

         As  is evident from the above everyone used his/her way tampering with the calendar. So also were the beliefs held and came to be associated with the day.

          Spanish individuals eat 12 grapes at the stroke of 12 in the strong belief that the year will be providential and profitable. Swiss believe that dropping drops of ice cream on the floor on this day will shower fortune. In Puerto Rico, children throw buckets of water out the window in the belief that it drives away evil spirits. For Dutch, it is doughnuts that bring luck. For Indians it is mango, banana, and jackfruit for health and profits.

           Practices are different but the central belief is that the first thing that one does as above on the New Year Day will prove to be good for the entire year. The central theme also holds it as the most auspicious time to begin the New Year.

          So  what are we expected to do in 2020 ?

          So what will you do for the nation, community, and family ?

          Ponder and resolve  …   …

   ” Dieu avec nous”

   Tuesday, December 31, 2019 –  11.09 a.m. (IST)

   Tidbit :. ” Forget the past,  Plan for the Future”.

The sixth Democratic Presidential Primary Debate was held tonight.

Location  :  Los Angeles, California.

Venue  :  Loyola Marymount University, LA.

Hosted by  :. PBS NewsHour and Politico.

Candidates  :  Joe Biden, Former VP ;  Bernie Sanders, Senator, Vermont ;  Elizabeth Warren, Senator, MA ;  Amy Klobuchar, Senator, Minnesota ;  Pete Buttigieg, Mayor, South Bend, Indiana ;  Andrew Yang, Enterpreneur ;  and Tom Steyer, Enterpreneur.

Moderators  :  Judy Woodruff,  Amna Nawaz,  Yamiche Alcindor,  and  Tim Alberta.

Issues Covered  :  Impeachment ;  Economy, Foreign Policy ;  Syria, Afghanistan ;  Immigration ;  Healthcare ;  Education ;  Age ;  and Democrats’  Vision .

Salient features  :

1.  Enterpreneur Tom Steyer’s  Strategy Triad is given below :

      It includes an ‘unconventional way’ to take on Donald Trump in the general election ;  Environmental Justice as his Priority (Climate change) ;  and  To unite the now divided nation with strength and support from everyone.

      Tom Steyer was confident, consistent, credible, honest and sounded extremely supportive of giving a hand to dismantling Trump’s Presidential run in 2020. Repeating and reinforcing this effort in every Program conceived by the leader is key to enforce a cultural adjustment – according to him. He drew extensively upon his single minded, single handed effort in building his business amidst many struggles to make his case for the position.

     2.  Enterpreneur Andrew Yang’s   Strategy Triad is given below :

     It rests upon ‘ relocation of people displaced’ to protect them ;  Making available a Freedom Dividend of $1000 per month in the hands of every citizen ;  and the firm conviction that ‘Immigrants  make the nation great’.

     Andrew Yang displayed a good grasp of the changes happening in the nation now ;  what they mean and cause to administrators and Citizens ; and how improvement can be brought. He had a clear insight into the needs of people and seemed capable of providing the right solutions for better national growth. He also looked keen on implementing a disruptive change to the nation in a short period and his remedy lies in enhancing people comfort even while attempting digital technologies.

     3.  Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s  Strategy Triad is given below :

      His Strategy Triad comprises a ‘Carbon neutral’  priority ;  strong belief that ‘value’ and stability’ constitute the nation’s strength ;  and  the strong need to make America Safe.

      He exuded Confidence throughout the debate and offered his views/ideas with authority conveying his leadership qualities by bringing his knowledge into the answers. By that he was able to make his points count to the people making himself clearly known to people.  “Diplomatically  and economically tackle challenges”  was his message. Things worked and happened for him well (despite the counterpoints from Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren on a couple of occasions on fundraising) which made him feel good and confident about himself.

     4.  Senator Amy Klobuchar’s Strategy Triad is given below :

           Climate change priority ;  Healthcare ;  and  ‘avoiding discrimination and providing economic opportunity to people’  –  constitute the three pillars of her conscience.

     She correctly assessed and held a realistic view of the opportunities in these troubled times with a clear recognition of the value of the initiatives needed to bring about a change. Looking beyond the established set of behaviour from the citizens, she supported a vigorous search for new methods, be it Healthcare, education, immigration, or foreign policy. She also showed a keen respect for others on the stage. Respecting others’ ideas, trust, culture, and race sure will come back to her in goodwill and support in future. Her simple and essential message was  “progress”. She definitely stood tall and high on performance as a leader on the stage.

     5.  Senator Bernie Sanders’  Strategy Triad is given below :

     The three elements of the triad are :  Save the Planet ;  Togetherness is the strength of the nation ;  and  human rights and democracy to be protected immediately.

      In his arguments there was a keen interest to present a healthy and positive journey in the life of the Citizens. He batted for a citizen centric nation where the Government will take a front seat in its transformational goal to make it a culture of the nation. He put his emotions clearly to tackle the questions that seemed to have helped him to speak confidently of his views in the debate. He made the situational assessment – of the country – exceptionally well and expressed firmly that he is the fitting candidate to defeat Trump in the ensuing general election.

     6.  Senator Elizabeth Warren’s  Strategy Triad is given below :

       The three elements of the Triad are :  Clean Energy Leader that America needs to be ;  Immigration is key to prosperity ;  and  full Healthcare coverage.

      She made the best impression in this debate displaying the right dose of modesty, humility, and strength of arguments. Whenever questioned she was able to come up with an alternative perspective to the proposed solution as in education and healthcare. She also remained gracious while acknowledging the support received for all her accomplishments.

      7.  Former VP, Joe Biden’s  Strategy Triad is given below :

  It consists of (a)  moving beyond the normal on all issues ;  (b)  immigration being the future of America ;  and  (c)  an energy storage priority.

           He proved that he is the frontrunner in the race. He took the first steps to display a personal charge and progress enthusiastically on all issues discussed. He also displayed greater empathy, self reflection, and situational awareness when countered. He offered a clear context (protecting the citizens being the first in the list) for his strategies to make a good start. The debate was the moment of elevation for him. He must have won the hearts and minds of the Citizens.

      Moment of the Debate :

      The key moment was when the question : “Is age a factor in Leadership ?”  was posed. This was drawing from Barack Obama’s recent words that youngsters make for good leaders. Bernie Sanders replied , it is not men or women, old or young – it is taking on the greedy elite. Joe Biden said,  I am running based on my experience and wisdom and because I feel young. Elizabeth Warren said to the observation that she will be the oldest President if elected :  “I’ll also be the youngest woman President”. It drew the loudish laughter in the entire debate becoming the key moment of the debate also.

     Closing  comments :

1. Tom Steyer :  Return power to people ;  people with new ideas.

2.  Andrew Yang :  Economy to work for America ;  give money in people’s hands.

3.  Amy Klobuchar :. Sense of obligation and not sense of entitlement to be promoted.

4.  Pete Buttigieg :  Defeat Donald Trump; unite the country. Build our future not by exclusion, but by belonging.

5.  Elizabeth Warren :  America is ready to fight corruption, build an America that will work for everyone.

6.  Bernie Sanders :  Real change takes place from the bottom up. “Political revolution for the transformation of the nation”.

7.  Joe Biden :  Tell the truth to the people and build a strong America.

      Conclusion :  Facing an almost divided nation in this tumultuous times,  setting a clear role for self as President with a clear understanding of the same by all Citizens even while making initiatives to boost their morale is what can deliver the right solutions to all problems – health,  safety,  economic, social,  monetary, and citizen experiences. This turned out to be a debate with optimal energy from the candidates (less rhetorical, less aggressive, less altercation) and one that is highly engaging (the spirit of supporting anyone emerging from the group of 25 candidates overall as the nominee has never been stronger before).

   “Dieu avec nous”

   Friday, December 20, 2019 –  11.19 a.m. (IST)

   Tidbit :  “More we act of Donald Trump is the cause of our problems “. – Andrew Yang.

House of Representatives in U.S.A. have impeached President Donald Trump this night. Article I  :  230 yea,  197 nae, and 1 present.  Article  II :  229 yea,  198 nae, and 1 present.

           President Donald Trump’s Impeachment and impelled by the Democrats  based on House Intelligence Committee’s report seems to rest on two major accusational acts of “abuse of power, and obstruction of the Congress”.

          Abuse of power pertains to seeking a favor from the Ukrainian President during the phone call on July 25, 2019.

          Obstruction of Congress pertains to his instructions to the witnesses to ignore the subpoenas and refusing to deliver documents, e:mails, etc sought by the Congress.

          The whistleblower report revealed that President Donald Trump has asked the Ukrainian President, Volodimyr Zelenski, in July 2019 to investigate Joe Biden, Trump’s likely political opponent in 2020 Presidential Election; as well as his son, Hunter Biden, and the company Crowd strike ;  and to discuss these matters in exchange for the Congressionally mandated $ 391 million military aid package plus a meeting at the White House.

          Formal Impeachment inquiry began in September 2019. President stands impeached on December 18, 2019.

           What this means ?

          1.  Memories, thoughts, and beliefs triggering the feelings of the lawmakers after a fierce debate on the articles of Impeachment on the floor of the House tonight prevailed in favour of the decision to impeach President Donald Trump, only the third President to be impeached in the history of America. (Andrew Johnson in 1868, and Bill Clinton in 1998 are the other two). Pure logic justified the actions of the lawmakers in this decision.

          2.  It emphasised that a strong belief in national security;  upholding the values, rules, and laws enshrined in the Constitution ;  and a definite escalation of Commitment with past experiences overrode any individual differences that can likely diminish the outcome.  

          3.  People of America at this juncture may well be filled with a mixed set of feelings : Fear and Joy ;  Anger and Support ;  Sadness and Happiness ;  Trust and Distrust ;  Disgust and geniality  …  …

          4.  Those engaged in management studies and application will be eager to classify the decision as one that will leave a mark on what we generally read  as  ” major,  tactical policy, and group decisions”.

          5.  Impeachment pertains to a difficult one in terms of tackling a ‘major’ national problem for which the solution may look simple by the provisions/procedures in the Constitution but one that is not easy. Hence, this is a  ‘major’  decision.

          6.  This is a  ‘tactical’  decision as it is likely to impact the foreign policy (the Ukraine call of July 2019 by the President) of the nation. These are policies formulated and followed by the executive arm of the nation impacting not just the host nation but others in terms of allies and foes. Its functioning is a matter of genuine concern of the people too.

          7.  It is a  ‘group’  decision as the abuse of power relates to the act of an  ‘individual’ , the number 1 in broad policy framework makers of the country. It is the involvement of the top most executive of the nation. This will require a majority support to correct the wrong, which means a collective or group decision is the right and appropriate method of tackling it.

          Conclusion :  Democrats  have taken  the decision after carefully and thoroughly considering the action that they need to take in a characteristically programmed manner since September 2019. They also felt strongly that this is of extreme importance to the nation. Whether this is likely to have an impact on the goals, strategies, and broad policy structure framework in future remains to be seen. Also, whether the will of the people remains strong will be interesting to watch. Constitutional Democracy seems to remain upheld at this moment – will this be the verdict now ?  I don’t know.

   “Dieu avec nous”

   Thursday, December 19, 2019 –  8.49 a.m. (IST)

   Tidbit :  ” Standing up for the Constitution is the prime task of any lawmaker”

Sundar Pichai

1. Alphabet and Sundar Pichai  :

          Google CEO, Sundar Pichai’s elevation as the parent Alphabet’s CEO, as announced by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, is not just paving a new way for its simplification of the management structure or a new way of guiding the company but rather a due recognition of his competence, passion, efforts, merit, and the impeccable track record he holds in meeting the challenges to the company for nearly 2 decades.

Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Co-founders, Alphabet.

          It is highly significant for the fact that the move stands as testimony to the “Leadership” of both the awardee (Sundar Pichai),  and  the co-founders (Larry Page and Sergey Brin) equally.

          Both Larry Page and Sergey Brin stand tall as great leaders for their faith and confidence in Sundar Pichai to lead the company they founded.

          Following the Microsoft way in the technology sector, Google has bestowed its Trust, Confidence, and Honour to an Indian-American in crowning him as the  “Chief”  of  Alphabet and Google.

          I am not an expert in any tech subject. But what comes to my mind at this juncture is what I knew and read about  ‘Netflix’ and its work culture/hiring policy.

           Wilmot Reed Hastings Jr.,  Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO,  of Netflix said :  “Ask if a certain position is open and will he fill it with the person holding the job ?”  If the answer is no, then write a check and let the person go.

          But  In this case, both Larry Page and Sergey Brin have let themselves go while anointing the right fit for the right task. That they are still in the Governing Board has to be recognised.

          One may counter this view with the following argument :  Netflix’s case mostly applies to middle and lower level responsibilities and not for the  “top”  position.

          It needs to be emphasized here that CEO, Reed Hastings, let go of Patty McCord (HR Chief),  Jonathan Friedland (Head of Corporate Communications),  and  Neil Hunt (Chief Product Officer) – all holding key positions in the Organisation. Also, the act should be taken to represent Netflix’s Culture of  “Freedom and Responsibility” enunciated by Reed Hastings and Patty McCord. It was the ‘performance culture’ of Netflix that stood successful, perhaps only in Netflix, while many other companies which tried to imitate similar propositions failed.

          Just as Microsoft succeeded with Satya Nadella,  Alphabet (with Google) will also be successful with Sundar Pichai is the final verdict.

2.  Impeachment of President Donald Trump and Speaker Nancy Pelosi :

Speaker, Nancy Pelosi.

          President Donald Trump’s Impeachment (articles being released) impelled by the Democrats based on the House Intelligence Committee’s report seems to rest on two major accusational acts of ” abuse of power and obstruction of the Congress”.

          Abuse of power pertains to President Donald Trump’s seeking a favor with the Ukrainian President during his July 2019 phone call.

          Obstruction of Congress pertains to President Donald Trump’s instructions to ignore the subpoenas and refusal to deliver documents, e:mails, etc sought by the Congress.

President Donald Trump.

          According to the whistle blower report, President Donald Trump asked the Ukrainian President, Volodimyr Zelensky in July 2019, to investigate Joe Biden, Trump’s political opponent in 2020 Presidential Election, as well as his son Hunter Biden and the company Crowd strike, and to announce these in exchange for the Congressionally mandated $ 391 million military aid package plus a meeting at the White House.

          Formal Impeachment inquiry began in September 2019. House of Representatives voted to approve guidelines for the next phase of  Impeachment Inquiry.

           On Tuesday, December 10, 2019,  (after 74 days of witness inquires), two articles of Impeachment have been announced by the Speaker, Nancy Pelosi.

          For the Leadership Lesson, let me turn the clock back to 1998-1999 when President Bill Clinton was impeached. There is a parallel to this.

          While President Bill Clinton’s Impeachment and his sequel to that – making his mark – of  “admitting his mistakes” without being self-centred, even while moving forward with extra energy to fulfill his task of doing good to the citizens of America during the remaining period of his Presidency, ever will remain high on his “Leadership Characteristic” (exempli-gratia), whether the same will now be seen in this case is seriously in doubt.

“Makng mistakes is an important part of a leader’s journey – opined an expert.

By that simple admission, President Bill Clinton, transformed himself from one who’s attacked to one who’s respected and trusted.”

          What President Donald Trump will do now remains largely unknown and uncertain.

          Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, by declaring the fructification of USMCA Trade Pact (an improvement over NAFTA) in an act of collaboration with President, Donald Trump, for the good of American Citizens within an hour of announcing the Impeachment articles is a clear signal to the people of America that Democrats will stand up for the welfare and safety of all people.

          Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has done well to adopt the learning experience of Bill Clinton to steer the future of the Party and the Nation.

   “Dieu avec nous”

   Wednesday, December 11, 2019 –  11.39 a.m. (IST).

   Tidbit :  ” A true Leader is one who is humble enough to admit their mistakes”.