The Managing Director and Chief Executive of Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC muses on happiness, his favourite writers and his knack for breaking down complexity
Best career advice:
Don’t make the same mistake twice.
Best advice you could give others:
Do it with passion or not at all.
What do you wish you had more of?
Courage to change the things I can, serenity to accept the things I can’t, and most importantly, the wisdom to know the difference.
What do you consider your greatest strength?
The ability to communicate complex things in a simple manner.
What do you dislike most in the work setting?
Organizational politics.
What has helped you most in your career?
Not being afraid to ask questions.
What life philosophy or mantra do you live by?
There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it does not befit any of us to speak ill of the rest of us.
Which living person do you most admire?
Barack Obama.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Perfect happiness is a mirage. We are happy when things go right and unhappy when they don’t. In life, when most things are going right, there will always be some things that cause angst. Similarly, when most things are going wrong, there will always be blessings that you can be thankful for. It’s a twin track.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Loss of hope.
What do you most value in your friends?
Not talking behind my back.
What superpower would you most like to have?
The ability to see through people and read the intentions that drive what they say and do.
What is your most marked characteristic?
My baritone voice.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“Absolutely” in terms of what’s printable. The unprintable, I shall leave to the imagination of your readers.
Who are your favourite writers?
Robert Ludlum, Jim Collins, Simon Sinek.