The Path to Excellence

In early February this year, I attended a concert of some of the finest maestros from across the continents, who have excelled in their own genres – Ustad Zakir Hussain, Bela Fleck, and Edgar Meyer. They were briefly joined by Rakesh Chaurasia who is making a mark for himself with the flute, in the footsteps of his renowned uncle Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.

There was a perfect blend in the fusion music they created, and the concert was aptly called Confluence. It was spellbinding, and my mind was carried into a different realm.

Sitting in the venue and watching the maestros play, there was a lot more than music which I carried with me.

Outside the venue was a busy traffic junction of Hyderabad, with vehicles buzzing 24/7, but when you are inside it’s total peace. It was so soothing and serene. When you look outside you would only find noise in the world. Look inside and you can find the music of your soul.

As the maestros played, I was watching their fingers move on their musical instruments as it were a delicate dance. It was so elegant and so beautiful to watch it. The instrument remains the same whoever holds it, but it takes the finesse and skill of a maestro to bring out beautiful music from it.

They were focused on their instruments, but never lost the smile on their face and cracked subtle jokes making the audience laugh. You must stay focused and simultaneously enjoy and have fun in the work you do. It’s only then you can excel. Humour helps 🙂

Each one of them was so engrossed and competitive with their own instrument, while simultaneously appreciating the skill of the others. When you work in a team, the output would be that of a team and not the individual. Ensure the best output is produced, by performing your role the best while simultaneously and genuinely respecting and appreciating the skill of your team members.

The way they played the instruments, they made it appear seemingly simple. Practise makes you perfect. The more you practise, the more comfortable you would become in whatever you are doing. And eventually you would become one with your act and excel in your chosen field. Practise, Practise, Practise.

Even in the best hands, the musical instruments can deliver the best music only if they are tuned from time to time. It’s important you know your process, tools, and people so well, that even the slightest hint of being out of sync should be addressed immediately. It’s only then you can be assured of the best results.

At the end of the show, they were standing with folded hands, humbly bowing to the audience and quietly moved to the edge of the stage. Never let the success enter your head. Leave space for more learning and always remain humble. When you are humble you would remain a student for life, and your skill will speak for itself and bring you laurels.