Everything You Need Is Within You: Life-Changing Insights of a Village Teacher

by Surinder Kumar

Overview

When Surinder Kumar was growing up in post-partition India, his father, Kanshi Ram Arora, was known as "Master Ji," or "respected teacher." In the years that followed Britain's departure and the challenges that faced a newly reconstructed nation, Kanshi Ram helped his village grow out of poverty and deprivation. He did this by imbuing his family and his community with a set of principles that set many of them on a path to success beyond their wildest dreams. Today, Surinder Kumar is an enormously successful businessperson, having served prominent roles with Wrigley, PepsiCo, and Warner Lambert. He ties his accomplishments directly to the principles he learned from his father as a child – principles he believes apply to everyone. Now, Surinder brings the lessons of Master Ji to you in this powerful and inspiring book. Through sixteen brief chapters brimming with universal advice, he offers you the teachings that took him from the depths of poverty to a life of great professional and personal accomplishment. Filled with exercises and practical applications, Everything You Need Is Within You is a treasure of a book that will resonate within you and the generations to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611882988
Publisher:	The Story Plant
Publication date:	04/27/2021
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	1,096,534
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Surinder Kumar is currently Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at TruEats Modern Baking Company. Surinder has more than forty years of experience in senior management positions in Fortune 100 companies. He has been a global R&D and innovation leader at some of the finest consumer product and pharmaceutical companies in the world, including Quaker Oats, Mead Johnson, PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, Warner Lambert, and Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. He is an honored and distinguished member of Who’s Who worldwide. He has been awarded 17 patents, published many scientific papers, and has served on several advisory boards. These include Board of Trustees member, International Life Sciences Institute; Scientific Advisory Board Member at Penn State University, DePaul University, Rutgers University, and The Ohio State University. He has also worked as an adviser to the CE's of many non-profit associations including IEEE and ISACA. Surinder received the Distinguished Alumni award from Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, where he received his Ph.D. He has an MBA in Marketing and Finance from the University of Chicago. He has taught innovation and leadership courses at the Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern University; University of Chicago, DePaul University, and the University of North Texas. He has authored several pa- pers on innovation and leadership and a book on leadership, Riding the Blue Train: A Leadership Plan for Explosive Growth, which has been published in the USA, India, Turkey, and South Korea.

Read an Excerpt

Everything You Need is Within You

“Master ji (respected teacher), you need to leave the village tonight with your family,” said the young Muslim student. His head bowed and his hands folded in a sign of respect, his voice trembled as he uttered these words to his teacher, my father, Kanshi Ram. “There are rumors that all Hindus living in the village will be killed and their homes occupied by the Muslims. Please leave as soon as possible and don’t tell anybody that I warned you; they will kill me if they find out.”

Table of Contents

IntroductionPrinciple #1: You and You Alone Are the Ar- chitect of Your DestinyPrinciple #2: Choose to Be a Victor, Not a VictimPrinciple #3: Be Happy in Your Situation Until You Can Change the SituationPrinciple #4: Money Is Good Only If It Does Any GoodPrinciple #5: Nothing Great Was Ever Built on a Weak FoundationPrinciple #6: Whatever You Want to Achieve, Give It Your AllPrinciple #7: Set High Goals and Work Hard to Achieve ThemPrinciple #8: Education Is the Only Way Out of PovertyPrinciple #9: You Must Make the Tough Choices to Be Successful in LifePrinciple #10: Live Your Life by Your Own Design, Principles, and ValuesPrinciple #11: Focus on What is Really Im- portant to Achieve Your GoalsPrinciple #12: Never Forget Where You Came FromPrinciple #13: Wherever You Go, Leave the Place Better Than You Found ItPrinciple #14: Encourage Your Children to Fly as High as They CanPrinciple #15: Do Your Best; the Universe Will Do the RestPrinciple #16: Hard Work Is the Only Path to Your Desired DestinationAfterword

Editorial Reviews

When I was Surinder’s boss at Pepsi 25 years ago, I learned more from him than he got from me. After reading his book yesterday, the dynamic hasn’t changed 25 years later.

Mike Lorelli

Everything You Need is Within You is a book that reminds us that simple leadership principles are forever green. Applying the 16 principles presented in this book has helped me to be a better person and leader. I have become more intentional about pursuing my life's purpose to help others realize their dreams.

Matt Loeb

This rags-to-riches story is much more about a journey than a destination. It’s a story about having a strong moral compass, about perseverance, mutual support, and respect. It’s about the birth of the largest democracy in the world and its more recent emergence as a leading intellectual powerhouse. Kanshi Ram Arora would be very proud of his legacy.

Dr. James Prendergast

I am a strong believer in the basic principles presented in this book. Having led the Human Resources department in the Wrigley Company, I saw how strong leadership and empowering beliefs can transform an organization. The path to success starts with the belief that we are not constrained by lack of resources and that everything we need to succeed truly lies within us.

Duke Petrovich

Author Kumar is an incredibly successful leader of industry, recruited to C-suite positions at five major corporations. He reveals his philosophy for achievement based on work ethic and honest effort. Tracing his roots to an impoverished, near-death childhood in war-torn India, the strong teachings of his father, Bauji, forged a family who achieved the elusive American dream. This is a must-read for self-improvement with interesting self-evaluation tools following each chapter of principles. His personal first-hand account of life events is compelling, but this important writing serves as an inspirational text to guide students or immigrants who seek to make our world a better place. This professor will place this work in the library of students who should be inspired by Kumar’s insights.

Dr. Ken Lee

EVERYTHING YOU NEED IS WITHIN YOU is such a fascinating and inspirational story of Surinder’s family’s personal struggle to survive. Surinder lives the principles he was taught every day. He is a testament to his father’s teachings. For many, reading this book will make you grateful for where we were born. It will bring back memories of what we all have been taught as children by our parents and grandparents. It is a must read for all.

Jim Wisniewski

"As the saying goes, 'the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree.' I worked with Surinder at both Pepsi and Pizza Hut and the self-belief that his father instilled in him helped make him a world-class leader. The compelling story of his father’s life and wisdom is inspirational. You never know what you’re capable of."

David Novak

Surinder is one of the most thoughtful business leaders of the present. This book tells a timeless story while imparting wisdom to all ages and circumstances in a hugely relevant manner. There is not a more poignant message for us all at this time than the title of this book. Yes, we can make a difference and that should be our purpose however we choose to define it.

William "Beau" Wrigley

This book shows that life is what we decide to make it. Children from a poor village with no running water, dirt roads, and no electricity rose to unexpected heights because a teacher really believed that they had everything they needed to be successful even when they hardly had food to survive. A guide for parents and an inspiration for the young who choose to make a meaningful difference in the world today!

Bill Perez

Looking for a heartfelt, authentic leadership book that conveys the message using real life stories? Then this is the book for you. Surinder’s 16 principles have made a difference in my leadership, and I bet they will make a difference in yours too.

Cheri Warren

My father Kanshi Ram Arora truly believed that everything we need to build a great life resides within us. He believed strongly in education and lifelong learning. His simple principles and insights transformed a poor small village and its residents from being victims of India’s Partition to victors. The book captures the key insights and shows how an inspirational leader can influence the destiny of many generations.

Om Parkash Arora