A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Quotes

See the flower, how generously it distributes perfume and honey. When it's work is done, it falls away quietly. Try to be like the flower, unassuming despite all it's qualities.

We conducted research on the competencies and development requirements of each state. The required information was collected from the Planning Commission, government departments — both central and state — national and international assessments of the state and other relevant documents. The data was analysed and put in a presentable form using graphics and multimedia. At the meetings, PowerPoint presentations were made to the MPs with an emphasis on three areas: 1) the vision for a developed India; 2) the heritage of the particular states or union territory; and 3) their core competencies. The objective was to stress the point that to achieve the development of the nation, it was vital to achieve the development of each of these areas. Hence a fourth aspect was also prepared — selected development indicators for each of them. And what an enrichment I got by way of preparation and by the contributions of the members of Parliament, who hailed from all parties. Meeting them helped me to understand the richness of the diverse parts of the country.

The line between leadership and bullying is a thin one.

What makes life in Indian organizations difficult is the widespread prevalence of this very contemptuous pride. It stops us from listening to our juniors, subordinates and people down the line. You cannot expect a person to deliver results if you humiliate him, nor can you expect him to be creative if you abuse him or despise him. The line between firmness and harshness, between strong leadership and bullying, between discipline and vindictiveness is very fine, but it has to be drawn.

To live only for some unknown future is superficial. It is like climbing a mountain to reach the peak without experiencing its sides. The sides of the mountain sustain life, not the peak. This is where things grow, experience gained, and technologies are mastered. The importance of peak lies only in the fact that it defines the sides. So I went on towards the top, but always experiencing the sides. I had a long way to go but I was in no hurry. I went in little steps—just one step after another—but each step towards the top.

If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a sun.

Behind every successful venture and every inspiring career you will find an unflinching aim that was set early in life. Having an aim in life gives purpose to every action and orientation to every result.

Dream is not what we see in sleep, dream is what that does not allow us to sleep..

In the world today, we have a problem of distrust and unhappiness that transforms into violence. But in this monastery we believe that when you remove “I” and “me” from the mind, you will eliminate ego; if you get rid of the ego, hatred towards fellow human beings will vanish; if the hatred goes out of the mind, the violence in thinking and action will disappear; if violence in our mind is taken away, peace springs in human minds.

I shared with the ninety-year-old Subramaniam his vision of a second Green Revolution. He told me about his dream of setting up a national agro foundation that would develop hybrid seeds. His foundation would adopt small and marginal farmers and provide them with laboratory facilities for soil testing and access to information on the weather and markets, so that they could earn more through enhanced yields and better prices for what they produced. He aimed at bringing a million farmers under the scheme. Visionaries don’t age!

praise publicly, but criticize privately.

Nothing will befall us except what Allah has ordained. He is our guardian. In Allah, my son, put your trust.

"Mistakes" is easy to judge when other do it and difficult to realize when we do it.

Great dreams of great dreamers are always transcended.

Removing red tapism and favoritism in higher education and research administration and management is of utmost importance. We need to empower universities, both government funded and private, to promote research and enable them to improve research infrastructure.