Battling Through the Storm—Within and Outside
A Slow Start with a Stubborn Spirit
The night was long and restless. Aches spread across my body like an uninvited guest, making sleep impossible. Every small movement felt heavy, every turn painful.
Yet, the morning came as it always does, and I had a routine to follow. No matter how slow, I had to move. Some days, discipline is the only thing that keeps us going.
I reached the morning meeting a little weary, but present. Skipping it was never an option. Leadership is not about showing up when it’s easy—it’s about showing up when it’s hard.
Safety Pledge & A Moment Captured
Today, I led the safety pledge in English. A simple ritual, but one that holds weight. Repeating safety rules is not just about memorization—it’s about reinforcing a culture.
Wanting to capture the moment, I handed my phone to the tallest person in the group to take some pictures. Memories are made in the smallest of moments.
The Worst Kind of Prediction
There are predictions you make hoping you are wrong. A machine breakdown is one of them.
Looking at the plant's condition in the past few weeks, I knew this day would come. A series of breakdowns, each a result of negligence. The same root cause:
✔ No systematic equipment list
✔ No proper maintenance schedule
✔ Lack of Cleaning, Lubrication, Tightening, and Inspection (C.L.T.I.)
How can a plant run without discipline and order? Machines don’t stop working overnight—it happens when carelessness piles up, when small problems are ignored until they become big ones.
Today, I gave a strong message. More than a message, it was a warning. If this continues, the plant will fall apart. And I will not allow that.
The Culture of Carelessness
Sometimes, the smallest things reveal the biggest flaws.
A person approached me for approval of a PR number. But instead of using the ERP system properly, he brought a fresh, blank A4 sheet with only the PR number written on it in large letters.
So many layers of wastage in one action:
❌ Wastage of paper
❌ Wastage of time
❌ Wastage of efficiency
❌ Wastage of system integrity
A company’s discipline is reflected in its smallest practices. If there’s no respect for a process, how can there be respect for improvement?
An Unexpected Storm
Lunch was peaceful, and the sky looked calm. There was no sign of rain.
But nature has its own way of surprising us.
Just as I reached home, the wind picked up. The sunlight still shone, but big raindrops started falling. It looked like it would be over in minutes.
It wasn’t.
The sky darkened, thunder cracked through the air, and the rain intensified like never before. For an hour, it poured—one of the most intense showers I’ve seen in a long time.
I stood on my verandah, filming the storm, getting wet every time I leaned in too close. Something about rain fascinates me. It washes away more than just the dust—it washes away the stagnancy of routine.
Finally, at 2:30 PM, the storm settled.
As I waited for my car, I spent time greeting children who had been stuck at school. Small conversations, small smiles—sometimes that’s all people need to brighten their day.
Storms Outside, Storms Inside
Just as the rain disrupted the roads, it disrupted the plant operations.
The thunderstorm caused power fluctuations, forcing the plant to stop. It remained down for three long hours.
At 6:30 PM, the plant finally restarted. But the real question remains:
➡ Are we ready for the next breakdown?
➡ Are we learning from mistakes, or just waiting for the next failure?
Discipline. Process. Responsibility. If these three things don’t improve, the next storm—whether from the sky or within the plant—will hit us harder.
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