Country India Publisher CAS Research Wing Pages 334 pp Originally published 2010 Genre Non-fiction | Language English Publication date 2010 ISBN 978-81-920520-0-7 OCLC 728526585 | |
Next What's In is a management and self-help book written by Santosh Sharma and published by CAS Research Wing in 2010.
Contents
Premise and background
The book's premise deals with the idea of dissolving the box, mental biases and limitations. The idea claims that the traditional and thinking out of the box method is flawed and that one must "dissolve the box" in order to escape pre-formed and stereotypical thoughts. In this book the author compels the reader to leap beyond the axioms that bounds one's creativity; and insists on dissolving the box instead of "merely thinking out of it". Next What's In discusses that all social and professional evils like rape, corruption, mental and physical pollution, and under-performance are a result of hidden fear, ego, attachment and limited intelligence.
According to the author a real leader first leads himself and then aligns all conflicting desires to influence people in achieving the intended goal. The author believes that a real leader is spiritually awakened and he practices universal spiritual laws. The book was a result of the discussions the author had with his colleagues and friends when discussing and correlating everyday experiences with the teachings of Gita, Kuran and Bible.
About the book
The book is divided into four parts
1. Foundation
2. Concepts
3. Practical Implications
4. Designing the Future
Dissolve the box
Dissolve the box is a concept discussed in the book. Presented as being different from thinking outside the box, it has been applied in various organizations, sports clubs, and academic institutions like IIM Ranchi.
Sharma writes that dissolving the biases, limitations and boxes will give new perspectives to the present view of growth and leadership. He says this idea helps in inclusive and sustainable growth for better life and world. Thinking out of the box still means the thoughts are in comparison to what's inside a box. Contrary to thinking out of the box which focuses only on external growth, Sharma writes that this idea is to bring about a congruency between the inner and outer growth, being more holistic in its approach.
Sharma explains this concept by giving an analogy of a thief where thinking out of the box would make him a better thief as he finds new ways to manipulate laws as he still thinks from the platform of being a thief because of his basic self-understanding. In thinking out of the box the reference of the box still remains. As the thief dissolves his boxes, he realizes that he is not just a thief but it is just a limited understanding of him and also gets the intelligence to change. This is not just an incremental but a radical shift.
Sharma writes that individuals and organizations respond from internal biases, boxes and traps, just as did the thief in the example. He says that thinking out of the box will simply take them further in the wrong direction.
Reception
Critical reception for Next What's In has been positive, with The Hindu calling it "interesting and engaging". Businessworld praised the book's "simple and lucid" language and presentation.