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Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Quieting The Noise: The Surprising Leadership Power Of Daily Meditation
Shekar Natarajan is the founder and CEO of As a CEO, I spend most of my time making high-stakes decisions. I must balance a barrage of variables with a lot of unknowns. In high-pressure moments, the most valuable thing I can access is clarity. And the most reliable way I have found to create clarity is through meditation. This is not about wellness trends or personal transformation. It is about sharpening your ability to think, act and lead when it counts. Over the last decade, meditation has become one of the most important leadership tools I rely on. It has helped me make better decisions, inspire others in times of crisis and recover faster in moments of stress. My meditation journey began in 2015 when I attended a 10-day silent Vipassana retreat. Ten days with no speaking, no email, no phones. Just 10 hours of silent meditation every day. Your back aches, your knees hurt. On day three, you want to cry. On day four, you want to just pack up and leave. But by day seven, something shifts. The silence begins to reveal what's really going on beneath your waking consciousness. By day 10, you begin to understand how often your mind interrupts itself. You begin to understand yourself. Since then, I have returned to that practice several times. In 2017, after a period of personal and professional exhaustion, I spent 28 days at an Ayurvedic retreat in India. My mother had just emerged from a medical coma. I was still processing the loss of my father. I needed space to think and reset. I left behind everything, including my phone. By day four, I had energy again. And with that energy, I started painting. What began as a simple desire to learn how to draw eyes turned into hours of uninterrupted creative focus. I studied watercolor, acrylic and traditional Indian goldwork painting. The untapped creativity that was swirling in my busy brain now had an outlet and, as a result, my mind grew still, my attention exact. The combination of meditation and art gave me both discipline and expression. I have kept the practice ever since. Every nine months, I take time away to reset. Two weeks of uninterrupted mental clarity. No meetings. No noise. No decisions. And when I come back, I am sharper and ready for the uncertainties that are part of everyday life. During Covid, that clarity made a difference. While many companies paused, we moved quickly. Our team was being asked to shut down distribution centers. I took my five-day-old son and met with the governor of Kansas to make the case for staying open. I laid out a plan to protect our teams, support local businesses and serve the community. We stayed open. At the same time, I started writing daily notes to our associates. Honest, reflective and grounded in reality. Those notes spread through the company. People waited for them. That connection was only possible because I had created space to reflect each day. Courage is not about public displays or bold statements. It is about being willing to act when the path is not certain. Meditation gives me the ability to hear my own voice clearly enough to trust it. That kind of conviction is not noisy. It is quiet. But it is powerful. Most people say they do not have time to meditate. In my experience, you cannot afford not to. Meditation does not need to be sitting in silence for hours. It simply means creating intentional space for focus. I practice meditation in three ways. I start each morning with 20 minutes of meditation. I paint when I need a creative outlet. And I carve out time during the day to read, think and work on the problems that matter most. No multitasking. No distractions. Just clean, focused thought. These habits help me sort the signal from the noise. They help me see what matters. They help me act with less hesitation and more resolve. We talk a lot about physical health in leadership. Mental hygiene deserves the same attention. You cannot lead clearly if your mind is cluttered. You cannot make hard decisions if you are too exhausted to think. Meditation trains your mind to slow down. It teaches you to observe instead of react. Over time, that becomes your default. It also wakes up your intuition. As a leader, you are rarely working with perfect information. Often, you are making calls based on what feels right. Meditation helps you learn the difference between gut instinct and fear. It makes your decision-making more consistent and more courageous. This is not a soft skill. It is a performance skill. In a world full of pressure and speed, silence is a superpower. When everything demands your attention, the ability to be still is what sets you apart. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Entrepreneur
23-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
How AI is Powering the Next Generation of Investment Opportunities
This story originally appeared on Due Artificial intelligence has moved beyond flashy demos and viral chatbots to become something more fundamental: a clear signal to investors that companies are building for the long haul. While venture capital once chased social media unicorns and biotech breakthroughs, former Fortune 50 executive Shekar Natarajan sees a completely different opportunity ahead. Legacy industries like logistics are getting a complete AI systems makeover, and smart money is finally taking very serious notice. Photo of Shekar Natarajan Reimagining Logistics with AI For a long time, the investment approach remained quite the same: Invest in emerging markets as they grow, make big investments in new biotech findings, and look for the next social media site that might become a huge success. However, lately, something has changed in the investment world, and a new wave of money has started heading toward opportunities that many individuals might miss. The real excitement is not in fancy consumer apps or crypto projects. It is in the less appealing area of changing old industries. Think about logistics, for example. Many individuals may think of it as trucks, warehouses, and spreadsheets. This is not the type of industry that excites investors at social events. But Shekar Natarajan sees something completely different when he looks at this industry. The former Fortune 50 executive is betting his latest venture, can turn one of the world's most traditional sectors into an investor's dream. 'We're not just applying AI for efficiency,' Shekar explains. 'We're creating an entirely new operating system for how physical goods move, how decisions are made, and how companies adapt in real time.' That's a big promise for an industry where change usually comes slowly. But the numbers backing up this vision are hard to ignore. Targeting Overlooked Sectors The old way of thinking was easy: just stay away from businesses that don't make much money and cost a lot to keep running! Logistics companies were seen like that, so most investors didn't want to invest. But is more than just a company trying to make things better. It shows a big change in how investors think about new ideas. In the market, there's a lot of hype around quick AI systems and tools that promise easy wins. Investors are tired of this! Instead, they want AI systems that grow in value across whole businesses. The companies that manage to achieve this are the ones getting the big investments now. A 2024 McKinsey report says that AI could boost global productivity by $4.4 trillion each year. Most of this gain won't come from chatbots. It will come from AI systems quietly working in industries such as logistics. These 'hidden industries' are now the best places for long-term investment returns. Kate Lu, a partner at Frontline Ventures, sees this change. She mentioned that, 'AI is allowing investors to back companies that can rewire the backbone of global commerce'. She also added that, 'Orchestro is a perfect example of that.' The platform doesn't just speed up operations; it learns from all decisions and can also predict issues and fix them on its own. Breaking Down Logistics Potential The logistics field presents a compelling narrative to individuals who invest. Research indicates it will reach sixteen trillion dollars globally, and this could happen by the year 2030. But the challenge is that a lot of businesses depend on outdated systems. These systems comes from old technology! There's data in silos, work flows that react, and also enterprise software that hardly communicates. jumps into that problem in order to change it into an advantage. Sekhar explains, 'Consider is like Bloomberg Terminal made for operations.' The data that they need is present. He added that it is static, detached, and looks to the past. Orchestro transforms it, integrates everything, and can predict the future. The comparison with Bloomberg isn't just by chance. Experts in finance need live information, and also information that analyzes. Operations experts are now given a chance to see the details. The operations experts were just getting access to this level of information. The idea presented is doing well so far. has global logistics companies, retail companies, and manufacturing companies as clients. Many organizations now regard AI as a crucial piece of infrastructure! It's not seen as a side project to eventually consider for these organizations. Companies that are worth billions start to use your tech, and this causes investors to be curious and interested. Making Boring Industries Exciting What makes Shekar's way of doing things special is not only the tech his team made, but also how he talks about what needs to be fixed. Many AI companies like to show off fancy demos that look cool but do not really solve business problems. Orchestro decided to do something different. Shekar says, 'It's not about making AI sexy, it's about making it strategic. We're helping decision-makers turn operations from cost centers into competitive advantages.' That message resonates with industry leaders who are tired of technology that promises everything and delivers very little. They want operational visibility, speed, and agility more than they want flashy features. This shift in mindset is driving investor interest in companies like that combine deep industry knowledge with cutting-edge technology. The timing is great since the issues with the supply chain in the last few years has taught everyone that operations are more important than most thought. Companies that could quickly change with the times did well, while others are still trying to catch up. It is important to remember that businesses need to maintain data and context of this shift, while they need to adapt to our environment. Designing Durable AI Foundations Shekar knows that 'using AI alone will not create a lasting business advantage.' The companies that do well for a long time will build on strong bases, such as good data, real-world understanding, and systems that actually learn from experience. That is what makes Orchestro special, instead of just another AI systems company trying to benefit from the current excitement when investing. He mentions that in complicated systems, a bad choice can cause even more issues. 'In complex systems, the cost of a bad decision compounds,' he points out. 'We built Orchestro so companies can act with foresight instead of hindsight.' We all learned during the pandemic that being able to bounce back is more important than just trying to make things as efficient as possible for the short term. Investors are now supporting stability, flexibility, and being able to change when unexpected situations occur, rather than only focusing on growth. Orchestro was primarily created with this thought. The platform not only helps companies work better but also helps them build the kind of knowledge that turns unexpected problems into advantages, and it is something that truly makes a business stronger in the long run. Embedding Intelligence in Operations As the AI field grows, the companies that do well will not be the ones with the fanciest demos; instead, it will be the ones that include AI fully into how they do business, making it blend in. Shekar says that 'Software is no longer just a tool. In many ways, it's becoming the operating system of the physical world. At Orchestro, we're using AI to make sure that the system is adaptive, transparent, and intelligent.' This way, AI is not just a product but acts as a base. Rather than buying AI systems to fix specific issues, companies get a smart addition that makes all they do smarter, and that is the type of setup investors can form plans around for the long run with confidence. Closing The investor world is also changing who they support. People starting a company for the first time and following the newest trends are not getting as much support as before. More money is going to experienced people who know how the systems they are trying to change work. Shekar is a good example of this kind of person because he has many years of experience in making logistics systems for some of the biggest companies in the world; his past work makes investors trust him, and his ideas are getting a lot of support. Shekar said that 'AI isn't about replacing people. It's about amplifying the best decisions they can make.' He also adds that the businesses that accept this idea will do better than others. This idea attracts companies that want to improve, not just become more affordable. As the markets change up and down, money is looking for safer investments that can also make a lot of profit, and the upcoming AI investments will not just be about new ideas; they will be about what is really needed. Companies such as are in charge of this, not by being the loudest but by being very important to businesses. As Shekar puts it, 'The future of investment isn't just about backing breakthrough ideas. It's about identifying where intelligence needs to live and making sure it gets there first.' Many investors think that the future is already here, and these investors are supporting businesses that use AI to fix real problems in very big markets that most people do not consider, with multiple problems. Featured Image Credit: Photo by Arthur A; Unsplash; Thanks! The post How AI is Powering the Next Generation of Investment Opportunities appeared first on Due.
Forbes
16-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Rented Economy Of Supply Chains: Why Ownership Is An Illusion
Shekar Natarajan is the founder and CEO of getty In the world of global commerce, we like to tell ourselves a comforting story: that we "own" our supply chains. But ownership is a myth. The truth is, we rent our supply chains—and the rent is going up. When I first took on leadership of the supply chain at a large retail clothing chain, I was welcomed with a bold statement: "Shekar, you own the supply chain." It sounded impressive. But when I started asking questions, the reality unraveled fast. We did not own the mills in India where yarn was spun. We did not own the factories across Asia where garments were stitched. We did not own the ships, the ports, the de-consolidators or even most of the distribution centers. The infrastructure we relied on belonged to someone else. All we really owned was a sliver of space in the middle—a few distribution centers and some contracts. Everything else was a handshake, a lease, a rented connection. This is not just true for retailers. Even the biggest players, such as Walmart, the world's largest retailer, rent the majority of their supply chain. Sure, they own some trucks, but the goods, the labor, the warehouses, the last mile capacity? Rented. And when you rent, you are exposed. Your whole supply chain is only as strong as your weakest link. Supply chains today are no longer neat pipelines. They are messy, fragmented webs, disconnected in time and space. What happened at a mill in Bangladesh three months ago can ripple into a retail shortage in Boston today. This "butterfly effect" is not rare. It is the operating system of modern supply chains. Today's supply chain leaders must shift from static planning to dynamic execution, from ownership illusions to ecosystem influence. You do not "command" a supply chain. You guide it. You shape incentives, anticipate friction and adapt as reality shifts beneath your feet. Forget trying to control your way out of volatility; think orchestration instead. AI is not a luxury here. It is the brain that makes orchestration possible. AI-powered agent networks can forecast disruption before it hits, reroute freight in real time, renegotiate contracts on the fly and rebalance inventory to buffer against cascading failures. Traditional dashboards just tell you what has already gone wrong. AI makes decisions before the damage is done. Imagine a decentralized nervous system—one that senses, learns and adapts without waiting for headquarters to issue a command. That is the future of supply chains. Not controlled from the center, but intelligently orchestrated from the edge. In a rented economy, resilience is no longer a "nice to have." It is the baseline for survival. And the key to resilience is optionality. Optionality means having multiple carriers, backup suppliers, alternate ports and diversified routes, even if it costs more upfront. It is like buying insurance against the unknown. One micro-disruption—a flood in Gujarat, a customs delay in Mexico, a fuel spike in Singapore—can trigger millions in lost sales if you have no alternatives. Yes, optionality adds cost. But the cost of not having it is higher. Leaders need to stop measuring supply chain success by how much they shaved off per unit moved. They need to measure it by how much they saved when the unexpected hit. Optionality is not redundancy. It is agility. It is the ability to pivot when the world does what it always does—change. Building optionality starts with mapping your dependencies. Digitizing your contracts. Creating smart contracts that can flex in real time, and building partnerships, not just transactions. All the while layering in AI-driven decision engines that optimize choices on the fly, factoring in cost, risk and time. Supply chains were built for a world that no longer exists—a world where the pipes were straight and the flows were predictable. But today's flows are nonlinear. The pipes bend, clog and burst without warning. Resilience comes from being able to bend with them. The global supply chain is a rented house. You do not control the foundation. You do not own the walls. What you own is how well you furnish it, how quickly you can adapt when a leak springs and how smartly you can pivot when the landlord raises the rent. Building a truly orchestrated supply chain starts with decentralizing intelligence. Not central command centers barking orders, but smart nodes—ports, warehouses, carriers—feeding real-time insights into an adaptive system. It means embracing digital twins that model not just the physical flow of goods but the causal relationships between events, so you can predict where a disruption today will become a crisis tomorrow. It also means designing agent networks that coordinate thousands of micro-decisions every day without waiting for human intervention, while recognizing that humans are the angels that make the system work. We are entering a world where agility will outplay scale—where orchestration will outlast ownership. The companies that win will not be the ones with the biggest supply chains, but the ones with the smartest, most adaptable ones. The rent is rising. The butterflies are already flapping their wings. It is time to stop pretending we own the chain. We own the strategy. And the future belongs to those who can orchestrate it. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
