I met Manish when he was a visible figure as a noisemaker, solution provider, evangelizer of quality and developer productivity at PayPal. My very first impression of Manish was that he is a deep thinker. Only later, did I realize that while he is an analytical thinker like most, his differentiation lies in being a systems thinker, which is pretty rare to see in today’s corporations.
Manish can observe the “system”, predict its behavior and how certain actions, solutions, and policies would work, fail, or backfire in the distant future. Manish reminds me of the Deming-ism that ‘Management is Prediction’. Many people ignore his predictions because much of that does not make sense even in their wildest dream - but, only to be proven wrong later 🙂.
Manish often cites Jay Forrestor’s words that “systems are counterintuitive” only to add that Jay was wrong. He clarifies that it is OUR understanding of the system that is flawed and counter to the workings of the system. This attitude of Manish makes him a true leader because instead of pointing fingers at the system and acting like a victim, Manish always takes responsibility for understanding & in turn changing the system.
I am lucky to have partnered with Manish in messing with complex systems. With me in security role and Manish responsible for developing productivity and quality, we reflected upon how each of us are hurting each other even with the best of our intentions and designed systems so that we can find synergy amongst all. Manish is one of the “non-infosec” folks who have shaped my philosophy around designing and managing security in complex techno-social systems. It would be an understatement to say that he has profoundly impacted me.
Manish’s super power is not just being a manager or a problem solver, but also that he can take on the role of an educator. He educates by asking the right questions. Instead of spoon-feeding answers, he allows for learning to emerge from your thinking and actions. Beware of engaging in conversation with Manish! He is one of the best bulls**t detectors I have encountered in my life. His ability to refute and cut through the nonsense to get to the root of the issue is remarkable.
In an Ackoff-in lingo: Most fall for data and information - but Manish seeks and imparts knowledge and understanding. During my last days at PayPal, Manish had moved from solving problems to a much broader role of coaching and teaching people so they can solve problems themselves. I attended his early pilot training session and was so impressed that I requested him to get on a plane with me to fly to Bangalore the very next week so that my team there can be trained. I can only imagine how much better that training must have become in the last two years. I highly recommend everyone to attend Manish’s training if you get a chance.
Steve Jobs needed a Joe Juran. Jeff Bezos needed a Jeff Wilke. Today’s 21st-century leaders need Manish Jain.
