K.J. Alphons, a bureaucrat turned politician, recounts fascinating tales of resilience and determination in his new book, The Winning Formula. With a lucid and engaging narrative, Alphons opens a window into not only his formative years and extraordinary career but also the people he met along the way. The product is stories of grit and triumph.
One of the standout anecdotes takes readers back to his first college debate. Determined to overcome his fear of public speaking, Alphons practised by talking to a wall. However, his debut wasn’t smooth-faced with an audience of 1,000 students; his speech was met with howls, paper balls, and, eventually, shoes.
Alphons persisted, finishing his speech amidst the chaos. Reflecting on the incident, he writes: “Any sensible person would have run away from the stage. I persisted till the end, shameless.” The event shaped the growing boy.
Fast forward two decades, Alphons spearheaded a high-profile anti-encroachment drive in Delhi, earning the moniker “demolition man.” He, self-confessedly, likes doing things in style. He described his major demolition drive in the book.
Wearing a Clint Eastwood hat, pistol tucked in his waist and accompanied by his Great Dane, Spanny, he oversaw the operation from an open jeep, backed by 25 bulldozers and 10,000 police officers. “I stood on the road with Spanny for 36 hours, till two lakh square feet of illegal construction had turned to dust,” he recounts.
During his five years as Delhi Development Authority commissioner, Alphons claims to have cleared 14,000 illegal mansions, freeing vast tracts of land in the national capital.
Its 52 short chapters are filled with anecdotes and a motivational message at the end. He advises the readers to meditate on these messages. These lessons, drawn from his career as a bureaucrat and politician, and some of other bureaucrats and even ordinary people, are meant to inspire.
From voluntary retirement at 52 to his transition into politics, his journey is nothing short of remarkable. He was featured in Time magazine’s list of 100 Young Global Leaders in 1994, won the Best Legislator Award as a Kerala MLA, and later served as a Union Minister of State with Independent Charge in the Modi government, overseeing the tourism portfolio.
Alphons’ writing in The Winning Formula is straightforward and devoid of motivational jargon. He shares that he was an ordinary student who scored just 42 per cent in school but achieved success through relentless hard work. His message is simple yet powerful: if he can do it, so can anyone.
The book is a treasure trove of anecdotes and life lessons, making it an engaging read for those seeking inspiration. Alphons successfully dons the hat of a motivational writer, offering readers a clear and simple roadmap to success.
The Winning Formula: 52 Ways to Change Your Life
Author: K.J. Alphons
Publisher: Bloomsbury India
Pages: 244
Price: Rs 499
