Koenig Ethos

Rohit Aggarwal founded Koenig in 1993. For the first eight years of his professional life, Rohit struggled and was on the verge of closing his business. In 2001, he had an epiphany. He realized that the reason for his failure was that he was no longer adhering to his values. He decided to go back to the basics. He attributes his subsequent success to adherence to a set of principles, which he calls Koenig Ethos.

  • Eliminate Negative Thoughts
    1. Say NO to negative thoughts - anger, hatred, jealousy, revenge, craving, ego and arrogance
    2. Compassion, gratitude and humility are three central positive thoughts
    3. Surround yourself with people who promote positive thoughts
    4. Develop empathy
    5. Source of all actions and thoughts should be good intentions

    We should make a conscious effort to not let negative thoughts pervade our mind. A negative thought creates negative chemicals and vibrations in our brain, and saps our energy. We can eliminate them by diverting our mind whenever a negative thought tries to enter. One possible way to reduce negative thoughts is by developing empathy i.e. the ability to think from the point of view of others. In most instances, we will realize that what the other person did was no different from what we would have done in the same position. Good intentions should be behind every act of ours. We should not do anything to hurt others, or let our actions be dictated by anger, jealousy, revenge or other such negative.

  • Anger Management
    1. Anger is your worst enemy
    2. Learn to control / divert your mind
    3. Never act, speak or even think when you are angry
    4. When we lose temper, we lose respect
    5. Delay is the greatest cure for anger

    Look back on the past year and imagine your present situation if you had never been angry. You will realize that many of your actions which you later regretted could have been avoided. In other words, you would have been more successful if you had avoided anger. You can't go back in time but can certainly decide not to act in anger in the future. Act only when you are at peace You will be more successful.

  • Truth is a Big Force
    1. Always be truthful in your conduct
    2. Do not give-in to the temptation to lie to get ahead in life
    3. We can change truth only by accepting it
    4. For a short period, it might seem that untruth is working, but in the end only truth and truthful people win
    5. Pran jaye par vachan na jaye
      (a promise should be honored at all costs)
  • Karmanye Vadhikaraste

    Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phalesu kada chana (only hard work is in our control, not the fruits of it) Usually, we work hard in the hope of results. Our energy is used up in hoping that we will succeed. If we focus on work and stop fretting about the result, we will be able to work more and therefore achieve more.

    1. Do not expect quick results
    2. Focus all your energy on "pursuit of excellence", success and money will follow you
  • Reduce Expectations from Others
    1. Most sad feelings are because of expectations
    2. Be benevolent without expecting anything in return
    3. It will lead to a more peaceful and popular you
    4. When you do something for someone, do not expect a return. Most probably you will get a return and you will be very happy. If you do not get a return, you will not be sad since you were not expecting it anyway.
  • Be Brave
    1. Jo dar gaya, samjho mar gaya (one who is scared is as good as dead)
    2. Be prepared for the worst
    3. Re member 'This too shall pass'
    4. Fear is imagination, imagination is a precursor of reality, fear precipitates danger
    5. This is a dialogue from the cult Indian movie of 1970s - Sholay. Throughout your life you will have ups and downs and there will be times when you feel all is lost. You must be courageous and keep presence of mind ln such situations.
  • Welcome Criticism
    1. Always be truthful in your conduct
    2. To err is human. to accept divine
    3. If criticism hurts, most likely it ls true

    As humans we do not like to be criticized. Most people get defensive when faced with criticism. For a moment. imagine that you shed your "protective instincts· and allow people to criticize you. This will give you a treasure of information about areas of improvement and eventually lead to a better you·. By avoiding criticism, we deprive ourselves of invaluable information for improvement. We should not get emotional when criticized We should look at criticism in an unemotional way, break it away from the critic, evaluate if it ls true and change ourselves for the better.

  • Caring for others
    1. Respecting elders
    2. Taking care of parents
    3. Caring for family/children
    4. Caring for the environment and community. We should care for the environment and the communities around us.
    5. We must respect elders and be especially courteous to them. We should love and care for our parents, brothers and sisters, especially when they need us. It is every parent's inescapable responsibility to ensure the best possible nurture, care and education of their children.
  • Learn to Forgive & Forget
    1. What we perceive as injustice is not always injustice in a broader perspective
    2. As humans, nothing hurts us more than being treated unjustly.
    3. Life is not fair. In fact, we are also not fair at all times.
    4. By learning to forgive and forget, we will find that we can simplify our life and do much more in it.
  • Healthy Living

    You cannot be successful without good health which comes from a healthy lifestyle. By reducing negative thoughts to 0% your health will improve dramatically. Walking is the most natural exercise for humans and should be given priority over all other forms of exercise. It should be done in an open space where your mind can relax. Walk in the morning or evening as your schedule permits. Music refreshes the mind and the body. Add listening to music to your daily routine. Watching beautiful natural sceneries such as the sunset, the sea, green fields etc. has a soothing effect on the eyes and mind. Make it a point to watch funny TV serials or movies regularly. Sleeping for 8 continuous hours is a must Avoid popping medicines for ailments. Try Naturopathy.

    1. Brisk walk for 3-4 kms in open space
    2. Eat nutritious food
    3. Relax with Music
    4. Give yourself a visual treat of nature
    5. Laughter- good for lungs and heart
    6. Sleep for at least 8 hours
    7. Avoid medicines
  • Work Hard (and Smart)
    1. Work is worship
    2. Work with focus for 8 hours every day
      (but do not overwork, maintain work-life balance)
    3. Value time - Do not let it slip away without progress
    4. Though we should not crave results. we should work very hard. If the mind 1s free of negative thoughts, you will be able to think clearly and get innovative ideas
  • Definition of Success
    1. Money
    2. Respect
    3. Peace of mind

    Do not equate success with money. Only when we achieve all three - money, respect and peace of mind, can we call ourselves successful.