The laws of nature are the bedrock of the laws of physics. From the laws of physics emerge the laws of motion, which were enunciated by Isaac Newton. Inertia is drawn from the first law of motion—a body at rest will remain at rest; a body in motion will remain in motion until an external force acts upon it. Hence, inertia is the inherent tendency of any object—read humans, too—to resist a change in its state of motion. Inertia is of three types: inertia of rest, inertia of motion and inertia of direction.

A management rule derived from the principle of inertia is that things—read people—like to keep doing what they are already doing. The oft-quoted example is that when a fast-moving car screeches to an immediate stop, the body lurches forward because its inherent inertia wants to keep moving. Inbuilt inertia resists a change to the existing state.

We have defined progress, in practical terms, as lunging one step forward and two steps backwards. Progress is dependent on consistency of action, and not on efforts made in spurts or on a whimsical attitude. “Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow; he who would search for pearls must dive below” (John Dryden).

Progress requires a skilful approach and the courage to take decisions. Problems must be predicted and handled immediately. It is foolish to wake up after the train has been hit. A pre-emptive approach will help........

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