Wings of Fire

Principais ideias

• Origens simples não limitam você; curiosidade, mentores e esforço abrem caminhos
• Uma porta fechada é só um desvio, não uma sentença sobre o seu valor
• Grandes projetos vencem quando líderes assumem a culpa e dividem os louros
• O fracasso ensina: o SLV-3 falhou em 1979 e voou em 1980
• Para gerar impacto duradouro, desenvolva pessoas e instituições, não apenas máquinas

Dentro deste bit

1. De Rameswaram aos foguetes

   A boy from a small island town sells newspapers at dawn to help his family, and decades later he stands beside the rocket that puts India's first satellite into orbit. That arc is the heart of Wings of Fire.

2. As pessoas que o moldaram

   Kalam's father was a boat owner and a devout Muslim who quietly discussed scripture with the temple priest and the church father. His mother fed more mouths than the family could really afford.

3. Portas que se fecharam

   After studying aeronautical engineering in Madras, Kalam wanted to fly. He travelled to Dehradun for the air force selection and finished just outside the number of places available.

4. Liderando o SLV-3 em meio às falhas

   Kalam was made project director of India's first satellite launch vehicle, the SLV-3, coordinating hundreds of engineers across many centres. He describes the pressure of a first launch attempt in 1979 that failed minutes after liftoff.

5. Mísseis, equipes e autossuficiência

   In the 1980s Kalam moved to defence research and led the programme that produced missiles such as Prithvi and Agni. Foreign suppliers refused key technology, so his teams built it at home, which he saw as a gift rather than a setback.

6. Coloque em prática

   This week, write down the names of 3 people who believed in you before you had proof, and send one of them a message of thanks. Identify one young person you could mentor, even informally, and offer 30 minutes of your time.