The problem that follows every success of course is the loss of humility in a successful leader that can be the beginning of a downfall. It is no surprise that many of the world beaters identified by management gurus like Tom Peters did not stay the course and it has taken a few exceptional companies like GE, IBM and 3 M globally and possibly TCS in India to show that leadership renewal and a continuing willingness to learn and adapt can enable companies to last and move from “good to great” over decades. And if there is one thread one should pick up from all these companies, it is possibly the humility of their leaders.
Humility comes easily to leaders who were not born with a silver spoon in their mouths – a family name and lineage creates a sense of entitlement. Successive generations of TCS leaders, from extraordinary industry doyen Kohli to Ramadorai to its current CEO Chandra had all worked their way up the ranks and saw the CEO role as a trusteeship of responsibility rather than a gift of power and control. Exceptional family businesses like Thermax have also had leaders, Rohington Aga, Anu Aga and now Meher Pudumjee who are outstanding human beings and wear the badge of company leadership with grace and humility at all times.
On a personal note, my own story probably reflects that of many other CEOs of corporate India. From humble beginnings in Bihar to executive stints in manufacturing, training and consulting in Crompton Greaves and NIIT, the opportunity to lead APTECH came at the age of thirty-four and in over two decades of leading two companies since then, I have never lost touch with my roots which very much lie in the dusty village of Tatisilwai and the neighbouring small town of Ranchi. These are constant reminders that the two hundred days of globe-trotting every year and the opportunity to work with Fortune 500 customers and shape the destinies of seven thousand Zensarians from fourteen countries around the world is just another privilege given for a brief period and one should never lose touch with the realities of the country in which companies like APTECH and Zensar have been built and succeeded.
Humility in a leader inspires a passion to succeed and a willingness to go the extra mile in the other leaders who build their careers in the same workplace. Surges in market capitalisation, the adulation of press and analysts and a collection of silver awards are all very well but it is the love of one’s colleagues and the sense of having contributed to company and country that will be the true reward for humble and successful leaders. May their tribe increase!
By Ganesh Natarajan
