The parent returns..

"Dear NRN, I have seen you many times, but never talked to you, yet from what I know of you, I am a fan. A fan of you & of your value system which you have permeated through the company you built. Happy birthday, may this year bring out the best in you & in Infosys. Regards, Akshay" This mail was written 7 years back by me to the father, the patriarch of the Indian IT industry. 14 minutes later, I received a response. "Thanks a lot Akshay for your kind words. With best regards, Narayana N. R. Murthy" ------------------ Now sample this : Last year, for an initiative, I wrote an e-mail to a person barely 2 levels above me hierarchically requesting him for his inputs. Twice. - No response. I was flabbergasted at his indifference & the lack of response. Negative or positive, everyone is duty bound to acknowledge a conversation. Such people, would never be able to have the crowd on their side. They have neither the wherewithal nor the mojo. So, what magic does Mr. Murthy hold? Why is there this buzz of excitement on everyone's lips when he hasn't practically even started his work yet? Why did the scrip jump 9% on a single day increasing the market capitalization by 6,500 crores? To his credit, he very surely & easily : 1. Inspires confidence 2. Keeps the crowd motivated 3. Is a leader How? 1. You inspire confidence when you lead by example. Much like Sachin Tendulkar inspired confidence in any cricketer, Mr. Murthy does the same. Always on time, hates excuses, works very hard & accepts weaknesses. Always works towards a culture of superlativeness, but never compromises on values. That's enough to inspire ordinary people like me. 2. How do you keep people motivated? Give them an ear & pat them if they do well. Most people would forget awards and rewards, but a small chat with Mr. Murthy or a small photo-op would remain close to their hearts all through their lives. He is famous for standing in long-winding queues with the employees for lunch or grabbing a chair & having a chat with a young engineer during coffee breaks. This aspect, is what makes him popular with the masses. People sit up & take notice when he talks. 3. Being a leader Well frankly speaking, if you do the first 2 points correctly, you don't need to do this one. You already are a leader. Picture I like going through the numbers, I like data to prove a point & I know, based on numbers, there would be many people who would say - "It's not gonna work this time". But, I would like to leave it for another day.. BECAUSE, There are some things which the heart tells you are right. Some things which you want to believe are right. Mr. Murthy is one of those things, one of those factors which make you feel good, feel right. With all his immense repertoire of qualities of leadership & expertise put aside, what strikes everyone is his ability to inspire people from the ground to the board rooms. I am sure, he will inspire again, nourish his 'middle-child' & do justice to his own legacy. I wish him only the best for his newest adventure. Aye-aye captain, sail ahead.