Like any company, our company too serves a client. Recently the country technical head of our client was supposed to have a meeting in our office. Of course all the preparations were made for his visit. Relevant data was collected, presentations were made, mock meetings took place and managers were given a list of do’s and don’ts to be strictly adhered to in the meeting.
The day finally arrived. Our managers of course were in top form. They came out with their best dresses and put on their best smiles. No stone was left unturned to make the country head happy. What happened later was a perfect anti climax. The client came and took everybody left and right. The choosiest of offensive language that can be used in a corporate setting was used. He literally shook up everyone. He conveyed in clear terms that it is output that he wants – nothing more and nothing less. Not a single person could stand up and speak back, because of the position and power that he commanded.
This made me think. How do people at the top of the food chain in corporate setting get there? What is it that separates them from the rest? What might be going on in their mind when there were in my stage of their carrier? Were they always brilliant? Were they born leaders or life’s experience thought them to become leaders? A torrent of question came flooding in my mind. The bottom line being – I too want to be in that position some day and command power – How do I do that?
I have always had my own set of corporate heroes. I have liked their tenacity and the fire in their belly to succeed and do something great. Some of my corporate heroes are – Steve Jobs (Apple), Jack Welch (GE), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Naryan Murthy (Infosys), Azim Premji (Wipro), Linus Trovolds (Linux), Richard Stallman (GNU)….etc. I am sure I will be writing a lot about these guys in my future posts. I have read one or the other book written by these people. I have always tried to find some common points in these kings which made them great. One thing of course is that they always knew they are here for something BIG. But there is also one Negative thing common in all these Guys (at least I think so) and that is – Neglect of personal life.
Steve Jobs at one point did not know what he was supposed to do and joined Hare Krishna movement and was a hippy for long time. Jack Welch’s wife divorced him because she thought he was not giving much of his time to family. Bill Gates was a college dropout. Azim permji took over the business because his brothers were not willing to take up the work. Linus Trovolds is considered by many to be too secretive and does not how to socialize with people. What I want to tell is, if you are on your way to greatness on the corporate world, somewhere down the lane, personal life takes a backseat (or at least that is what I feel).
Is it possible to be at the top of the food chain and still be a great family person? Is it possible to strike that perfect balance with work and life? Is it possible to be CEO of some company while being a faithful son, great brother, loving husband and a sincere friend to some human being? If the answer to these questions is YES - then that person is a true Corporate Moughal. And someday I would love to be a true corporate mughal :-)
The day finally arrived. Our managers of course were in top form. They came out with their best dresses and put on their best smiles. No stone was left unturned to make the country head happy. What happened later was a perfect anti climax. The client came and took everybody left and right. The choosiest of offensive language that can be used in a corporate setting was used. He literally shook up everyone. He conveyed in clear terms that it is output that he wants – nothing more and nothing less. Not a single person could stand up and speak back, because of the position and power that he commanded.
This made me think. How do people at the top of the food chain in corporate setting get there? What is it that separates them from the rest? What might be going on in their mind when there were in my stage of their carrier? Were they always brilliant? Were they born leaders or life’s experience thought them to become leaders? A torrent of question came flooding in my mind. The bottom line being – I too want to be in that position some day and command power – How do I do that?
I have always had my own set of corporate heroes. I have liked their tenacity and the fire in their belly to succeed and do something great. Some of my corporate heroes are – Steve Jobs (Apple), Jack Welch (GE), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Naryan Murthy (Infosys), Azim Premji (Wipro), Linus Trovolds (Linux), Richard Stallman (GNU)….etc. I am sure I will be writing a lot about these guys in my future posts. I have read one or the other book written by these people. I have always tried to find some common points in these kings which made them great. One thing of course is that they always knew they are here for something BIG. But there is also one Negative thing common in all these Guys (at least I think so) and that is – Neglect of personal life.
Steve Jobs at one point did not know what he was supposed to do and joined Hare Krishna movement and was a hippy for long time. Jack Welch’s wife divorced him because she thought he was not giving much of his time to family. Bill Gates was a college dropout. Azim permji took over the business because his brothers were not willing to take up the work. Linus Trovolds is considered by many to be too secretive and does not how to socialize with people. What I want to tell is, if you are on your way to greatness on the corporate world, somewhere down the lane, personal life takes a backseat (or at least that is what I feel).
Is it possible to be at the top of the food chain and still be a great family person? Is it possible to strike that perfect balance with work and life? Is it possible to be CEO of some company while being a faithful son, great brother, loving husband and a sincere friend to some human being? If the answer to these questions is YES - then that person is a true Corporate Moughal. And someday I would love to be a true corporate mughal :-)
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