The stuff legends are made of
Is it possible to be ethical, retain the high moral ground in a world riddled with intrigue, sycophancy and corrupt business practices, and yet reach the pinnacle of success?
Don’t shake your cynical head, yet! The passing away of the gentle giant of Indian business, Ratan Tata, and the numerous anecdotes, some of them unknown as he was a private and media shy person, has jolted our cynical and yet firm belief that it is not possible to lead a highly successful business conglomerate without shutting your eye to all that is murky or questionable.
Stepping into the gigantic shoes of arguably India’s most charismatic business leader, JRD Tata, must have been nothing short of petrifying for his barely 54-year protégé Ratan, who had to be necessarily pitted against the highly experienced pack of much older, extremely astute and highly experienced leaders at the helm of various Tata companies, led by the TISCO (Tata Steel) mogul Russi Mody.
Much has been written about how the younger scion took on so many challenges, converted failures into stepping stones to success and finally emerged as the undisputed leader of the Tata group. But business challenges and turbulence remained, through many downs such as the launch of Indica and Nano cars, acquisition of Corus and even the then struggling luxury auto brands such as Jaguar and Land Rover.
But at the end of the day, the integrity associated with the Tata brand was not only safeguarded but scaled new highs under him. The British weekly The Economist summed this up neatly when it commented: “Even in difficult times, the Tata Group under his leadership was seen as a uniquely benign employer. It did not swindle, it paid its debts, it stood behind its products — and it was largely, if not entirely, free from scandal.”
Well, that is saying a lot for a group which included giant profit-making companies such as TCS, Tata Steel, Tata Power and of late, even Tata Motors, which has come into the black, and how!
Why are Indians mourning so deeply the passing away of Ratan Tata? Apart from his admirable personal qualities… name it and he had it — gentle, charming, polished, soft-spoken, ever-composed, shy and reticent, courteous, firm but never offensive, philanthropist par excellence — this is mostly because in today’s day and age, we are really starved of exemplary men and women. Real life heroes whose example you can unhesitatingly give to your children, your students, your mentees in a business or industry.
Heart of hearts we all know, there aren’t too many of these in today’s world. A real-life hero who can tell our younger generation that it is okay to dream of a future where you can be rich, powerful, super wealthy, even while embracing values that your parents/teachers taught you and which you’ve held dear all your life. And on that journey, you can afford to ignore those who brand you an ‘idealistic idiot’ and remain steadfast. You may stumble, but you will get up, and eventually make giant strides.
Surely, Ratan Tata was the stuff legends are made of. He has given an entire generation the hope that one can lead a life which gives hope to others… and through a philanthropic heart, do good in the world.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
Rasheeda Bhagat
