JBuzz

Written below is an address delivered by one of our most successful and beloved alums, Mr. Ajay Piramal (CMD, Piramal Enterprises ltd.) at Strategym 2007, our Annual Business Convention. It is one of the most rewarding things that I've heard and continually tried to put in action with varying degrees of success. This should be a good way to kickstart JB Blogs.

Over to Mr. Piramal. 

"I passed out from JBIMS in the year 1977. I have studied in several institutes before, but I must say that the values I got from Bajaj were much more than I had in any of my other educational institutions. Whenever I get an opportunity like this I take it up since it's a very small way in which I can give back to my institute which has helped shape my career and is helping shape careers of hundreds of students in the country. We are fortunate to have been associated with this institute and it's our obligation to give back to this institute.

I would like to share the lessons I have learnt in the last thirty years since I graduated, while working in the corporate world. 

The first lesson I learnt is the attitude of 'I will and I can'. If you have a deep driving desire to achieve something and you go full fledged for it then you will achieve it. As Upanishad says; 'You are what your deep driving desire is; as your desire is, so is your will; as your will is, so is your deed and as your deed is, so is your destiny. Your deep driving desire is your destiny.

The second lesson I learnt was to prioritise. Life is all about deciding your priorities and acting in accordance to it. In my view your first priority should be your health, followed by your family and that followed by your work.

The third lesson is to be courageous and fearless. The most important quality of a divine person is of fearlessness. As Ralph Emerson writes; 'Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide there will be someone to tell you that you are wrong. To map out a course of action and to follow it till end requires the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories but it requires brave men to take it.' So don't fear, there is nothing much to loose.

The fourth lesson is to travel the path less travelled. As Robert Frost once wrote, 'Two paths divulged in the woods and I took the one less travelled by and that has made all the difference'. Its fine to follow the paths which others have travelled before, but one should not be afraid in travelling along unknown or paths less travelled. You may find difficulties while travelling along such paths and that's the time when one needs to be persistent and fearless and the dividends would follow.

This brings me to one of the most important quality of perseverance. There was a man who failed in business at the age of 21. He took up politics and lost the election at 22. He tried his luck once more in business, but failed once more at 24. He lost his beloved at 26. He got a nervous breakdown at 27. Still hopeful he fought elections once more at 34 to meet failure again. He fought to become the Vice-President at 47 and once again failed. At 52 he became the president of United States of America. He was none other than Abraham Lincoln. This is what great man are made of. All have gone through rough time but have come through because of their quality of perseverance.

The fifth lesson is of integrity. In words of Mahatma Gandhi integrity is 'You say what you think and you do what you say'. To be a man of integrity one needs to have a complete alignment between his thought processes, what he speaks and what he does. Integrity is the single most important criteria to be successful.

My sixth lesson was, be optimistic. The world is before us and is full of opportunities. All successful people have gone through rough times but it was the optimistic attitude that saw them through. You should shift your view from resignation to optimism.

The seventh lesson was to be compassionate. Indians save around 250 Billion US$ and has some of the richest people in the world. At the same time there are people who are poor and illiterate. Somewhere down the line we have forgotten to give to these less privileged people. We fortunate people should be compassionate, because 'We make a living by what we get but make a life by what we give'.

Humility is a very important thing which I have learned through my course of success. If you are successful you tend to be arrogant. One forgets that it's humility that makes great leaders. As Sir Issac Newton, very humbly puts up, 'I do not what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to be only a boy playing on a sea shore and diverting myself now and then, finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, while the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered for me'.

The last lesson I learned is again of attitude, this time towards your task. As lord Krishna advised Arjun in Mahabharat, 'Do action without caring for the fruits of it'. This attitude would stir you for better performance. If you keep doing actions, results will follow and you need not be attached to it."

- Ajay Piramal

Courtesy: Team Strategym