Ratan Tata and My Youthful Perspective: Wisdom in time!

In 1993, as a student at IIM-Bangalore, I had the extraordinary opportunity to meet Ratan Tata during my selection process for the prestigious Tata Administrative Service (TAS). The journey involved multiple rounds of interviews, culminating in a final interview with Ratan Tata himself and Rusi Modi. During our interaction, Mr. Tata referenced an essay I had written arguing that India's democratic system gave it an advantage over China. With his characteristic grace, he simply remarked that he admired my optimism.

Following our selection, we were invited to lunch with Mr. Tata, and I found myself seated next to him. At the time, I was facing a significant career decision, having also received an offer from the Unilever Group. Despite everyone in Jamshedpur advising me to choose Unilever, my heart was drawn to TAS.

Seeking clarity, I asked Mr. Tata about the training program for TAS recruits. Unilever was known for its highly structured management training, and I expected something similar. However, Mr. Tata's response was surprisingly open-ended – he explained that recruits could choose their path within the organisation. To my inexperienced mind, this lack of structure was perplexing, and ultimately influenced my decision to join Unilever.

Lessons Learned

Years later, I came to understand the profound wisdom in TAS's approach. What I had perceived as vagueness was actually a philosophy of empowerment – providing individuals the autonomy to gravitate toward work they would genuinely enjoy and excel in. This concept became central to my work with Liberated Enterprise Creators (LEC), where we advocate for giving people the freedom to find their "flow" in their work. Ironically, had I joined TAS, I might never have learned this valuable lesson or developed LEC.

Another prevailing notion in 1993 was the comparison between Unilever, seen as a professional multinational corporation focused on results, and the Tata Group, viewed merely as a large Indian conglomerate. Thirty years later, the Tata Group has emerged as a global powerhouse, surpassing Unilever in scale and reach. This taught me another crucial lesson: while result-focused organisations may achieve their targets, organisations rooted in values and purpose achieve lasting success and growth.

The Tata Group's journey has demonstrated that unwavering commitment to values, combined with visionary leadership, can create something truly extraordinary. As they continue to grow and inspire, one can only say: Long live the Tatas.

Reflecting on this experience, I'm reminded that sometimes the best lessons come from the paths we don't take, and that wisdom often reveals itself with time.