Stories are abound about Azim Hasham Premji in the Indian business circles. He is credited with transforming the fledgling $2 million hydrogenated cooking fat company he inherited from his father at the age of 21 into a $2.1 billion IT Services organization serving customers from across the globe. A recipient of many awards and accolades—primary among them being Time magazine’s listing him as one of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2004 and the Padma Bhushan in 2005—Premji, unlike many others believes each one of them is recognition for all those who over the years have shared his thoughts and experiences on a host of issues ranging from India’s meteoric rise in the world order to the importance of universal quality education. Here, we capture his advice to techies in ten simple commandments—Premji’s commandments.
1 Take charge, dream on
The first thought that crossed young Azim Premji’s mind when he stepped into the Wipro factory at Almaner was ‘take charge’. The times decidedly were tough. His father had passed away and he was faced with the dilemma of coming down from Stanford University leaving his electrical engineering degree mid-way, to look after the family’s vegetable oils business or as many people advised, taking up a nice, cushy job. “At such times when you feel lost,” he says looking back, “there is a small voice inside you that tells you where to go. You can either amplify the voice to make it the purpose of your life or ignore it and turn if off.”
Dreams are most needed when just about everything is going wrong. They provide the inspiration and ensure that one remains in charge of the situation.
2 Earn your happiness“
It is a common saying that a Rupee earned is of far more value than five found,” says Premji. He recalls innumerable interviews when he’s asked the interviewees to narrate their most memorable achievements and they’ve recounted those which needed maximum effort on their part. “It is almost as if the pain they faced is now an integral part of their pleasure,” he says, adding, “I guess we only know the value of what we have if we have struggled to earn it.”
3 Nothing succeeds like failure, nothing fails like success“
It is impossible to generate a few good ideas without a lot of bad ideas. Failure should be forgiven and forgotten quickly,” says Premji. If we encounter failure along the way, we should treat it as a natural phenomenon and not beat ourselves or any one else for that matter. In fact, as the following story illustrates, we could look at failures or pitfalls as the stepping stones to success.
“Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt,” says Premji. “The trick is not to get bogged down by it. We can get out of the deepest wells by not stopping. Shake it off and take a step up!”
4 There has to be a better way
Partly a corollary to his previous commandment, this one is centered around the fact that no matter how well we do something, there is always a better way to do it! “Excellence is not a destination but a journey,” quips Premji, adding that sometimes when we reach a plateau in our climb for perfection, we need to look sideways. After all, innovation oftentimes is inspired from other disciplines. It is probably not a coincidence that Einstein’s interest in music was as much as his interest in Physics and Bertrand Russell was as much a mathematician as a philosopher.
5 Define what you stand for
While success and finding better ways to reach its pinnacle are important, it becomes enduring only if it is built on a strong foundation of values. Premji, for one, is revered by his colleagues in the industry for insisting that Wipro will not pay bribes. He says that the fast propagation of the notion that values stand in the way of success holds no merit.
6 Think what to take on next
Wipro’s head honcho notes that too many people are so enamored by the legacy of success in their current roles that they are afraid to look further. This, he opines, often leads to inertia. “We must learn to look at change as an exciting adventure rather than a disruption. New avenues for learning always lie just beyond the shade of our comfort zone,” he explains.
7 Play as a team, play to win
Playing to win does not mean playing dirty or cutting corners to get to the goal. Instead, it has to do with bringing out the best in us; it involves the desire to stretch and achieve something that seems beyond our grasp. For this, we must learn the importance of playing as a team.
“The challenges ahead are so complex that no individual will be able to face them alone,” says Premji, a winner in his own right. While most of our education is focused on individual strength, teaming with members is equally important.
8 Remain physically active
Exercising and remaining fit is something that most techies take for granted in their youth. But they ought not, especially because exercise not only improves the health but also aids in better sleep while reducing the time needed for sleep itself. This assumes significance given the 24/7 rotation-oriented shift patterns most techies are required to follow. “While stress will go on increasing in a global world, we must find our own mechanism to deal with it,” says Premji, adding that there is enough literature to support the finding that exercise effectively reduces stress.
9 Respond, not react
It is essential that we understand the difference between responding and reacting. While we respond, we evaluate with a calm mind and do whatever is most appropriate. We are in control of our actions. But when we react, we end up doing what the other person wants us to do. In this context, Premji recalls, as a youth ‘reacting’ to orders he did not resort to rebelling. “Rebellion as a reaction is conformity to something else,” he says thoughtfully.
Oftentimes, when it comes to negative criticisms, he notes reflecting on his experiences, we make the mistake of reacting rather than responding. We must always welcome any form of criticism, for, as the story below illustrates, it helps us better ourselves.
10 Have a broader social vision
The fact that the Wipro wizard has made a case for having a broader social vision many times over in numerous forums across the world explains how close it is to his heart.
Not limiting himself to just philosophizing, Premji set up the Azim Premji Foundation. The foundation works towards the universalization of Primary Education. “The greatest gift one can give to others is the gift of education,” he quips, reflecting emotionally on those who have educated him during his formative years, most of all, his father.
“The greatest legacy he endowed me with was the legacy of values. That is what has helped me become what I am today,” signs off the new-age Indian plutocrat who incidentally loves hiking and insists on flying economy class.
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