From Mr. Narayan Murthy’s commencement speech at Wharton.
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Mr. Murthy went on to offer his audience some personal advice based on his life experience.
"First, I want to emphasize the importance of being trustworthy with all in your dealings. It is on such foundations that great organizations are created.
Second, fear is natural, but do not let your actions totally be governed by it. Just as fear may sometimes be the hidden voice of your intuition alerting you to what your rational mind may not yet have seen, it is also sometimes an invitation to explore a new part of yourself and the world.
"Third, a supportive family is the bedrock upon which satisfying lives and careers are built. Create a support system for yourself with people who will rejoice in your success and be there for you …
Fourth, learn how to manage yourself, especially your feelings in a way that respects the dignity of others and yourself. I have found it helpful to separate the merits and demerits of a decision from the accompanying feelings. We call this ‘being transaction oriented’ at Infosys.
Finally, live your life and lead your career in a way that makes a difference to your society."
Murthy closed with a memory from the series of interviews that Bill Moyers did several years ago on PBS with Joseph Campbell, the American mythologist and folklorist. Deep into a profound discussion about life, Murthy said, Bill Moyers leaned over and asked Joseph Campbell, "Joe, I am sure you have thought about this question. Why are we here on this earth? What is the path for one to follow?" Joseph Campbell smiled gently and said, "Yes, I have thought about it and the only answer I have found is this. Follow your bliss. All else will follow."

Accordingly, Murthy urged his audience to "choose a worthy dream for yourself. Go after it confidently. But always, without fail, ensure that you are following your bliss."

From the SAMBA Blog:

Marketing to Self

Marketing is communicating to the world some form of value you offer. It faces outward.

We don't usually think of marketing as facing inward toward ourselves. I'm suggesting that marketing can be thought of as an internal conversation with yourself. It flows both ways.

When you tell yourself that you have a long arc, that's internal marketing. When you indulge in the private luxury of a random free day from the office, you are marketing to yourself. When you sign your name with a flourish on a personal will, hoping it won't come into play for many decades, you're telling yourself a story.

Just as effective marketing stands out clearly from mediocre marketing in the world, internal marketing can be measured by quality and results. You don't get a pass for crafting weak stories just because no one else is paying attention. What kind of stories are you telling to yourself? Are you persuading you to do something worthwhile?

The stories you tell yourself become consistent scripts. Before you know it, the world sees what you've been marketing to the guy in the mirror.

Mr. Murthy believes that for any company, there are five “context-invariant and time-invariant attributes” that lay the foundation for success:

·         The first is openness—openness to new ideas in an environment of pluralism, and subordinating individual egos to accept better ideas from others.

·         The second is meritocracy—making sure that the best idea is selected in everything that we do; making sure that all discussions are based on data, facts, and logic, and not on emotions or past precedent. As I like to say, “In God we trust; everyone else must come with data.”

·         Third is speed. We have to do things faster today than yesterday, last month, last quarter, and last year.

·         Fourth is imagination. Are we bringing better ideas and more ideas to the table than yesterday?

·         Fifth is excellence in execution. Ideas have no value unless they can actually be executed and implemented well and then improved so that we are constantly delivering at higher levels of customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction.

Giving a presentation to people is a privilege.

If people agree to attend a presentation given by you, they are gifting you their time. They are investing their time with the hope that you / your thoughts will add some value to them.

So, when you are presenting to a group, be very mindful of not wasting people's time. Make sure that every person who walks out of the room at the end of the presentation has gained something. Leave them richer.

If you genuinely think that you have no value to add by giving the presentation - accept that. Cancel your presentation. Do not waste people's time.

They will appreciate you for that.