Continuous Transformation — Learning from Azim Premji
I completed my postgraduate in management from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta in 2004. On April 3, 2004, we had our convocation ceremony in the Auditorium. We were fortunate to have the Late Mr. Y C Deveshwar present as our Chairman and Mr. Azim Premji as our Chief Guest. At that time, my only connections to them, if I may stretch things to call it that, was that I had visited ITC Virginia House on Chowringhee Road once (“Why” do you ask? That’s a separate story!) and followed the ITC-BAT story in the Economic Times and had admired Mr. Premji as much as I admired Mr. Narayana Murthy of Infosys (which I had planned to join as a Software Engineer in 2001 till the Dot-com crash led me to join IIM Calcutta instead of Infosys).
Mr. Premji’s speech at our convocation was inspiring. I recalled that speech last year when I joined Wipro on January 7, 2021. I was significantly aided in that effort by this excellent blog post. I spoke about it to my team when I joined Wipro last year but shied away from writing about it publicly. Now, about a year and a half later, I feel that I should share the gist of Mr. Premji’s wisdom since it could help guide other people in their careers just as it has done for me.
“I have found that people who succeed most in their careers are those who can constantly transform themselves. Transformation is not so much a process, as a deep-seated desire to change ourselves and our environment. “
— Mr. Azim Premji, an Indian businessman, investor, engineer, and philanthropist
Here are the ten tips which Mr. Premji gave us for continuous transformation in our career. I am adding names of some books and some quotes which I have read which relate to a particular point. I am also adding a question to reflect on for each point to translate it into practice.
1. Dream
All things are created twice, first in our minds and then in the material world. Dreams help us to see the future, drive us and provide us the energy to achieve them.
(Reminds me of “As a Man Thinketh” by James Allen).
Reflection: What is my dream, or in other words my deep, driving desire for which I will be willing to put in my best and more?
2. Persevere
Stay on course even if you stumble. The difference between great achievement and mediocrity is not extraordinary talent or intelligence, but perseverance.
(Reminds me of “Grit” by Angela Duckworth).
Reflection: What are some habits which I am developing, where it might take a long time before I see visible signs of success but I know that I should persevere with?
3. Admit Ignorance
While it is important to project what we are good at, we must be equally candid about areas we do not know enough about. This will help us to identify whom to reach out to where we ourselves fall short and where to acknowledge the limitations of our knowledge.
(“As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.” — Albert Einstein)
Reflection: Who are some of the people to reach out to in areas where I don’t know enough?
4. Look Ahead
We should let go of our past failures, as well as successes, and look ahead. We should be ready to step outside our comfort zone and look at the uncertain future as an exciting adventure to embark upon.
(“In the process of letting go you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself.” — Deepak Chopra)
Reflection: Where is that I have to step outside my comfort zone? How will I do that, overcoming my fears?
5. Keep Contributing
When a formation of birds flies over long distances, each bird takes its turn in leading. Similarly, we don’t need to seek leadership on all occasions. Instead, we need to always seek ways to contribute.
Reflection: What are some opportunities for me to contribute in my work, home or community, just as a team member?
6. Pursue Excellence
There are many ways to pursue excellence, and an all-consuming passion to do our best drives it. It's attention to small things that add up as milestones on the journey of excellence. If we do that, soon we will be able to excel across large distances.
(Reminds me of “In Search of Excellence” by Thomas J. Peters).
Reflection: Which is the one area where I want to excel to be among the top 10% in the world?
7. Be Cheerful
A positive attitude is contagious. Finding humor, being cheerful, and enjoying our work will make us feel better as well as uplift others around us.
(Reminds me of “Fish!” by Stephen C. Lundin).
Reflection: How can I cheer up a person each day, whether at work or in my personal life?
8. Focus on Strengths
Exceptional performance usually comes from doing what comes naturally to us. So focusing on leveraging our strengths by honing our talents and smoothening the rough edges can be more fruitful than the conventional wisdom of focusing on overcoming weaknesses.
(Reminds me of “StrengthsFinder 2.0” by Tom Rath).
Reflection: What are my top 3 strengths which are useful to make a contribution in the world?
9. Welcome Feedback
If we have to improve what we are doing, we need feedback. Even machine learning by computers works that way. A feedback loop is crucial. So, we have to welcome feedback from others, both praises and criticisms. Yes, choosing the right persons to provide us the feedback can make a world of difference since we want it from people who are constructive.
Reflection: Who are the 5 people who know me best and can provide me constructive feedback?
10. Play to Win
We don’t want to hide behind platitudes that everyone is a winner or that just participation is equal to winning. Neither do we want to win at all costs, irrespective of whether we play a fair game. Playing to win is about stretching ourselves by challenging our limits. In that process, we will evolve and become better. That is the goal.
(Reminds me of the one-time punchline at my earlier firm, “Keep Challenging”.)
Reflection: What are the significant “games” in life where I want to win?
To be honest, I did not quite understand the importance of each point when I heard them about twenty years earlier. I have kept learning and I will keep learning. I hope that this helps you too.
