Infosys’s Narayana Murthy on Leadership

Harvard Business School

Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of the Bangalore-based software company Infosys, explains how his vision of leadership and fairness was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s insistence on leadership by example.

Transcript

Could you talk a little bit about how you think about fairness the the as a former CEO I must say that often I found that the definition of fair yeah often was reduced to acceptable to the listener so if it was fair Jeff along as the person I was talking to you felt it was fair whether if I probably was fair and they felt it was unfair they weren’t so sure that my definition was the right one how do you think about fairness and and and have it be something that that reflects objectivity and and maybe a different word justice well you know the way I have measured fairness is through the Golden Rule do unto others what you want them to do unto you as long as that is acceptable then that is fair that is the way I have defined fairness for that is following the golden rule so that you would be able to say to a colleague that judge when that rule applies to me is equal years to you exactly I think that is where you know I am a great fan and admirer of Mahatma Gandhi whose greatest virtue was leadership by example he whatever values he wanted his colleagues to follow he first demonstrated those values in action himself and then automatically other people would follow them if I want people to come to the office on time if I came to the office on time then I don’t need to tell anybody everybody will be watching a leader every all the eyes will be on the leader similarly if I want people to be honest I don’t have to tell them to be honest I have to be honest so therefore leadership by example new demonstration by example is the best way that you can communicate values in a very profound way .

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