“I don’t want you to become like me,” Narayana Murthy told a 12-year-old who asked him what it took to be like the Infosys co-founder. “I want you to become better than me for the greater good of the nation,” he reportedly told an audience at Teach for India’s Leaders Week.
Murthy was quoted in a India Time The event report says: « It’s not about following in someone else’s footsteps; it’s about creating your own path and making a difference. »
During the event, Murthy shared life lessons with the students, starting with the importance of discipline, a value instilled by his father who helped him excel academically. “My father taught me to manage my time through a timetable, which played a crucial role in securing fourth rank in the SSLC state examination,” Murthy said, highlighting how this habit shaped his life.
He also recounted a pivotal moment in Paris when, as a young engineer, he accidentally wiped the memory of an entire computer system while testing a program. Faced with the potential failure of the project, Murthy’s boss Colin immediately joined him and they worked together for 22 hours straight to restore the system.
“Colin praised my dedication, but never mentioned his own sacrifice. He taught me a vital leadership lesson: take full responsibility for your failures and share the glory with your team,” Murthy said, reflecting on the experience.
Murthy spoke about the joy of giving, a lesson he learned from his mother. After receiving a national scholarship, he bought new clothes, but his mother asked him to give them to his elder brother.
Initially reluctant, Murthy was moved after watching a play on Karna, a mythological character known for his sacrifices. “The next day, I gave the clothes to my brother, and it taught me that true joy lies in sharing and caring for others,” he recalls.
Reflecting on citizenship, Murthy shared a lesson from his days at SSLC when his principal, a strict disciplinarian, taught him the value of common resources. “This common salt belongs to everyone in this school, not just me. We have to treat it with care,” his principal had said during a chemistry experiment, a principle Murthy has applied in his approach at Infosys.
Murthy also recalled a teamwork lesson he learned at IIM-Ahmedabad, where he learned to distinguish the person from the lesson they impart. “The lesson learned is more important than how it is communicated,” a professor once told him, a practice that has proven crucial in maintaining strong relationships within a team.
