My friends have been asking me this question, why am I still working with Infosys for the last 8+ years and not looking for opportunities with other companies, including foreign multi nationals?
My answer was simple. Infosys is a company powered by intellect, driven by values. The most important factor I love in Infosys is the value system, the primary reason for me sticking with Infosys.
Recently I have been thinking more about professional & personal life, value system and spirituality, and how these are tied together in my life. Due to various things happening in professional and personal life nowadays, I searched the internet for Infosys Chairman Narayana Murthy’s motivational speeches, which have always been very inspirational to me. Even if it is a 5 minutes interview, he definitely makes it a point to talk about value system.
This article from Rediff, Narayana Murthy’s dream for the future talks about how important value system is for the success of a corporation.
We never dreamt about size, revenues and profits. Our dream, right from day one, was to build a corporation that was, above all things, respected.
From the beginning, our team was unique in our commitment to a strong value system. We believed in putting the interest of the company ahead of our own interest. We believed in legal and ethical business.
A sound value system is what differentiates long-term players from others. Putting the corporation’s interest ahead of personal interest will advance personal goals in the long term.
No single person is indispensable. It is important that you give challenging engagements to deserving people, whether they are young or new in the organization. Youth and empowerment are the keys to scalability and longevity.
The trust of employees is the most important ingredient for successful leadership. To gain the trust of people, there is no more powerful leadership style than leadership by example. The world respects performance and action, not rhetoric.
I have realized that if you want to look smarter, you must surround yourself with people smarter than you. Everybody needs incentives to perform. Money is not the only motivator; respect, dignity, fairness and inclusiveness are essential to get the best out of employees. Every employee must feel an inch taller when talking about the company.
Here is another Interview with Mr. Narayana Murthy on Corporate Values
Infosys’s strong value system has been our key strength. A value system is the protocol for behavior in a company that enhances the trust, confidence, commitment, energy and enthusiasm of the members of the community.
Murthy on Good Corporate Governance at George Washington University’s School of Business
Narayana Murthy, who was introduced by Prabir K Bagchi, senior associate dean of GWU’s (George Washington University) School of Business as the ‘conscience-keeper of India’s business people and leaders and the ‘sage of Bangalore,‘ was uncompromising in his argument that even under the most extenuating external pressures, a commitment to values and ethics should always be the guiding principle of any company, above profit and the need for growth.
“As long as the leaders articulate the value system very clearly, as long as they show by example,” he said, “the company can hold on its own in any environment, even faced with intense competition and avoid the pitfalls of the likes of Enron, WorldCom, Qwest, Tyco and others.”
He said that “corporations must integrate their value systems into their recruitment programs. They must mandate compliance with the value system as a key requirement from each potential employee. They must ensure that every employee owns responsibility for accountability and ethics in every transaction. Corporations must publicly recognize internal role models for ethical behavior.”
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