During a book launch event recently, Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, shared his two biggest regrets in life. Firstly, he admitted that he waited too long to invite his mother to visit Infosys, instead of doing it when he was near the beginning stages of building the company. He was too busy then and it was only when she was dying that he invited her.
Murthy’s second regret was that he had long believed that children of company founders should not become involved in the company. He had believed Infosys is to be run as a professionally-managed company and so should keep the founders’ children away from any management role. He now looks back to acknowledge that he was wrong in keeping his children from the company and anyone, regardless of their parentage, should be given an equal opportunity if they are the best for the job.
Narayana Murthy went on to stress the importance of humility, explaining that such values are necessary for a successful career. He also spoke about his time at Infosys, where he used to take only 1/10th of his salary and pass on 20% extra to his junior colleagues, for motivating them.
At the same event, a book launch, Murthy praised the business endeavours of entrepreneur Madan Mohanka. He launched the book titled ‘I Did What I Had To Do’, which is an account of Madan Mohanka’s journey of knowledge and business acumen. The book details how he used his IIM-A education, possible crisis’ he faced, and his values system to help him reach his success.
Infosys is a global IT company that specializes in consulting and IT services. Founded in 1981 by Narayana Murthy and six others, Infosys quickly established itself as an industry leader in its field. Narayana Murthy served as Executive Chairman of Infosys until 2014.
Madan Mohanka, born in 1943, is a highly successful entrepreneur and alumni of IIM-Ahmedabad. His biography was recently launched by Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, where he shared his own regrets about life. Mohanka’s life and career are considered to be highly inspirational for aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders, as his learnings and dedication to his business have made him what he is today.
