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Friday 20 November 2015

He Taught me the Values of Honesty and Perfectionism #madeofgreat



“I am not a very good boss to work with”, he asserted, “I may refuse even the facilities otherwise legitimately due to you. So think twice before you decide to come to this department”. No he was not trying to threaten or puzzle me. He was speaking the truth, the naked truth. I did not take even a second to respond, “Sir, I am not interested in anything but my self-respect. I cannot do things my conscience does not permit me to do. If you just allow me to be guided by the voice of my conscience then I don’t care what other things you give me or not. I don’t need to think. I have already decided to come here. I will be highly obliged if you accept me as your sub-ordinate.”

This was my first encounter with the man way back in 1994 who ultimately became a role model for me and with whom I share a “guru-sishya” relationship even today. I can describe him as a dead honest straight forward man who has the guts to call a spade a spade and a perfectionist who believes in giving his 100 percent to the job in his hand. To put it in his own words, “If you take up a task complete it with such precision that the onlooker is mesmerized by the quality of the job done. If you are unsure about quality of delivery it is better never to take up the task”.   

In an organization where manipulating financial and other resources used to be a common affair with almost everybody occupying a seat of authority my down to earth boss was the only person who strictly avoided using official resources for any kind of personal gain. And this was the reason why most people in the organization looked upon him with awe. The financial papers which he signed were never scrutinized by anybody, whatsoever. His proposals were never rejected by the company. This was something I enjoyed the most. Gradually my colleagues and seniors in other departments began to regard me with the same respect as they used to do to my boss. Some even wondered how I was able to adjust with such a strict awe-inspiring personality. I do not know even to his day whether I could come up to his expectations or not. But for me he was certainly the most adoring person to work with. He never compelled me to do any unethical thing as most of my previous bosses had done. He never gave me an unlawful order. He was always ready to advise and guide me whenever I faced any problem either professional or personal.

He was a voracious reader and read anything and everything. What is more fascinating is that he remembered a lot of what he read and reproduced it whenever the need arose. He had the ability to talk on any subject almost extempore. He was the perfect man to head the training and development department. He was known for his vast knowledge in every field and even the CEO of the company often took his advice in certain critical issues. My department was considered as the knowledge centre of the organization only because of his wide spread knowledge. He was a great mentor as well. Seeing my academic interest in training activities he started mentoring me to become a good trainer and probably to head the training function in due course. If I have developed myself as a management faculty today the entire credit of this goes to my boss. He created opportunities for me to attend training conducted by renowned management consultants and subsequently encouraged me to facilitate training sessions for our employees. 

In a nutshell he was my work place guru who taught me the following life lessons by exhibiting them in his own day to day activities. I learnt the following great lessons from him.

1. Truth is something which can never be hidden. If you are truthful you need not fear anybody.
2. Honesty is the best policy. If you are honest in the true sense nobody can exert unnecessary pressure on you. 
3.  Punctuality is something which gives you the ability to hold your head high. If you are in time no one can point a finger towards you.
4. Be a perfectionist in whatever you do. Perfection demands your 100 percent. If you give your 100 percent you need not have to worry about anything. Success will run after you.
 
I learnt these life lessos when I was 32 and today after 21 years I can assertively announce that had I not worked with him at that time I would have either become corrupt like many others in the organization or I would have commited suicide under the pressure of unethical practices.

The person to whom I have dedicated this post is no celebrity but an ordinary human being who was branded by many as a very difficult person to deal with. But I found in him the most ideal human being devoid of common vices and frailties and practicing ethical values in life. I do not know if he reads this post today what will be his reaction. But for me he was and is an ideal personality committed to ethical human values. He is my teacher, my mentor, my trainer, my tormentor all rolled into one. I take this opportunity to salute you Dikshit Sir (Mr. Hari Sharan Dikshit) for teaching me great life lessons and making me rough and tough from within.

P.S. 1. This post is specifically written for Tata Motors and their made of great campaign. For more details follow the link : http://madeofgreat.tatamotors.com/

P.S. 2. If you are here please answer the question below in the comment section of this post and the best answer will win a Amazon Gift voucher of Rs.750/-.
What do you think of Tata Motors’ association with Lionel Messi?

19 comments:

  1. Nice one. Getting such a wonderful leader in your office makes your job really worthy, enjoyable and a great learning opportunities. Is not it?

    Regarding Tata Motors and Lionel Messi's association I think both are champions in their respective field and I hope they will come together and work towards making earth a better place.

    Finally it will be great if you can make a visit to my blog 'The Rear Window' and leave your valuable comment.

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    1. Good to see that such honest people still exist.
      Tata Motors is a brand which is one of its kind , Trustworthy and innovative .
      Lionel Messi is a Legend and youth icon , a person who is extra ordinary talented ,energetic , confident & dedicated to his profession .
      So association of Tata motors and Lionel Messi is a Great Thing as both of them does not know tiredness and are committed to their brand value .This collaboration would definitely give an edge to Tata Groups over its competitors as the brand ambassador Messi hold the reputation of not letting down his fans as Tata motors has given the best to the world.

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    2. My email ID ghazli10saba@gmail.com

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  3. Nice Post.. :-) Coming to the answer:

    Not all the man are reaching the peak in their life. Lionel Messi did it. Not all the companies are attracted by the customers. Tata motors did it. Lionel Messi stood up as youth icon whereas Tata motors stood up as world ranking in the automobile industry. So, how about the collaboration between them? Their match becomes so perfect. How many same characteristics they both share? Perseverance, hard work, simple, gentle and so on. Hence, their team is surely a winning one and both are #madeofgreat.

    Hema - http://jumbledhead.blogspot.in

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  4. A very nice write up dear..
    And about the association of tata motors n Lionel Messi, both are the big names though associated with different fields but are the best to rely upon. Their association defines the quality, faith and trust which is hard to break.

    Please spare your time and comment on my blog post as well to win Amazon voucher.
    http://sapnaamitagrawal.blogspot.in/2015/11/madeofgreat.html

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  5. Very neatly addressed the learning on paper for masses. Seldom do we find such men of discipline. I envy your luck. Kudos.

    To the question of Lionel Messi I am quite convinced that Tata Motors have found a real Gem and he will take their brand to new heights. There is no looking back.

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  6. You had found the perfect mentor, Pramod. You had great company to guide you on the right path and seldom are people guided so well by someone in their learning phase(s) of life.

    Nicely written. :)

    As for the expression of views towards the question, I would like to answer through a stanza or two of verse:



    ‘What drives us from within is what makes us great’
    Belief in oneself, the zeal to put up a brave face,
    In the face of adversity, to stand strong against fate,
    That’s how life is – it’s an excellent goal to chase!

    To create a name for oneself, from the soil your feet dampen,
    To let critics enhance your effort, not let your spirits dampen,
    It’s the journey that counts, more than having scaled the peak,
    To persevere so that it’s your actions that have the loudest shriek!



    To sum up, I feel that this age old adage rings true whenever I think of this beautiful alliance of an Indian Global Brand – Tata Motors and a Global Argentinian Sportsperson – Lionel Messi

    “Our Similarities bring us to a common ground; Our Differences allow us to be fascinated”

    That realization is truly #madeofgreat. :)

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  7. An inspiring post with lessons for life. Thank you for sharing!

    As for my thoughts on Tata Motors association with football great Lionel Messi, both are well established brands BOLTing ahead of competition which is an INDICAtion of their ZEST for reaching the upper echelons of success by exhibiting constant zeal from the word (INDI)GO.

    Do hop over to my blog and share your thoughts on my post

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  8. Amazing post man. .Hits the nail hard right on target. For some people who dont believe in acting to their conscience. It clearly demonstrates that no matter what, one should stick by their rules till the ends of the earth irrespective of the surroundings. Society may sometimes make us do unspeakable things but its within us to restrict ourselves in doing it right.

    Your post has clearly shown that even a small person can make a huge impact in any big organization and can truly elevate him to greatness when he demonstrates what's he capable of. Not just his technical capabilities but moral ones and his resolve to do it right all the time with no exceptions. Its rare to come across such quality in people these days and I'm glad I read about one in your blog post


    To answer the question about Lionel Messi's association with Tata Motors, I think there's no perfect match than these two. Both are known for quality, consistency, reliability and superior performance in their respective industries. Lionel Messi when it comes to Football while Tata Motors when it comes to amazing cars at affordable prices

    Lionel Messi can clearly bring out that superior edge and establish the greatness of Tata motors and make people realize the true greatness in their cars by associating his quality with that of Tata's car

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  9. By far this is the first post, I've come across who has remembered a Guru as his inspiration. I hope Dikshit Sir has read this post.

    While I was reading about Messi’s early life, I learned that he had a growth hormone deficiency in his childhood. For the sports legend he is today, I guess none can believe this. His passion for football must have been so great that he could outgrew this condition. Likewise, inspite of the huge criticism Tata Indica, Tata’s first passaenger car, received, Tata Motors could make it as one of the best selling cars in India. These two passion-driven brands coming together marks a legendary association in the Indian automobile industry. And it promises something far greater than what we’ve witnessed so far!

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  10. Tata Motors' association with Lionel Messi spells a significantly notable alliance that will steer the company towards favourable benefits. I always acknowledge Tata Motors as a distinctive name in Auto industry, which will not let the success 'larger-than life' elude from its fate now with a timeless guild with iconic figure Messi. I don't see this union of Tata Motors as an aspirational effort for garnering some quick publicity and evoke specific reaction from myriad crowd with Celeb branding, but is rightly an embellished handshake for keeping up the pace to get to the pinnacle of success graph. To sum things up, I am joyous to see the brand and the star uniting for 'One in a Million' #madeofgreat power-packed drive ahead :)

    Do share your views on my post as well http://maliveandkicking.blogspot.in/2015/11/holiness-of-character-is-key-to-be.html

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  11. Inspiring post!
    As far as Tata and Messi are concerned, I just have one thing to say, when Durability meets Excellence, the only way is ‘Forward’!

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  12. Indeed a nicely written post. I wish you good luck for the contest
    Here is my answer
    The association of Tata Motors with Lionel Messi is that of two greats. Lionel Messi has been exceptionally talented who with his hard work, determination and sacrifices has got better and tougher in his chosen sport so is the Image, reputation and quality of TATA Motors that have transformed brilliant ideas into masterpieces of engineering and created a brand and products that we are so proud of as Indians. Lionel Messi has transformed his body and the mind body co-ordination into a masterpiece of precision and excellence it would not be wrong to say that Lionel Messi is the TATA Motors of sports where as TATA Motors is the Lionel Messi of vehicles both giants in their own spheres driven by the drive to excel and lead by example. So Lionel Messi is the best choice for becoming the brand Ambassador for TATA Motors
    aaloke19@gmail.com

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  13. Your post defines #madeofgreat to the hilt. Goodluck for the contest
    My answer is:
    Authenticity, reliability, simplicity, as well as its commitment to innovation are the pillars of strength on which TATA have built a brand that has put India on the global map. It is a brand that has stood the test of time just like Lionel Messi who tackles opposition on the field with his skill,agility,strategy,brilliance and raw power to reach and score a goal so has been the track record of TATA motors who has become a brand leader and a global giant. These qualities make TATA Motors and Lionel Messi perfect partners who stand for the same set of values thus Lionel Messi is the perfect brand ambassador to represent TATA Motors.
    Hope my best to be a winner here; do contact me for the prize at mahima2014j@gmail.com
    fingers crossed

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  14. Your post describes #madeofgreat so well that it has winner written all over it. Good luck for your entry.
    Here is my answer.
    Like minds think and act alike looking at the track record of TATA Motors it has stood the test of time and built a business that was built using bricks of hard work on a foundation of trust. Authenticity, reliability, simplicity, as well as its commitment to innovation are the trademarks of brand TATA Motors. These same qualities are present in Lionel Messi who with his immense talent has made a mark for himself on the international football field .Facing all hardships he has worked hard toiling on the fields and in training sessions facing injuries and pressure to come out trumps and be a winner. Thus these two greats Lionel Messi and TATA Motors are made for each other .There association is a bond of two legends
    In case you pick me a winner my email id is : princess09hema@gmail.com
    Fingers crossed :)

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  15. What a description of a living legend. I happen to know Mr Dikshit personally. But I never knew he is made up of such ethical matter. Kudos for writing about a real life great man.
    When two winners in their respective fields join hands the result is bound to be endless progress. Reaching the pinnacle of glory is just a matter of time. Time stands still to salute the commune of the made of greats. The same is bound to happen as Lionel Messi becomes the brand ambassador of Tata Motors. The success story is already written in the annals of futuristic history. Let’s have patience to wait and watch what surprising obvious is in the offing.
    puspanjali23@rediffmail.com

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  16. Stories like these enhance our belief in humanity, all the best to you :)
    When it comes to impact and impacting millions of lives, Yes, we can see both Tata Motors and Lionel Messi being the pioneers here. While the very name Tata is enough to make us go back to all our history books where we have seen there hardly is a comparable name that has contributed so much to the society in such an ethical manner, the very name Messi conjures up images of a boy-man who has turned the world upside down with his talent, determination, discipline and never-give-up spirit. The compatibility between the values they both share is intense and that is the reason this partnership works perfectly.

    With a concern for the society at large,everything that Tata has done has inspired us to dream big, conquer the world and pour all our energy back into the society to do good and inspire good. By facing his demons, Messi has done the same. He enjoys a God-like status in the world today because he dared to dream, achieved the sky and still hasn't lost his humanity a bit. He is still a child at heart and he gives back with his multiple philanthropic activities just like Tata does!

    Talk to any person in India, ask them about the companies they admire the most. Tata is right there at the top. This name is beyond bottomline, spreadsheets, return on investment and share price. It is equivalent to soul of India-soft, kind, diverse, dynamic, eternal. Just like that Messi has emerged as not just another football player but someone whose very life is an inspiration, whose personal struggles are a template for others to emulate and who has morphed into an eternal legend.

    While it would take eons to write about what makes Tata Motors and Messi great, as their list of achievements is too long for us to even skim over, suffice to say that this partnership is for the ages. As they say, some things are made in heaven :)

    Thank you for this opportunity.
    -Richa Shailendra, lovelyricha1@gmail.com

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  17. Nice Post :) and all the best

    Tata Motors has earned the goodwill from giving the best and innovative Automobiles and it is also known as one the best Automobile Manufactures. And if you see the Lionel Messi , his throughout dedication, zeal , targeted goal of life and technically soundness make him big, achiever and remarkable position in the world.
    As per me, the association of Tata Motors and Messi is a grand amalgamation of two legendary entities of the world, and their amalgamation will definitely break down the clutters and affect the cut throat competition of Tata Motors. Tata motors will sure get a huge preference by the fans of Messi. This will sure make a record of Tata motors in the world of production or may be the highest selling automobiles.
    Tata motor’s main target is to give an impression on the large amount of crowd and this can be achieved only through the Messi, because the youth generation is crazy for MESSI and this can be smart move and a great achievement for Tata Motors they positioned MESSI as their BRAND AMBASSADOR .
    In the nutshell, Tata Motors , Messi joining hands will definitely give more soundness in technicality of promotional strategies and Messi’s influence will influence the audience for choosing Tata Motors and expand the business drastically.

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