Sudha Murthy is a name that needs no introduction.
The wife of Infosys founder and billionaire Narayan Murthy is a symbol of intelligence, compassion and passion for social development. Her legacy blends compassion, intellect, and social consciousness which has left an indelible mark on India's socio-cultural landscape
Sudha Murthy leads Infosys Foundation, is an author, philanthropist, educator, and a prominent advocate for women's empowerment. Her philanthropic work has touched millions of lives reflecting simplicity, moral values, and rich cultural heritage have made efforts to offer better education, healthcare, and rural development.
The Infosys Chairperson hails from Karnataka and is the first female engineer to be hired by TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO). In the initial years of her career, she worked as a development engineer in Pune and relocated to Mumbai and Jamshedpur.
Sudha Murthy was awarded the Raja Lakshmi Award in 2004, received the R.K. Narayana's Award for Literature in 2006, and crossword book award in the popular non-fiction category in 2018. In 2006, the Indian government awarded Sudha Murthy with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honor in the country, in recognition of his humanitarian services. She received the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honor, later in 2023.
She is India's most admired changemaker due to her relentless efforts to uplift society, empower women, and nurture a brighter future for generations to come. Her empathetic work and principles are an inspiration for the entire country. Several Indian professionals and leaders aspire to inculcate her way of thinking and value system in their work lives.
Let’s read 10 life lessons that we can learn from Sudha Murty's thoughts.
Inculcating Work Ethics
"It is very difficult to earn trust. It takes years to build and can be destroyed in an instant by one bad deed. Trust requires an enormous amount of integrity and you have to prove every time that you are worthy of it. I am very grateful to our society and community."
Sudha Murthy believes that building trust is a long process that requires consistent effort, honesty, and reliability over an extended period. Working ethically and morally is the need of the hour in the corrupted economic world.
Vision & Action
"Vision without action is merely a dream; action without mission is merely a passing time; but vision and action together can change the world"
Sudha Murthy says that having a vision is essential but remains unfulfilled if proper action is not taken. This applies to leadership and entrepreneurship as well. It's important to be guided by a clear mission or purpose driving a significant change and impact.
Lead with Affection
"A true leader leads with affection and not power"
Sudha Murthy emphasizes the importance of leading with affection rather than power. She believes that with affection, a leader can create an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and heard, leading to more cohesive productive teams.
Importance of Education
"A student's life is like the desert, examinations are the hot sun, difficulties are like the warm sand and study is like hunger and thirst. As a student, you have to travel all alone collecting knowledge and skill the way the boy in the story collected stones. The more you collect the better is the life you lead later."
Sudha Murthy believes that education is the ultimate key to success, as it polishes your strength and compassion fostering enlightenment of deep acumen and knowledge. She emphasizes the importance of perseverance in the face of challenges just as travelers must keep moving forward despite hurdles in the path to reach the final destination.
Power of Honesty
"Experience has taught me that honesty is not the mark of any particular class nor is it related to education or wealth. It cannot be taught at any university. In most people, it springs naturally from the heart."
Honesty is an intrinsic value that originates from within yourself, not something that can be externally imposed or learned from any source. It leads to developing a sense of empathy and compassion towards others who need help and guidance.
Giving Back to the Society
"Of the thousands of flowers that blossom on a tree only a few bear fruit. And out of those few fruits, insects and squirrels will eat some. The tree does not keep anything for itself. Does that mean that the life of the tree is wasted?"
Sudha Murthy believes that we must embody selflessness and generosity. She encourages individuals to look beyond material achievements and recognize the inherent value of contributing to society to make a positive impact.
Being Resilient
"Many a time there is no perfect solution for a given problem. No solution is also a solution. Everything depends upon how you look at it. We make judgments on others depending upon what we think of them."
Sudha Murthy urges individuals to be resilient in their work with a deep sense of understanding the complexities of life and inculcate problem-solving skills. She acknowledges that not every problem has a perfect solution, but being resilient and accepting that fact will offer peace of mind and avoid barriers to your goal.
Building Relationships
“Having good relationships, compassion, and peace of mind is much more important than achievements, awards, degrees, or money."
Sudha Murthy often stresses on the importance of living a simple and noble life which is the secret to inculcating peace of mind. Especially in today’s modern age, the professional world is a tough place to be in. such a scenario calls for individuals to inculcate positive relationships that make one resilient towards difficulties of life.
Continuous Learning
"Life is an exam where the syllabus is unknown and question papers are not set. Nor are there model answer papers."
One should never stop learning new skills, acquire knowledge about things around you, and remain open to new experiences. Not everything is known as life is full of unexpected challenges and experiences.
Balancing Roots and Wings
"Confidence does not mean that everything will go your way. It simply gives us the ability to accept failures that we will inevitably meet on our path and move forward with hope"
Having confidence is a great thing but it does not guarantee success in every endeavor. One should be grounded with value principles and self-awareness along with the confidence to take risks.
