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Compassion and courage in leadership were crucial traits, used successfully by Rama in the
Ramayana. Inspite of radical changes in thoughts and technology, these leadership traits are
followed, and remain relevant today as shown by successful Indian business leaders like the
Tatas and Cipla. Surely, the more things change, the more they remain the same.
Standing up for what you believe in regardless of the odds and the pressure that tears
To lead people, walk beside them ... and when the job is done and people say, "We did
Leadership is understanding people and involving them to help you do a job. That
takes all of the good characteristics, like integrity, dedication of purpose, selflessness,
Arleigh Burke
Leadership
Throughout history, leadership has always made a difference between success and
failure. In today’s competitive world, old adages hardly hold true. Earlier, the boss was
automatically the leader and the cardinal rules while dealing with the boss were: Rule 1
- The Boss is always right and Rule 2- If the Boss is wrong, refer to Rule 1!
Tom Peters, has defined a successful leader as “frighteningly smart, with tons of animal
energy, blessed with monumental impatience, able to distill a vision for the troops, able
to recognise and resolve big issues, with a healthy disgust for bureaucracy, a
performance freak, honest, straightforward, rapidly decisive, future focused, not report-
or past-oriented, rigorous in their own execution and follow-up, and highly driven” 1. But,
It is very difficult to pinpoint what exactly goes into the making of a good leader, as
successful leaders leverage several competencies to achieve excellence. But, there are
a few things integral to the success of most leaders. Subtle embedded softwares like
compassion, courage and values, plus evident hardware like influence, effort,
empowerment and commitment, that are driven by operating systems like vision,
teambuilding and targets. While the hardware and operating systems are essential, the
These softwares have their origins in the ancient Indian scriptures, which espoused
wisdom, virtues and values. The Ramayana as a philosophy, and Rama as an example
of a compassionate and courageous leader who held values supreme even under
Leadership primarily deals with change and action. Compassion helps drive change
strategy and to stoically bear the effects of change, through thought and action.
Courage and compassion in the business context assume slightly different meanings
allowing others to do as they choose, but it actually means sharing your passions and
also driven by conscience, which has a dual action. Conscience helps distinguish
between right and wrong, and secondly warns of the consequences. A failure of either
Courage in the business context, delves more on the moral part than the physical part.
Courage includes self belief and an ability to take an ethical stance in the face of grave
These leadership traits are most relevant in the emerging complex business scenario.
The current major corporate weaknesses, reasons for busts, scandals and extinctions
are primarily failures of courage, compassion and values, than only due to poor profits
and performance. These acts of weakness have been perpetrated in the absence of
acceptable values.
Many western companies practice leadership by systems and controls. In India, the
leader’s personality and charisma play a major role, with systems following closely, but
secondary in importance2.
Designations and promotions are not always achievements driven, but also dependent
on seniority, class and education. Designations abound, with prefixes like senior, junior,
under, associate, vice, deputy and assistant. Decisions are often ad-hoc and placatory,
and end up causing more harm than good. Such decisions defy compassion and deter
Rama led an inferior and under prepared army against the might of Ravana’s elite army.
The Rakshasa army was very potent, having defeated the formidable devas and
Rama believed in himself and maintained confidence in the ability of his army to
where courage and compassion were the major virtues, his army responded
Rama inspite of his royalty, interacted freely with the people. This was rare in the times
Rama lived in, because most princes disdained the common folk while Rama
empowered them with positions. Before and after the battle with Ravana, Rama
Rama’s compassion commanded great loyalty from his army. Rama genuinely cared for
his people and treated everyone with courtesy and respect, regardless of social status.
Rama maintained his courage and composure even in the darkest hours, like Sita’s
Rama stood courageously in the face of great adversity and never compromised on his
principles, even under extreme pressure. Rama maintained his resolve during crisis and
Rama’s moral conduct was exemplary and he always pursued the truth. Rama’s values
reflected in all his actions and endeavours. Rama’s resolve of monogamy stood out in a
society, where kings, including his own father, had several wives.
History has been a witness to leaders, who have made an early sacrifice in order to
build credibility and sympathy, and later used it to take unethical decisions, secure in
the fact that their initial sacrifice would make them immune to criticisms. Rama always
Rama always followed an ethical code and stood by cherished values. When Ravana
swaggered to battle on the first day without adequate preparations and was rendered
weaponless by Rama, he was allowed to return to his citadel because the code of
These examples of an earlier era inspire great deeds even today. Although ancient
Indian history is replete with examples of leaders who have exhibited great courage and
compassion, the current era also has its own heroes who cherish and apply these
Courage- Cipla
stunned the world by offering to sell drugs against AIDS, at a fraction of the major
Cipla’s unique three-drug anti-retroviral combination was to be sold for around $800 per
patient per year. The new tablet, called Triomune, was the first effective HIV
combination therapy in one tablet, and was sold so cheaply that even the millions of
people with HIV in poor countries might afford it. Cipla took advantage of the fact that
three different companies originally made the three drugs and hence they could legally
In 2001, Cipla further slashed prices to $300 per patient per year or under $1 per day. In
2004, a three-drug anti-Aids cocktail was sold for $140 per patient per year, subject to
certain conditions.
Meanwhile, in 2003, the Clinton foundation and WHO, approved Cipla to supply
economical, generic AIDS drugs in developing countries. This gave a boost to Indian
generic drug companies who are now considered respectable and quality conscious.
Dr Hamied firmly believes that the company that invents a drug should be adequately
but not obscenely rewarded. Cipla has offered to pay royalties and believes in patents,
but not in monopolies. Dr Hamied is convinced that pricing is never by cost, but by
market value and that it is futile to charge exorbitant rates from patients of poor
countries who cannot afford to pay the high costs for drugs.
The pharmaceutical majors have even accused Cipla of being a ’pirate’ to which they
clarified that their deeds are always in the interest of society, and perfectly legal. Cipla
has also been accused of sub standard quality and they challenged one MNC to test the
medicine at their own lab in Europe. The results showed that Cipla’s quality was at par
with world standards and a red-faced drug giant had to grudgingly slash prices, to
compete.
The fact that the MNCs have slashed prices from $12,000 to almost $ 1000 over the
past 4 years proves that their conscience has been truly pricked and Cipla’s stand
The broader issue exposed here, is the fleecing of vulnerable patients by companies
under the garb of patents. With over 90 % of the 50 million HIV patients in the world
unable to afford potentially life saving medications, charging exorbitant prices at the cost
Moreover, most of the AIDS drugs were not originally invented by the pharmaceutical
majors – but were in-licensed products. By making AIDS drugs affordable, available and
accessible, Cipla has given hope to millions living with the virus. Cipla supplies free
drugs to stop mother-to-child transmission and offers free technology to make AIDS
Cipla has exhibited courage and magnanimity by championing the cause of the world’s
poor by ensuring availability of quality life saving medicines at affordable rates. In doing
so, Cipla has taken on the might of the world pharmaceutical industry, and won. Cipla
has exposed the plight of the poor, vulnerable patients who die despite the availability,
but due to the unaffordability of life saving medicines. More importantly, Dr Hamied’s
fortitude has ensured that the Indian pharmaceutical industry is firmly etched on the
Jamsetji Tata’s vision pioneered steel, power and science education in India, which
innovative welfare measures that formed the basis of corporate philanthropy, empathy
and compassion in India- synonymous with the Tata name even after 136 years.
Jamsetji ensured that a significant proportion of profits and assets were devoted by
charitable trusts into social, medical and educational development initiatives, a legacy
continuing to this day. Jamsetji’s compassion envisioned his workers, shorter working
hours, well-ventilated workplaces, provident fund, paid leave and gratuity, long before
Jamsetji conceived a steel plant and a township five years before he actually set it up
and wrote to son Dorab in 1902, “Be sure to lay wide streets planted with shady trees, every
other of a quick-growing variety. Be sure that there is plenty of space for lawns and gardens.
Reserve large areas for football, hockey and parks. Earmark areas for Hindu temples,
The JN Tata Endowment enabled Indian students to pursue higher studies in England
and at one point, almost 40 % of Indians entering the elite Indian Civil Service, were
Tata scholars. In 1899, Jamsetji pledged Rs 30 lakh from his personal fortune towards
Bangalore in 1911.
Jamsetji’s grandson, JRD, during his 53 years at the helm of the Tata Group, pioneered
the group'
s entry into airlines, chemicals, healthcare, commercial vehicles and infotech,
besides consolidating the traditional business lines in steel, electricity and hospitality.
Throughout his life, JRD, espoused and patronised various social causes including
The principal contribution of the current chairman, Ratan Tata, has been in swiftly
propelling the group from the old into the new economy. This transformation was
cherished values like compassion and ethics. Ratan Tata exhibited firmness and grace
in ousting well entrenched and powerful Tata satraps, who were synonymous with the
The Tatas have an enviable record of excellent trade and industrial relations, which
epitomise the Tata spirit of giving back to society and the communities in which its
enterprises grow.
The Tata leadership has zealously guarded, practised and propagated the Tata values,
other major business entities globally, as they all strive to compete and win in a material
world.
The social sensitivity of the Tatas is evident in their desire to channelise considerable
profits to enhance the quality of public life in India. The Tatas contribution in the fields of
business, education, sports, labour, social sciences, science, technology and medicine
is unparalled.
JRD’s philosophy remained,” (In Tatas) we have retained the fire of idealism and in its glow
we have come to recognise that no wealth or power can be more valuable than our dignity; no
loss of profit can be more critical than the loss of our credibility; no skills or qualifications can
By strictly adhering to these values, the Tatas have remained a symbol of integrity,
aids team building and development, that help retain precious talent, and drive success.
skills and development, relevant in today’s context against the backdrop of high attrition
and turnover rates. Compassion as espoused by the Tatas, speaks about nation
building, by empowering people through education and creating work environs and
Courage in the face of adversity is rare, and needs belief in self and team to inspire and
triumphed over Ravana’s elite army, because they believed they could win from
impossible situations. Through a judicious mix of grit, guts, glory and god, they
save precious lives of the world’s poor patients, who finally got access to affordable,
quality medicines.
Cipla’s strength of character stands out, as they chose to showcase their adroit skills by
taking on the might of the pharmaceutical majors, to benefit the world’s poor, rather than
The common thread between the leadership of the Tatas and Cipla in their relentless
pursuit of excellence and sterling performance (annexure 1) has always been to put
people before profits, be it the teeming millions of India or the AIDS stricken poor of
"We try never to forget that medicine is for the people. It is not for the profits. The profits follow,
and if we have remembered that, they have never failed to appear." George Merck, Chairman,
Conclusion
In an era of vulnerable virtues, where technology has touched and radically changed
every sphere of our lives, the essential software driving successful leadership, even
after 7000 years, remains the original versions of courage and compassion, be it Rama,
Amit Rangnekar is pursuing a PhD in Business Strategy from NMIMS- Mumbai, where he is also
a visiting faculty. Equipped with a Masters in Marketing Management from Mumbai University
interests revolve around the key dynamics and demographics, affecting pharmaceutical strategy
Annexure 1
Bibliography
• Lala RM (1992), Beyond the last blue mountain- a life of JRD Tata, (2nd ed.),
Viking India
• Indian Drug-Maker Leads the Charge for Low-Cost AIDS Drugs, (March 2003),
http://www.time.com/time/asia/features/heroes/cipla.html
http://www.tata.com/0_about_us/history/century_of_trust/index.htm
References
1
Peters T (2001), Tom Peters true confessions, Fast company, pp 78 (53), December
2001
2
Gopalakrishnan R (2002), If only India knew what Indians know, Indian Management,
http://www.tata.com/0_about_us/history/pioneers/index.htm
4
Lasting legacies. Retrieved from the Tata group website at
http://www.tata.com/0_about_us/history/lasting_legacies/lasting_legacies.htm