This newsletter is dedicated to the Tata family and the people of the Tata Group, a shining star in India’s business firmament. We will gain insight and inspiration through three leaders representing different generations of the Tata family across the last 150 years – Jamestji, JRD and Ratan.

There has been a huge outpouring of grief and affection last week in India upon the passing of Ratan Tata.

Mr. Tata stewarded (as Chairman) India’s iconic Tata Group for many decades, during which Tata’s revenue grew 40X, and profits 50X. Today, it has a market capitalization of over $400 billion. Mr. Tata also donated hundreds of millions of dollars over the years for advancing education, research, healthcare, rural reform, including major grants to his alma mater Cornell University and to Harvard Business School. He was given a state funeral.

But beyond the financial glory and generosity, it was his humility that captured the hearts of Indians from all walks of life. So many of the stories making their way in the media are about common folks reminiscing about how Mr. Tata met and interacted with them in his very thoughtful, down-to-earth manner.  

I am one of those common folk, for I was privileged to have a few interactions with Mr. Tata eight years ago, when he had visited Columbia Business School. After those meetings, he wrote a note to me sharing his encouragement for the work I was doing to uncover the deeper DNA of exemplary leadership, “It was a great pleasure to meet you again during my visit to Columbia and to have a chance of discussing with you your very interesting program of personal leadership. I really believe that you are focusing on the key issue of leadership — i.e. developing the personal attributes of leadership in individuals rather than applying a prescribed set of applicable attributes to develop leadership, which is so often considered to be the only path to creating leaders. I look forward to the pleasure of meeting you again in the future either in the U.S. or in India.”

For someone like me who was intuitively challenging the prevailing ethos of leadership development, seeking to anchor it in qualities of character that rest within, to get this affirmation from someone I considered a living legend was like a shot in the arm, boosting my commitment to keep going and growing on this path.

Mr. Ratan Tata and I did meet one more time, for dinner at the Golden Dragon restaurant at the Tata Group’s Taj Palace hotel in Mumbai. The Taj Hotel brand is an icon unto itself, loved by guests for its exemplary hospitality. This culture of hospitality led the staff of the Taj Palace during the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack to “display uncommon valor”, placing “the safety of guests over their own well-being, thereby risking – and, in some cases, sacrificing – their lives.”

So you can imagine how I felt surrounded by heroes that evening – the one who was dining with me, and the ones who were serving us.

The roots of this goodness and greatness in the Tata Group go back 156 years, from the time of its founding by Jamsetji Tata, a visionary businessman in the India of the 1800s who firmly believed that the core mission of a corporation was to be in service of humanity. Besides the innovations he brought to advance India into the modern age, his philanthropy, in today’s dollars, would be worth $150 billion.

I have always admired the capacity in astute and ambitious business minds to create breakthroughs that improve the material conditions of our lives. Jamestji exemplified this spirit. One of his many contributions was to propel India into being a steel producer. For this, he needed to attract the right talent at a time when India was just inching its way into modernity.

One such expert that Jamsetji needed to recruit was Charles Perin, a consulting engineer in New York City. Jamsetji had traveled to the US, “researched who potential technical experts could be, [and] zeroed in on the name of Charles Page Perin…” Here is what happened next, in the words of Charles.

“I was poring over some accounts in an office when the door opened, and a stranger in a strange garb entered. He walked in, leaned over my desk, and looked at me fully a minute in silence. Finally, he said in a deep voice, “Are you Charles Page Perrin? I said, “Yes.”

He stared at me again silently for a long time. Then slowly he said, “I believe I have found the man I have been looking for. Julian Kennedy has written to you that I am going to build a steel plant in India. I want you to come to India with me, to find suitable iron ore and coking coal and the necessary fluxes. I want you to take charge as my consulting engineer. Mr. Kennedy will build the steel plant wherever you advise, and I will foot the bill. Will you come to India with me?”

I was dumbfounded, naturally. But you don’t know what character and force radiated from Tata’s face. And kindliness, too. “Well,” I said, “yes, I will go.”

And I did.

Another member of the Tata family who took over the reins was J.R.D. Tata, commonly known as JRD. Here’s a beautiful story about him, very instructive for all of us. This is shared by Jamshed J. Irani (popularly called ‘Doc Irani’), a senior director of the Tata Group who led Tata Steel for many years.

JRD and the senior Tata directors used to meet for lunch on the fourth floor of Bombay House, the Tata Group’s headquarters, every day. The lunch table was also the venue for many informal conversations.

One day, JRD came to lunch, sad that he had lost his favorite pen. He used to always carry a Parker pen set – a fountain pen and a ball pen.

“Look,” he said sadly, “I have lost the ball pen.l I don’t know where it has gone. I have looked all over…but it’s gone.”

One of the directors in the lunch room that day was Doc. Irani. He made a note of J.R.D. Tata’s loss. A few weeks later, when he was visiting London, he went to a small shop near Selfridge’s specializing in pens and ground a ball pen identical to the one JRF had lost. He bought it immediately. The next time he met J.R.D. Tata, he presented that pen to him.

JRD was delighted. “Yes, Jamshed, it is exactly like the one I lost.” JRD tried it out for one or two minutes. Then Dr Irani saw JRD’s expression change slowly. After a couple of minutes, he gave the ball pen back to Dr Irani, and said, “Thank you for the thought. This is exactly what I wanted, but I cannot accept it.”

Why?” asked Dr Irani, “I thought you were looking for this.”

JRD answered, “Yes, Jameshed. But it is a principle of mine not to accept any gifts from any of my colleagues at work. If I did, then I know my colleagues would try to outdo each other and give me exorbitant gifts.”

Dr. Irani tried to persuade him to accept the pen. “But, sir, nobody would know that I have given you this pen. You can say that you found it in your room. I am not going to go around saying that I have given JRD an identical pen.”

JRD responded, “Jamshed, I know you will not do any such thing. But I would know. I would know that I accepted this gift against my principles. I am sorry, but I cannot accept it.”

What a beautiful story, and a learning we can all take into our lives: be mindful of not compromising your principles in the seemingly small moments of life. Because when you start giving an inch, the world might just sweep in to take a mile.

May you rest in peace, Mr. Ratan Tata, and may the Tata Group continue to shine with the brilliant light of the founding family and the talented ones that serve its mission.

With deep admiration for the Tata spirit,
Hitendra

Note – The two stories in this newsletter of Jamsetji and JRD are excerpted from the book, “Jamsetji Tata: Powerful Lessons for Corporate Success”, by R. Gopalkrishnan and Harish Bhatt.

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