Illusion of Political Power
There is haunting universal code embedded in DNA of Indian power which always plays out same way on election night when leaders lose or transition power to another person. One day you see leader like Siddaramaiah walking echoing massive corridors of Vidhana Soudha entirely alone without single bureaucrat or sycophant giving second look. You watch Mamata Banerjee, once undisputed queen of Bengal street politics, visiting lanes of Kalighat only to pass by crowd that suddenly looks right through her unacknowledged. You see it when mighty engines of state machinery grind to halt around leaders like Stalin or Kejriwal. Harsh reality of power is that room is packed only as long as you hold pen that signs orders. Moment designation is gone durbar vanishes overnight. You go from crowded room to quiet hallway in heartbeat because nothing is permanent, least of all power. Crowd never belonged to person, it belonged entirely to chair.
Corporate Echo
Nowhere does this truth resonate more brutally than in mirrored glass towers of corporate India. Air in corner office of Zenith India Corp always smelled of expensive sandalwood and fresh pressed ambition. For over decade Raghavendra Raghu Rao was sun around which entire company orbited. When Raghu walked corridors of corporate headquarters in Mumbai it was less stroll and more royal procession. VPs would suddenly find urgent reasons to step into hallway just to catch his eye. Executive assistants held elevators. Cafeteria would go quiet if he decided to grace it and his LinkedIn posts racked up hundreds of insightful and inspiring comments within minutes. Raghu did not just hold power, he was intoxicated by it. He genuinely believed deferential smiles and late night WhatsApp messages wishing him happy weekend chief were testament to his personal brilliance.
Change of Guard
Then came restructuring. New York based private equity firm bought controlling stake and just like that Raghu was handed golden parachute and polite exit. His last day was Friday. Transition was not slow fade, it was cliff. On Monday Raghu realized he had forgotten personal hard drive in his old cabin. He decided to drop by figuring he would say few proper goodbyes anyway. As he walked through glass doors of Zenith Corp security guard, man Raghu had personally helped with medical advance year ago, nodded mechanically treating him like any other visitor, asking him to sign register and issuing visitor badge. Raghu swallowed hard, realising he was just visitor.
Corridor of Ghosts
Walking down main corridor felt like stepping into alternate reality. He saw Vikram, his former deputy who just three days ago would laugh uproariously at weakest jokes. Vikram was rushing toward conference room with iPad in hand, looked up for split second then looked right through him adjusting tie and picking up pace without stopping or asking how he was holding up. Further down group of management trainees he had personally mentored were chatting by water cooler. As Raghu approached conversation did not stop and they did not part like Red Sea to let him through, forcing him to awkwardly step aside to avoid bumping into them. It was eerie corporate echo of raw political visuals seen on television like former Chief Minister walking massive echoing corridors of Vidhana Soudha entirely alone after election defeat without single bureaucrat giving second look, or Mamata Banerjee or Kejriwal experiencing sudden icy shift when political winds turn and durbar vanishes overnight. Raghu was walking his own quiet hallway. Packed rooms, frantic nods, desperate attempts to catch his eye were all gone. Crowd did not belong to Raghu, it belonged to chair.
Lesson of the Chair
Sitting across from Raghu at nearby South Indian café hour later his old mentor, old school HR veteran named Anand, sipped filter coffee and smiled gently after Raghu poured his heart out bitter and shaken by how quickly he had become non entity. Anand set brass tumbler down and told Raghu he made classic mistake of confusing shadow of chair for his own height. In corporate world as in politics power is leased property. Day lease expires keys are handed over and crowd moves to new tenant. If people respect you only because of designation on business card that respect has expiry date. Anand tapped his chest explaining it is always better to be loved for person you are not chair you occupy. If you build relationships on empathy, genuine mentorship, and character that stays with you when you walk out door. Chair gives authority but only humanity gives legacy. Raghu looked out window at bustling Mumbai traffic. Sting of corridor was still there but clarity was therapeutic. It was brutal lesson that would hold him in good stead for rest of his life. He was no longer corporate deity but for first time in ten years he was entirely himself.
Lasting Personal Legacy
That brutal truth of corporate world and political arenas of Vidhana Soudha or Kalighat is why I have always held specific memory close to my heart. It serves as my North Star reminding me of what truly matters when noise of titles and designations fades away. It happened on September 11 2016 which happened to be my birthday when my team at NEC had organized celebration. Late Dr Reguraj stood up to speak, looked at room then looked at me and delivered what remains greatest compliment I have ever received in my life. He said here is one person who does not get his value due to his chair, he brings value to chair he sits on, Principal loved by everyone from student to faculty to supporting staff.
Hearing those words from man of his stature on my birthday was defining moment. It crystallized very lesson that has held me in good stead throughout my career to never let title define your worth. Dictating terms from position of authority is easy but earning genuine love, respect, and loyalty from every tier of organization solely because of who you are as human being is only real achievement.
Chairs are reallocated and titles are stripped but value you carry within yourself and impact you leave on people around you can never be taken away.