Philosophical Rajat Gupta asks corp honchos to use biz skills to solve societal problems

Hyderabad: Comparing solitary confinement in prison to 'Vipassana', the once poster boy of Wall Street, Rajat Gupta, whose career scaled meteoric heights before it all came crashing down after he was convicted in an insider trading case in US, on Wednesday turned philosophical as he shared the lessons learnt and the mantra for leading a better life.
Focus on being a better professional than on career advancement, step out of your comfort zone, lead from behind and care about the success of your team members were some of the nuggets of wisdom Gupta offered management students as well as business honchos in city.He also liberally quoted from the Bhagwad Gita and stressed on the importance of focusing on one’s work rather than its outcome.
Pointing out that business leaders have an obligation towards society, he told a gathering of top guns from Hyderabad Angels that they must use their business skills to solve complex societal problems, especially in the field of education, healthcare and environment. Here he cited the example of Bill Gates, whom he said he admires not just for his business acumen but the way he has been putting his wealth to use for the betterment of society.
Rooting for quality healthcare and education, he said these two factors along with 'freedom' and 'democracy' are important to create an equitable society. He also stressed on the importance of uplifting agriculture and improving productivity to create wealth for a larger section of society in a country like India.
On capitalism, he pointed out that currently there is no better alternative to it. However, he added that a strong social security cover is important in a capitalist society to ensure an equitable society.
Meanwhile, while interacting with students at premier city-based B-School, ISB, that is considered to be his brainchild, he said he would be open to teaching at the B-School provided the Dean invites him.
Gupta, who headed McKinsey and served on the boards of some of the top Fortune 500 companies, said he considered teaching and managing a class as one of the toughest jobs in the world.
Earlier in the day, Gupta also launched his book ‘Mind Without Fear’ at the ISB campus.