“For a larger goal”- 6 January 2015.

The two incidents in the company disturbed the atmosphere many years ago. In both the incidents, two important functionaries were involved, and both of them were handed down great insult by one of the top men in the management. Unable to bear the insult, one of them left without notice, sacrificing all the attendant benefits one gets when one leaves an organisation after giving a proper notice etc. But this man left in a huff and hurry, and did not bother about the big sum of money he was likely to lose. The second man, however, stayed on, swallowed the insult, and immersed himself deeper in the work, unbothered what others said about his so-called ‘spinelessness’.

Of course, the one who left in a huff and hurry became sort of a hero, and was discussed by one and all — for his courage to tell one or two things to the management and kicking a cushy job. The other one was derided, on the contrary, and was described as a person who did not have any self-respect. Such incidents take place in all organisations, and similar reactions are available from others.
However, a couple of years passed, and the one who stayed back got a promotion, and then another quick promotion the very next year. In a couple of more years, he was sent to a foreign location to head the company’s franchise as part of the deal. And still a few years afterwards, he got an international award for offering meaningful leadership to his people who took the company to great heights with their sterling performance. In barely ten years from the incident of insult, this man returned to the HQ to become senior most Vice President and a prospective CMD in a couple of years.
As he emerged as a candidate for the high position, some friends asked him what virtues of his were responsible for his rise. He smiled mildly, and responded, “Look friends, I did not work for this day. I had a larger goal in mind — of taking the company to greater heights. I had a specific vision and also an actionable plan to spruce up the workforce to suit the vision. I knew, where I went, I would face more or less similar conditions. So, I decided to stick on. I was aware of the gossip about me, but was not bothered. That was only because I had a larger goal in mind. I knew that smaller issues have to be forgotten if a bigger issue, a larger goal, is to be pursued. I did precisely that.”
The people agreed. Then the remembered that the other man who had left in a huff and hurry also was a man of merit and did well for himself elsewhere. Yet, the contribution of the one who stayed on was almost immeasurable.
Unfortunately, many people working in commercial organisations work only for themselves and not with any specific larger goal in the mind, or have a vision for which they would dedicate their careers. But those who do certainly stand out and make signal contributions to their respective areas of expertise.
Unfortunately, such persons with a larger goal in the mind generally get branded negatively by gossip-mongers in the organisations. It is because of this that many people do not wish to stand out on the basis of their virtues and vision. All they wish to achieve is to stay on a correct career course and not rock the boat too much. But history in business and corporate world is replete with examples of people who wish to stand out and stick their neck out — for fulfilment of their vision. Only such people make a critical difference, while others appear ‘comfortable’ because they do not rock the boat too much.
But the choice is always individual — of the person involved. Each one has to decide to which side of the fence he wishes to belong.