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Unleashing change

Last Updated 25 February 2011, 12:27 IST
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Imagine you’re at the top of that ladder called corporate success — a ladder that you’ve climbed painstakingly over the years. You are the toast of the boardroom and the apple
of the shareholder’s collective eye. You’ve achieved all that you’ve intended to, and more.

And then seemingly out of the blue you answer a call that has been a plaintive voice inside you all these years — the innate need to do work that is meaningful and above the mundane. You heed that voice, and cast the physical trappings of all you’ve achieved to the breeze, in an act that some would call reckless. You engage in work that satisfies your soul.

Top executives of India Inc are bringing to not-for-profits the rich experience from the corporate grind, and the return that it is giving them is something you cannot possibly measure by a bank balance. You could even go so far as to call it professional satisfaction, an elusive term in today’s world. They are on a burgeoning list of people who’re walking out of boardrooms to do work that has social relevance. But what is it that is creating this shift, making shining stars of business success opt to shine in a completely different sphere?

Dr Ajay Kela specialised in taking start-up software and services enterprises into the billion dollar league, and as the COO of Symphony Services he had a job that had it all. But then he moved to the Wadhwani Foundation, where he currently focuses on creating employment opportunities for 70 million disabled people in the country — no small task by any standards.

The challenges he works with are far greater than those he used to face in a billion dollar industry. “What drew me to the Wadhwani Foundation was the chance to bring in innovation to leverage market forces and government resources to solve the problem at a systemic level,” he says.  Indeed, many governments who have the task of development in the education sector may only end up taking decisions that ensure their vote bank remains intact. But Dr Kela brings with him the power of innovative thinking honed over years of taking businesses to the next level.

“Not-for-profit organisations tend to think with a micro view of their world, and come up with what are called ‘band-aid’ solutions. This is where a corporate mindset that brings in the big picture can make bigger differences,” he asserts.

If Dr Kela was drawn to the thrill of the challenge, Anurag Behar, now Chief Sustainability Officer at Wipro, had no qualms in switching to support a cause greater than shareholder value.

“I have always known I would work in the social sector,” he says when asked about his reasons for moving to the Azim Premji Foundation. “In fact, working in the corporate world was an accident!” Behar gave up heading the Infrastructure Engineering group which grew ten-fold in four years to USD 300mn under his leadership for a task that has a far greater social impact. His mandate is to focus on enhancing the quality of elementary education across India.

But is it all that it is made out to be? Is the transition from a corporate environment, with its accepted work practices and professionalism, to working for a not-for-profit always smooth? It can be, if you listen to Behar, but you must be prepared to make some drastic changes in the way you look at work.

“You need to have humility, patience and tenacity,” states Behar. “A billion times more than what you may’ve had in the corporate world. You need to let go of the notion that corporate methods can fix problems in the social sector.”

Indeed the problems that the social sector faces often baffle the best minds, whether they come from a corporate background or not. Those that interface with government agencies find that innovative thinking is just not part of the government charter. “This is a situation where a Foundation can be more nimble-footed, and deliver results on a scale previous unthinkable,” says Dr Kela.

Behar and Kela are not alone as several others like them have made shifts to the non-profit sector such as ex-McKinsey consultant Jayant Sinha, who moved on to Omidyar Networks, a philanthropic investment firm dedicated to harnessing the power of markets to create opportunity for people to improve their lives.

Nachiket Mor is another case in point, moving to ICICI Foundation after years in banking operations. “There is a definite surge of interest in moving to non-profits,” says Sabita Rebecca, Director at Leader Prospects, an executive search firm. “While the focus may have been on donating personal wealth in the past, it has now shifted to top executives wanting to bring their skills to make a greater difference.”

What’s more, it’s not just the CEOs who are seeking this change but youngsters as well (see accompanying stories). But a lot of their inspiration does come from their corporate idols, people such as Behar, who have been poster boys of business success. When the boss’ boss makes a shift as dramatic as this, the junior executive who has been thinking of doing meaningful work stops and thinks. What better way to live your life if your work-day innovates to make a better world while also inspiring a new generation of leaders?

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(Published 25 February 2011, 12:27 IST)

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