Narayana Murthy shares life lessons with school children, says ‘I want you to become better than me for…’

Infosys co-founder and tech mogul N Narayana Murthy shared life lessons with young school children at the Mount Everest School in Byatarayanapura on September 3, as part of the Times of India's ‘Teach for India’ Leaders Week, the Times of India reported.

Answering a child's question on how to become like him, Murthy said he would like the child to become better, the report said. “I do not want you to become like me...I want you to become better than me for the greater good of the nations,” he replied.

Murthy spoke for an hour to school children from classes 7 and 8 and shared life lessons with them, including the need for discipline and teamwork, the importance of giving and being a responsible citizen, as per the report.

On discipline...

Sharing his own experience of studying at a government school and being "taught by teachers much like yours," Murthy said he was good at science and maths but weak in civics, geography, and history, the report said. However, it was his father who encouraged time management and discipline, which led to him securing the fourth rank in his state in the SSLC exam. Murthy credited his father for inculcating the habit and shaping his life, it added.

On the joy of giving...

Murthy also credited his mother for teaching him the "second important lesson... the joy of giving", the report said. He shared that he received a then decent sum of ₹900 as a scholarship for securing the fourth rank in his SSLC exams in 1961, and handed it to his mother. He requested ₹50 for a trendy new shirt and pants but was asked to give them to his brother the next day, the report said.

He added that while initially disappointed, he was inspired while watching a play depicting the mythological character Karna and gave the clothes to his brother, the report said. Murthy said his brother still fondly remembers that act of kindness and this experience taught him that "true joy lies in sharing and caring for others".

On being responsible citizens…

Murthy also spoke to the children about civic responsibility and recalled his headmaster's response to being "stingy" with something as cheap as salt during a chemistry experiment, as per the report. The message? "This common salt belongs to everyone in this school, not just me. We must treat it with care, as it is community property." Murthy said this "shaped his approach to founding and running Infosys".

Besides these, Murthy also stressed teamwork and told students that proper communication ensures the maintenance of strong relationships. He added that decisions should be based on what benefits the team, the report said.

Further, on leadership and responsibility, Murthy recalled his boss Colin, who, during his time in Paris, helped him restore a system and praised him for his dedication without mentioning his own sacrifice, as per the report. He taught me a crucial leadership lesson: take full responsibility for failures and share the glory with your team. These lessons remain invaluable even today," Murthy said.