Jottings - Slice of life - 207 ( Prakash Menon - a tribute to a gracious Man, and a leader par excellence)

Jottings - Slice of life - 207 ( Prakash Menon - a tribute to a gracious Man, and a leader par excellence)

A few weeks ago, I was sitting in Prakash’s hotel room in Gurgaon. It was a long day for both us; more so for Prakash. The launch of our new products for the retail market was extracting every ounce of energy and time out of him. He was tired, but his mind was bubbling with ideas. He put his leather bag on the table, settled down with his drink and instantly began talking about NIIT, its future and what ideas he had in mind. Few minutes into our conversation, his phone rang. He picked up his mobile and before answering, turned around and said:

“Bala, I have to take this call. I am sorry”.

“Absolutely, Prakash!!”

For next ten minutes, he was speaking to a lady. That much I could understand from his tone and conversation. He was enquiring about her Husband’s health, sharing positive advice, and commended her for showing good presence of mind and courage. What stuck me as he talked was he never hurried to complete the conversation. He allowed the person on the other side to finish saying what she had to say, and once done, gently hung the phone with the words “ Pls dont hesitate to call me anytime, if anything changes”. He turned around and said:

“A colleague of mine fell down unconscious in the bathroom yesterday. Luckily, his wife made all the right moves, and called me. I organized our team to immediately go to the Hospital and help out. I have never spoken to her before this event. Thank God everything is alright now. It was she on the line. She was thanking me for right and positive medical advice I gave, and all the help she got..."

“You know Bala, I am half doctor myself. My family is full of doctors. When you live in an environment like that, you pick up medical symptoms at the right time”

I looked at Prakash pensively, as he sipped his single malt and said

“ You could do with some medical advice yourself and eat something as you drink”

He chuckled in his characteristic fashion. “Of course , I am eating peanuts. Thats dinner for me. Now lets talk business. what do you think should be the tag line for our IT Product…..” The conversation drifted into familiar territory, of work and business.

It is ironical that two weeks later after this meeting Prakash menon is no more. It is hard to believe he is no more. It is hard to believe he didn’t read his own bodily symptoms well enough to reverse his fate. But that is life. We dont know what awaits us the next moment, no matter how wise or knowledgeable we may be. I am sure Prakash would have had the last laugh as death knocked at his door. He would have chuckled at the irony of it all. That was the kind of man he was. An institution by himself, a charismatic leader, a sympathetic and compassionate human being, a visionary in the field of education, and above all - an inspiring personality in whose presence one felt elevated and transformed. I cannot claim to have known him for long time. There are others who have known Prakash for decades, much more intimately. But Chronological time is nothing. In the little time I have known Prakash at close quarters, he has left an indelible mark on how I think and act. Through his actions and words, he has bequeathed a vision, a mandate and a charter for all of us to follow. And that charter is very simple . To bring together “ Ambition, passion and integrity” in shaping NIIT to be the best in the business, and in the process grow personally and professionally. His own life was a continuous journey and striving towards fulfilling that charter.

Starting off in early 80’s when NIIT was startup, Prakash grew with the company as it firmly established itself in IT education. He was a techie, who found sales more interesting than coding. And once he stepped into sales, there was no looking back. He very quickly emerged ahead of the curve. When the landscape of IT education changed, Prakash kept abreast of it, and till the very end believed in constant innovation and change as the only means to stay ahead in an increasingly volatile world of IT education and skills training. The new wave of learning products he incubated over last several months is now ready to break out of its shell. His vision is written all over it. Its only fitting that those products will carry his remarkable stamp and character.

In his email to employees, Sapnesh, writes about Prakash’s sense of generosity. So very true. There was a palpable feeling of Humaneness around Prakash. He was always spontaneous in his help and sympathies. Even when he disagreed, or was irritated with someone or something, one could sense genuine warmth and care permeating his actions . He loved young techies. During our bootcamp last month, he walked into the conference room twice, talking for more than two hours to all young employees, giving them direction and inspiration. He opened up a glorious and uplifting vision for them to follow with no bars or barriers. The key message he gave them ( his strong, deep voice still reverberates in me as i write this) was to remain “curious”. He himself remained an extremely curious man, spending whatever evenings were available to him watching TED talks or youtube videos of inspirational stories and technical breakthroughs. He wanted his India team to stay on top of technology, enjoy work and learn endlessly. That was his wish and advice to them.

We will miss his familiar figure outside the office holding fort with his core team smoking a cigarette and chatting; we will miss his immaculate, well groomed dress sense and regal bearing; we will miss his wit and deep insights, we will miss his warmth and unconditional support where it is needed, and more than anything else, we will miss an icon, a man who was synonymous with NIIT and what it stands for.

As I conclude this tribute, the very last words I spoke to him at his office, before I left for the airport on 20th April comes rushing into my head. Prakash was conversing with a colleague, when I stepped into his office to say good bye. He stood up energetically, shook my hands and said “ Thanks Bala. Will see you soon. I am in China in the first week of May. Text me if you need anything. Otherwise, we can discuss after I come back”

His " coming back" will now remain an unfulfilled promise forever.

Rest in eternity Prakash. Your spirit will remain intact in us

God bless..

Yours in mortality,

Bala