For humility, entrepreneurs can turn to President Kalam

After several requests and phone calls, we finally managed to get an appointment with our beloved former President A P J Abdul Kalam on May 19, 2009. As I was packing my bags to leave for Delhi, I tried to think of an appropriate gift for the great man.

What do you give a President who has got everything and a man like Kalam who needs nothing? As I was racking my brains, my wife Roopa suggested that we give him a copy of the book of quotes that my grandmother, Janaki Rama Rao, had compiled. My grandmother, a Class 10 pass out from Bishop Cottons (way back in the 1940s), was a great fan of Kalam. She was also a voracious reader, with a habit of jotting down interesting quotes and facts from books and magazines — including Filmfare! We had got some of these quotes compiled into a book. I thought it was a great idea, and felt that he might appreciate this gesture.

We reached his residence for our appointment at 7.30 pm to find the President still caught up between meetings that had started at 8 am, and he had three more to go after our discussion. At 7:30 pm sharp, he came in to meet with us and we talked for 30 minutes about employability, Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA), youth transformation, and nation-building.

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Despite the day-long schedule, I was amazed at his enthusiasm and the sparkle in his eyes. At the end of the meeting, we requested a photograph with him and as we were leaving, I handed over the book to him. He asked me about the book — and when I explained its background, he flashed his characteristic smile and told me that he would read it the same night. I came out of the meeting thinking that he had liked the gift, but also wondered if he would really read it.

The next day at around 11 am, I got a call on my cell phone from the President’s secretary, with a request: “Can you please share the address of your grandmother? The President has read the book and wants to write to her.” While a part of me wanted to call my grandmother immediately with the news that she might get a letter from the President, the other part cautioned me not to get my hopes high. What if he forgets to write? I kept quiet and waited.

Exactly a week later, my grandmother called me and couldn't contain her excitement as she told me, “I got a letter from Dr Abdul Kalam.” She could not believe that the President had read her book.

As I read the letter, my eyes welled up... not only did he read the entire book that very night (he had mentioned lines from the book in his letter), but he also ensured that he wrote to her, and made this event one of the highlights of her life.

The Bhagavad Gita emphasises the significance of humility as a foundational virtue. It teaches that true humility arises from the understanding of one's place in the grand scheme of things, recognising that all beings are interconnected and part of a greater whole. The Gita teaches individuals to transcend the ego and embrace a sense of surrender, acknowledging that they are instruments in the hands of a higher power.

Kalam was deeply influenced by the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, and he often spoke about the role of humility in his life. He considered humility as a powerful force that fosters growth, builds strong relationships, and enables learning.

Whenever I am caught up in my ego trips as an entrepreneur, I reflect on this beautiful episode and ground myself — if a great man like Kalam was humility personified, always open to new ideas and perspectives, listening and learning from others as a lifelong student, and transcending personal biases and prejudices, then what right do I have to be arrogant.

(Madan Padaki is Co-founder, Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship, and President, TiE.)

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of DH