CEO - Mother : Passion to create 'Home Sweet Home'
I was just reading the article on ET about Indra Nooyi. She is the fifth most powerful women in the corporate arena. She is the CEO and Chairman of the 33$ billion Pepsi Co. I admire her a lot for her ‘performance for a purpose’ principle which is so much my own outlook of how a corporate ought to function. I admire her for the passion she has for her work.
But she makes a poignant remark that she was shocked when her 14 year old daughter sent her a mail to fix an appointment with her. The poor thing just couldn’t see her mother at home. I admire Nooyi for her frankness in talking publicly about the reality of her life. Such is the demands of the corporate life.
The article is a wonderful read, her catchy idea of ‘performance for a purpose’ strikes a chord. Purpose with Pepsi, is that to make people more obese??? You may wonder, just as I did when I was reading it, but she has a way of explaining herself quite convincingly out of the seeming contradiction. The article talks about her strategy and vision and how it is commendable at the end of it all one is left with for this great woman is admiration. And perhaps even a burning desire that one day you too would be at the helm of a company and see visions and build strategies.
But the last line of the article goes something like this ‘If only motherhood could be made easier by come clear cut strategy and vision’.
The article drives you with romantic ideas of vision and strategy and purpose… but ends bringing you back into touch with reality where the question comes as to which is more important to ones life career or family? More often than not, it appears to be an either or question… may be someone can find some theoretical way of explaining one self out of the either or, but none actually succeeds in life.
I just googled on Nooyi to know more about her and realized that she had replaced Reinemund who was with Pepsi for 22 years and was considered young and energetic even at 58, which for a CEO isn’t that old an age. The reason Reinemund had given for his unexpected retirement was that he wanted to spend more time with his kids.
At the end of the day it is ones kids that matter, it does not really matter whether the company grew 30% or 10% annually during ones COEship, the company simply does not give a damn. Sometime back I asked a divorcee if marriage was worth all trouble and got the reply that having kids were worth all the trouble and even more.
I read Ben Stien’s remark some years ago but still keeps popping back to my mind (heart) again and again – ‘If you want to do the best investment in the world, go home early and throw ball to your son’.
On reading such truths, one wonders what has happened of all the fire that burned in one heart when reading rhetoric like ‘performance for purpose’ or ‘strategic vision’. At the end of the day all one needs is a good home to cherish. To create that 'home sweet home' and to help others create for themselves has to be the passion of ones life.
But she makes a poignant remark that she was shocked when her 14 year old daughter sent her a mail to fix an appointment with her. The poor thing just couldn’t see her mother at home. I admire Nooyi for her frankness in talking publicly about the reality of her life. Such is the demands of the corporate life.
The article is a wonderful read, her catchy idea of ‘performance for a purpose’ strikes a chord. Purpose with Pepsi, is that to make people more obese??? You may wonder, just as I did when I was reading it, but she has a way of explaining herself quite convincingly out of the seeming contradiction. The article talks about her strategy and vision and how it is commendable at the end of it all one is left with for this great woman is admiration. And perhaps even a burning desire that one day you too would be at the helm of a company and see visions and build strategies.
But the last line of the article goes something like this ‘If only motherhood could be made easier by come clear cut strategy and vision’.
The article drives you with romantic ideas of vision and strategy and purpose… but ends bringing you back into touch with reality where the question comes as to which is more important to ones life career or family? More often than not, it appears to be an either or question… may be someone can find some theoretical way of explaining one self out of the either or, but none actually succeeds in life.
I just googled on Nooyi to know more about her and realized that she had replaced Reinemund who was with Pepsi for 22 years and was considered young and energetic even at 58, which for a CEO isn’t that old an age. The reason Reinemund had given for his unexpected retirement was that he wanted to spend more time with his kids.
At the end of the day it is ones kids that matter, it does not really matter whether the company grew 30% or 10% annually during ones COEship, the company simply does not give a damn. Sometime back I asked a divorcee if marriage was worth all trouble and got the reply that having kids were worth all the trouble and even more.
I read Ben Stien’s remark some years ago but still keeps popping back to my mind (heart) again and again – ‘If you want to do the best investment in the world, go home early and throw ball to your son’.
On reading such truths, one wonders what has happened of all the fire that burned in one heart when reading rhetoric like ‘performance for purpose’ or ‘strategic vision’. At the end of the day all one needs is a good home to cherish. To create that 'home sweet home' and to help others create for themselves has to be the passion of ones life.