Away from the quantity versus quality of work debate that has got Iconic Indian business leaders turn into stars and villains on social media is a new book with some insightful and enriching perspectives on approach to work, hard work, role of values and the impact of technology on work life. The book is packed with 31 essays written by some of the most successful and finest minds, including a piece by Dr Y V Reddy, veteran economist and former governor of the Reserve Bank of India, who has also compiled the essays.
To be launched on Sunday, February 2nd in Hyderabad, the home town of Dr Reddy, the book is a compilation of 31 essays written by P Chidambaram, Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha, Y V Reddy, V Anantha Nageswaran, K V Kamath, Y H Malegam, Shankar Acharya, Usha Thorat, Shyamala Gopinath, Dr K Srinath Reddy, K Sujatha Rao, N K Singh, Joydeep Mukherji, Sheela Bhide, C Rammanohar Reddy among others and including N R Narayana Murthy, who has been in the spotlight since his comments on 70-hour work week.
The book is not triggered by the recent debate around 70 hours or 90 hours of work each week. It has been in the making for the last two years. Titled, ‘Work, Wisdom, Legacy,’ – 31 essays from India, compiled by Y V Reddy with Ravi Menon, Shaji Vikraman and Kavi Yaga, it aims to provide anecdotal, analytical and philosophical insights and reflections on work and personal growth. A link node across the essays is an attempt to also address some profound questions like the meaning of work, the extent to which values shape life and success, how technology is impacting work and life? Many of the writers in this book are from a generation that began their careers shortly after India’s independence and while, according to one of the writers in the book, it provides some balance and nuanced elements to the current debate, it is also meant to explain the meaning of work to those getting into the job market. No small number considering that India adds 12 million people each year to the workforce and a much higher number if some of the backlog from the COVID years is also considered. And, this apparently matters to each of the writers here because in many cases, it is addressing the questions their grandchildren face today.
While the readers will have to wait to read what Narayana Murthy and others have to say, here is a glimpse into a thought penned down by one of the writers, M S Sriram, an author, inclusive finance expert and a professor at IIM, Bangalore: “employment is an institutional construct. Work in itself is narrowly defined as a delivery of pecuniary benefits… When one does what one likes, there is passion and attempt at excellence. That in itself gets rewarded – sometimes directly, and sometimes with serendipity.”