Kapil Dev Says, “Don’t Compare The Generations”. What Can Corporate Leaders Of YesterYears Learn From This?
In a recent event, cricketing legend Kapil Dev issued a simple yet profound statement: “Please don’t compare. You cannot compare one generation with another. That is not required.” While his words were intended for the world of sports, their resonance stretches far beyond the pitch, reaching deep into boardrooms and corporate circles. In particular, they shine a spotlight on the staunch views held by certain corporate leaders of yesteryears, such as Mr. Narayana Murthy and Mr. Subrahmanya, who appear to revel in reminiscing about their long, arduous working hours as though it were a badge of honor that all succeeding generations should aspire to pin on their chests.
Their message is clear: “We built this nation with our sweat, toil, and endless workweeks; now it’s your turn.” While their efforts in laying the foundation of today’s institutions are undeniable and worthy of admiration, one cannot help but notice the increasingly discordant tone—a tone that, dare we say, borders on the quintessential “arrogant fufaji” of the family, dictating outdated principles while dismissing the realities of younger generations.
Let’s unpack this sentiment with the nuance it deserves, and perhaps, along the way, extend a polite invitation to these stalwarts to reconsider their rigid assumptions.
The Great Sacrifice: A Gift or an Unending Obligation?
Corporate leaders of the past have tirelessly built institutions that stand tall today. They have worked vigorously through every 52 weekends of the year, skipped holidays, and embraced personal computers when even training manuals were scarce. They often narrate tales of triumph over adversity, and rightly so. Without this selfless act of perseverance, our nation’s strides in IT, infrastructure, and medicine may not have been realized.
But here’s the rub: the expectation that millennials, Gen Z, and the emerging Gen Alpha must emulate this toil, as if success only blooms from 14-hour workdays and seven-day workweeks, is not just outdated—it’s patronizing. By this logic, should these leaders not have gone to fight for India’s independence simply because their forebears did? After all, shouldn’t every generation replicate the sacrifices of the one before it? Or could it be—brace yourselves for this radical idea—that each generation contributes uniquely to nation-building?
Hustle Culture or Hollow Culture?
“Work for six or seven days a week,” they say. “Sacrifice your weekends for the greater good.” These statements are made with a tone of authority that assumes their brand of sacrifice is universal. But here’s the inconvenient truth: the objective is seldom about nation-building anymore. More often than not, it’s about maximizing profits—a noble pursuit, perhaps, but hardly one that justifies sacrificing personal well-being without fair compensation.
If the ethos of “seven days a week” were accompanied by “and we’ll pay you for every extra hour,” the younger generation might have been more willing to listen. After all, who wouldn’t mind a little hustle when the rewards are tangible and proportional? But when the expectation is to grind without grievance or gain, it begins to sound less like an inspiring call to action and more like a demand for servitude.
The Myth of “Harder Means Better”
Let us not forget that the independence generation endured invasions, colonialism, and the sheer absence of autonomy. Does that mean every subsequent generation’s struggles pale in comparison and should therefore be dismissed? Should we demand that today’s youth communicate solely via handwritten letters because their grandparents did so?
It is worth noting that progress—the very thing these stalwarts worked so hard for—has rendered certain struggles unnecessary. Millennials and Gen Z have tools, technologies, and freedoms that were unimaginable decades ago. Why, then, must they pretend those advancements don’t exist?
Kapil Dev’s statement bears repeating: you cannot compare generations. The accomplishments of one generation are neither diminished nor dishonored by the differing priorities and approaches of the next.
The “Arrogant Fufaji” Syndrome
At family gatherings, the “arrogant fufaji” is quick to remind everyone of the time he walked 20 kilometers to school, barefoot, uphill both ways. He demands deference, not because his views are insightful or relevant but because he perceives his suffering as a rite of passage. The corporate leaders of yesterday risk falling into the same trope when they glorify the sacrifices of their past while belittling the present.
This syndrome reveals itself in statements like, “You can’t work a six-day week? Let’s see you build the new India!” or “You can laugh at our ethic, but our ethic built this nation.” While the sentiment is understandable, it reeks of condescension. These leaders seem unable to reconcile with the idea that the younger generation might be building a better India through different means.
Why We Need To Understand The Value of Balance?
It’s not that millennials and Gen Z are averse to hard work. On the contrary, the gig economy, start-up culture, and side hustles have demonstrated their willingness to work beyond the traditional nine-to-five. However, they do so with an understanding of balance—a concept that prioritizes mental health, family, and leisure alongside professional achievements.
For these generations, life isn’t compartmentalized into “work” and “life.” It’s a harmonious blend where success isn’t measured solely by hours clocked but by the quality of contributions made.
If Not Changed; What Can Be The Price of Stubbornness?
If these corporate giants refuse to adapt, they risk alienating the very talent they seek to inspire. Much like the “arrogant fufaji” whose principles eventually become the butt of family jokes, these leaders may find their words dismissed as relics of a bygone era. Worse still, their refusal to evolve could harm the institutions they hold close to their heart, as a workforce that feels undervalued and unheard is unlikely to drive long-term success.
So, What Needs to Change With the Attitude Of Corporate Titans Of Yesteryears?
- Shifting the Narrative: Instead of glorifying the past, celebrate the present. Recognize the unique challenges faced by today’s workforce and acknowledge their efforts.
- Fair Compensation: If longer hours are truly necessary, let them come with proportional rewards—financial and otherwise. You cannot ask your employees to work in Sundays if there salary is just a piece of bit than what’s yours. (For instance, Mr Subramanium’s pay is 500 times more than his corporate people. Also, Mr Murthy had recently purchased properties worth of crores but the average salary that his employees get is notb even good enough to pay the rent at the IT hub bengaluru)
- Embracing Progress: Understand that advancements in technology, workplace culture, and societal values are not threats to legacy but complements to it.
- Encouraging Collaboration: Fostering environments where generational differences are seen as assets rather than regrets!
- Leading with Empathy: Remember that leadership is as much about listening as it is about guiding. Arrogance has no place in mentorship.
The bottom line
The achievements of the corporate leaders of yesteryears are remarkable and deserve respect. However, their contributions should not serve as a stick with which to beat the younger generation into compliance. Every generation has its battles to fight, its victories to claim, and its legacy to leave behind.
To compare one generation with another, as famous cricket maestro Kapil Dev so eloquently pointed out, is neither productive nor necessary. Instead, let us build bridges of understanding between the past and the present, recognizing that progress is a relay race where the baton must be passed, not clung to. Otherwise, the corporate giants of yesterday may find themselves not as revered mentors but as “arrogant fufajis,” stubbornly clinging to principles that no longer serve the world they helped to create.
