YES, THIS THEY DON'T TEACH YOU AT HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL

Pic. Pradeep Nanda

Last evening, my wife and I were invited by Harish, a new friend of ours, to their residence at Navi Mumbai. I was talking to his elder son, a complete all-rounder. The young-man was exceptionally good in studies, sports, debates and social skills. When I enquired about his post-twelfth plans, he was very clear in his mind. “My first preference would be engineering in Computer Science; second would be engineering in Chemical or Metallurgy… and, the third would be Sports Management."

I was intrigued by the third option. I had never heard any young-man talking about a field like that with such clarity and confidence as this young man did. So, I asked him to tell me more about it… how it worked, how one went about a field like that and the prospects it held. Yes, I was asking the young-man to tell me about it because I, really, had no idea about such a field…

The boy was impressive. While explaining about the field, he, casually, tossed the name – “IMG’.

“Come again,” I said, instinctively.

“International Management Group,” the young-man explained to me about the globally-famed sports-management company.

Earlier, while talking to the young-man, I had touched upon my belief about fine education. “A sharp intellect has to be backed by a very sensitive heart,” I had stressed. “Excellence in studies, sports, elocution and everything else should be backed by a very sensitive heart,” I had repeated, “and, no university on the planet can teach our hearts how to be sensitive to life around us… We train our hearts on our own.”

Now, when the young-man had unwittingly tossed the name – IMG, I asked him if he had heard about its founder.

“No,” the young-man replied.

So, I spoke about the man called Mark McCormack who had, once, inspired millions like me with his famous book, ‘What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School’. “He was the man who had founded this sports-management outfit – IMG - in the eighties in his typical ‘street-smart’ way… Yes, with all his unconventional, out-of-the-box and, even, untested ways…

I told our young-man, last evening, that he had to read that book and get into the mind of the man, whose organization, he held in high esteem.

“Yes sir, I would,” the young-man said… Harish, immediately, added, “I think, I have that book in my library.”

Throughout our two-hour-long discussion, the young-man sat with us. To me, it was not a familiar sight to behold. It is not often that you would see a young-one sitting next to his parents and actively participate in discussions. Most young-men would say ‘Hi’ to their parents’ friends, then, go inside their rooms. I did not see yesterday any parents’ pressure – either direct or indirect – to get their young-son to ‘behave well’. He was there, amidst us, on his own… and, he was there with all his eyes, ears and heart…

It is something they don’t teach you at Harvard or Stanford, for sure…

A while later, we were at the dining table. The mother laid the table. The son filled water into our glasses…

“Big deal?”

“Not at all, sir.”

But, certainly, our young-man had not learnt it at Harvard or Stanford… or at our own IIT or IIM…

Had he learnt it from his parents?

My answer would be ‘Yes’ and ‘No’.

No matter how much the parents try to inculcate in their young-ones as fine values… they can do it only ‘so much’. A large part of the lesson is self-learnt by kids… yes, just through a very, very supple and sensitive heart… This thirst is very, very private one!

I left Harish’s residence, last night, a lot impressed and inspired... And, yes, a lot happier.

One more wayside flower… One more wayside lesson.

GERALD D’CUNHA