'Don't become like me...': Why Infosys founder Narayana Murthy said this to a 12-year-old

Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy advised a school student not to aspire to be like him. During the Teach for India Leaders Week, a 12-year-old asked Murthy how he could follow in his footsteps. Murthy responded by saying, "I don’t want you to be like me. I want you to be better than me, for the greater good of the nation."

Though Murthy is admired by many young Indians, he encouraged students to forge their paths, emphasising that life is "not about replicating someone else’s journey". At the event, several students had the opportunity to interact with Murthy, who shared some of the important lessons he learned during his early years.

Murthy credited his parents and teachers for helping shape his character. He mentioned that his father taught him the importance of managing time through a strict schedule, which significantly contributed to his success in securing the fourth rank in the state SSLC exam.

He also recounted a valuable lesson from his headmaster during a chemistry experiment in school. The headmaster emphasised the importance of respecting communal resources by reminding the class that "this common salt belongs to everyone in the school, not just me. We must treat it with care."

Murthy also shared a pivotal lesson from his time as a research associate at IIM-Ahmedabad. One of his professors told him, "The lesson learned is more important than how it's communicated," which taught him the importance of strong teamwork and communication in professional relationships.

Additionally, Murthy recalled an incident from his early professional days in Paris when he was a newly graduated engineer. While testing a programme, he accidentally erased the memory of an entire computer system. Fearing the worst, he expected the project to fail, but his boss, Colin, immediately stepped in to help. They worked together for 22 hours straight and successfully restored the system.

Murthy noted that despite the effort, Colin never took credit for his sacrifice and instead praised Murthy for his dedication. This experience taught Murthy a crucial leadership lesson: true leaders take full responsibility for failures while sharing success with their team.