"Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my privilege if September 5th were observed as Teachers' Day," Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan said when his students and friends asked permission to celebrate his birthday. Since then, on September 5th, India honours its teachers, recognizing their tireless efforts in shaping the nation's future.

Today, Teachers' Day honors not just school teachers, but everyone who has taught us something. We learn from textbooks in school, but the corporate world offers daily lessons. Navigating office politics and dealing with challenging bosses, we're expected to excel in every project. This article explores how senior HR leaders have been influenced by a single piece of advice from their mentors.

Venkataramana B, Group President, HR, Landmark Group, has been carrying a piece of advice from his first boss for thirty-four years. His boss said, ‘Never think that you have arrived in life and always remain humble.’ He followed this advice wholeheartedly, and it helped him reach where he is today. He added, “I make it a point to give the same respect to every individual, be the MD or the office boy.”

Experts suggest that subordinates are like kids, they don’t listen to what you say, but copy what you do. It becomes crucial for leaders to behave in a manner that has a positive impact on the team because a leader is as good as his team.

Anusha Suryanarayan, CHRO, Philips Lighting India shared essential advice on leadership. She went on saying, “In a turbulent flight people watch the airline crew take cues on how safe to feel.

Similarly, when you are watched by your team for cues of behavior, make sure you are aware of the signals you give them. It may make all the difference to an anxious or worried team member.”

Amit Das, Director-HR & CHRO, Times of India Group - Teacher, leader, mentor or whatever one can attribute to the person who has taught someone but the subordinates reflect the true image of a leader.

Once a newly joined young journalist wrote an unworkable copy. Looking at the copy, the new boss said, “You must have had a very liberal editor in your previous organization.” The journalist was quick to realize due to his boss’s liberal approach he wasn’t up to the mark. He pointed out his mentor’s philosophy that everything is possible. He stressed, “Just dream of whatever you want to become and make that into a reality.”

Mentor's Mantra

The message here is clear, see what a crucial role a mentor plays in someone’s life.

Kidwai’s senior advised him not to make any decision out of anger. It’s like running away from the situation like a failure. My senior said, “You should rather work hard to establish yourself and only leave for something better and bigger for your career.”Sabih Kidwai, Director, of Learning Solutions, Schneider Electric, recalled an incident during the early years of his career when he had a rough conversation with his boss for a mistake he didn’t commit. He immediately decided to resign from his position out of anger, but his senior stopped him.

Arvind Subramanian, VP of HR at Reliance Industries, shared an impressive piece of advice that he received from his mentor. According to him, this advice has always worked and will remain relevant throughout his professional journey. His mentor has taught him to speak when necessary because everyone has their own point of view. One should reserve commenting unless one understands the matter.

I'll conclude with some sage advice from my editor: 'A journalist is only as good as their last story.' This reminds us to bring the same passion and dedication to each story we craft, continually striving to start anew and deliver the best to our readers.