Amazing Bosses 5 - Mr. Arvind Hejmadi

New job, just joined, a role which required substantial travel, a new born baby at home and I was diagnosed with a seriously ailment.  Worst case I would end up a life long dependent confined to home or maybe lead a partly normal life. The verdict would be known in 6 months and things get better after that. Till then no travel, driving, being alone. Drugged, I was not at my best and my family had to take the decisions. My father called my boss Mr. Arvind Hejmadi to his office for a personal meeting, explained my situation and offered that I would resign with immediate effect if the company was not comfortable with my situation. 

Within a heartbeat Mr. Hejmadi asked whether anybody had sought my resignation and whether my situation had been made public. We said no to both. Mr. Hejmadi said the company did not believe in letting down its employees and it could wait 6 months. He asked me to stay quiet but the moment I had got used to the drugs, to start coming to office. The next 6 months I went to office, did what could be called desk work. Often I would be very depressed and not know what to do. Mr. Hejmadi would then call me into his cabin and start debriefing me on what work I had done and never once did he raise his voice, blame me or give advice. He would incessantly ask questions and by the time he was finished the effect would be like someone had dumped a bucket full of ice water on you. Everything including my depressed mental state forgotten, I would be “gasping” for breath, and fighting fit back at work.

After a few months he insisted that I travel locally, then to other towns and ensured that one of my colleagues always accompanied me like a baby sitter. Not knowing why many did not like it, but he ensured they did it. The confidence I attained in those 6 months aided by stable health, adjustment to the drugs is indescribable. From that stage to non stop travel alone to the hinterlands, small towns was a huge bridge crossed mentally. The courage ingrained - very high.

That is when he gave me the target of chasing a world bank funded project for the state government and in 1989 worth about Rs. 50 Mil (3 Mil US $ then). The committee comprised of ministers, topmost bureaucrats, CEO’s of other agencies and even trying to get an appointment to meet them was a herculean task. That I was a local boy helped no end and while a big team within the company helped, I was still the lone soldier waiting outside office rooms, houses every day and becoming friends with everyone from the security guard to the minister. Long story short, we reached a stage where we finally won the bid, but the Chief Minister of the state wanted to meet us before the order would be decided. I went running to Mr. Hejmadi wanting him to attend this meeting and till then he had not met anyone in the whole system. That was the level of empowerment he gave his team. The discussions or incessant questioning I referred earlier went something like this.

Mr. Hejmadi, the CM wants to meet you.

So?

You need to meet him.

Why?

He wants to meet you.

Does he know me?

No.

Then how did he ask for me?

He did not.

Then why should I meet him?

Well, unless we meet him, we cannot get the order.

So, go meet him.

How can I go meet him?

I am sure there are autorickshaws available who will know the address unless you want to hire a car, or you need me to drive you there. (Did I tell you he had a impish sense of humour)

But I want you to meet him.

Why?

We need this order and the state govt will not release the order unless we meet the CM.

So, go meet him.

But I want you to meet him.

Why?

Listen I have no idea where this conversation is going.

Me neither. I still don’t know what your problem is.

Mr. Hejmadi, the CM of the state wants to meet the company that will execute this project before signing the papers. So, someone senior should go meet him.

Did they say they wanted someone senior?

No.

Then why should I meet him?

It is a matter of protocol since it involves the CM.

Does it say who should meet him?

No.

So?

Look somebody senior should meet him.

If they have not asked for someone senior, why are you asking for that?

By this time, I was getting exasperated more because I had no clue what was in his mind.

Look Mr. Hejmadi, since the meeting is with the CM of the state, I think someone senior like you should meet him.

Why can’t you meet him? (Ahh that is when I started understanding his mind)

How can I meet him?

Auto? Car? (I was now laughing at this comical discussion)

Mr. Hejmadi, ok you tell me what to do.

Listen for the last 8 months you have met all the chaps, know all the chaps, speak the local language, they want to meet someone from the company, who better than you to go meet him?. Ah, if you tell me that you do not have the confidence to meet him, I will come. So, tell me is it that you do not have the confidence?

This was a tough question, ego and what not. I said no, that is not the reason.

That settles it. They do not know whether you are senior or junior, they just want someone from the company to meet him. You know the whole project, the local language, so go meet him.

And all of 28 yrs old, I dressed up in my finest, went to meet the Chief Minister of the state to assure him that we were a reliable company who would execute the project well. Knowing the local language helped a lot.

As a funny aside when the order was to be released the internal protocol of the company demanded that the Vice President of the company sign the papers and the business head from corporate, a Mr. Nambiar flew in, Mr. Hejmadi still did not come and I accompanied him to the office of the Additional Chief Secretary. The ACS, in typical local style and language asks me – Where did you get this fellow from? Why did you bring him? Why can’t you sign the papers? Even CM met you and now for the official paper you bring this fellow. I want to discuss project implementation with you. (This chap was turning out to be another Mr. Hejmadi)

I literally got up, told him that he had no option but to deal with Mr. Nambiar as I did not have the powers to sign such papers and commit on project execution and saying I was taking a bathroom break left and did not return for a long time.

This level of empowerment, delegation, trust, and the ability to create a tiger like confidence even in a lamb is something only an Amazing Boss can achieve. 

Amazing Bosses 6 - Mrs Lila Poonawalla