Why Ratan Tata’s Loss Feels So Personal

Image credit: Indiatimes

My nation mourns.

I’ve been a member of #LinkedIn since 2006 and in all these 18 years, never has my LinkedIn feed been flooded with admiration for one human being, as it has been in the last 5 days.

It makes me want to stop and reflect on this loss we are all feeling.

Why is it that an entire nation has been captured by the memories , the stories, the impressions and the inspiration of Mr Ratan Tata. Why are people saying that it feels like a #personalloss?

#Why?

I think about this as I read the posts about him. I try to listen deeply to what people are saying.

What strikes me, ofcourse, is the common thread across all posts.

The principles that he lived by and the values he demonstrated as a leader and beyond.

☝️Kindness, Humility, Compassion, Integrity, Generosity, Patriotism, Responsibility to community.

But I am curious to #digdeeper.

Is it only because these are rare qualities in today’s time or is it something else, something more?

What makes it “a personal loss“?

• Could it perhaps be that we as human beings are always seeking inspiration to be more?
• Could it be that we look for role models that remind us of who we are, of our true nature and of what WE can become if we pay attention?
• To be so captivated by Mr. Tata’s amazing humanity.
• To feel it so personally.

Maybe, it indicates that his legacy resonates with who #WETRULYARE.

Our own humanity.

Our own #POSSIBILITY.

I remember attending a workshop being led by Marshall Goldsmith

He asked this question- “Name 5 people that you admire most?“

He made us write those down on a piece of paper. Then he said – “Okay. What are the qualities of those 5 people that you really admire?

Then he took a pause and smiled and said “So become that NOW!”

I was mind-blown!

Really? Can I become that now?

Hmm 🤔

And so, Sir Ratan Tata’s life and passing, both seem like an invitation to me.

It’s an invitation for each one of us to channel some of our inner Ratan Tata.

For us to become that very quality which we admire in him.

What would it take?

I’m not saying that we have to become a global leader like Ratan Tata.

But in our own little worlds that we inhabit.. in our own lives, where we lead stuff…can we become more like him?

Can we bring in that extra dose of kindness? Compassion? Humility? Integrity?

What an honour it would be to his #legacy if we could.

One #billion of us and counting.

Yoshita Swarup Sharma

Founder & CEO – A Brighter Life | ICF Certified Executive Coach  | Leadership facilitator | NLP Practitioner| Inner Transformation Specialist

“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly” Yoshita lives life by the famous lines of Richard Bach. She is a management graduate from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management and economics graduate From Hansraj College, Delhi University. She has been an accomplished marketing professional before embarking on a second career in the domain of people transformation.

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