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| ‘He has a degree in people’ |
| Eighty years of being KSN |
| Of Michael Brearley, the England cricket captain of
the seventies, it was said that he had a ‘degree in people’.
The reference was to his exemplary people management skills, his ability
to bring out the best in widely varying personalities, his “different
strokes for different folks” approach to those he led and nurtured. |
| A degree in people. What an apt description of the
attributes that have made K S Narayanan, Chairman Emeritus of the
Sanmar group, the patriarchal figure to whom so many look up for guidance,
affection and leadership! |
 For
KSN, turning eighty ought to be an event of deep personal significance;
few people can boast of eight decades so richly packed with experience
and achievement. But the years sit lightly on this unusual man –
cheerful, young at heart and self-effacing to the extent of attributing
all his successes to providence. For the group, however, the day stood
for more than just a birthday, more, even, than an eightieth birthday.
It was a time for everyone, young and old, to look back and appreciate
how much the Sanmar group owes its pre-eminence to the foresight and
pioneering spirit of one man. A time for all connected with the group
and its Chairman Emeritus to understand the importance of being “KSN”! |
 The
most touching tributes to the Chairman Emeritus came, not surprisingly,
from all those who had worked closely with him, some for as long as
fifty years. At a special celebration on 1st February 1999 at Hotel
Park Sheraton, a number of friends and former employees of Sanmar
spoke eloquently about K S Narayanan. They spoke with great affection
of KSN in various roles: as an employer, as a manager of people, as
a friend and as a mentor; and on every facet of his personality –
from his considerable professional skills and his charitable commitments
to his generosity and his smile… |
| “He gave people ample opportunities to do
what they thought was good for the company”, remembered S Ramaswami,
former General Manager, Chemplast, speaking of KSN as a “good
boss”. Many speakers emphasised KSN’s exceptional people
management skills. R Sivaramakrishnan put it best: “KSN never
went through Business school”, he said, “ He had never
read an HRD manual or a PR manual in his life….yet he made the
best use of people’s strengths and talents”. The Business
Editor of The Hindu, Prof Swaminathan also spoke in the same vein,
taking care to mention that he had profited from KSN’s immense
experience of men and matters every time he had met him. “He
is dozens of management textbooks rolled into one”, said Prof
Swaminathan. |
 Ethics
have always played a very important part in anything K S Narayanan
chose to undertake. As V K Parthasarathy expressed it, “The
Sanmar group is known for its ethical values, fairplay and transparency
– and all these qualities reflect KSN’s character. It
was his old-world sense of correctness that has given the Group its
enviable reputation for straightness, and V Narayanan, Chairman Emeritus,
Goodyear, wished the patriarch a good many more birthdays ahead, so
that “everyone could imbibe a little bit of his good qualities”.
Yet, the man of whom so much had been said has been known to speak
of his own achievements as providential contributions to his success! |
 B
Kalyanasundaram, who opened the bowling for the Jolly Rovers cricket
team for many years, describes KSN as a “keen cricket enthusiast”
who came for practically all the games the team played, always on
hand to motivate the players. |
 The
man, however, was no mollycoddler. Even today, he begins his own day
early, going for a ritual walk at 4 a.m., when most of the city is
still asleep. Others also testify to KSN’s sense of discipline.
Once when KSN chanced upon Kalyanasundaram in the office with a broken
and bandaged finger, before an important match, he said, “I
know you have broken your left hand but your bowling is so vital to
the team, you will just have to turn up for the match. After all,
you’re a right arm bowler”. Kalyanasundaram played, and
the match was won! While the incident reflects KSN’s confidence
in the ability of key players, there was nothing harsh or hard-hearted
about his attitude to his men. He had great concern for their safety
as well. For instance, once when the crowd turned unruly after the
Rovers won a game, KSN did not sleep until he heard that every one
of the players had been dropped home safely. |
| S B Prabhakar Rao, President, Corporate Affairs
was another who paid an emotional tribute to the patriarch: “To
me KSN is God. I salute the doyen of industry, the most lovable person
I have known in my life. Every day I have learnt a lesson from him”.
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| M N Radhakrishnan, Executive Director, Sanmar Engineering
Corporation, shared with the audience what KSN’s grandchildren
had to say about him. |
 According
to Vijay Sankar, “Thatha (grandfather) is always there, when
I need some help. When my stern parents make unreasonable demands
or if I am diffident about appearing for my exams, the one person
whom I depend on is my Thatha.” |
| Madhurika was eloquent about her Thatha. She described
him as a complete person. “Everything about him is in black
and white.” She spoke about how genuine, transparent and warm
hearted he is. |
| According to Madhura, her grandfather is the only
person she has seen waking up with a bright smile on his face. |
| Mayura said with a stern face, “Thatha is
my Thatha. He is a very special person”. |
| “Considerate to everyone without a trace of
condescension and generous without a trace of ostentation” –
these words of Prof Swaminathan constitute a tribute echoed by one
and all. Whether employee or friend, colleague or relative, everyone
speaks warmly of K S Narayanan’s consideration for other people
and his genuine concern for their well being. As the Sanmar group
gathers its forces together to march confidently into the new millennium,
it is qualities such as these that it must foster in the present generation:
the legacy KSN has given the Group is a legacy worth preserving, for
there can be no strength half as great as strength of character. |
| A whacking forehand |
| At the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association annual
day recently, Ramanathan Krishnan had this to say about K S Narayanan:
“He had a whacking forehand. Today’s youngsters
who find it difficult to play under lights can take a leaf out
of his book. He always played under lights at 5.00 a.m.” |
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