I still recall the large meeting room where it happened.

There were almost 30 of us brought together from various parts of the country to participate in a 5 day induction program. The first two days was all about products, products and products, and we were all reeling from the sheer onslaught of information.

The third day was promised to be all about how to sell. We were fresh graduates in our first job and we were keenly looking forward to learning a thing or two about selling.

Late afternoon the VP walks in with a spring in his step, and the first thought that strikes me is he looks jaunty. The next one hour was spent with him demonstrating how to bribe government officials – the tips and tricks that gets others to compromise on their values and ethics. I was filled with a deep sense of disgust and it was at this moment that I decided to leave this organization. Ever since, I was very careful to choose organizations that exhibited values that don’t corrupt the soul.

Strangely enough this was also the moment of truth when I realised the core values I should live by. This incident may have been 30 years back, but is still fresh in my memory for the searing impact it had in defining my values and decisions thereafter.

Today as I scale up my organizations, it is these core values of honesty, integrity and excellence that I seek to exhibit and imbibe in every person I serve. Am I glad that my little me is still inspiring me!