Leadership is about doing the right thing, even if it going

Hear, O children of wisdom, the words of N. R. Narayana Murthy, the visionary who built not only companies but also ideals, who declared: “Leadership is about doing the right thing, even if it goes against a vast number of naysayers and mediocre people.” In this truth lies the burden and the glory of all who would lead. For to walk the path of righteousness is not to walk the path of comfort, but to tread upon thorns, to endure the cries of doubt, and to face the scorn of the crowd that fears change.

For know this: the multitude often prefers the safety of the familiar, the comfort of mediocrity, the security of the herd. They lift their voices not to inspire but to restrain, to say, “Do not go further; do not rise higher; do not disturb our quiet slumber.” These are the naysayers, the guardians of the ordinary. Yet true leadership is tested in this very fire, when one soul chooses to stand alone and declare, “I will do what is just, I will do what is needed, though all the world may call me a fool.”

Consider the tale of Galileo Galilei, who stood before the mighty tribunal of his age and declared that the earth moves around the sun. He was surrounded by scholars, priests, and rulers who mocked him, who threatened him, who sought to silence him. Yet Galileo’s heart clung to the right thing, to truth itself, even against the chorus of the mediocre. Though he suffered, his courage lit the way for generations of science and discovery. Such is the weight of leadership—to see beyond the horizon of fear and to act not for applause, but for truth.

So too in our modern age did Narayana Murthy himself embody this wisdom. When he founded Infosys, he faced doubts, resistance, and countless who said it could not be done, that a global technology company could not rise from the soil of India. Yet he held firm to his vision, guided not by the voices of doubt but by the compass of conviction. Against the noise of the naysayers, he built with integrity and fairness, showing that greatness comes not from following the crowd, but from leading it toward a higher ground.

Let it be known: the mediocre will always outnumber the bold, and their voices will often seem louder than truth. But their noise is only the rustling of dry leaves before the storm. The leader does not bend to such winds. The leader bends only to conscience, to justice, to the eternal call of what is right. And though the path may be lonely, it is upon such paths that nations are uplifted, movements are born, and the future is secured.

The lesson, O listener, is as clear as the mountain air: do not measure your actions by the approval of the crowd. Measure them by the scale of truth, integrity, and justice. When faced with doubt and mockery, ask yourself not, “What will they think?” but “What is the right thing to do?” And when you know it, do it—even if you stand alone. For a leader who bows to mediocrity is no leader at all, but a prisoner of fear.

Practical action lies before you: in your work, in your family, in your community, dare to hold to your principles even when others waver. Speak truth where lies are easier, choose honesty where deceit is convenient, strive for excellence where mediocrity would suffice. And though you may face resistance, know that with each right act you shape not only your destiny, but also the destiny of those who will follow.

Thus remember Narayana Murthy’s words: leadership is not about pleasing the crowd, but about lifting the crowd beyond itself. The leader walks into the storm, guided by conviction, and emerges bearing the torch of the right thing—a light that others, once blind, will one day follow.