Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
The Phaneesh Murthy Act and also Sreesanth & Co's fall from grace has baffled many.There are questions like 'why do such successful persons resort to what many call stupid acts' .
Infosys did not have a strong sexual harassment policy, a whistle-blower policy or even a disclosure policy when the incident with Phaneesh Murthy happened.
After the incident with Phaneesh Murthy, Infosys swung into action. Being a systems-driven company, under HR head Hema Ravichander’s leadership, it went about methodically creating all the necessary apparatus to deal with sexual harassment, such as training the entire company, including the Board, on issues related to sexual harassment. They codified what was appropriate behaviour and what was not and built a detailed manual. And finally, they set up an independent committee under the leadership of a professor from the National Law School. Henceforth, all complaints related to sexual harassment would end up at her door.
Phaneesh Murthy was not a big spender and never entertained employees extravagantly or wore expensive clothes. He grew up in a middle-class family of engineers in a traditional Bangalore neighbourhood. "He hardly takes employees out for dinner; and when he does, particularly in the US, he prefers unlimited salad restaurants priced between $8 and $10 a plate," says the former colleague.
So what explains his reckless, self destructive pursuit of particular women - one that has cost him a brilliant career twice over? The head of the University of California's Berkeley Social Interaction Lab, Dacher Keltner, who is working on a book on the psychology of power says, "When we have power it makes us impulsive, and we thoughtlessly pursue our desires, without attention to the consequences," says Keltner in an email response. "Human behaviour is the outcome of the balance of two neural systems, the 'approach' system, which intensifies impulsive behaviour, and the 'inhibition' system, which warns of potential threats from such behaviour. Power alters the neural balance in favour of the approach system."
John Agno, a well known US-based business coach, also mentions a syndrome he calls the 'CEO disease'. It describes the condition of a CEO whose juniors are reluctant to point out worst case scenarios to him, one who has surrounded himself with sycophants. It is worth noting again that Roiz's relationship with Murthy was an open secret at iGate, but no one thought of warning Murthy. "If asked to coach a CEO with CEO disease, I would decline. Having CEO disease is a strong indication that the person cannot be coached," says Agno.
There is also emerging evidence that some people are overly vulnerable to a spectrum of high-risk behaviours which include compulsive gambling, addictions, high-risk sexual behaviours and other impulsive acts.
It is characterised by getting easily bored, being driven and overactive, having difficulty unwinding and relaxing, and above all expecting favourable outcome from previously unrewarded or punished behaviours," say psychiatrists.
While it takes a great deal of effort and focus to become an achiever, social icons have, ironically, 'slipped' throughout history and examples are aplenty. Is there something that access to power and money brings with it? And does society react differently when the mighty fall?
"It is true that even a routine slip by the rich and the powerful makes it a big fall. But they seem to be even more 'adventurous' merely because that is precisely what 'power' makes them do," says Dr GK Karanth, professor of sociology, Centre for Study of Social Change and Development, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore.
"It is their social and economic status that makes them 'powerful' and therefore they become comfortable doing that which is forbidden, unacceptable or something 'extraordinary'. There is also a sense of invincibility, that of being able to get away with anything. That perhaps is what makes 'powerful' people what they are." He hastens to add that not all those in power have the same spirit.
Dr MS Thimmappa, former vicechancellor, Bangalore University and a clinical psychologist, commenting on the Phaneesh Murthy case, says: "I feel he has something unresolved in him. Some conflict that he has not sorted out. He should have resolved it when it happened in the past."
"The elites are expected to be ethical about how they exercise their power as only those who are scrupulous/responsible with their exercise of power will seem a legitimate/worthy possessor of power."
"It's a deeper sense of obligation that comes from being an elite. The elite have a major responsibility for caring towards the needy and less powerful and generally doing all they can to make society more habitable, more humane and just," he adds.
What about the social ignominy? After all, they have to face their family and friends. Professionals who have fallen from grace also have the challenge of rebuilding their careers.
A Chennai-based researcher in human behaviour, who did not want to be identified, said such minds act with a sense of blissfulness and work only with the present. "The thought of consequences takes a backseat. The approach is, 'we will cross the bridge when we come to it'," she adds.
The Phaneesh Murthy Act and also Sreesanth & Co's fall from grace has baffled many.There are questions like 'why do such successful persons resort to what many call stupid acts' .
Infosys did not have a strong sexual harassment policy, a whistle-blower policy or even a disclosure policy when the incident with Phaneesh Murthy happened.
Phaneesh Murthy was not a big spender and never entertained employees extravagantly or wore expensive clothes. He grew up in a middle-class family of engineers in a traditional Bangalore neighbourhood. "He hardly takes employees out for dinner; and when he does, particularly in the US, he prefers unlimited salad restaurants priced between $8 and $10 a plate," says the former colleague.
So what explains his reckless, self destructive pursuit of particular women - one that has cost him a brilliant career twice over? The head of the University of California's Berkeley Social Interaction Lab, Dacher Keltner, who is working on a book on the psychology of power says, "When we have power it makes us impulsive, and we thoughtlessly pursue our desires, without attention to the consequences," says Keltner in an email response. "Human behaviour is the outcome of the balance of two neural systems, the 'approach' system, which intensifies impulsive behaviour, and the 'inhibition' system, which warns of potential threats from such behaviour. Power alters the neural balance in favour of the approach system."
John Agno, a well known US-based business coach, also mentions a syndrome he calls the 'CEO disease'. It describes the condition of a CEO whose juniors are reluctant to point out worst case scenarios to him, one who has surrounded himself with sycophants. It is worth noting again that Roiz's relationship with Murthy was an open secret at iGate, but no one thought of warning Murthy. "If asked to coach a CEO with CEO disease, I would decline. Having CEO disease is a strong indication that the person cannot be coached," says Agno.
There is also emerging evidence that some people are overly vulnerable to a spectrum of high-risk behaviours which include compulsive gambling, addictions, high-risk sexual behaviours and other impulsive acts.
It is characterised by getting easily bored, being driven and overactive, having difficulty unwinding and relaxing, and above all expecting favourable outcome from previously unrewarded or punished behaviours," say psychiatrists.
While it takes a great deal of effort and focus to become an achiever, social icons have, ironically, 'slipped' throughout history and examples are aplenty. Is there something that access to power and money brings with it? And does society react differently when the mighty fall?
"It is true that even a routine slip by the rich and the powerful makes it a big fall. But they seem to be even more 'adventurous' merely because that is precisely what 'power' makes them do," says Dr GK Karanth, professor of sociology, Centre for Study of Social Change and Development, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore.
"It is their social and economic status that makes them 'powerful' and therefore they become comfortable doing that which is forbidden, unacceptable or something 'extraordinary'. There is also a sense of invincibility, that of being able to get away with anything. That perhaps is what makes 'powerful' people what they are." He hastens to add that not all those in power have the same spirit.
Dr MS Thimmappa, former vicechancellor, Bangalore University and a clinical psychologist, commenting on the Phaneesh Murthy case, says: "I feel he has something unresolved in him. Some conflict that he has not sorted out. He should have resolved it when it happened in the past."
"The elites are expected to be ethical about how they exercise their power as only those who are scrupulous/responsible with their exercise of power will seem a legitimate/worthy possessor of power."
"It's a deeper sense of obligation that comes from being an elite. The elite have a major responsibility for caring towards the needy and less powerful and generally doing all they can to make society more habitable, more humane and just," he adds.
What about the social ignominy? After all, they have to face their family and friends. Professionals who have fallen from grace also have the challenge of rebuilding their careers.
A Chennai-based researcher in human behaviour, who did not want to be identified, said such minds act with a sense of blissfulness and work only with the present. "The thought of consequences takes a backseat. The approach is, 'we will cross the bridge when we come to it'," she adds.
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