Talent matters, not tenure

This refers to the article ‘CEOs tenure: How long is too long?’ (July15). It is generally true that staying too long in a top position in an organisation is fraught with risks like perpetuation of organisational culture and practices, inbreeding and lack of proactive strategies to confront competition.

But it is also true that there are exceptions. The most shinning example is that of AM Naik who joined Larsen & Toubro in 1965 as a junior engineer and spent his entire career there till 2023 — he rose to become its chairperson. Yet the company kept growing in the midst of high competition even as he built a strong team.

The litmus test of duration is the incumbent’s ability to provide dynamic leadership, flexibility, visionary talent, sharp mindset and high degree of drive and physical fitness.

YG Chouksey

Pune

Gala wedding

Apropos the editorial ‘Made for each other’ (July 15), the Ambani family’s extravaganza wedding grabbed worldwide attention. It also triggered questions from many quarters on the necessity of having to spend such a huge sum for a family event. It can be viewed from two angles.

On the economic side, such large weddings create demand for transportation, hospitality, fuel, food, clothes, jewelleries, cosmetics, tech gadgets etc, helping many to earn a livelihood. The Indian wedding industry is growing manifold, though everyone cannot afford to have luxurious weddings at exponential cost.

From the angle of minimalism and Gandhian thought where moral restraint prevails, such extravaganzas are best avoided. The focus here is to conserve wealth and lead a simple life, though it ignores the ripple effects of such weddings.

RV Baskaran

Chennai

Apropos ‘Made for each other’, lavish weddings may be good for the economy but they do make a dent on the savings of many.

Parents often borrow heavily to keep up appearances. It is alright to spend heavily if one can afford it, but to borrow for wedding celebrations ends in lifelong debt in many cases.

The saddest part is that Indians spend more over weddings than the education of their children.

Anthony Henriques

Mumbai

US polarisation

The shocking assassination bid on former US president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump reflects the growing cultural and political polarisation in the world’s oldest democracy. Despite the US’ long history of political violence and resilience, this assassination attempt stood out, as inflammatory political rhetoric combined with a gun culture has not only made political violence more likely now but also more acceptable.

Several leading Democrats, including US President Joe Biden, have condemned the shooting and spoken of the need to unite, which is indeed encouraging. It is time leaders across the political spectrum in the US, its citizens, and civil society stood together and helped its powerful democracy find its way back to its foundational values of respect, dialogue, and civility.

M Jeyaram

Sholavandan (TN)