Modesty as a Technology Elite attribute

The core of my new book is about 12 attributes of what I describe as the industry’s elites. 12 adjectives – 3Es, 3Ms, 3Ps and 3Ss - made the cut: Elegant, Exponential, Efficient, Mobile, Maverick, Malleable, Physical, Paranoid, Pragmatic, Speedy, Social, Sustainable. (The TOC and links to excerpts are here). Each attribute has its own chapter – the first half has 5 to 7 cameo examples of that attribute, the second half is a fuller case study. So the Elegant chapter focuses on Human Centered Design, Google’s Doodles, Jonathan Ive of Apple, John Lasseter of Pixar and others, and the case study is Virgin America and how it has redefined the flying experience with technology. 

One attribute I had on my long list was “Modest”. I had a case study identified, but struggled to find 5 to 7 cameos for the first half of the chapter. Let’s face it, it’s an elusive attribute in our industry where vendors send you press releases for every obscure award they qualify for:)

The case study I had identified was Cognizant. Even though it has qualified for just about every tribute (Fortune’s Most Admired Companies 4 years in row, Harvard Business School case study etc etc), its attitude is best represented in a quote, CEO Francisco D’Souza made in The New Polymath “ While I was in awe of the bigger Indian firms, I am glad they were
not that impressed with our brand. In fact, for our first decade I think
we stayed under their radar.”

He still likes flying low.

You go to their customer events and as I wrote here “Very few Cognizant sales pitches. But a very wide agenda and a relaxed atmosphere for its clients to learn and mingle with peers.”

I interviewed Sukumar, their CIO for the new book, and he very modestly described a “Social Design” project his team was working on.  A year later, you are starting to see hugely impressive results such as 500%+ productivity improvements for each associate from each application of what has been branded One Cognizant.  As I got an update from him last week he seemed uncomfortable with the kudos it is starting to receive.

While Modesty did not get its own chapter, I do end the book with this:

Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, one of the most revered football coaches, was quoted as saying: “Show class, have pride, and display character. If you do, winning takes care of itself.”

Unfortunately, technology, with the riches and recognition it brings, also seems to bring plenty of arrogance. Coach Bryant’s words are more good advice for building an elite technology team.