Life lessons that matter

Anu Aga reflects on leadership, loss, integrity, spirituality, and strength gained through life's toughest lessons

- Namita Shibad

Anu Aga is a very meticulous lady. She gives me the time for our meeting, 11.30 am at her office. In the next 5 minutes her assistant calls and confirms. She even gives me a detailed address. The next day her assistant calls again to let me know that she will meet me at 11.45 instead of 11.30.

Her office is on the topmost floor. All neat, spic and span. A cool calm pervades the space, much like the lady. I knock and enter. She gets up to greet me with a hug. Feels good.

There is warmth too in the calm. As we settle down, she points out to her feet. "See what I've done." I look down. She's wearing one leather slipper on her left foot and on the right, she has worn the left side of a rubber slipper! I burst out laughing. But before I can realise that it's impolite, she too has a hearty laugh. "I was wondering what's wrong with my feet till I noticed this." she says, still laughing. But can you walk with the wrong slipper? "Well, I will have to manage till I get home. I have never done something like this, it looks like I'm getting old."

Anu starts her interview by walking down memory lane. "I was the youngest of three siblings, the older two were my brothers. My father would always tell my brothers that they would have to take over the business. Not even once he said that to me. In those days, I had never known a woman heading a company and I assumed it was only men who were heads of corporates!!