“My Work Speaks”
Salalith was surrounded by towering walls, which were lined with rows and rows of shelves, all of them displaying a sundry of varicoloured, vibrant, opulent footwear. It was an absolutely breathtaking sight. And yet, in front of him, the cobbler seemed indifferent to it all, as if he saw this every day, and was instead absorbed in his work – intricately weaving the threads, polishing the leather till it sparkled, and meticulously crafting the shoes to perfection.
But as he looked back up at those rows of luxurious shoes, his curiosity took over.
“How much is it?” Salalith finally asked.
“₹15,000.” the cobbler replied, not looking away from the shoe he was sewing.
I was dumbstruck.
“What?! ₹15,000? Why so much for a pair of shoes?” I asked, astounded. The cobbler simply looked up at me, his face having a matter-of-factly expression. “My work speaks.” He answered simply
Salalith stood there, awestruck, staring incredulously at the cobbler as he got back to his work, and pondering the words he had just heard: My work speaks… Then it struck him. “Of course! My work speaks!”
It was not his leadership or his vision that spoke when he built my reputation as a transformative force in the world of entrepreneurship, or the burning passion which fueled him when he delivered; it was his work that spoke.
It was not his immense pride that spoke when he became the Chairman and Managing Director of Totem Infrastructure Limited, or the immense joy which filled his heart as he spearheaded the construction of numerous magnificent, massive and state-of-the-art buildings and highways across the nation; it was his work that spoke.
It was not his expertise that spoke when he guided stressed and anxious companies through the trenches that is the world of business, or his skilful ability that helped him lead them to stability and betterment; it was his work that spoke.
It was not his excellent talent that spoke when he became the President of the Rifle Association of Andhra Pradesh and an esteemed member of the National Rifle Association of India; it was his work that spoke.
Throughout the twenty eight years of his career-life, it was never his leadership, vision, passion, pride, joy, expertise, skills, or talent that spoke about him or his experience – it was (and always will be) his work that speaks.
As the cobbler cleared his throat, Salalith was brought back to the shoe-store. He was looking at him with an irritated expression, his face screaming ‘will you buy something, or will you get out?’ Salalith smiled softly as he took out his wallet from his pocket, and offered the cobbler his money.
Salalith closed the door of the shoe-store behind him, holding his brand-new shoes, and walked out with a new sense of pride, as he remembered:
“My Work Speaks.”