Cyrus Mistry, leader of a rare and contradictory breed

Few corporate chieftains and billionaires are easily accessible in one part because their status in positions of power and responsibility make them obliged to matters of critical consequence and in another because anything they can say or do could be taken out of context and misinterpreted with dire consequences –– especially in a world gone gaga over social media over anything and everything. At another level they are simply so engaged in high-level ecosystems driven by shareholder and board meetings, calls and meetings with law-makers and heads of states, that they inadvertently become ivory-tower figures. Cyrus Mistry, the former Tata Sons chief who passed away Sunday in a freak car-accident en route to Mumbai from Ahmedabad, was atypical in all those aspects.

As someone who met him several times both at business and social events as well as one-on-one meetings he proved to be of a rare and perhaps contradictory breed of leader who was both under the radar and low profile, when it came to news and public spotlight yet always reachable and accessible to those who knew him –– and even to those who simply reached out to him.

When he took charge of the Tata Group in 2012 he made news for the way he was dressed. No slick Italian suits or designer ties or high-level corporate speech or power photo-opportunities. Instead he cruised into office in an everyday car with his sleeves rolled up, no tie as if to simply say he was ready for business and the humongous task that lay ahead of him.

Of course, as a blue-blooded heir in a billionaire business family, Mistry was no stranger to the good life, having grown up with the accoutrements that included Rolls-Royces, mansions facing the sea in Malabar Hill, and so much more. Yet, he never wore entitlement on his sleeve, often getting his school friends from Cathedral & John Connon School, to come over to his Juhu family home.  For those who were there, and recall it, they were remarked at how his parents treated everyone like they were part of the family.

At one chance encounter with him at the NCPA in Mumbai, before a concert, the newly minted chairman of Tata Sons listened very keenly to a request I made for an interview. His expression was serious as his eyes narrowed in concentration. I grew hopeful before he erupted in an unexpected giggle at the notion of doing an on-record conversation, and shook his head demurely, almost as if he was surprised as to why anyone would want to interview him but said as he walked by, "Let's meet later of course, at my office sometime."

It was clear that Mistry kept his own counsel and didn't particularly enjoy large crowds, something that was evident at a few social events. In due course, however, at the Tata Group he was starting to warm to the idea of being and speaking in large groups.

On more than one occasion, Mistry’s common refrain to me when it came to talking publicly about his plans for business while at Tata or after were politely declined with the explanation that it was something that he and his family were culturally not accustomed to. They had stayed away from it historically. Yet, he wouldn’t hesitate on occasion sharing his point of view on macro business trends and current affairs, and when he did share them they were always sharp, crystal clear and backed with evidence and substance, even if they were not optimistic, which made him both keen as well as insightful.

His reticence, however, never meant he was being evasive. Amongst all the business leaders one has known, written about and interacted with, Mistry never skipped returning a call, failed to reply to a WhatsApp message or an email. Also, it was almost always done with unerring, decisive promptness even if the answer was in the negative which was mostly the case. It was ironic that despite his responsiveness he never did interviews.

At one conversation Mistry went about explaining his point of view and why he had thought he had not erred and in a manner that he described as wanting to clear the air during his disputes at the Tata Group. Managing any large group is not a simple task and while Mistry may have endeavoured to do his best he was inadvertently in a position where he was dealing with large complex businesses with their own sets of challenges and future targets. The takeaway from several conversations with Mistry over the years led one to believe that he had wanted to make a difference by transforming the group into a futuristic and 21st Century conglomerate.

Did he have any regrets about his overarching experience with the Tata Group? Mistry would only admit to one to me. It was that the rigours of the chairmanship had been unexpectedly time-consuming and that he had wished he could have spent more time with his predecessor and the man who had ushered him in –– Ratan N. Tata.

At most times, the very soft-spoken Mistry was dressed casually, almost to the point of being slightly dishevelled with no tie or suit jacket, sporting a four pm shadow, reflecting the archetypal caricature of a Bawa businessman in Mumbai. Despite his Uber-rich background and being born with a platinum spoon in his mouth, Mistry never flaunted his wealth and could initially be a little tense during his conversations before he warmed up. Yet it wasn't as if he didn't know anything about the good life. For most men, the only two areas that they can really be flamboyant and get away with is their cars or wristwatches.

For a man who was running a group that owned both Tata Motors and Titan watches that made Mistry's choices limited. During one conversation I instigated around timepieces, a hobby-pursuit that very few tycoons don't know anything about. I threw down a gauntlet at him. Did he prefer vintage or modern timepieces I asked him? "It doesn't matter as long as they are Tourbillons," he responded without a trace of arrogance and a knowing glint in his eye as he referred to the highest-of-highest horological complications which aficionados and newbies alike, worship.

On another occasion I had a chat with him about a high-profile international business leader whom I had interviewed. He had his own perspective, sharing that my assessment of the leader’s humility was misplaced as he cited at least three examples of how the said leader in his view projected unnecessary pride.

Reserved, well-read and as someone who was also well-acquainted with a number of leading business tycoons across the world, Mistry would have seemed to be positioned for great success in the business world. The fact that he needn't have taken the Tata job given his own flourishing, large-scale family business empire only cast him in a light that seemed to reflect a man ready to take challenges and the road less traveled. Given that he was traveling in a Mercedes-Benz which are regarded to be the safest automobiles on the roads and came from the background he did it would have seemed that both his journeys would have been well protected and secure.

In that vein, his unfortunate experience at the Tata Group and now his early, untimely and unforeseen end bear shades of Greek tragedy.

Earlier this year, one of the last messages that Mistry sent me went thus "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. Happy 2022." Strangely prescient words, but their wisdom rings deep.