“Intelligence and capability are not enough. There must be the joy of doing something beautiful”. - Dr. G. Venkataswamy
For almost two years, he was bedridden, in such intense pain that just touching his bed would cause him to shriek out in agony. But the story of the late Dr. Venkataswamy, known simply by colleagues and friends as Dr. V, is
a story of individual triumph against unthinkable odds. If it was just that, it would be enough. Instead, the story had just begun there: Dr. V went on to become
a legendary eye surgeon who quite literally lit the eyes of millions. The magnificent institution he built,
Aravind, now sees 2.7 million patients every year, and most mind-blowingly, treats the majority for free. A case study on Aravind has been studied by every Harvard MBA for the last 15 years, and it has become a beacon for social entrepreneurs the world over.
And yet, it has been a story relatively unknown — until now. Infinite Vision:
How Aravind Became the World’s Greatest Business Case for Compassion tells the inspiring story of Dr. V and Aravind, and more significantly, unveils the radical principles at the core of its evolution: from an 11-bed clinic in a dusty Indian town Madurai, to the world’s largest eye hospital. Counter-intuitive ideas, like how
compassion doesn’t have to be a secondary thought —
it can actually drive operational efficiency. Or how
if you are really focusing on service, resources do organize themselves. That if you really want to solve a problem, there’s no question that
cooperation beats competition. And perhaps most subtly, that when individuals (and especially leaders) stay rooted in
inner transformation, it fundamentally alters the way in which organizations develop.
