You cannot mandate philanthropy. It has to come from within, and when it does, it is deeply satisfying. Azim Premji More Quotes by Azim Premji More Quotes From Azim Premji Parents realize their wealth should be used for social good rather than children's good. Azim Premji realize parents good children I have always felt intuitively that somehow such wealth cannot be the privy of any one person or any one family. Azim Premji person always wealth family People are realistic enough to appreciate what the market values of different people are. Azim Premji values appreciate enough people People are beginning to realize that education is power, that education is money, that education is an opportunity. Azim Premji money power education people You need a commitment which is long term and a commitment to leadership, because that's the only way you build excellence. Azim Premji you excellence leadership long There are three lessons in philanthropy - one, involve the family, especially the spouse. She can be a remarkable driver of your initiative. Two, you need to build an institution, and you need to scale it up. Choose a leader for philanthropy whom you trust. Three, philanthropy needs patience, tenacity and time. Azim Premji trust family time patience When I took over the family business, it had already been a publicly traded company for 20 years. During one of the first annual meetings I attended, one shareholder stood up and advised me and everyone in attendance that I should resign. Azim Premji me meetings family business Excellence is a great starting point for any new organisation but also an unending journey. Azim Premji new great excellence journey What is excellence? It is about going a little beyond what we expect from ourselves. Part of the need for excellence is imposed on us externally by our customers. Our competition keeps us on our toes, especially when it is global in nature. Azim Premji need competition excellence nature The West is not producing enough engineers. Azim Premji producing engineers west enough Being in the consumer business helps us groom talent in areas like marketing, finance and logistics. We can benchmark our outsourcing business to our consumer business and its best practices. Azim Premji best finance talent business You cannot underestimate the value of luck in success in life. And I've really learned to appreciate that. Azim Premji value you success life