AJIT KUMAR GHORAI(MY GRANDFATHER)

Leadership Biography, Arun Roy, Spring

2012

Biographical Sketch

Lost his father when he was in

University

Supported mother and raised

siblings

Completed Math Undergrad, Econ

Masters at Calcutta University

Joined civil service, first at state

level, then at federal

Became a senior government

official by retirement

Domain Integration

Self, Career & Community

Self & Community – commitment to traditions and

nation

Career – devoted to rural development

Used abilities (Self) and access and connections

(Work) to deepen Community contributions E.g., pursued linguistics

hobby, set up French

language school and in

the process became

connected to a prominent

Indian linguist

Domain Integration

Self, Career & Community

E.g., lobbied government for funding for cash-starved

medical college

E.g., helped arrange funding for homeless shelter

E.g., taught at a college for

government officers after

retirement

Domain Integration

Home & Self

E.g., spirituality – together with wife became a

follower of a saint

E.g., romantic expressions – wrote beautiful letters

and poems to his wife

Balancing Domains

Refused to sacrifice Self to further Career

E.g., refused to take bribes

E.g., refused to bow to political pressure

Refused to sacrifice Home to

further Career

E.g., somehow children never

had to skip a year of school,

despite frequent transfers

Lessons Learned

Choice of profession can be key to domain

integration

Clever approaches can help integrate domains

Improve by integrating Career and Home