'We have lost a strategist of the highest order'

Dr C K Prahalad, one of the world's most renowned management gurus, passed away in San Diego, United States on Friday.

Lakshmi Narayanan, vice chairman of Cognizant, pays tribute to the corporate strategist.

In the demise of C K Prahalad, the corporate world has lost a management guru and a corporate strategist of the highest order. While he will indeed be missed by all in the corporate world, his lifelong commitment and work towards helping shape the future of global economy will inspire and guide leaders all over the world for a long time to come.

His fresh and ever-evolving business insights, and the sheer depth and breadth of his knowledge helped entrepreneurial ambition soar against the force of constraints, biases and in his own words, 'dominant logic'.

He will be remembered for his ruthless objectivity and unusually sharp ability to change popular perceptions. To me, one of the most striking attributes of his personality was his ability to quickly see through the strengths and weaknesses of an enterprise or an idea, come up with highly practical remedies for management deficiencies, and above all, his ability to sustain high levels of energy even in the face of some of the most daunting complexities. Cognizant and I, personally, have a great deal to thank him for.