The message that goes out is that all is not well with the succession process. Or, consider the Tata Son board's move last week to reduce the retirement age of all non-executive directors by five years, from 75 to 70, effectively cutting short the tenure of some of the top executives of group companies.
There was no explanation what necessitated this sudden change - the third in a decade, again giving rise to talk that this has been done to make sure that Mr Tata's successor has a relatively free hand and help avoid a situation that the chairman faced when he was chosen by J R D Tata.
In 2002, when Ratan Tata was to retire at 65, the board promptly re-designated him non-executive chairman, which empowered him to continue for another five years.
Three years later, the board ratcheted up the retirement age of the group's non-executive directors to 75, again to retain Mr Tata. The law does not provide any explanation for these moves, but it was not expected from a group that prides itself on the highest standards of corporate governance.
The story at Infosys has not been markedly better, largely owing to the continued speculation about changes at the top. An impression has been created that one man matters so much to such a large organisation, however pioneering his role and visionary his leadership are.
The legendary Jack Welch at General Electric identified his talent pipeline by meeting with potential successors individually and asking them: if we were on a plane and it crashed, who do you think should lead the company?
Not only did this have a sobering influence on prima donnas and help deflate egos, it also made them nominate other individuals from their peer group as potential leaders.
It was an effective way to gauge what individuals felt about the company's senior leadership and also establish a balance between the organisation and the individual. India Inc still has a long way to go, it seems.
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