From heroes to mentors: the role of fathers in achieving professional success

livemint.com:

Every child’s first hero is likely to be their dad. As Australian poet Pam Brown rightly says, “Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, storytellers, and singers of song." The acknowledgments are plenty whenever someone ruminates on the role of a father in their success. Of course, mothers are also darned good at doing all of this—keeping the fire of ambition going alongside the one at home, and may even outscore dads—but fathers do play a special role in shaping a person’s career.

Dads play a key role as influencers, role models and fosterers of ambition in the journey of many a successful individual. Along the way, they also make their fair share of sacrifices.  Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo, has in her speeches, interviews and posts attributed much of her success to her father, who was a bank official in India. It is he who instilled in her the values of hard work, perseverance and integrity, which guided her throughout her career.

Nooyi often speaks about her father's influence on her leadership style and decision-making, crediting him as her inspiration. R.K. Laxman, the legendary cartoonist and creator of the iconic Common Man, was not only a creative genius but also “a wise and insightful father", his son, Srinivas Laxman, says, fondly recalling his father’s guidance that shaped his own career as a writer, instilling in him a passion for storytelling.

Laxman shared valuable insights about the power of satire, inspiring Srinivas to hone his craft as a writer.  Former President and space scientist Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was also deeply influenced by his father, Jainulabdeen, who placed emphasis on education and moral values.