Mukesh Ambani sets eye contact rule for Reliance top leadership: 'It's important to...'

Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries, recently shared a leadership principle he has followed for over 40 years. In an interview with McKinsey & Co, the 68-year-old businessman said he believes eye contact is a symbol of sincerity in the workplace. He explained that he made this a rule for himself and also encouraged top leaders at Reliance to follow it.

Ambani said, “About 30 or 40 years ago, I decided that I should always look my employees in the eye. At Reliance, we tell our leaders that it’s important to maintain eye contact. It shows honesty and trust. If we follow our principles, we should be able to look at each other without shame.”

He added that this belief is now part of Reliance’s “institutional culture.” According to Ambani, such values are the company’s “best insurance against any kind of risk.”

Biggest business risk

During the interview, Ambani also spoke about what he called the biggest risk of his career—relaunching into the telecom sector with Reliance Jio in 2016. At that time, many financial analysts thought Jio would fail or bring low profits. But Ambani said he was ready to take that risk, even if it meant financial losses.

He told the board of Reliance that even in the worst-case scenario, Jio would help India grow. “If we don’t make much return, that’s okay. It’s our money. But launching Jio will be the best kind of philanthropy we’ve ever done. It will help digitise and transform India,” he said.

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Since its launch, Jio has changed the Indian telecom industry by offering free voice calls and very cheap internet data. This helped millions of people across India connect digitally, including those in rural areas. Jio has now become a major player in the telecom space, making digital services more affordable and accessible to all.

Mukesh Ambani’s leadership ideas and bold decisions show how strong values and long-term vision can help a company grow. His emphasis on eye contact as a form of respect and sincerity, along with his belief in taking calculated risks for the nation’s good, continues to shape Reliance Industries today.