Agile Coach | Empowering Agility
On Father’s Day, we usually share warm memories.
Today, I want to tell a story about my father that goes beyond a memory. Of all the moments that define my father, this is the one that I carry deeply with me. It’s a lesson in courage—one that has shaped how I work and what I believe about true psychological safety at work.
My father started his career as an office boy in a cooperative bank in Maharashtra. He was studying while working. He worked hard and at some point of time became a ‘bank inspector’. It’s a role in many cooperative banks in Maharashtra. As a Bank Inspector, the duty (I won’t call it a job) of my father was to keep a check on the funds distributed to farmers in Nashik region.
Born into a farmer’s family, he was a man of the highest integrity & ethics, dedicated to ensuring funds reached the farmers who needed them.
One day, he discovered something serious. A group of bank directors had forged documents in the name of farmers to steal money from the bank. He reported the truth without fear. But instead of support, he faced pressure and threats from higher-ups to bury his findings. They wanted him to stay silent.
He refused to compromise his principles. The price for his honesty? He was fired.
I was a child, but the memory of his pain is still vivid—the quiet suffering of a man who lost the job he loved for simply doing it right. Of course, I did not understand it then but could feel the silence at home.
His experience was a harsh lesson in what happens in a psychologically unsafe workplace: the honest are punished, and fear silences the truth.
Everyone knew he was right, but fear kept them silent. He stood alone in this fight. Well, trust me, you are always alone when something goes this way. No one, I repeat no one stands with you. You have to take care of yourself and be strong enough to face the situation.
And in a country like India, where corruption has been in place before the humans came into existence, this was not new as well.
But the story doesn’t end there.
Some days later, my father walked back into that bank. In front of all the staff, he openly spoke about the corruption, with all the proofs and without any fear!
That moment changed everything.
His courage couldn’t be ignored. The truth was out. An inquiry was carried out. He was called back to work and went on to complete his complete career at that very bank.
My father always said, “If you are true, never back down in life.” He had a very strong spine (कणा)!
He didn’t just say it—he lived it. He taught me that real psychological safety isn’t about avoiding problems. It’s about having the strength to speak up and the leadership to protect those who do. He taught me to be strong in any situation in life and have a strong spine.
His story is now my compass. It reminds me that every workplace should be a place where people feel safe to tell the truth, even when it’s hard.
This Father’s Day, I honor my first hero and probably the last.
He went on to become a marathon runner after retiring from his job at the bank. He was running till his last breath, which he took at the age of 82.
Thank you, Dada, for showing me that true character is proven not when things are easy—but when standing strong costs you everything.
There is a beautiful poem in Marathi language by the great poet Kusumāgraj (guess what! – he was from my hometown Nashik!), which is called “कणा” -which translates to SPINE in English language.
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