‘Don’t Want To Carry The Burden Of Being Important’: Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu Bans Praise From Employees

Zoho Corporation CEO Sridhar Vembu has revealed a unique company policy that reflects his philosophy on humility and gratitude. In a recent post on X, Vembu said that no employee at Zoho is allowed to publicly praise the leadership, including him.

“One long-standing principle within the company is that no employee is allowed to praise the leadership, including me, in public,” Vembu wrote, adding that the rule “has become a core part of our culture.”

For Vembu, the policy is not a matter of modesty but a deliberate effort to keep egos in check. He said that he strives to remain unaffected by both praise and criticism.

“The spiritual principle I have tried to follow in life is to let neither praise nor abuse get to me,” he said, adding, “I don’t read or watch videos about me. I am not that important to me and do not want to carry the burden of being important.”

Highlighting his belief in gratitude, Vembu described life itself as a divine gift.

“I think of being alive and conscious, drawing breath, as the ultimate gift bestowed by the creator and remind myself to be thankful for that gift,” he wrote, ending the thought with the Sanskrit phrase “Satchitananda.”

While Vembu distances himself from personal adulation, he makes it a point to engage with critical feedback about Zoho’s products and operations. “I do read critical feedback of our products or the company. They are important,” he wrote. He also urged employees to appreciate even criticism, viewing it as a form of care. “The fact that people take the time to tell us is a gift we must be thankful for,” he added.

Vembu’s post has so far garnered over 85k views and many users even commented on it.

One user wrote that “when humility becomes a company’s core value, leadership stops being about visibility and starts being about vision.” The user went on to describe this as “rare,” noting that it results in “an organisation that grows not through noise, but through quiet, consistent purpose.”

Another user focused on the spiritual depth of Vembu’s post, saying, “Humility in leadership is rare, and your approach beautifully blends spiritual awareness with practical wisdom.”

Echoing similar sentiments, one user called Vembu’s philosophy “a grounded perspective,” appreciating his idea that “even criticism is a gift because it means people care enough to respond.”

Another user described the post as “beautiful discipline.” A comment summed up the overall sentiment, calling it “a very powerful and humble leadership philosophy.”

Collectively, these responses highlight how Vembu’s post resonated with readers as a reminder that leadership lies not in visibility or adulation, but in humility.