Covid-19 made it impossible for us to be in places. Covid-19 also made it possible for us to be in places. I know, there is a contradiction right there. But then has this not been a season of contradictions?

The masked ones are the good guys and the unmasked ones the bad ones. Staying at home is nation-building and venturing out for enterprise or leisure makes you Public Enemy No 1. It is into this foggy world of contradictions and fears that our newest management graduates are being born. And that is the theme of this special issue of your favourite newsweekly—India’s best b-schools and what are they doing different during the pandemic. The cover package is accompanied by THE WEEK-Hansa Research Survey on India’s best b-schools.

This has been a trying time for me, because it was unthinkable for me to not be in my office at the start of business. Between meeting visitors and taking calls and dictating letters, I would pop up into THE WEEK’s newsroom for meetings and to see the pages. Those who know me know how much I relished the face-to-face interactions and discussions. Covid-19 took all that from me. For my own sake and for others, I had to restrict my bubbling spirit. To be at the head of anything—of a family, of a publication—is not only a privilege, but also a responsibility. And the restrictions I placed on myself was part of my responsibility. I had to lead by example, simple.

Covid-19 was also a good teacher. I know now that we can hold meetings online, without affecting the quality of the discussions too much. I can be in more places than I could before. Everywhere, teething problems over the lack of online etiquette are disappearing. We are all finding platforms that suit us best. Families spread out across the world are meeting more frequently in internet meeting rooms. With our life outside being restricted, we have turned to things that are more precious and closer to our hearts. There is no alternative to shaking a friend’s hand or sitting down together for a meal. But, what good has evolution been if we refuse to evolve?

Going forward, this is what institutions will demand from managers. To be willing to evolve and to have a skill set that will serve you in both worlds—the one you are inhabiting and the one that may come. This pandemic has forced us to rely more on our teams and to trust each other. Covid-19 has driven us apart, but in its own way it has united us, too. A team with unity and resolve can only go forward. So, fear not, young managers, you are bigger than the task ahead.

BBC put out a story about how two words saved the Chilean territory of Easter Island, one of the most remote places on earth. Tapu and umanga. The word taboo comes from tapu. “Things that are tapu are to be left alone and may not be approached, interfered with or, in some cases, even discussed out loud,” the story says. By invoking tapu on coronavirus, the administration of Easter Island successfully enforced quarantine.

Now, umanga or “reciprocal labour between neighbours”. With neighbours helping each other, the islanders had a shared sense of purpose. India has survived thus far because we have embraced our interdependence. And that is also why we will endure.

I am because we are.