New Delhi, Jan. 9 -- Arriving 30 minutes late for a job interview three decades ago had left me out of breath, sweaty and close to a panic attack. Yet, my first impression of Fortune magazine's chief of reporters was of her coming down the corridor, loudly proclaiming that New York's metro system would drive prospective job applicants away.

She had just heard from her assistant that I had been stuck in a malfunctioning subway train between 34th Street and 42nd Street and empathetically flipped the burden of being late from the candidate to circumstance.

I would put the phone down on my eldest brother without saying goodbye if she appeared at my door. She specialized in witty one-liners; I didn't want to miss a word.

Fifteen years later...