If you want to finger someone in a corporate environment, it becomes easier if the person concerned has a public profile. That’s practically mandatory for a CEO or a CEO aspirant, because a good part of his or her job is networking. And anything you say in a public forum can be twisted and used against you.

Today, Indra Nooyi, President and Chief Financial Officer of PepsiCo, is the target of Internet rants for what she said in the commencement address to Columbia University’s MBA class of 2005. If you read through the speech ? which has been posted on the Net ? any impartial observer will find nothing wrong with it. Nooyi has committed the “sin” of comparing America to the middle finger and the racist right has armed itself to say “Up yours”. (Actually, Nooyi ? who is an ethnic Indian ? is paying for all the jobs US rednecks think they have lost to India. But that is another story.)

The Nooyi episode has a clear racist angle. Others are held guilty of different forms of discrimination. In January this year, Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers had to issue a two-page apology for suggesting that women may not have the same skills in science and math as men.

While it is true that you can be put in the dock for no fault of your own, there are some CEOs who do say stupid things. Look at the CEO of the United States of America ? President George W. Bush. He is adept at saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. He can’t speak without raising a laugh. One example from among many thousands: “I promise you I will listen to what has been said here, even though I wasn’t here.” Or take Prince Philip. During a visit to China some time back he told British students there: “If you stay here much longer, you will all be slitty-eyed.”

In India, this foot-in-mouth disease is even more dangerous for executives. Recently, the president of a company gave an interview to the business press where he spoke about how he was brought in during difficult times and the steps he took to rescue the company. In a week, he was out. The owner didn’t like the idea of someone else taking the credit.

Early on in their career, if it is a reasonably professional company, everyone gets a chance to speak out. It may be at a seminar or a small focus group within the company. Should you be controversial and suggest ideas that may not be well received?

HR consultants say it all depends on the company culture. But the choice is yours. You can make a splash at a staid organisation. Likely as not, you will be forced out.

Nooyi and Summers didn’t rise to where they are by being wallflowers. They powered their way to the top. They got into trouble. They fought and recovered. Sometimes the flak is unfair. Stride ahead. But keep your bullet-proof vest and umbrella handy.