Mahatma Gandhi, not only for Munnabhai, is also revealing himself to the managers and is teaching them business strategies, inculcating ‘business ethics’. This is the new angle to Gandhism.
Name: Mohandas Karmachand Gandhi
Institution: India Incorporated
Responsibility: Chief Executive Officer (Trustee)
Goal: Total Independence.
Strategy: Truth and Non Violence
Capital: Sacrifice
Shareholders: All Indians
Managers: Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad, Radhakrishnan, Ambedkar etc.
First Shareholders’ meeting: August 14th midnight 1947.
Growth Index: Gradual but upward moving
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To make it to the Fortune Global level
To reach billion dollar state
To provide employment to 25000 people
To become ‘multinational’
These are quite common dreams for any company and may be bigger too.
But how to realize them?
Peter Drucker, Jack Welsh, Coovey ----- such of the management gurus’ teachings will be too good to hear, but will not suit our environment and ethos.
Like the American and Japanese management gurus –do you think that there no management gurus to teach us success lessons in our own style?
Why not? There are.
Yes- he is an example
That toothless smiling grandfather.
That gentleman who wore a loin cloth.
Half-naked.
The fasting yogi, satyagrahi ---
Mahatma Gandhi!
His life is a message. Not merely to the whole world, but also to the corporate world.
He did not found any companies. Not done any businesses. Not read any management treatises. But his quest for truth, the movements, the strategies, the values, and the resolution of conflicts--—all these are of great value to the corporate world. And most precious tools too for application. That is why management experts like C.K Prahlad, Arindam Chowdry, have seen a great Chief Executive leader in Mahatma Gandhi. If anyone leads a business with same devotion like Mahatma led the Independence Struggle, one can achieve miracles—say the experts.
Father of Strategy.
Gandhiji’s strategy formulation is the first lesson for the managers. That is a lesson on “strategic management”. Like all our corporate our leaders think of expansion or turnover, Gandhiji dreamt of Indian Independence.
Total Independence (sampoorna swaraj)
He had total clarity on his goal (which is lacking in 50% of our managers)
Non violence and Truth – He had even more clarity about his means/ strategy—(lacking in 80% of the managers)
By the time he took charge of the independence movement, a number of wars of independence and rebellions took place.
Blood was shed and lives were lost with no success.
The revolutions which worked in America, Russia, and France— he understood will not work for India. Because our culture is different. Our values are different. The way our people respond to any problem is different. To Subhash Chandra Bose’s emotional call “give me your blood, I will get you Swaraj “how many have responded? He had to look to other countries for help. – Giving blood, shedding blood, is not understood by our country men- is what Gandhi understood. That is why Gandhiji changed the strategy. – Which was not chosen in the history by anyone any time? He forbade weapons and violence. He said it is enough if you walk with me. If at all, he asked them to make salt, spin yarn, go to jails silently. How easy? The people thumped in and filled the jails. An invincible strategy it proved.
Mahatma thoroughly understood the psychology of the Indians. The corporate managers have to understand this first i.e. to understand their customers, to understand their needs, to understand the market conditions. “They should have clarity of their goal like Gandhiji. To achieve those, they have to keep aside the traditional methods. They have to think in a novel way. Break new paths. Such people only stand out winners in the market. Become leaders” says Arun Maira, the Boston Consulting Group Chief Executive Officer.
How to be stable to succeed in a long term project of 10 or 20 years has to be learnt from the example of Mahatma. It was struggle for decades; no one knows when you get freedom. How does it come? Whether you get it or not. But he never was disappointed. He was undertaking some struggle or movement to inspire his followers and people. Not to flinch till achieving the aim, -- such was the fighting spirit.
There are two kinds of managers in the world. One specialized in getting short term results; there are no evidences that such people lead the companies to towards development in the long run. The second kind of leaders is experts in long term strategies. They can evolve stupendous plans for 10 years, but there are no instances where they worked for more than 10 months. There are very few who can dovetail the short term plans into the long term strategy- Mahatma is one of such few who come into this category.
Movement to suit the people. Business to fit the market.
Indians get enticed at the coolness of beautiful models in Old Spice advertisement, as ours is a hot country. But in a cold country like Norway, unless the customers are made to yearn for the warmth of the model, the business will not click.
Gandhiji did the same thing. The person who led the movements in South Africa wearing suits, after coming to India, he donned the avatar of an average Indian, spoke the common man’s language. Lived in utter simplicity. My dear Managers! Have you fully understood Mahatma?
Branding Bapu
In our country the publicity budget of corporate runs in to crores of rupees—how other wise the people will not come to know about the company and the brands? But in those days, when there were no T.Vs and very few news papers- that too limited to urban areas, Gandhiji was able to take his message to the nooks and corners of the country. This is a lesson for the corporate to learn how he did it. Says Gita Piramal, the Editor of Smart Manager, “if he Mahatma did Dandi march by himself alone, no one would have bothered, but he did not do like that. He designed it to strongly influence the thinking of the people as great event. He with his followers walked 245 miles to Dandi.” “ I will do or die but will not return to Ashram’ swore Mahatma. Seeing this, people came in battalions and everywhere hailed with welcome lights. Mahatma scored a victory as Event Manager, which has left stalwarts like Motilal Nehru wonder struck.
In 1942 Quit India movement also it happened the same way, the news spread like wild fire in the whole country. Not only in Delhi, but in the nooks and corners of Andhra Pradesh also people were talking about the same. Mahatma knew how to propagate his campaigns. He used the limited newspapers wisely. He wrote articles. He ran some news papers. He wrote letters to hundreds of his followers and supporters. We have to know here something about the language of Mahatma. Whenever we have to say something about untouchability or non violence or customer service, we quote “Mahatma said this or said that” we add his words in original to our text. So powerful and memorable is his style. It will be understood even by a common man. It makes every one to think. This is a thing that all our public relations experts have to learn. Says the media expert, Rajendra “in many commercial advertisement, there will be no clarity. It will be difficult to understand the relationship between the product and advertisement. If one reads the speeches of Gandhiji, brand managers will understand how clearly they can communicate themselves “it is Mahatma who brought a brand value in the world. His Satyagraha is a brand. His charakha is a brand. His khadi is a brand. His smile is brand. He himself is incomparable brand. Even now today’s political leaders use his brand value in some form or other.
“Human Resources” and Mahatma
The swaraj movement did not start with Gandhiji. Many before thought how to achieve swaraj, held many meetings. But the common man did not concern himself with this. No one thought of joining them as partners in this movement. But Mahatma did it. He went into the midst of the people, shares with them his thoughts and sought their support. With this, people understood that they are also partners in the struggle. Now what is happening in the corporate world? According to Shabbir Merchant, Vice President Grow Talent India “The Board room decisions do not reach the employees. No one is talking to those, by becoming close with whom, the change begins “
“Mahatma’s style of leadership is very essential for the corporate world. Then only the lowest employee will feel himself a partner in the institution” says Arun Myra.
Not only that, those bosses who take credit for the success of a project, but abdicate responsibility in case of failure – attributing to the defective planning, have a lesson to learn from Gandhiji. He never made any one a scapegoat. Although he was not in any way connected with the chowra chori incident, he took the responsibility. When the country got independence due to his leadership, he did not boast that he achieved it. When the celebrations were all over, he was doing a fast in some corner of the country.
Treading with Values
However great your ends are, your means should be as great, says Gandhiji. This principle should be adopted in to by the corporate world. In this world at a time when some business entities are working hand in hand with the underworld and teaming up with immoral and corrupt leaders, these words need to be remembered well. To day to win the contracts, boost the share values artificially, to threaten or even eliminate competitors, some business firms are using unfair and questionable means. Bapuji knew how unhealthy such practices are. That is why he exhorted “Respect your competitor “
Those companies which run with the highest ideals are lasting in the long run. This is a proven reality. “Tata, Wipro, Infosys, not merely these, if you observe those companies which run with values, you will understand that they have an individuality. That personality resembles that of Mahatma “analyses C.L.N. Murthy, the Head of Radix & Management. In the institutions following Gandhian principles, there will be no succession battles, no hankering after excessive profits, no bribe giving or taking, no dissatisfaction in employees, and no ego in the owners. Azim Premji and Narayan Murthy are following in letter and spirit the “trusteeship” principle. They are making the employees as partners. They are distributing handsome dividends to the shareholders. In Shara Group, we are told that the top man is called “Managing Worker”.
If Gandhiji’s Ramarajya fructifies, we can hope that such an environment will happen.
Share and grow
“You are merely a guardian/ trustee of the peoples’ resources—the roots of corporate responsibility exist in these words” says Gopalakrishna, Retired I.A.S officer. Gandhiji knows the evils of concentration of wealth in one place. It accentuates unrest in the lowest rung of the people. Therefore he said “poverty is the fearsome face violence”. The corporate have to take the responsibility of alleviating the same. If today they are going to the slums and building schools, hospitals—the idea behind is Gandhism only.
This is all in the cities where the industrialization is taking place. What about the state of villages? The corporate strategists say that if the villages prosper, the business prospers, because it there 70% of the people live and 70% of the market exists. But the purchasing power is not there. It they have to get that power, they have to fill their bellies. They have to earn enough. If all this has to happen, the villages have to become self sufficient. That means the issue again revolves round Gandhism.
Gopalakrishna reveals a different angle of Gandhismi “ Mahatma then itself supported decentralization. He felt that the participation of the people will increase and the transparency and responsibility will be clear. The corporate are now accepting this principle literally. They are focusing on a small scale, increasing the productivity and outsourcing jobs to smaller concerns.”
Leader to “walk the talk”
“Wasteful expenditure is on the rise. We have to cut down. Observe austerity’ this is how a CEO concluded a Power Point Presentation. Applause reverberates. The boss goes to five star hotel in a foreign car. From there he goes to pleasure trip in business class. In Mahatma’s life there is no such instance. He preached what he practiced and practiced what he preached. Whatever change you want to bring should, start with one self – was the principle of Mahatma,
Youth that gave up employment and studies, middle aged lawyers, peasants, workers, illiterate housewives—those people, if you see individually have no specialty, but together, as followers of Gandhi made the British empire tremble. This is what is meant by extraordinary success with ordinary people.
“If the bosses who point fingers at the lower cadres for every failure or fault understand the Gandhiji’s leadership style, half the corporate problems will be solved “says HR consultant Prabhu. Not only this, the way he got the work done through stalwarts like Nehru, Patel and Ambedkar by coordinating with all of them is also great. The corporate corridors which have become the homes of “ego “should learn this as a lesson. Those who are buying expertise, not building them should understand the way he created thousands of leaders.
We need principles of Gandhi.
“A customer is a very important person coming into our premises. We depend on him but he does not depend on us.” These words appear beside the photo of Bapu, smiling with his toothless mouth—wherever you go, be it bus stand, railway station, bank, or post offices---these are the words Gandhiji told much before the magnificent words “Customer relationship” “Customer Care” was born. Because he understood the secrets of business, he could say so. As many think, Gandhiji never opposed business. He only opposed the unethical aspect. In fact in the last 60 years the meaning of business changed. Business does not merely mean earning profits. There are millions of stake stakeholders; it is connected to their welfare. This is a kind of Socialism- Gandhi’s teachings are essential to us. “Every principle of Gandhism is applicable in some way or other to every business’ agrees BSBC Country Head, Mr. Nainalal Kidwai. “So far he is confined to charakha, khadi, and non violence. Gandhism is kept in darkness. In Mahatma there is global leader beyond all these. At least now people are recognizing this. I am happy” said Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of Gandhiji, to the students of a Business Management School. There was an undescribable glow in his eyes when he said this. In that light--- his toothless smiling Grandfather.
Global Gandhi
The westerners who enjoyed excessive wealth and pleasures came to repulsion with their life slowly. Now they understand the greatness of simplicity of life. They are understanding Mahatma. The colleges and universities which are providing courses in Gandhism are increasing year by year. University of Virginia, University of Hawai, Georgia University—like this, it is a big list. Harvard University, MIT and Oxford, while teaching leadership draws examples of Mahatma. Harvard School of Business recognized him as “20th Century Management guru. In California, a Gandhian protagonist, Leh Wells collected a group of 10,000 students to propagate Gandhian teachings. Martin Luther King Junior warned long back. “If we forget the Gandhian path, we have to pay dearly for that.” We understood now!
Bapu’s soft skills
Self management
Change does not come from elsewhere, it starts with you.
Resolution of conflict.
Many problems get solved with keeping silent. But we lose the opportunity by talking.
Decision making skill
Although our conscience tells us “it is wrong” we take a decision to please others, for temporary gains, --- taking decision in favor of someone is unethical.
Conversational skill.
If I had no sense of humor, I would have committed suicide long back.
Optimism.
If a palm full of water is polluted, it does not mean that all the water in the seas is polluted. If you encounter a bitter experience, it does not mean that the humanity has gone to dogs.
Control of anger
Anger or intolerance will not allow you to understand anything properly. You cannot take correct decisions.
Wisdom
Live with the thought that you die tomorrow. But collect wisdom as if you are going to live eternally.
Business values
To do business with integrity is difficult but not impossible.
“Our management”
“Our Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavadgita—are excellent management treatises. Our Rama, our Krishna, Our Gandhiji are great management gurus.
What can be termed as “Ours truly business management” is unfolding itself clearly now only. True. Till yesterday when Stephen Coovey told us about the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” we said Aha. When he came out with “8th Habit” we nodded. Whatever Jack Welsh said, we implicitly agreed. We tried our best to implement in our companies. The real problem is here. The foreign management principles may be great but they do not suit our ethos seamlessly. To the westerners, job is simply a job. For salary sake they change a company a month. Indians are not like that. They are relationship oriented. They want lifelong relationships. There are many other differences. There are many contradictions in the matter of values also. After experiencing all these our people started focusing on “indigenous management.” What happens? You get gems as much as you dig. It is proved that there is no parallel to management in Sundarakanda in Ramayana. It is well known now that the teachings of Bhishma from his arrow bed to Pandavas, will serve as principles of corporate governance for management of any company. Likewise all management experts agree that the person who is ‘sthithaprajna” will be the best CEO. Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, also started an elective course called “spirituality for global leaders”.
R.Ramakrishnan
( Translation from a Telegu Paper)
