The Mahatma as a management guru

Font Size

Print

Feedback

Email

Discuss

Related Articles

Virgin Media, Universal to offer unlimited music

: Let’s face it. Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Lage Raho Munnabhai and the Gandhigiri therein have done what countless awards and talks couldn’t do. Almost five decades since he preached simplicity and non-violence, the man in the loincloth today has more followers than ever before. What’s more, even a rash of universities in India and abroad are taking note of the Mahatma and his principles. Harvard School of Business Management has even crowned him the Management Guru of the 20th century.

Says Vijay Govindarajan of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth: “Gandhi represents the essence of what we need in our business leaders today. There is a general negativity and cynicism all around. Remember Enron, Tyco, WorldCom and Hewlett-Packard? It’s time corporate leaders restored their moral authority.”

Adds Subroto Bagchi, CEO, Mindtree Consulting: “Over half a century ago, Gandhiji said you should respect your competitors. He set up ‘hairy, audacious goals’, learnt from unusual sources, respected his opponents and practised the principles of sustainability and fair play in all his dealings. These are essential to high-performance leadership.”

The greatness of the man, says HSBC country head in India, Naina Lal Kidwai, is his relevance in the contemporary society. Says she: “Gandhian principles can be easily adapted to business. There is one to suit every fibre of business.” Her favourite Gandhian line? “The customer is the most important visitor on our premises.”

Management gurus say this newfound faith in Gandhian principles only means good for the country and the business, only if interpreted correctly. Says Anil K Gupte, who teaches Indian Social and Political Environment at IIM-A: “There is a great need for India to find contemporary relevance in Gandhiji’s thoughts. State regulation is not enough. Self-regulation is the key.”

Likening Gandhi to Lord Krishna, Arindam Chaudhuri, dean, IIPM, says their leadership styles are similar: “Non-violence is the greatest lesson on leadership skill. The other is ethics. Just follow the Gandhian principle of governance. Nothing can make it more simpler.”

Recollecting that the Mahatma called Jamnalal Bajaj his ‘fifth son’, Rahul Bajaj, chairman, Bajaj Auto and MP, says: “Ethics today are undermined in every sphere. Corporate governance is about accountability and transparency.”