Vishnu Agikumar
The ancient Indians were supposed to be masters of many disciplines and their writings stand testimony to this.
ne man who was known for his vast knowledge, sharp intellect and shrewd political thinking was Chanakya or Kautilya. He was a Professor of Economics at the famous Takshashila University and also specialized in Political Studies. His role as the Prime Minister of Chandragupta Maurya was above par and lauded by historians even today. He is considered as the earliest known economist and political thinker.
He has 3 books to his credit which are considered as warehouses of knowledge even today – Arthashastra, Neethishastra and Chanakya Neethi. The first book is about identifying leaders and grooming them to exhibit these skills especially in governing a country.
Dr. Radhakrishnan Pillai in his book 'Corporate Chanakya' has presented the thoughts of Chanakya in a simple form for corporate leaders of today. I am trying to compile a few of his thoughts here.
Any successful organisation should have a strong foundation, a clear vision and a solid commitment to achieve the goals of the organisation. Kautilya considers that there are 7 pillars, as he refers to them, which determine the success of any organisation. Let us have a look at these 7 in today's perspective.
• The King or leader: This person is the captain of the ship and guides the organisation in the right direction. Now they are known by various names in the corporate world – CEO, Director and so on. They steer the organisation towards success.
• The Minister or Manager: The manager is the person who runs the show - the second-in-command of an organisation. He is also the person whom you can depend upon in the absence of the leader. He is the man who is always in action. An extra ordinary leader and an efficient manager together bring into existence a remarkable organisation.
• The Country or the Market:No business can exist without its market capitalisation. It is the area of your operation. The place from where you get your revenue and cash flow. You basically dominate this territory and would like to keep your monopoly in this segment.
• The Fortified City or the Head Office: This is where all important decisions are taken. All planning and strategy is carried out here. It is the nerve centre of every organisation.
• The Treasury or Financial Resources: Finance is an extremely important resource.It is the most important pillar as it is the one that decides the future of any organisation and needs to be well managed.
• The Army or The Team: Just as a well trained army is necessary for success in war, a well equipped team is necessary for the success of any organisation.The army consists of your team members. Those who are ready to fight for the organisation. The salesmen, the accountant, the driver, the peon - all of them add to your team. It should be made of committed individuals who do not lose sight of the goals of the organisation. Each member is important and has a role to play.
• The Ally or Consultant:In life you should have a friend who is just like you.Being, in the same boat, he can identify with you and stay close. He is the one whom you can depend upon when problems arise. After all, a friend in need is a friend in deed.
These seven are the foundation of the success of any organisation and will face all challenges that an organisation faces and help overcome them. It is definitely food for thought that a book complied centuries back has content which is applicable even in today's corporate world. It speaks volumes about what a genius Chanakya was.
The views expressed are individual and not necessarily MTC Global also share the same views.
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