Corporate Chanakya

Hello Guys,

This is Part-2 of my posts on Chanakya. You can read about previous article here.

I’m fan of Dr. Radhakrishnan Pillai now. After attending last “Chanakya in You” event organized by Bhanushali Conclave Leadership Summit (BCLS) team, I read about Dr. Pillai’s book “Chanakya in you”, and I must say… it was superb read, and there…….. BCLS-2 event was organized on 19-Sep-2015 at MET, Bandra. It was all awesomeness. Just brilliant “Teacher” he is, and all participants got TWO full days to interact with him. It was a great conference where we also heard guest speakers (covered in this post) along with Dr. Vijay Page & Dr. Nirmala Joshi.

I am writing all the notes/points I took down in that event and I would like to share that with you all readers. Please note that this post is all about Chanakya principles that you can apply to your business. Also if you have read about my previous article, you will be able to understand this one even better.

Let me know if you find any corrections to be made in this post or any suggestions. I don’t write regularly. Although I would say, I kind of like to write now.

And yes, this post is just a brain dump! So any point not understood, it is my fault, not being able to correctly put it here. Ping me @kailashgajara 🙂

Day 1 : 19 Sep 2015 @ MET, Bandra

1. Find the purpose, means will follow.
2. Surround yourself with great thinkers and experts and more like who are more experienced and knowledgeable than you.
3. Chanakya was master of 180+ subjects. That is why Chanakya became Chanakya. He was a teacher and King Maker.
4. The topic of the conference is “Chanakya’s 7 Pillars for Success in Business”
5. Homework is given: Start using Chanakya in You Kit. It will act like support mechanism.
6. For seminar, Dr. Radhakrishnan is going to use “Chanakya Speaks” movie as support system.

Part 1: Understanding Chanakya

1. Catalyst
2. “Tark Shashtri”
   1. Logical, Philosophy
   2. Business Negotiations (”Tark Sangrah”)
3. Chess -> Logical Game
4. Business Analytics – high in demand these days
5. Brave:
   1. “Shishya saadharan nahi hota” dialogue in serial
6. Listener and learner
7. Effective Communication
8. Sam, Dam, Dand, Bheda
9. Political Thinker
10. Economist
    1. Dr. Raghu Ranade, Chief Economist, Aditya Birla Group
11. Teacher
12. “Indriyon pe kaabu hona chaiye”
    1. Kam, Krodh, Moh, Lobha
13. Associate yourself with Educational system
14. Daily duty of any businessman is to STUDY
15. Watch “Chanakya” serial
    1. Total 47 episodes
    2. 45 mins per episode
    3. With paper and pen, to write and learn strategy
    4. Write what you learned in that episode
16. Get continuous education in your life
17. Get others also educated
18. Whenever you have a problem, rush to a teacher
19. Legend = a person whose value is more after his death? – hmmm
20. Book: Read this book called “I am that by nisargadatta maharaj”
    1. Amazon link: here.
    2. High sales in Europe
21. “Bharat ko Samajana hai to Santon ko padho”
22. Book: Read “Complete works of Swami Vivekananda”
23. Greatest tribute to Vivekananda by India is to win soccer world cup 🙂
    1. Just kidding. He had mentioned that “You Will Be Nearer To Heaven Through Football Than Through The Study Of The Gita”
    2. Why did he say this? Find out here.
24. Chanakya was born in 3 B.C
25. Vishna Gupta, Kautilya, Chankaya – his names
26. Responsible for defeat of Alexander
27. Dr. Chandraprakash Dvivedi made Chanakya Serial
    1. Chanakya Serial was stopped in 47 episode by Govt. of India.
    2. Original plan was to complete all 60 episodes.
28. Write your experience of business
29. Investors look at your organization’s value system.
30. For ISO 9000 -> Documentation is must. Make my company systematic.
    1. Achieve this certification for my company.
31. Experienced documented is wealth for next generation.
32. Read TATA history.
    1. Ask Dr. RKP (Radhakrishnan Pillai) about related videos and lectures.
33. Leader has to live with PAST+PRESENT+FUTURE. Leader needs to live daily taking all three together. Example of Driving a motor car.
34. Book: Read Kautilya’s Arthashashtra.
35. Leadership is Thinking.
36. Swami Chinmayananda ji, guru of Dr. RKP.
37. There has to be a “Desire” to be a leader.
38. Sheikh Mohammed, Dubai has said: Every generation requires many leaders.
39. Dignity of labour, truck driver example. Pay good salary. Empower your team.
40. Learn about Politics. Understand the Indian Cabinet Ministry.
41. There are 7 pillars of leadership, according to Chanakaya. They are Swami, Amatya, Janapada, Durg, Kosha, Danda, Mitra – iti Prakritaya – 6.1.1 (kautilya’s arthshashtra)

Rest of the items are going to be talking about each pillar in detail.

Part 2: Pillar 1 – Swami (Leader)

1. Swami:
   1. He is the captain.
   2. He is the man who leads the organization
   3. In today’s corporate world, we call him the director / CEO
   4. Without him, we will lose direction
   5. Vision has to be clear
   6. There are 130+ qualities of Swami according to Chanakya
   7. Leadership by Trust
   8. You should have good philosophy.
2. Plan out your work and work out your plan.
3. Qualities of Swami (7 out of 130)
   1. Intelligence and Spirit
   2. Given to seeing elders
   3. Truthful in speech
   4. Not breaking promise
   5. Grateful
   6. Desirous of training
   7. Easily Approachable
4. Attitude of a King
   1. Nothing called as private life and public life
   2. Your company becomes your family
   3. Business 24×7
5. Leader should be energetic
   1. Wakes up early
   2. There is some connection of Moon with Human Mind.
   3. You should remain in sync with Prakriti
   4. Goto office in morning and on time.
6. Information Source
   1. Directly perceived
   2. Unperceived
   3. Inferred – BEST
7. Read newspapers daily
8. Leader should have ability to study insight and foresight
   1. Understand trend and create trend
   2. Cinemax wednesday show example
9. Action Point 1
   1. Ask questions, keep taking regular reports
10. Action Point 2
    1. Vruddha Sanyog
    2. You should have Emergency dial contact list (friends/mentors/advisors/elders)
11. Action Point 3
    1. Learn, implement -> My knowledge
    2. Keep learning
    3. Study 1 hour every day
12. Book: Read book called “It happened in India” by Kishore Biyani. Link is here.
13. Pillar 1: Leader- Interview with N. R. Narayana Murthy, Infosys

Part 3: Pillar 2 – Amatya (Manager)

1. CCD: Read about Cafe Coffee Day story.
2. What is Management?
   1. Book: Read this book called “Steven Covey – 7 Habits of highly effective people”. The link is here.
3. Difference between Management and Leadership?
   1. Management is about climbing the ladder fast.
   2. Leadership is about making sure ladder is on correct wall 🙂
4. Movie: Lagaan – one of the best movie to learn management
5. Means of starting undertakings
6. Excellence of men and materials
7. Deciding suitable place and time.
8. Provision against failures
9. Accomplishment of the work
10. Mahindra Harvard Centre: read about it
11. You can delegate work but can’t be responsible ?
12. Ownership and Manager are two different things
13. Qualities of good Amatya – Manager
    1. Desire to learn
    2. Retention (ability to apply knowledge when required)
    3. Thorough understanding
    4. Intentness on truth
    5. Ability to lead an army
14. Leader is not the one who creates followers. Leader is the one who creates more leaders.
15. Sweet in speech (bridge between management and staff)
16. Movie: Watch movie Bahubali
17. Selection of people: Freshers vs Experienced?
18. Appointment of Freshers/Trainees:
    1. Trainable
    2. Effective listener
    3. Ability to reflect
    4. Ability to reject false views
    5. Intentness on truth not on any person
19. Appointment of Experienced:
    1. Technical competence in his field
    2. Intelligence, perseverance and dexterity
    3. Eloquence, boldness and presence of mind
    4. Ability to bear troubles during emergencies
    5. Upright, friendly, firmness or devotion in dealing with others
    6. Strength of characters
20. Why there is need of a manager?
    1. One wheel alone does not turn 🙂
21. Action Point -1
    1. Carry out task assigned with special zest
22. Action Point -2
    1. Obey the orders of one who proposes what is beneficial to all
23. Action Point -3
    1. Should bear every urgent matter, not put it off
    2. Listen and take quick decisions
24. You have to let go of power to “Inspire” others.
25. Pillar 2: Amatya- Interview with Dr. Santrupt Misra, Aditya Birla Group

Part 4: Pillar 3 – Janapada (Market/Customers)

1. Are you representative of your company?
2. Strong position in center and frontiers
3. Capable of sustaining in time of distress
4. Easy to protect
5. Providing excellent means of livelihood (cash flow)
6. Capable of bearing taxes and fines
7. Targeting your customer
8. Pillar 3: Janapada- Interview with Vinita Bali, Britannia Industries Ltd

Day 2 – 20 Sep 2015 @ MET, Bandra

1. “Chanak ka putra Chanakya”
2. Now Takshashila is in Pakistan
3. “Me kisike rakta ka pyasa nahi hun” – Don’t make it personal agenda, make it like national agenda.
4. Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel: modern chanakya
5. “Aadhyatmik Shakti” helps aways. Even in very critical timing. Ask yourself, is it a spiritual decision?
6. Failure vs Defeat
   1. Failure at the first stage should not be treated as defeat.
   2. “Aachaar”/Pickle example: You have to JUST taste the failure.
   3. Fail early and fail fast and success is faster.
7. Nanabhoy “Nani” Ardeshir Palkhivala: read his biography
8. The ability to Zoom in and zoom out: helicopter view
9. RBI is not part of Govt. of India
10. “Mahabharata” : best leadership lesson after war where Bhishmapitamaha, Yudhishtira and Krishnadiscussing
11. Movie: Watch Baby movie
12. Attrition to be controlled is the strong marketing strategy
13. Tata in 1850 had so many good policies like babysitting, minimum wages, etc.
14. Are you a teacher ? or just a Business Leader?
15. Education your customers, product will get sold automatically and will get more business.
16. Focus on markets that are cost-effective.
17. Large profit and get a special advantage…. 🙂
18. McDonald’s -> dignity of labor
19. Take client’s extra time after the meeting is over, become friend, special advantage, don’t forget the deal
20. Better to enter a market you know well than which requires research.
    1. The shortcut is the longest way to success
    2. Don’t experiment with your core business. Take calculated risks
21. Know the key people in your market
    1. Establish contacts with forest chieftains, frontier-chiefs, chief officials in the cities and the countryside
    2. Build a relationship, corruption will stop
    3. Make people ready first. The right people should be there.
22. Action Point -1
    1. Focus on satisfied customers and complete your current inquiries before you go for new customers
    2. Order for this is:
       1. New client
       2. Carrying out of which is commenced
       3. Improvement of what is being carried out
       4. Excellence in service now
23. Action Point -2
    1. It’s important to know your service from the client’s perspective
    2. Be Ready to tell NO to a customer who may not fulfill your requirement
24. Action Point -3
    1. Maintain a good PR/CRM with your customers (be in touch with them regularly)
    2. Top of the mind you’re in business. Out of mind, you lose business.
25. Visit old clients. Business multiplies 3x
26. People will die one day. The money will come and go. But work for the nation should go on and on.

Part 5: Pillar 4 – Durg (Infrastructure)

1. Workplace should be charming and peaceful
2. Beneficial to men (employees and self)
3. Right lighting and right paint improves production, reduces depression
4. Make people comfortable first and productivity follows
5. Staff devoted to work. People should be interested in really working.
6. That Bhakti should come. Work is worship.
7. Men loyal and honest.
8. Genetic Imprinting
   1. Inspiring work
   2. Invoice / picnic photos
9. Collaboration
   1. Mark workspace
   2. Village construct
   3. conference rooms, cafe
10. Ask people their favorite quotes
11. Right information
    1. Keep record of all transactions
    2. Make right policies
12. Action Point -1
    1. HR Head and CFO should be in one place, should be trustworthy
    2. Centralize your information system and the key person
13. Action Point -2
    1. Keep your eyes and ears open about yourself
    2. PM Security by SPG (special protection group) example
    3. Internal and external threat
    4. Have digital security
14. Action Point -3
    1. Give visitors gifts
    2. Give your key people also gifts
    3. Good valuable books
15. Pillar 4: Durg- Interview with Subroto Bagchi, MindTree

Part 6: Pillar 5 – Kosh (Finance)

1. Strong and well-managed treasury is the heart of any organization
2. The money conscious & not money minded.
3. Clear conscience is the softest pillow.
4. Acquired lawfully by ancestor and oneself (expand)
5. One that can withstand calamity (Insurance)
6. One even when there is no income for a long time.

Guest Speaker: Vinod Bhanushali , VP, T-Series

1. Start early
2. Make sure you don’t get into bad habits
3. How to have next level of leadership?
4. Stay focused.

Kosh.. continued…

1. Do your calculations first.
2. Do look to the treasury first.
3. Make a business plan before asking funding 🙂
4. 4 stages of wealth
   1. Wealth identification
   2. Wealth creation
   3. Wealth management
   4. Wealth distribution
5. Be ever active
6. The root of wealth is economic activity
7. Lazy people will lose money
8. Without an active policy, both current prosperity and future gains are destroyed.
9. IDEAS + GOOD business Plan = Funding 🙂

Guest Speaker: Mr. Vijay Paradkar, Mahindra and Mahindra

1. Transparency
2. Simplicity
3. Consistency

Kosh.. continued…

1. Macro and Micro accounts system
2. Action Point -1
   1. Wealth will slip away from the foolish person
   2. Capable men will certainly secure wealth at least after a hundred trails
   3. Start your work right now – do not wait for a mahurat.
3. Action Point -2
   1. Check the INCOME and EXPENSE with following parameters:
      1. Period, Place, Time, Head, Source, Bringing Forward, Quantity, Payer/paid, Person, Causing Payments to be made.
4. Action Point -3
   1. Check accounts for each day, a week, fortnight, month, four months and a year
   2. Read J.R.D TATA about making notes.
5. Pillar 5: Kosh- Interview with Raamdeo Agrawal, Motilal Oswal Group

Part 7: Pillar 6 – Danda (Team)

1. Obedient
2. Not disappointed during marches
3. Able to put up with troubles
4. Has fought many battles (experience)
5. Skilled in war and weapons
6. No separate interest (no side commissions)
7. Train your staff with experts – accept the teacher
8. Army and treasury are the keys for a king
9. Discipline with your people
   1. The king just with the rod is honored
   2. Justice delayed is justice denied
   3. Guitar chord example. Little tension is good. Too much tension will lead to stress. Too less tension with lead to laziness.
10. Darr Ke Aage Jeet Hai!
11. Fear is imp. Fear is a tool.
12. Action Point -1
    1. If the employee misses the time, complete the work through another
    2. Have a backup for every key person in your organization to complete the work in time.
    3. It’s better to have brain drain rather get the brain in drain 🙂
13. Action Point -2
    1. Plan and study well before you send your army to attack.
    2. Salary and designation should be based on results produced
14. Effective communication
15. Leading from the front
16. Role Clarity
17. Appreciation / recognition
18. Core values
19. Unwavering investment in people
20. Pillar 6: Danda- Interview with D. Sivanandhan, Mumbai Police Commissioner

Part 8: Pillar 7 – Mitra (The ally)

1. A friend in need, is a friend indeed.
2. 1+1 is more than 2. Synergy.
3. Never fight a battle alone.
4. Allied from days of father /grandfather
5. Under control (not spending)
6. Not having separate interest
7. Able to mobilise quickly
8. Consultant and start
   1. Take second decision
   2. Sit and counsel with an expert
   3. Listen to everyone. Don’t say no but do what you feel is best.
   4. Partner with those having strengths
9. Action Point -1
   1. Take a decision only after consulting even if it is an urgent matter
10. Action Point -2
    1. Keep the information of your key projects only with you (or most required people)
11. Action Point -3
    1. Do not think too much. Act on it. Benefit before opportunity and time goes away.

Awesome. You read it all? Wow.

Thank you so much you awesome reader!

@Kailash

Image Credits: easyhometutor