Management Lessons we need to learn today from Mahatma Gandhi :

Independence is a hard earned state. And getting the entire subcontinent independent from a being a British Colony is for sure the most difficult and near impossible task we could dream of. Our emotional outbursts and immense affection towards the nation usually makes us violent and aggressive. But aggression is short lived state and perseverance is a state which stays for very long time. Mahatma Gandhi was the man who led the people, organized them from a mob to a movement and made the colony become world’s greatest democracy. We all know Gandhi as the national hero but there is more than independence that the Mahatma made us learn and follow. On this Gandhi Jayanti let us commemorate the Management Lessons we must learn from the life of the Father of the Nation.

1. Self Dependence is the pre-requisite to Independence:

Today most of the youth seeks independence. Youth sees guidance as slavery and wishes to soar freely and do whatever they wish to. But it is important to observe that the real independence can be attained only after self dependence. Freedom can be demanded by a kite but the moment the strings are snapped it swings to nowhere. So before we demand for getting the strings cut we should also make sure that post independence we have ample resources to get soaring. Numerous professionals look forward for starting their own ventures and becoming independent. But more than independence the sufficiency of their own resources matters. By own resources it is not meant that we need to have monetary amplitude etc. Rather, it means we must ensure emotional stability, inner strength to contain and learn from intermediary failures, perseverance in efforts even if negative opinions are all around and constant eye on the goals.

2. Monetary resources doesn’t make much difference:

Gandhi ji didn’t put lot of money into the movement. It was a basic movement driven my minimum monetary resources. It is all about connecting with the people through the right channel, designing the movement so that it fits into the operational ability of everyone and leading them to a common goal. Had the Gandhian Movement of independence been a violent one, most of the people would have not chosen to join it owing to family constraints, self inability or other factors. Gandhiji not only believed in non violence but also designed the movement such that everyone can easily join it. The movement neither needed money nor physical strength. Rather,the present emotional strength was a sufficient eligibility for the movement. This strength was with everyone and that made the movement successful. As a leader we must understand that for realizing a vision money is never a constraint. Their are always ways to achieve the goals through will power and through getting the ideas executed through the existing strength of our people.

3. Customer is the king:

Very few of us know that Mahatma Gandhi pioneered the idea of Consumerism in India. He said that customer is the ultimate goal of any business organization. Whatever is being done by the businesses will turn useless if it has no customers. He said that a customer should never be treated as a disturbance in business operations rather he should be treated as a god. He gave the ideas of customer delight and need of customizing the products and services as per the requirement and feedback of customers.

In a speech in South Africa in 1890 Mahatma Gandhi said this:

“A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption of our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider of our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to do so.” Surely this the most relevant management lesson on customer relations.

4. Educating your people is the pre-requisite to meeting the objectives:

Gandhiji correctly educated the people and linked the personal goals of people with common goal of nation’s independence. We can never assume our people to be knowing everything. Rather, it is our responsibility and prime duty to make them understand the relevance of goals. We must take the challenge to ensure that our people understand the need and importance of the goals that we have set. The achievement of set vision must be fruitful for everyone and each one must relate some or the other benefits into their very personal lives. We must guide them and help them establishing a logical and honest relationship between the organizational goals and their personal goals. Only then we can get their emotional support.

5. Overcome the negativity:

Whatever you may do, there will be people to find faults. Gandhiji said, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight with you, then you win”. There will be a constant negativity in and around you. There will always be an inner conflict stopping you from moving ahead. Their will always be everyone to laugh at you. Never stop. Always keep the reasons to move ahead clear in your mind. Pulling yourself backwards is easier. Quitting what you thought once is an easy move. But at the same time it doesn’t yield anything. One must be clear in our goals and always be positive about them.

6. Leading by example:

Gandhiji’s life itself was an example for everyone he led. His simple living, way of solving the problems, never retreating nature, perseverance, empathy towards everyone and every other attribute we relate with him and what he always advocated was not only words. He lived the life of examples. We find his teachings in his life.

There is a lot which can be shared further. Mahatma Gandhi and his thoughts are always and will always be reflected in all the actions we take towards the development of our beloved Nation.

Jai Hind !!!