Chapter 19. Ten Tips from Chanakya, the World’s First Management Guru
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India is a country steeped in spirituality, which has answers to all aspects of life. Indians are resilient and have a “can do” attitude because they have had inspiring leaders throughout the generations. One such leader lived from 350 to 275 B.C. and his teachings make sense for the business world today. This person was Chanakya.
Chanakya wasn’t just the advisor to a king, he was actually a king maker. He was a religious scholar, economics wizard, and military strategist, all rolled into one. His military, political, and economic strategies succeeded in fashioning the first nation in the world’s history, cobbling together many little kingdoms under one powerful umbrella, thus laying the foundation for the emerging India.
In keeping with the modern management trend of looking back to look forward, Chanakya’s master work, the Arthasasthra (which can be translated as the “science of material gain or profit”) is on par with The Art of War and other such works of ancient military and political wisdom. Although centuries old, the Arthasasthra can be adapted to offer insight on corporate survival in the 21st century.
In this chapter, I share Chanakya’s wisdom on management matters with you.
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