V. Srinivasan - New Age Management: Philosophy from Ancient India

About the Book

Though management as a practice is very old, as a subject it has evolved in a big way only in the last fifty years. Today, there are a number of management gurus who have extensively studied this subject and evolved a number of theories relating to it. However, we do not find many ancient books that have codified thoughts pertaining to management. The Thirukural is an exception, despite being two thousand years old. Considered the Tamil Veda, the Thirukural is a treatise on the art of living. Its eternal and universal appeal lies in its secular character, clarity of thought, depth of understanding and penetrating insights into the fundamentals of human thought and behaviour. In this book, the author gives examples from his varied global experiences and explains how he has drawn inspiration from the Thirukural to deal with everyday business situations. In what is a fascinating analysis, the author also shows how the thoughts of contemporary management gurus compare with the timeless wisdom contained in the Thirukural. The book is an indispensable guide for managers, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, students of management and those who aspire to be leaders.

About the Author

V. Srinivasan is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of 3i Infotech Ltd. Within a span of just six years, he has turned 3i infotech into a global technology company with 2500 employees in forty countries across five continents. Having travelled widely around the world, he has a deep understanding of global business issues. He has also been on the board of several companies. Srinivasan combines a comprehensive mix of academic qualifications and professional experience. He is a graduate in mathematics from Madras University and secured the first rank in the university. Apart from being a rank holder in the chartered accountancy examination, he is also a qualified cost accountant and a company secretary. He has also attended the executive development programme at the Kellogg School of Management in Chicago, US, meant for aspiring top executives.

NEW AGE
MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY
from ANCIENT INDIAN WISDOM

ROLI BOOKS

This digital edition published in 2014

First published in 2006 by
The Lotus Collection
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Copyright V. Srinivasan 2006

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Cover design: Nitisha Mehta

eISBN: 978-93-5194-014-2

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CONTENTS

Planning a venture: Aspects considered essential

Planning as contemplated in the Thirukural

Deliberation before action

Judgement of strength

Choosing the appropriate time

Judgement of place

Choosing the right people

Chief executive officer (CEO)

Chief operating officer (COO) and vice presidents (ministers)

Sales executives (ambassadors)

Selection of people for other positions

Key aspects

Supplementary aspects relating to conduct of affairs

Management information system

The service of intelligence

Qualifications of a leader (prince)

Learning and listening

Understanding

Abstention from sloth

Self-control

Ability to handle defeat

Abstaining from anger

Eloquence

Inferring body language

Judging ones audience

Consistency raises credibility

Trust hard-won but easily lost

Living the values

Truthfulness

Mercy earns loyalty

Acknowledgements

I dedicate this book to my father N. Venkatraman, chartered accountant, with whom I worked for the first three years of my career as a chartered accountant. He taught me the following extremely valuable management and leadership mantras, which help me even today: