“Recession gives you time to think,” says Radhakrishna Pillai

Pillai is also the founder-director of Chanakya Institute of Public Leadership. During his presentation, he emphasised on the virtue of Chanakya, the Indian teacher, philosopher and royal advisor of the first Maurya emperor, Chandragupta, and his management ideas.

Why is it that recession is seen as bad? There have been recessions since the first one in 1921. But since then, and regardless of the recession, the world has progressed economically and technologically.  Economies have expanded, countries have progressed and become richer, industries have flourished, become larger and wealthier. “The supposed recession has given time for everyone to think, think out-of-the box, and progress,” said Pillai.

During the course of his presentation, Pillai also discussed the “theory of warfare” and Aanveekshikee, the “science of strategic thinking”. Strategic thinking is a process which involves top management and its senior officers to create a picture of what the organisation wants to become. It is this powerful future profile that will drive the direction, nature and composition of the business. “What works for one country or business may not work for another likewise, take strategic decision when time comes,” said Pillai. “And most of all, predict to create the next vision. Take one idea, execute it, make it successful,” he said.

Pillai shared the five mantras of management, which Chanakya encapsulated in a single sentence. “Start alone but don’t end alone, utilise excellent men and resource, decide suitable place and time, make provision for failure and accomplish all work,” he concluded.