Introduction
The word ‘manage’ comes from the Italian ‘maneggiare’, which means to handle. Thus, we can say that Management is about handling resources and organizing activities in an enterprise, in accordance to certain policies, for achieving the desired output. In other words, basic objective of management is to make people work together to achieve a common goal in the framework of right structure, values, training and development required to perform and respond to the change. Management lessons are not just learning from a classroom. It is also inculcated from books and movies which are reflections of the society and the real world. Watching movies and reading books not only add value for managers but also an interesting way to learn.
Management lessons from movies
All management aspirants think about entrepreneurial ventures. The movie “The Social Network” gives us an insight about Mark Zuckerberg’s small but innovative idea becoming a global phenomenon. It is not only about commencing a start up but making it a grand success. A start up needs capital, management of legal issues and human skills utilization. It’s also about following passion and ultimately leading to excellence, satisfaction, pleasure and exuberance. As a result, today Mark Zuckerberg is the world’s youngest billionaire.
We know that Ethics plays a fundamental role in the world of management and corporate. Every company recruiting a management graduate looks for an ethical person who can create a benchmark for the enterprise. In the movie ‘Shanghai’ we witness how in the backdrop of malicious and power hungry political affairs, a top notch executive can stand astute and ethically play to obliterate the political greed. We celebrate in unison when our protagonist, T. A. Krishnan emerges out as a clear winner.
Movies as a part of Management Education
It is highly interesting that three Bollywood films Manthan, Chak De and Swadesh are now part of curriculum for Rural Management students at Xavier Institute of Management-Bhubaneswar (XIM-B). For example, Swadesh portrays actual problems of rural India and the hardship faced by the poverty stricken ‘aam junta’ (common people) of the society. It also indicated how these basic problems were resolved by institution building and mobilizing people towards achieving a common goal. This new innovative method of pedagogy has not only ensured a great sense of involvement among students but also demonstrated that management is an experimental learning process which can be facilitated by movies.
Management lessons from books
Let us talk about the biggest management guru of all times: Lord Krishna. He was motivator, strategist, decision maker, proactive and diplomat; in a nut shell, he possessed almost all the essential qualities of a good manager. We all have grown up reading India’s most popular epic “Mahabharata”. For instance, during the war between Pandavas and Kauravas, Lord Krishna being non combatant, strategized and prioritized goals for Pandavas ultimately leading them to victory. Pandavas and Kauravas had soldiers and warriors in the ratio of 7:11, but it was the greatest manager of all times who made the difference.
The Arthashastra by Chanakya is regarded as the oldest Indian Management book on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy. This books deals in detail with the qualities and disciplines required by a wise and methodical king, who is analogous to any modern day manager. Several traits of an efficient manager such as intellect and prowess, resolution, truthfulness, enthusiasm, ability to plan and forecast were depicted in the book. Even in today’s corporate environment, the lessons of this book are highly applicable.
Biographies and auto biographies of various successful corporate leaders are also important tools for management learning. These can serve as sources of enlightenment towards various aspects of management. Effective reading can reinforce a manager’s understanding of corporate scenario and help him/ her in decision making. Kishore Biyani, CEO of Future Group, down poured his experience and knowledge in the book ‘It happened in India’. We get to know about how he started from a scratch to the Future Group. He redefined the concept of retail business in India by setting an objective of “capturing every rupee in the wallet of every Indian consumer”. ‘Simply Fly- a Deccan Odyssey’ explores the incredible journey of Capt. Gopinath from quitting NDA to forming Deccan Airlines and rewriting the aviation history. The powers of dreams, the effect of keeping healthy relationship with stakeholders, perseverance are the learning for any young generation manager. An insight into this book actually helps us understand how a business venture grows and about the characteristics of a successful manager who in due course became a stalwart.
Books as a part of Management Education
Some B-Schools have included reading books and book review competitions as a part of the curriculum; this enhances the broadening of outlook of management aspirants and young managers. Book, being an important ingredient for management education is recommended by the professors and dignitaries. Bookish knowledge is required but reading books outside the ambit of curriculum actually aids one management aspirant grow tremendously by developing management skills and people management abilities.
Conclusion
Books and movies are huge sources of information and lessons. These provide essential learning basis of motivation, inspiration, determination, innovation, practicability and what not. For self development, reading illustrious books and watching informative movies are indispensable. Though some B-schools have already modified their curriculum by adding these to the academic programme, more experimentations are required. The catch is to add value and impart knowledge to managers and management aspirants.
-Written along with Abhishek Mukherjee for submission to Torchbearer, official magazine of LBSIM, New Delhi, date 14 July 2012
References
Web Resources:
en.wikipedia.org
slideshare.net
goodreads.com
mouthshut.com
management.about.com
Book Resources:
The Essential Drucker- Peter F Drucker
It happened in India- Dipayan Baishya & Kishore Biyani
Simply Fly: A Deccan Odyssey- Captain G.R. Gopinath
