Why should Entrepreneurs Learn Lessons from Mahatma Gandhi

There is no need to introduction about the Father of Nation (India) Mahatma Gandhi as he is the household name around the globe. It is possible some one doesn’t know the name of Prime Minster but he too knows the name of Mahatma Gandhi alias Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Today (2nd October) is the Birth anniversary of the great leader , social worker, Humanitarian. This article is dedicated to Gandhi Jayanti.

Why should Entrepreneurs Learn Lessons from Mahatma Gandhi

An entrepreneur is the leader of a team which makes him a role model. He inspires his team mates to do work efficiently and effectively and motivates him to achieve his goals. And when it comes to define leadership, no other name could match up Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation and probably the finest leader in the Indian history we’ll ever see. And if you want to become a successful entrepreneur, follow these 6 lessons from the life of great leader Mahatma Gandhi.

A. Always Act

“Have a bias towards action – let’s see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away.”

Gandhiji was different from other freedom leaders because he did not only have a plan, but he put them in action, whether his peers agreed or not. Ganhiji’s action began with his own life — from weaving the cloth he wore, to walking to the sea to make salt, to facing physical injury in lathi charges by the police. His direct actions influenced and inspired millons of others

An entrepreneur should believe that tomorrow never comes, any progress to be made, must be made today. If you don’t act now, you don’t have a future, just a longer today. Gandhi said, “The future depends on what we do in the present.”

B. Truth

“Truth is by nature self-evident. As soon as you remove the cobwebs of ignorance that surround it, it shines clear.”

Gandhiji idolized King Harishchandra throughout his life. He was a preacher of truth. He always believed that even if he loses something while practicing truth, in reality, he is not losing anything. This helped him keep his conscience clear in his journey. An entrepreneur, likewise, needs to take care of the truthfulness in his venture. He should not make false claims, spread rumors about his idea and also should not encourage his team members with shallow promises. He must stick to truth and encourage his team to do the same.

C. Faith

“Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.”

Gandhiji did not know whether people will follow him, have confidence in him or whether the British Government will accept his proposals. He just had an utter faith in himself. He was always drawn by his conscience which guided him throughout until India’s independence. He believed in his ideas and concepts and had total faith in them. And that is why he succeeded.

Likewise, an entrepreneur should have total confidence in his abilities. At the same time, he should be willing to admit his shortcomings and try to overcome them. He should work to build a team that can complement his skills. Faith in himself and his team is certainly one of the most important traits for an entrepreneur. In short, your beliefs will create your destiny.

D. Self-Control

“To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.”

Gandhiji always believed in fasting, which was not only for food, but also for self control. Modern psychology believes in expressing to realize the full potential, but there are principles saying that we should have self control so as to limit the lower the animal qualities within us.

For entrepreneurs, it is extremely important. Many times, entrepreneurs have to bootstrap their business. Self control in expenditure, keeping away from luxurious life, and careful planning on spending become the need for them.

E. Non-Violence

“Anger is the enemy of non-violence and pride is a monster that swallows it up.”

Gandhiji was a preacher of non-violence and he used this virtue in his struggle for freedom against the British and as the modern world witnessed, he was very successful.

In entrepreneurship too, it can be seen that hurting your competitors could make you pay highly. This strategy could even back-fire your own company. It can also waste your energy in useless pursuits. If you are focused on hurting your competitor, you are spending lesser time building your own venture. So you should practice Gandhiji’s principle of non-violence.

F. Introspection

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

Gandhi always did introspection. When he launched the Khadi movement, he himself used to wear dhoti all the time. He knew that if he did not believe in what he was going to convey, nobody would believe in him or his idea.

Final Words:

Similarly, an entrepreneur needs to continuously introspect as whether he is aligning himself to his thoughts or not. If he wants his team and colleagues to follow the suit, he must do it for himself. Be the example, be the leader. If you lead properly people will follow, and together you will change the world. Entrepreneurship is based on experiments, and the best results can be seen when one experiments with himself for improvement.