Seven Management Lessons by Baba Ramdev

It is not necessary that you agree to these observations. However if we go through the sequence of the events, we may find truth in the lessons imparted by Baba without even his knowing that he is indirectly teaching some Management lessons that  no other school will be in a position to impart.

You may take this only as academic interest and need not think of a controversy of the subject.

Regards…

1. Know your skill set

Ramdev assumed that skills required for teaching yoga and becoming the political leader is the same He thought that skill sets are transferable.

Many professionals make the same mistake. They assume that if they are enormously successful in one area, they will automatically succeed in other areas.

Great sports players lose everything when they try their hand in business. Salil Ankola, a promising speedster from Mumbai Ranji team was a flop in films. Amitabh Bachhan was a flop in politics.

2. Don't take people for granted.

Baba Ramdev assumed that his followers would follow him blindly. People became his followers because of his expertise and knowledge on Yoga. Once he became a loose cannon and started threatening violence etc. the followers ditched him. Moreover, people supported his anti-corruption agenda because of being anti-government rather than pro Ramdev.

Most of the corporate failures occur because either customers /clients or employees/employer are taken for granted

3. Know the motives of your friend and enemies.

Baba Ramdev thought that the government was scared of him that is why senior ministers were courting him. The government was trying to prop him to divide the civil society and weaken their movement. Once the government realized that Baba Ramdev was not following the script they immediately cut him down to size.

People overestimate their impact when they are approached by powerful

people/lobby without realizing their motives.

4. Differentiate between perception and reality

The image of Baba Ramdev as all powerful was created by the media. He started believing in this unreal image lionized by the media and thought that he can get away with anything. When the media turned its back and went on destroying his image, Baba Ramdev appeared to cut a sorry picture defending himself from their probing questions.

In corporate life too, the sycophants create the unreal image about a leader which the leader starts believing in.

5. When the going gets tough the tough gets going

 All of Baba Ramdev blusters, challenges and claims were dissolved when he was caught in camera fleeing wearing ladies clothes with women followers as shield while his followers were being beaten and harassed by Police.

This one moment will haunt Baba Ramdev perpetually. If Baba Ramdev had protested and got arrested protecting his followers he would have come out one up on the government garnering all the sympathy and support even from his non-followers

Actions speaks louder than the words and the real person emerges when the mask is broken during the crisis/high pressure

6. First Introspect and then point fingers at others

Baba Ramdev demanded transparency and anti corruption laws against black money but could not give information about his own sources of funds.

On asked pointed questions on the ownership of the companies and their

accounts he and his team did not answer directly and side stepped the issue.

People living in glass-houses should not throw stones.

7. Don't follow brinkmanship strategy when in doubt or without backup

Baba Ramdev tried to garner support and goodwill by going on a fast without any clarity and as an amend to his previous goof ups. He thought he could create a mass hysteria, building pressure on the government. Government indifference and non- response forced him to break the fast in a whimper.

Many times by threatening to resign, executives try to create the pressure on their bosses but if the boss remains unmoved or challenges the executive to resign - the brinkmanship blows up in the face.