Finance and Leadership?

It is funny how money always insinuates itself into any facet of life. Think of it as sordid, think of it as a useful tool, think of it as the holy grail of life...it doesn't matter. No matter what you think of it, no matter how you decide to lead your life, you will find yourself running into the need of dealing with money...or, perhaps, the absence of it.

So, when Tiru talks of leadership (yeah, yeah, of Kings, yes, but if you think that it does not apply to you as a leader, you really do not belong there), money rears its head there as well.

Iyatralum, eettalum, kaatthalum kaattha vagutthalum valladharasu - Tirukkural

A good leader creates avenues for wealth creation, earn wealth, safeguards the wealth and spends it appropriately - Loose Translation

Actually, this one by Tiru covers the gamut of leadership in a way, since money pervades every activity of Society.

One may think of it as crass but, be it governance or corporate leadership, all facets of leadership are related to money. I mean, when you speak of governance these days it IS the economists who hold sway, right? True, you can keep screaming of social justice but, comes elections, one cry of employment- generation or lack thereof is worth a thousand communal or caste slurs. So, there you are. The chap who gets Foreign Direct Investment, who manages to provide the infrastructure and economic environment so that wealth gets generated, who ensures that the wealth so generated stays in the country and who distributes it in such a way that he mitigates poverty...THAT's the great leader. In other words, he has ensured avenues for creating wealth by way of fresh investments, he has ensured the generation of wealth by conducive environment, he has safeguarded the wealth by ensuring that it does not flee the country and he has ensured that it gets spent appropriately for socially relevant purposes.

Talk corporate world and you get to roughly the same needs. To find new products/markets; to ensure that you invest and produce efficiently and effectively; to ensure that your wastage is minimal; and to ensure that you spend wisely on employees, shareholders, reinvestment, statutory needs and community...is that not what management is all about?

So, is Tiru leaving out NGOs? Not really, he is not. NGOs also needs to ensure that they find new donors including tapping foundations for their project; ensure that the donations not only keep flowing in but are also appropriately invested till they are required to be spent; ensure that their money is safe and not frivolously spent; and, finally, that they are spent most effectively for the needs of those who deserve help.

Comes to leadership and management, there are a thousand pieces of advice floating around the world. But if you have space to hold on to just one I think THIS one probably should get first place.