JRD Tata

सहवृद्धिक्षयिकत्वादद्वैध्यः..इति दण्डसमपत्। (Kautilya Arthashaastra 6.1.11)

…Not having any misalignment of purpose, owing to prosperity and adversity being shared together (with the king) in the past, this is an excellence of the army.

Kautilya, being a master strategist, was also acutely aware that soldiers cannot be called to fight the enemy, if the army itself is disillusioned about its Leader’s intent. Similarly, the best time for an organization to strengthen its culture is during a difficult market or organizational condition. Anyone can reward and recognize its workforce during a successful run, but the true character of the Leader is seen by his/ her ability to share joys and sorrows!

Incredible as it may seem, JRD Tata created both the Personnel Department and the Departmental Councils way back in 1947. The objective was similar in both cases – that the communication between Management and employees should be regular and sort out all problems. The Leadership vision was to ensure transparency during good times, when business is as usual and during challenging times as well, so that trust remains steady!

In times of adversity such as the present one, how aligned are you with the workforce?