Founders and Culture
The Sunday New York Times recently had an article (6/15/08 by Anand Giridharadas) about a founder and his company – Mr. Mukesh D. Ambani and Reliance Industries. It is an epic story about a man’s drive, inherited from his Father to make a living for his family that evolved into something bigger - ”a revolutionary thinker with bold ideas for what India ought to become” – a visionary who is now the richest man in India – a second-generation billionaire.
The fun part for me in reading this in-depth article was to tie all the personal stories, company myths and the author’s insights into a simple picture of the Reliance Industries corporate culture. As I finished developing my list of values, it looked very similar to some of the pioneering American-based companies that we have worked with over the years, but with clearly the feel of India. Some examples are - Mr. Ambani’s early childhood living in Mumbai’s “chawls” or tenements instilling in him the “combative mentality of an outsider.” – and his Father’s early ventures in the yarn trade business requiring a “special canniness…or creative maneuvering around the bureaucracy,” due to regulations of a socialist-leaning government.
So if you have the chance, read this article about Mr. Mukesh Ambani and share with me what you think are the corporate culture values driving how his company Reliance Industries does business.
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