Uday Salunkhe: The Mantra for Reaching the Peak and Staying there

"4 Ps of Climbing and Managing: Plan, Prudence, Patience, Perseverance" The first P is having a plan, which means doing one’s homework and being prepared. An expedition to Mount Everest may take up to two years of planning. So you can have an appetite for adversity, but be prepared with an actionable plan not only to set up a Business and run it successfully but also to counter the adversities that may arise in your path from time to time. Always keep it in mind that a mountaineer has to be physically fit and psychologically completely focused to climb any mountain. However, the qualities that are required to climb a mountain like the Everest may be quite different from those required to climb a lesser peak in the Rockies. Today’s Managers should pay attention to their physical Fitness and must be emotionally, spiritually balanced to cope up with the constantly changing demands of the hectic workspace. They must learn to choose the correct (not necessarily the best) equipment and other resources, understand how to navigate through opposable team mates , handle ‘first-aid’ procedures in emergency and manage to reach the top, just like a mountaineer. The second P is prudence. It is important to know one’s own limits and be able to recognise the limits of others. Many problems arise when people push themselves too far. Always be aware of the possible risks and hazards on a mountain, and knowledge and experience will go a long way in helping reduce them. Similarly study the risks of the markets, the risks of investments, and apply your knowledge so that one is able minimize those risks. The third P is patience. If the going gets bad on the mountain, a mountaineer will wait, and make his moves when atmosphere clears itself. One have to sit and wait through tough times like market upsets, socio-political turmoil, natural and manmade calamities. However fit and emotionally stable a mountaineer is, there is always the risk of getting disoriented at the sign of a calamity at high altitudes. Always remember that when the going gets tough, the tough get going, but at the right time and opportunity. The fourth P is perseverance "All great masters are chiefly distinguished by the power of adding a second, a third, and perhaps a fourth step in a continuous line. Many a man has taken the first step. With every additional step you enhance immensely the value of your first." Ralph Waldo Emerson The mountaineer who is caught in a tight spot and may be hanging on to dear life, thinking that he cannot hang on to it anymore and has to let go. But he never gives up and that is just the moment of truth when the tide turns in his favor. Successful Managers never give up, they may take a breather, come down to a lower altitude to acclimatize but they never quit. Always know that whether it is Business or Adventure, it is not one long race but many short races, one after the other. Authored by: Prof. Dr Uday Salunkhe Group Director Welingkar Institute of Management Research and Development  An educationist with the qualities of a Leader, his vision and result orientation have been the guiding force in making Welingkar a name to reckon with, not only in India but also globally. Prof. Dr. Uday Salunkhe, a Mechanical Engineer with a Management Degree in “Operations” pursued his Doctorate in “Turnaround Strategies”. He has a rich corporate experience of 12 years, which includes his tenure with Mahindra & Mahindra, ISPL and other companies.