Book Recco: Half - Lion: How P.V Narasimha Rao Transformed India

Not much is known about this former PM of India in spite of being the first Non Nehru Gandhi family member to complete a full five years as PM. Hence, I was curious to read this book and finished it wiser.

This is the story of a true blue Congressi, Nehru Gandhi Loyalist who was made Andhra CM and then PM for the same reason - his perceived weakness and lack of vote base. While Manmohan Singh is popularly perceived as the Finance Minister who liberalized India, this book paints a picture of how PM Rao plotted and enabled all of that. How he deftly planned and maneuvered his party the opposition and the country is detailed.

The book has an interesting chapter structure chronologically followed by specific chapters on important topics. This focus helps ease of understanding as a simple chronological narrative may have been tougher to grasp. Topics covered include the demolition of the Babri Masjid, Managing Sonia Gandhi, Nuclear Policy and his foreign policy

Check Half - Lion: How P.V Narasimha Rao Transformed India out on Amazon

Book Recco: Maverick: The Success Story Behind the World's Most Unusual Workplace

This Auto-biographical book details the various transformational initiatives by a second generation Brazilian entrepreneur Ricardo Semler. This helped Semco become a Great Place to Work and of course employee happiness and profits multiplied. 

If you are a leader in an organisation, you will find this book thought provoking. This book is more than 20 years old and was probably much ahead of it's time, but is relevant event today.

This company

- Reduced hierarchy

- Shared profits with it's employees

- Allowed flexible work times even in a factory setting, (imagine the reasons you have heard or thought for not allowing this in your workplace!)

- Resiliently weathered many national inflationary phases and economic downturns

- Allowed employees to democratically decide almost everything from production goals to office architecture to even salaries and hiring their bosses

- Employees gave feedback on their bosses twice a year and their managers had to meet a certain level

- Enabled their employees to become entrepreneurs by setting up 'satellite' companies that then  supplied to the parent company

- The author also shares how he transformed from a workaholic to almost completely working from home and spent lesser time 'directing' his company

Check out Maverick: The Success Story Behind the World's Most Unusual Workplace on Amazon

News7tamil Interview about Bhumi #PhoenixManithargal

 Full interview about the work we do at Bhumi, broadcast on News7Tamil on Jan 2 in the programme Phoenix Manithargal