RELEVANCE: 4.5/5
RESEARCH: 4/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 4/5
Chanakya’s 7 Secrets of Leadership by Radhakrishnan Pillai is the 2nd in the series to his best-seller, Corporate Chanakya.
Though it is claimed to be the continuation of the first book, I did not have any problems following the series’ new book despite not having the read the former (till much later).
Needless to say, especially for those of you who have already read the first one, it is an easy read and surely doubles up as a reference book for someone in the mid-level position of public service.
This short review disclaims in this statement about any final judgement the reviewer would pass about the book – the logical merits that make you get hold of the book far outweigh the limitations you may come across while reading it.
Like its predecessor, this book is certain to find its share of readers in believers of India’s place in contribution towards management principles to the world and its celebrated teacher, the Chanakya
The execution of what was a good idea at the inception may have been cumbersome, but management principles listed and identified can be considered quite comprehensive in the context of targeted categories of organisation.
To summarise Chanakya’s 7 Secrets of Leadership in a few lines –
The book is a case study and analogy of the leadership model set in the police force by Sri. D. Sivanandhan (Retd. Director General of Maharashtra Police) and Chanakya’s teachings. The people involved in the making are amongst the most structured researchers of Chanakya’s, around the globe: your opinion at the end of the book is most likely a reasoned one about both the theoretical & practical aspects of ‘Arthashastra’. Swami, the king, Amatya, the manager/ management, Janpada, the customers, Durg, the infrastructure, Kosha, the Finance. Dand, the Team, Mitra, the Ally/ consultant.
These are the qualities of the above 7 parts that form leadership and each of them (secrets) are disseminated in 3 sub-sections: Description, as in Theory by Chanakya and finally, the Secret in action
What is much more exciting and interesting is the fact the book plans to contribute in its own small way to the benefit of the society, in the sense that the entire proceeds of the author from the book is pledged for the education of policemen’s children.
Apart from objective & scope of the book, coming to the actual contents, the book is replete with real-life accounts, anecdotes, historical accounts, and as they happened in Maharashtra police department, during some of the tensest situations faced by the country.
As acknowledged by the author himself in the preface, Chanakya’s 7 Secrets of Leadership is apter in parts for those pursuing public service and those in such family supporting them.