If a nation is a chariot, business is the wheel, and people – the spokes. If one flounders, all do.
Such a system works effortlessly and sustainably when fuelled with learning and trust, and driven by able charioteers. As the chariot moves, the charioteers identify and train from among the spokes to take their place in the future, and the gap thus created is filled in by newer spokes.
‘The Learning Factory: How the Leaders of Tata Became Nation Builders’ is a collection of anecdotal stories by Arun Maira, who, as part of Tata Administrative Services, served the group for 25 years in various capacities. The book offers insights into the ‘Tata way of working’, the process of how the company came to build itself a name, and the reasons why it still widely enjoys that reputation, even overseas – that of a trustworthy nation builder.
The author, Arun Maira, is someone who needs no introduction. Born in 1943, Mr. Maira completed his education from Delhi University and went on to have an illustrious career, spanning over five decades. A Management Consultant, he has worked across the board with Industry, Government as well as Academia. Boston Consulting Group, Arthur D. Little, Hero MotoCorp and Godrej are some of the well-known names from Industry (other than the Tata Group) where he held important positions and led pivotal missions. In 2009, he was also appointed to serve as a member of the erstwhile Planning Commission of India, to strategize industrialization and urbanization in the country. Having written extensively on leadership and organisation, some of the books he has authored include ‘Remaking India’, ‘Transforming Capitalism’ and ‘Discordant Democrats’. With each of his books, Mr. Maira has captured and condensed the diverse and vast amount of experience he has into simple take-aways for the readers to benefit from.
The book in discussion, ‘The Learning Factory: How the Leaders of Tata Became Nation Builders’ was published in October 2020 by Penguin Viking, and is suitable to be read by anyone with a basic interest in business or curiosity about the Tata Group. It does not require any specific domain knowledge and can be read cover to cover in a handful of sittings. While not a historical account of the Tata Group, the book, as the name suggests, follows the foundation and growth – in terms of values and principles – of one of the biggest industrial conglomerates of the country, and how in turn, it sparked the economical and aspirational growth of the country. The author maintains that Tata Group is about values and not valuations, and the claims come to life with the stories told in simple and lucid language throughout the book.
To give a brief overview, since its very inception, the Tata group – a company that touches the lives of millions around the world with its products and services on a daily basis – placed emphasis on visionary, value-driven leadership which insisted on measuring business performance by the value it provided to society. Consequently, this paid off and helped establish and nurture its numerous value-based institutions, cementing its place in the annals of industry and the minds of the general public. It is, in fact, public knowledge the amount of respect the Tata Group and its founders and leaders command not just in India but also outside the country.
The stories in the book share several accounts that demonstrate comfortably that profitability and sustainability go hand in hand, as does learning and growth. A business can be viable without having to cut back on one’s principles and standards, and this, in fact, must form the bedrock of running any business. These stories give a first-hand view of the thought process and decision-making of the leaders of the Tata Group that one may learn from and leverage, both in their personal lives and professional careers. At the crossroads that the world currently finds itself in, this book and its stories put forward the maxim ‘Means matter as much as the ends’, and shall continue to stay relevant for years to come.
To sum up, the book, ‘The Learning Factory: How the Leaders of Tata Became Nation Builders’ by Arun Maira, therefore, must find itself a space in every book lover’s bookshelf, especially those who enjoy reading about Business, Entrepreneurship and Strategy. Students, professionals and academicians alike shall find that there’s a lot to learn and teach from the book, not just in aspects of business and ethics, but also as lessons that can be imbibed in our day-to-day lives.
By Vishaal Pathak
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