Summary: On the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, when the birth of Lord Ganesha is celebrated, Anirudh Gupta shares five business lessons entrepreneurs can learn from the deity.

Markets and mythology may seem miles apart at first glance, but there are in fact several business lessons entrepreneurs can learn from the much loved and revered deity – Lord Ganesha.

1. Think about the big picture
Lord Ganesha has a large head which helps him to think ahead and build solutions for potential problems.

One of the lessons for an entrepreneur is to think about the big picture. It helps to unravel trends ahead of time and make changes while the going is good. For example, if the demand patterns in your business are changing and the product mix needs to be altered dramatically, a proactive approach helps to stay ahead of the curve. My experience is that when we try to stay ahead of the curve, then we are at the curve.

2. Be discerning
Ganesha has a discerning eye. It helps to know the core of the problem faster and build solutions accordingly. As an entrepreneur one needs to be very careful while taking major resource allocation decisions and strive to strengthen the enterprise. A discerning eye is especially required to see through fancy ideas which are not grounded in reality. Such an approach helps to grow the business.

3. Build a mastermind group
Ganesha has a large trunk which helps him to cool off during hot weather.

Similarly, as a businessperson one needs to have a peer group which helps to cool off (or rather sound off) supposedly bright ideas that many not actually be viable. This prevents a lot of mistakes and helps to scale up smartly over a period of time.

4. Develop a strong mind
In business we live in a ‘vuca’ (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) world. This can reduce the size and scope of opportunity dramatically in the short term. However, if you have a strong mind like Lord Ganesha you can truly achieve your potential as a businessperson.

5. Enjoy the fruits of your investments
Ganesha is fond of eating modaks (Indian sweet). In the business context it implies a profits-first approach which is paying yourself first and focusing on activities which create a payoff. It is important to reap benefits along the journey as that helps to stay motivated. One of our clients keeps 60% profit in the business and 40% is ploughed out for profit sharing as a policy. This helps him to build wealth outside the business which helps to infuse capital at different points of time, thus building business stability.

May Lord Ganesha shower his wisdom upon us and inspire us to achieve our business goals smoothly.

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