Dhirubhai Ambani, founder of the Reliance Industries, was no ordinary leader. He was a man who gave management a whole new “ism”.

There is a new “ism” that I’ve been meaning to add to the vast world of words for quite a while now. Because, without exaggeration, it’s a word for which no synonym can do full justice: “Dhirubhaism”.

1. Dhirubhaism No 1: Roll up your sleeves and help.
2. Dhirubhaism No 2: Be a safety net for your team.
3. Dhirubhaism No 3: The silent benefactor. This was another of his remarkable traits. When he helped someone, he never ever breathed a word about it to anyone else. There have been none among us who haven’t known his kindness, yet he never went around broadcasting it.
4. Dhirubhaism No 4: Dream big, but dream with your eyes open.
5. Dhirubhaism No 5: Leave the professional alone! no supervision, no policing. In fact, the only direction that he gave me, just once, was this: “Produce your best.
6. Dhirubhaism No 6: Change your orbit, constantly!
7. Dhirubhaism No 7: The arm-around-the-shoulder leader. He would instantly put his arm around people & proceed to discuss the issues at hand as we walked. With that one simple gesture, he managed to achieve many things.
8. Dhirubhaism No 8: The Dhirubhai theory of Supply creating Demand. He was not an MBA. Nor an economist. But yet he took traditional market theory and stood it on its head. And succeeded.
9. Dhirubhaism No 9: Money is not a product by itself, it is a by-product, so don’t chase it.

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