5 powerful business lessons every entrepreneur should learn from Chanakya Niti

An entrepreneur often has to be an all-rounder. Handling multiple tasks all at once is no cakewalk. Managing strategy, resources, leadership, and administration, while still being the ultimate decision-maker, is no joke.

So who better to look up to than Acharya Chanakya, the kingmaker? The very man who trained a penniless boy to become the emperor of the largest empire in Indian history! Here are five lessons to learn from Chanakya Niti if you are running a business.

Keep it secret until it’s permanent

Shh! It’s a secret—until the plan is executed. Ever wondered why magic tricks leave the audience in awe? The secret. Magicians never explain the trick before they perform it, and that’s exactly what keeps it interesting.

Who knows it better than Chanakya? He suggests keeping one’s plan discreet until execution. Read Chapter 2, Verse 7. If you are a startup, keep this lesson close to your heart.

Learning never stops

Learning is a lifelong process. And for entrepreneurs, this is especially important. In Chanakya Niti, Chapter 8, the genius notes how learning is mandatory regardless of whether you are first in line or from a family of entrepreneurs. In Chapter 2, it’s said, “Let not a single day pass without you learning a verse, half a verse, or a fourth of it, or even one letter of it.”

Keep learning, just like Elon Musk and Warren Buffett.

Who you trust is a business decision

Now, you can’t be a one-man army. Entrepreneurship means collaboration. But here’s the catch: who your companion is really matters. Chanakya is quite blunt about it. He thinks the wrong companion is more dangerous than an open enemy. You can see an enemy coming, but a bad confidant drives you into a war front. In Verses 6, 9, and 19 in Chapter 2 of Chanakya Niti, the Acharya describes the consequences of blindly trusting someone.

From the people you hire to the ones in the administration, ensure they have the best intentions for the company.

Act tough when required

Now, whether you are a newbie or a seasoned entrepreneur, there will be occasions when you will have to boss up. There will be hard conversations, whether with your co-workers or stakeholders. In such situations, it is important to act tough. It is also important to stand your ground, obviously with respect.

In Chanakya Niti, Verse 10, Chapter 9, it’s said that even a non-poisonous snake can get away by pretending to be poisonous.

So it is important to act tough and rise to the occasion when required.

Process fear, project courage

When you are running a business, pitfalls are unavoidable. They are also unpredictable. Fear is inborn. Don’t try to fight it; rather, process it. You may have a hundred thoughts about what could go wrong. But how you process them matters. According to Chanakya, one has to tackle fear by attacking and destroying it. “They are fearless who remain always alert,” Chanakya Niti, Chapter 3, says. When fear shows up, Chanakya’s prescription is to lean into it rather than shrink.

Try to examine it and understand what it’s pointing to. Now make the decision. This way, fear becomes data.