Hidden Advice For Entrepreneurs In Chanakya Neeti Chanakya's book has advice on diplomacy, domestic understanding, ethics, economics and strategy, which can be used at workplace as well

Chanakya was Chandragupta Maurya's adviser. Till today, Chanakya is considered to be the Machiavelli of India in terms of wit, diplomatic understanding and advice. Chanakya's advice led the great King Maurya to control India in a tactful way. His book Chanakya Neeti has advice on diplomacy, domestic understanding, ethics, economics and strategy. In a brief overview, the book teaches you to keep your friends close, but your enemies even closer.

The Chanakya Neeti is largely written in quotes which makes it difficult for people to decipher the meaning of words. There are certain versions that explain the quotes and decipher the meaning, but there are almost none which teach us to apply the same rules to our lives now.

Here are the six things which every entrepreneur can learn from Chanakya Neeti.

Be polite in handling matters

"Politeness is a virtue which cannot be expected of fools."

Being polite in the workplace is of utmost importance to build trust and to build a team. There are various difficult situations which are thrown at people at the workplace. One must not lose their calm and continue working tactfully. Losing one's calm at the workplace can result in being disliked by the team. Since, most workplaces are team oriented, it is not in anyone's best interest to draw conflict within the team. Though, a simple advice, keeping calm and staying polite in the workplace may not be as easy as it seems.

Speaking only when necessary is a virtue

"A person who maintains silence for one year, opening his mouth only to eat, he gets all the honours of heaven for ten million years."

Chanakya highlights the importance of speaking only when necessary at the workplace. This is an essential strategy to stay out of workplace politics which are rampant in offices. Speaking only when necessary helps you to focus on work instead of focusing on other distractions which are present. This virtue can help you to emerge as a strong leader in the long run and it can also help you to stand out from other people within your team. Speaking unnecessarily can have the opposite effect, people within your team may think you are increasing banter and creating a hindrance in their work. You may lose the respect of team members if you make too much unnecessary conversation. Hence, speaking only when necessary can be a strong virtue in the workplace.

The position of the person is not important, the impact counts

"An elephant is a giant in size but a small goad keeps it under control. A small lamp destroys a huge amount of darkness. A mountain can be broken down with repeated blows of a hammer. Are a goad, a lamp or a hammer any match to the elephant, darkness and mountain in size, respectively?"

Chanakya highlights that it is important to access the impact which a person creates on this world instead of accessing her position. This applies to business environments as there can be several people who are not in leadership positions but are creating a strong impact. Chanakya asks us to respect these people because their impact could put them in powerful positions. The quote also warns leaders or people in positions of power to not get too egoistic. It is important for them to be humble towards people who are working with them. The approach should always be one of humility. It is important for people in senior management of the company to be more respectful towards others. Though they may not be similar in terms of size or power, it is important to realize that everyone is possible to create an impact.

With the example of the elephant and goad, Chanakya is also advising you to never be afraid of situations and to be strong enough to deal with them. You must never lose confidence and think yourself to be small. No situation is too big. You may have a power which you don't recognize at first.

Do not opt for instant gratification, success comes step by step

"Drop by drop, a pitcher gets filled. Similarly, little by little, collection of money, learning and good acts become great treasures."

Chankya warns that there is nothing like Instant gratification when it comes to business. Success does not come all at once, it is a drop by drop process. Chanakya here is advising people to appreciate the learning which is a great treasure in personal life. Learning represents personal growth. If you are expecting instant success without willing to be patient, there is a chance that you will be dissatisfied. At the same time, if you are willing to appreciate every drop of success that comes your way, you will be more motivated in life and will achieve your goal.

It's never too late to start afresh

"Let the bygones not worry you and don't fear the future. The wise ones concentrate on making good use of the present."

Many times in our careers, we hit a stop point where we are disinterested in what we do and we want to start afresh. According to Chanakya, it is best to think about the present and move on with what makes us happy. If we keep worrying about past blunders or failures, a fresh start won't be easy. Hence, to take a new leap in life, it is not only important to have courage, but also to stop thinking about the past. Chanakya regards the people who are able to start a fresh as wise.

It is okay to keep business secrets to yourself

"The wise man must not reveal anything about: formula of one's medicine, one's own religious resolves, family blemish, sexual acts, bad food taken and the ill food around."

Today, we are all obsessed with data and information security. Chanakya spreads the ancient wisdom of keeping business secrets to oneself. If one gives their business secrets out, it is likely that they will suffer greatly in terms of business. It is important for people to value their secrets because they help a business run more efficiently. Moreover, keeping business secrets makes the team feel like they are a part of the larger picture, so they stay motivated.