"Lead with Consciousness” – MPW

• Innovate: You cannot survive tomorrow with yesterday’s tools
• ‘Sathosa’ was a mistake; we didn’t anticipate political change

COLOMBO: The fact that leadership and management play a vital role in organisations is self-evident. However, while delivering the keynote address at the 18th LBR-LBO Forum this week, M P Wickramasingha, Chairman, Ceylon Biscuits Ltd, exhorted CEOs to go beyond these. He asked the gathering of corporate high-flyers to evaluate and change its attitude towards everything, including business rivalry. Providing an example of what is possible, he said, “When we won a contract from the Education Ministry, we took two-thirds and gave one-third to the competition!”

Leadership, according to Wickramasingha, involves not merely seizing every opportunity that arises, but also proactively creating opportunities. “Leaders are made”, he opined, “Some might have the latent talent, but everybody can develop in areas in which they are not naturally gifted.”

The essential attributes of a good leader are confidence, willingness to accept challenges, and an ability to inspire others. However, all these would come to naught, Wickramasingha said, without vision. In an interesting comment, he said that the vision of Singapore’s first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew (1958), was that Singapore should become like Ceylon!

“Remember that the first 3 letters of management are MAN – and man is a creature with emotions, preferences and weaknesses”, advised Wickramasingha. Besides, it pays to have a committed workforce, he said, because then there would be less labour disputes. He regretted that, as organisations expand, workers become isolated, factories get automated, and the human touch is lost. He advises that management’s attitude should be genuine and called for the introduction of ethics in all dealings with staff, to preserve that human touch.

Wickramasingha defines Consciousness as ‘awareness or knowledge’, and said that learned scientists are recognizing a new era of consciousness. The application of consciousness in management sometimes results in ‘gut feelings or promptings that come either from within oneself or from higher dimensions’.

Holding up old-time carpenters and masons – who used to take immense pride in their work - as a shining example, Wickramasingha asked the gathering to “Strive for perfection. Pay attention to details. Work not only for financial benefits, but also for the satisfaction and pride that come from a job well done… Strive for material growth and self development together.”

Wickramasingha stressed the need for innovation and change, cautioning that “You cannot survive tomorrow with yesterday’s tools... Sony, for example, has an obsolescence plan for products that it introduces.”

Talking of the “unimaginable possibilities of the human mind”, Wickaramasingha said that he meditates regularly. “Try brain stilling instead of brain storming”, he suggested. “Learn to be introspective, to look down at yourself from a pedestal.”

In response to a question from the audience, Wickramasingha exhibited remarkable candour when he admitted that he had made a lot of mistakes along the way. “Sathosa was one of them. We didn’t anticipate the quick political change – and what one government did, the other undid.” Ceylon Biscuits Ltd intends to make an initial public offering (IPO) of equity shares. “That’s a board decision,” Wickramasingha said. Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Times FT later, he said that the IPO would hopefully take place this year, “if nothing (adverse) happens to the stock market.”