Dr. Ram Charan, a renowned business advisor, author and speaker, was in Nigeria for the MTN Leadership Seminar in Abuja and Lagos. He spoke to journalists in Lagos on Friday on how the country could be transformed through right leadership. AKINPELU DADA was there
What is your impression of Nigeria?
There is tremendous talent in this nation that I have met; you have a lot of resources and you are making progress; you need to accelerate the progress.
How are we going to do that?
Focus on a few things and get them done. Build the image that this is a country that gets things done, people will knock on your door. You’ve got to fill the knowledge gap first. Second, bring companies here for agriculture, and third, fix your power; not 10,000 things. The greatest mistake is to try and do everything.
Build the image of this nation in terms of potential and not that you have resources, but that you have the right people, well trained people.
How can the nation get the right people into offices to contribute to national development?
First, fix the private sector because they are measured in terms of output. Fix the shortage of skilled people, create turning points for the private sector, they know how to get things done, they are project managers. I talked to the Finance minister when I met her in Abuja, she understands the problem. Don’t make the problem too big, focus on a few things.
Getting all these done is management, it is not a new role. You need to train people, it is not the ideas. Ideas are available on Google. Your people are as bright as those of any nation, it is issue of skills and training that will make the difference. That will be done largely by existing people who know how to get things done. Make it very simple and not complicated, don’t copy, don’t engage in big thinking because big thinking today is available on Google. It will only take you three minutes to search on the Internet and you can pick all the ideas you need. So, I don’t want to do any training on big thinking.
In training the people, how much of foreign expertise should the nation rely on?
If you need to train 5,000 or 10,000 people, first find out who needs the training, don’t put the wrong people in training. Second, find the trainers anywhere in the world; they may not be in America, they may be in Sweden, they may be in India or Canada, they may be retired people who had done it; they come for a limited period, train the people, they observe them and go back.
How can Nigeria and other developing countries benefit from the balance in the shift of power, which you talked about in one of your books?
Very simple! You have over 150 million people in Nigeria; 300 million in the rest of Africa, the market growth is huge. Focus on six industries and bring them here via joint ventures, licences and others; use them to develop the nation. For instance, MTN in Africa and out of Africa, they don’t have all the technology, they need to get the expertise from outside. They’ve got to do that and they’ve done it before. So, there is a very good example of a world-class company in the country, they’ve 50 million customers and I hope that one day they will get 500 million. Why not? Indonesia is 280 million people. The total population of Africa is about a billion.
If you were to summarise your experience in Abuja and Lagos, what would you say?
Very simple! Think like a 300 million market, take a few things and get them done and build an image that Nigeria is a place where people and leaders get things done. That is all you need to do, but it is easily said than done.
You spoke about corruption, what really can the private sector do about it?
I simply said there are no answers on how to deal with it. Just focus on the things I have said and leave corruption out, don’t focus your energy on it because it can’t be solved, you would be wasting everybody’s time if you are focusing too much on it.
When you were growing up, you worked in a family shoe shop in Mumbai; what experience did you gain there that is now useful for you?
I gained two experiences and I see that here. When I was coming from the airport, I saw many small shops by the roadside, those are the kind of shops where I grew up from. It is very hard for people to make a living from that, but they learn very quickly the value of cash.
I learnt from day one the value of cash. Second, I learnt the value to open the shop very early and close late and that every single customer matters. I used to open the shop as early as 7am and by the time my brothers would come into the shop, I already had customers.
Based on your study of Nigeria, will you consider her system good enough for business?
Do not focus on the system, focus on things. People will change the system. Some people created the system hundred of years ago; don’t corrupt the mind, get people to work.
How do you motivate yourself?
Learning everyday! I have learnt something from here. I learn from people.
When was your first contact with Nigeria and what was your impression?
My first contact with Nigeria was about six years ago with some Nigerians in India and I can tell you that the raw materials are fantastic.
What is the place of morality in business?
Every country has that issue but all I can say is go to work. Don’t spend your time on these things; it won’t do you any good.
There is this school of thought that for countries to develop, they need to implement some policies developed for them by global institutions like the IMF and World Bank. But in Africa, people have said most of these policies have not worked for the continent. What is your take on this?
Very simple! Talk to six people in each of your ministries, tell them: ‘Lets get to do the right thing. If you fix your infrastructure, power and telecommunication, you don’t need an IMF. So, lets go and fix the problem. I talked to the Minister of Finance in Abuja the other day and I think she is one of the best finance ministers I know and I have known a lot of them.
Get things done, focus on a few things and repeat and repeat them. When you get success, it is very exciting.
How wealthy are you?
It depends. In ideas, I am.
Is it true you don’t own a car?
I don’t own a television, I don’t own a car, I don’t own a house because there is no need for them; I travel every day, I don’t own anything except it is a necessity. If I am to live my life all over again, there will be no change.
I actually work with companies; build relationships with companies for 20 years, 30 years, and 40 years. Nobody is going to make it in consulting except he creates value.
What can Nigeria learn from Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries that have moved from developing to developed countries?
Leadership! Get something down. Focus on manufacturing, bring the big companies like Motorola here, let them set up assembly plants. Don’t focus on foreign exchange and trade, but take the small things and avoid all the big stuff.
You guys told me you have good arable land, I have to accept that, get the minister to go all over the world and get 30 companies to come and invest in agriculture. Don’t worry about the money, they will bring the money.
Do you really think countries in the Southern hemisphere can catch up with those in the North?
Go back to the basics. Leaders make countries. Who made China to become the number 2 economy in the world today? Not one billion people, but just about 50 people. Who would have imagined that China would have a $7tn economy 15 years ago?
Each country has to focus on the leaders. Leaders are not limited to those presiding over the affairs of the nation, other leaders can help.
Other developed countries like the US and Europe have lofty ideas about management but still have problems like the current Euro crisis and the depression in the US economy; so, what is the problem?
The US economy is back on the track. The problem is the global financial meltdown with the world’s financial system being run by less than 50 people in America, who caused all the problems.
It was very deep and could have been more catastrophic if two people were not there to make the right decisions. They made all the right decisions and didn’t sleep all night. They are Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserves Chairman, and Henry Paulson, Secretary of Treasury.