Leadership Lessons: Building, growing and sustaining an empire

A small step in the world of business started by the man hailing from Cuddalore, has blossomed into a corporate identity that depicts a growth story that anybody can relate to. CavinKare is synonymous with CKR, its Chairman and Managing Director (CMD). Ask him the ingredients for his success, he is quick to laugh. As if to indicate there is no formula or recipe for success. CKR who has always been in the thick of action in a silent way, managed to spare some time to articulate his thoughts on how he has gone about his business. 

Attributing his success to “discipline” , he goes on to share the core element behind it. “We know that man is a product of his own thinking. I allot my thinking time in the morning, an undisturbed 45 minutes every day, and then I travel into dreaming. Mental creation precedes physical creation. My job is to visualise and build on my businesses. What I mentally create finally manifests in the physical form at office. I allocate half an hour for educating myself going through management books – critical books, subjects which I am currently wanting to learn depending on my needs, to learn to equip myself and wherever need be take course correction so that it helps me in evolution.”  

The conversation moves to Patanjali and a competition from unexpected quarters. “I feel that Patanjali is a phenomenal success which nobody can dispute and a force to reckon with. I am happy that it happened in the herbal category where we are also playing. Therefore, the respect on people’s mind for herbal products has gone up after Patanjali. That makes MNCs also look at it seriously and soon we will see a slew of launches by everybody. Not only Pathanjali but the whole sector will grow. We are also growing.” 

How is Patanjali different from CavinKare? “Baba Ramdev is a cult personality. Let’s face it – he is a yoga guru, he is a saint  with lot of positivity. He is connecting with people, millions of them across the country every day on TV etc. That sort of personality coming out with a product leads people to try it in the first place. If it is good, repeat happens… viral effect, you know… he has stolen the heart of millions,” says CKR. 

Prod him to share his success mantra for managing literally the A-Z of products, CKR says he is happy to be doing so many things and being able to “build it, grow it and sustain it.” 

He also has defined a set of governing values which shape his behaviour and his decisions. This has been articulated to his team (which includes his family too). “Fundamentally, it is the level of desire and the sustained efforts that will produce great results over a period of time,” CKR says, noting the importance of gradual growth that is built on patience and passion, generally in a three to five-year time-frame. “You must have the tenacity to continue to follow the path,” he says, highlighting the importance of his morning regimen, which he follows to the tee. 

The difference between desire and wish is that the former has an intensity quotient that can help you even overcome the challenge of competency, money or the absence of a team but strong desires can fulfill ambitions. That’s why diet plans don’t work! When it comes to business, you need to study yourself. “As the organisation grows, I also need to equip myself else I will become a bottleneck,” he pointed out. 

Recalling his formative years, he says “the only thing that I did right was to have a strong desire and a commitment to succeed in a healthy and straightforward way.” Even when it came to books, CKR stuck to reading 2 or 3 pages, picking up that which appealed to him as he was keen to put the concept into practice. So inspired was he by ‘4 discipline of execution,’ book that he took 25 sessions to train 250 managers, thereby having to spend less time on worrying, armed as they were with the know-how of execution!